Note: Sorry I have been neglecting my stories recently. I intend to update as many as possible this month.

Cousin Prea

The three of them were standing in the living room talking about their Father when Phoebe remembered the letter she had received from Prea that week. It had been driven out of her mind by Victor's arrival and all the stress that it had brought, not to mention the three shapeshifting Warlocks they had faced.

"I'm just glad he came back no matter how long he stays. It's kinda nice feeling like a normal family again, whatever that means."

As Piper spoke the word 'Family' reminded Phoebe that she had forgotten something. But what Prue said next brought the letter firmly to the front of her mind.

"Yeah it's nice, I just hope that we don't have any more surprise family members turning up out of the blue anytime soon."

Even though Prea hadn't made any definite plans about moving back, she had hinted at it. At least this time they had warning as they were still in contact. When the letter had first arrived it hadn't seemed odd or out of place that their cousin wanted to move back. As far as they could tell, they were all the family that Prea had. But now, after Victor's reappearance in their lives not long after they had discovered their powers, the timing seemed suspicious.

"I think there will be at least one more. I got a letter from Prea the other day and she mentioned moving back to San Francisco. "

As she expected Phoebe saw a look of concern pass over Prue's face, but then the doorbell rang and it was momentarily forgotten.

It wasn't until later that night that Phoebe thought about the letter again. Their father had cancelled their plans but he had sent a video of home movies, which they had watched while reminiscing over what they remembered of him from when they were children. Now that the tape had run out and they had eaten Phoebe started to wonder about Prea again. She had come up to the attic to check the book of shadows but had found nothing. That didn't surprise her as she didn't have very much to go on except her memory and whatever she could remember about the persona her cousin had built.

Then she remembered the box she had first found the book in the night that she had come home. There had been something else stored in there, a shoebox under the book of shadows, that she had overlooked at the time for the book itself. Now she wondered what Grams could have stored in there, hidden alongside the family secret and their powers.

That was how Piper found her an hour later, sitting in one of the old chairs in the attic with an old magazine on her lap and a shoebox full of papers at her feet.

"Hey Pheebs, what are still doing up? It's late."

Phoebe looked up from the magazine she was reading. It was one of many tucked away in the shoebox. Every single one of them was about Prea, her career and her public persona 'Prima'.

"Just doing some reading."

She turned the article so that Piper could see the title.

" 'Prima, Demonic First Lady of the Art World.' Are you worried about Prea moving back?"

Phoebe shrugged putting the magazine back into the box.

"To be honest, I don't know. I didn't think anything of it before, but Prue's right it can't be a coincidence her moving back now. I just don't know why. You know we've always kept in touch. We write once a month at least and she always calls on my birthday."

Piper nodded, she had always known that they wrote to one another.

"She calls me too, and Prue. She's always been good about keeping in touch. I think she called every other day when Grams was in the hospital. We're all the family she has."

Pulling another chair over Piper sat across from her sister. She could tell that this was something Phoebe wanted to talk about.

"There's just something I've been wondering about. I remember this one time when I was a teenager. I was talking to Prea on the phone. I was complaining about being caught trying to sneak out. I could never come up with a convincing excuse for anything. And do you know what she told me?"

As Piper shook her head, Phoebe continued.

"She said that the best way to lie is with the truth, to make the truth sound like a lie."

Leaning over Piper to pick the magazine back out of the box. The pictures accompanying the article showed Prea hiding in the shadows with big black wings sprouting from her back. It was almost exactly the same as how Phoebe had described what she had seen as a child.

"Do you think there is some truth to this persona she puts on to sell her work?"

Phoebe chewed her thumb nail in thought for a moment before she answered.

"Yeah I do. I remember when it all started and we saw that interview she did on TV. She told me then that she based the whole thing on that night I thought I saw her on the ceiling, with the wings and everything. I always thought I imagined it, but now I'm not so sure."

Piper sighed as she dropped the magazine. If she was being honest she had started to wonder about Prea as well.

"I think you may be right. I remember that day, and there's something I never understood. I heard Grams on the phone to someone that night and until now it never made any sense..."

Piper crept towards the banister on the landing and looked down. She could hear Grams on the phone down below. Usually she would ignore it, but the conversation didn't seem to make any sense.

"What in Hades do you think you are doing? That doesn't matter. What if somebody who knows the truth sees it? The ones who turned your mother may not still be around, but there are others. It is dangerous to draw attention to yourself like this. Someone or something could make the connection. Alright I'll admit I didn't think it was possible, but we don't want to advertise even the hint that half breeds exist. Sure there have been others that were half human, but nothing like this. No I know you didn't use that word. Yes I know that there is nothing that you can do about it now. Just be careful. Alright."

"...But even if you are right, I don't think we have anything to worry about. Whatever she is, whatever a half breed is, Grams wouldn't have let her anywhere near us if she didn't trust her."