Thanks for all the reviews guys, but I'd like to make something clear: There is no magic in this story YET. There will be magic later, once all the sisters have met ect. So the story is set before Charmed series one. (And Andy is still alive.)
Chapter 4 - A Picture, A Message and A Conversation
She was all dried up now. She didn't have any tears left in her, or any energy to cry them out. She'd laid in silence for so long, it was slowly starting to get dark. But she didn't want to sleep, she was wide awake, even though she'd barely slept for over a week now ... the truth was, she was too scared to sleep, too scared she'd see her parents last moments again, feel the heat of the fire, the immense pain. Instead, she rolled off of the bed and, after a few minutes and tripping over the rug, she found her sketching pad and a pencil. She walked over to the window, and sat on a chair, her feet propped up on the wall in her favourite drawing position. It was several minutes before she decided what to draw, she smiled as she felt her pencil glide smoothly over the paper. Letting her pain out onto the paper always helped ...
----
"We have a sister Prue, you can't hide from that!" Phoebe said angrily.
"I'm not trying to -" Prue said, trying to keep her voice calm.
"Really? Do you know what, I don't think you even care that we have a sister, do you?" Phoebe snapped.
"Of course I care, I just ..."
"You just don't want to find her? Meet her?" Piper said. Prue closed her eyes - it was rare that Piper took sides when her and Phoebe were arguing.
"Of course I do ... just not right now ..."
"Why!" Phoebe cried.
"Because I'm having a hard time getting used to this, OK? I mean, don't you feel - feel betrayed?" Prue said, a note of desperation in her voice. It was obvious, however, from Phoebe face that she disagreed.
"By who?" Piper asked, although Prue thought she knew what she meant.
"By ... by mum. I mean, she never told us, and neither did grams, or dad - do you think he knows? - and I'm having a hard time understanding why no one thought to tell us that we had a little sister out there somewhere."
"Prue ... I'm sure she had a reason -" Piper started, but it was Phoebe who cut across her.
"For giving up our sister for adoption? Why did she do it?" Phoebe asked, obviously considering this for the first time.
"I don't know ... But the important thing is, that we find Paige, and bring her home." Piper said. "Just like mum wanted ..."
----
Paige titled the book and studied her picture. She was her own worst critic, but something about it she liked ... The stormy sea crashing against the rocks portrayed her emotions perfectly, the dark sea representing her grief, and the crescent moon showing hope, her baby, her future ...
Yep, she liked this one.
Checking her watch, Paige was surprised that it was only seven thirty. It was raining, making the sky darker, and making her think it was later. She should probably call her aunt and uncle. That way, she wouldn't have to do it tomorrow, and if her aunt insisted on having a long conversation, she could just say she was tired, and then hang up.
It took longer that she expected to find her phone, and she ended up unpacking half the box ... well, she dumped it on the floor, which was almost unpacking. She sat on the edge of her bed, surprisingly worn out. Strange, since she hadn't actually done much ...
She pressed and held the on button, then squinted against the light the phone emitted. It was darker than she'd realised, obviously.
It took her a minute to notice she had a voicemail message, and longer to decide whether or not to bother hearing it. Eventually, curiosity got the better of her, and the pressed the button.
"Hi, this is Prue Halliwell, trying to reach Paige Matthews ... Paige, I really need to talk to you, could you please give me a call when you get this message ... The number's 2744397 ..."
Paige frowned - she didn't know any Prue Halliwell, did she? She didn't think so ...
She started to turn the phone back off, but something stopped her. Somehow, she thought this was important, and somehow she found herself pressing "call" ...
----
The phone ringing made them all jump, and even Prue ran towards it.
"It's her! It's her!" Phoebe screamed, recognising the number and reaching for the receiver.
"Wait, Pheebs I should answer it. I called her, she'll ask for me -" Hitting her younger sister's hand away, Prue picked up the receiver and pressed it to her ear, shocked at how much she was shaking.
"H-hello?"
"Um, hi ... Is Prue Halliwell there?" A voice said, just as nervous as Prue's.
"Yes, speaking." Prue said, as Phoebe gave a squeal next to her.
"Um, you left me a message ...?" Paige said nervously, twirling her pencil in between her fingers.
"Yes, um, could we maybe meet up at some point? I really have to talk to you, but - um - face to face -"
Paige paused, as a thought crossed her mind. "You - you're not a reporter are you?"
"No, no, I just have to talk to you about ... something. Could you maybe meet me a Quake tomorrow? My sister works there ..."
"Sure. What time?" Paige wasn't even aware of making the decision, she just found herself agreeing.
"One o' clock?" Prue said nervously.
"I - I'll be there." Paige stammered, and was relieve when Prue said her goodbyes and hung up. She was agreeing to meet a complete stranger in a restaurant she'd never even been in before.
My mother would kill me.
----
She went anyway. Well, she was almost there, sat outside in her car, trying to guess what this woman wanted. Eventually, she gave up, and opened the car door, and getting shakily to her feet.
----
"Prue, what do you mean you're going to be late?" Piper hissed down the phone. "A flat tire ... of course Phoebe's with you." She sighed. "Well what am I supposed to say to her? Do you want me to wait?"
"No, no, you tell her, I don't know how long we'll be." Prue said quickly. "We'll be there as soon as we can."
"Fine. Bye." Piper slammed the phone down, slightly annoyed. She didn't know what to say to this girl, her sister. She couldn't just come out and say it, could she? Oh, by the way, I'm you're sister."
"Excuse me?" Piper's silent rant was interrupted by a dark-haired pale-faced girl.
"Yes?"
"I'm, um, meant to be meeting someone here ... Prue Halliwell -?"
Piper's jaw dropped.
"P-Paige?" She stammered, and the girl nodded. Piper was face to face with her sister, and she hadn't even realised it!
With a very Phoebe-ish yelp, Piper walked quickly round to the other side of the counter and embraced the girl.
Paige was speechless. What was going on? Strangers ringing her and arranging to meet up, different strangers hugging her for no reason ...
"Oh, god, you don't know who I am!" Piper said, breaking away flustered.
"No, I don't."
"I'm Prue's sister, I'm Piper. Prue's been delayed, but if you come and sit over here, I'll explain it all ..." Piper said, nervously wringing her hands. Paige followed her over to a table, and sat down on the chair, opposite Piper.
"Well?" She asked nervously, almost afraid of what she was about to hear.
"Uh ..." Piper paused, and glanced towards the door. Nope, no Prue or Phoebe running in, ready to take over. She was alone. How the hell am I meant to tell her ...
"I ... I'm you're sister ..."