"Where is she Prue?"

"Piper stop pacing, and I don't know." Prue told her

"I can't help it. Her appointment was over two hours ago. It shouldn't take that long."

"Ok Piper, relax. Maybe Cole met her and they went out to celebrate of something."

Piper looked at her sister giving a small sigh, "You're probably right." Piper said though not totally convinced. Sitting down on the chair across from Prue. "But if she's not home in an hour. I'm going to go looking for her."

"What are you going to do? Start driving all over town. Piper that's crazy."

"No I was going to scry for her."

"Ok fine. We'll give her an hour." Prue agreed.

--- ---- --- ----

Phoebe spent the past two hours sitting in front of her Mothers headstone trying to sort out her feelings. How had her mother dealt with this? She had lost complete track of time as she sat there. She finally realized how long she had been out there and she figured that she had better get home before her sisters started to worry. Picking up her purse she headed for Pipers car.

On her way home she still had her mind made up that she would not tell them about the illness. She would however, tell them that she was not pregnant. 'At least that way if I get upset, I can always say it's the fact that I'm not pregnant.' She surmised in her mind.

Pulling into the driveway she looked up at the Manor, she got out of the Jeep and stood at the bottom of the steps. Slowly walking up the steps she paused at the front door. She knew that her sisters would be in there waiting for her. Taking a deep breath as she opened the door she waited for the question that would soon hit her.

"Phoebe?" Piper called out as the door opened

"Hey, yeah, it's me."

"Where have you been? We've been worried sick." Piper told her.

"Uh what do you mean, we?" Prue asked her middle sister.

"You were too. You're just too stubborn to admit it." Piper accused her.

"Yeah. Whatever." Prue answered, "So Phoebe. How'd it go?"

"Uh." Phoebe started to say as she made her way into the living room, sitting down on the sofa next to Prue.

"Well come on you can't keep us in suspense like this." Piper encouraged her.

Letting out a deep breath, "I'm not pregnant." She finally said quietly as a tear escaped her eyes.

"Oh honey. I'm sorry." Prue said as she pulled her sister close to her.

"Yeah Phoebs I'm sorry. I know how excited about this that you and Cole were." Piper said as she came over and joined her sisters on the sofa.

Hugging Prue tight she let her tears flow freely. She buried her face in her big sisters shoulder as she held her tight. "We really wanted this baby Prue." She finally said.

"I know honey." Prue said soothingly

"Oh honey." Piper asked, "Hows Cole doing?"

"He never showed up."

"Oh sweetie. Why didn't you call us. We would have come down." Prue told her

"I wanted to do this on my own."

"Sweetie you are not alone in this." Prue told her she rubbed her sisters' back

Phoebe had eventually crawled right onto Prue lap and had her head resting on her big sisters chest. She had cried herself to sleep there: safe in the arms of her protector.

"God Prue, she really wanted this baby."

"I know Pipe, but there will be other times." Prue said as she absently stroked Phoebes head.

Little did they know how wrong that statement was.

--- ---- --- ----

The next morning Phoebe woke up with the feeling of loss. She couldn't even imagine anything like the pain she was feeling: a feeling deep in her heart. She still had not figured out what to do. It was something that she would have to work out on her own. That much she did know.

She rolled over and rolled into another person. Hoping it was Cole she smiled and opened her eyes. She locked eyes with the ice blue of her big sister.

"Morning sweetie."

"Hey." Phoebe answered a little disappointed.

"Sorry. I'm not who you were hoping for am I?"

"Nope. But you'll do." Phoebe said as she snuggled over to her big sis.

Wrapping her arms around her sister Prue pulled her close. "You had a bad dream last night."

"Oh?"

"You don't remember?"

"Nope."

"You woke up crying about the baby and something about you didn't want to die."

"Oh." Phoebe said. Getting worried that she may have said too much in her sleep.

"You're not going anywhere. Especially if I can help it." Prue told her.

"Good to know." Phoebe answered.

"Hey is this a private party or can anyone join in?"

"Piper!" Phoebe said holding out her arms

"Hey you."

"Did I wake you too?"

"Yeah but its ok honey." Piper said kissing Phoebe on the forehead. "So how's your stomach this morning?"

"So far we're ok."

"So what did the Dr. say? About you been sick like that if you're not pregnant?" Prue asked gently.

"Just a type of flu that's been going around." Phoebe lied.

"Well then you see. I told you you were sick." Piper said as she shock her finger at her baby sister.

"Yeah I guess you were right Pipe."

"So. Today you stay in bed. Got it missy?" Piper ordered

"Got it Sergeant." Phoebe said with a mock salute.

"Oh you are cheeky." Prue said as she reached over and tickled her sister.

"Oh no Prue don't." Phoebe said trying to stop her sister.

"Why?"

"Because I need to go to the bathroom." Phoebe said urgently.

Both Prue and Piper got her meaning and cleared the way for her. After a few minutes they noticed that she had stopped being sick.

"Phoebe."

"Yeah Prue. You can come in." Phoebe said.

Opening the door Prue entered. "How you doing?"

"Awful. Can you help me up?"

"Sure, come on. This sure knocks you down hey?"

"I think it gets worse every time too."

"Well today you stay in bed. I'll come and sit with you so you don't get lonely like yesterday."

"It's ok Prue really."

"No arguing with your big sister. Now come on, lets get you back to bed."

--- ---- --- ----

The next few days were pretty much the same for Phoebe. She would wake up and get sick every morning and be tired in the afternoon. The only difference as the week progressed was she would be tired longer. She knew it was whatever this disease was, taking hold of her body. Both Prue and Piper had gone out for the morning so she saw this as her chance to call Dr. Samuel's.

"Phoebe I was starting to get worried about you."

"I'm ok doc. Really."

"Oh. You don't sound it."

"So what's the procedure here surgery? Medication?" Phoebe wanted to kick this thing and she wanted to do it soon.

"Surgery is the best way. If you like I can get you in the day after tomorrow."

"Ok then, let's do it." She told him.

"I'll schedule you in. Now remember no eating anything 12hrs before and drink plenty of fluids. You may be quite sick after you come out of the anaesthetic so one of your sisters may want to come with you. If I remember you three I'm sure that they both will want to be there."

"Uh. Ok, I'll have one of them meet me." She lied.

"Ok then. I'll see you on Thursday morning."

Hanging up the phone Phoebe didn't know what to do. She needed someone to help her home but she couldn't tell her sisters. Picking up the phone again she called one of her friends from school.

"Candace, Prue and Piper both have to work."

"Ok Phoebe I'll help you out."

"Thanx Candace I owe you one."

Hanging up the phone Phoebe relaxed a bit. Until this was over though she would not completely relax. Now her only problem would be to get out of the house that morning.

--- ---- --- ----

Thursday morning came quicker then she had hoped. Walking down the stairs dressed and ready to go, Phoebe grabbed a glass of water.

"Hey Phoebs you up early. Every thing ok?" Piper asked her.

"Uh yeah why?"

"Well you never ate last night for starters."

"Yeah I'm ok. Look I gotta go over to school and get some of the stuff that I've missed all week."

"Are you sure you're up for that honey?"

"Yeah I'll be fine, Candace is going to pick me up."

"Ok. Love you. I'll be at P3 later if you need anything."

"Ok thanx. Love you too." Phoebe said as she went out the front door.

Geting into her friends car, "Thanx for this Candace."

"Hey it's no problem Phoebe. So when do you figure you'll be done?"

"I'm not sure. Probably around twoish. Is that still going to be ok?"

"Yeah no problem."

Dropping Phoebe off at the hospital Candace wished her luck. Phoebe had told her it was just a little day surgery that she needed to have done. She didn't need to get into the whole story with her friend, and her friend never asked any questions.

--- ---- --- ----

As Piper was checking the new order that came the phone rang. "P3, Piper speaking."

"Hey Piper."

"Oh hey Candace. How are you?"

"I'm good. Hey look Phoebe needed me to pick her up this afternoon, but something important came up. I know she didn't want to bother you or Prue with it but I didn't have a choice to call you."

"What do you mean pick her up? I thought you took her to the school to pick up the assignments that she had missed this past week."

"Uh no, I took her to SFMH for her day surgery."

"WHAT!" Piper practically yelled in the phone.

"You mean you didn't know?"

"No we didn't know. What the hell are you talking about, surgery?"

"She called me the other day and asked if I could take her and then pick her up afterwards. I thought you two knew. She just told me that because you had to work that you couldn't take her."

"Ok Candace it's not your fault. Thanx for calling though."

"Hey no problem. Tell her I'm sorry. In more ways then one now."

"I will." Hanging up the phone. "Right after I kill her." Piper said. Picking up the phone again Piper called Prue on her cell.

"Prue Halliwell."

"Prue. Piper. Meet me at SFMH at 130."

"Why? What's wrong?" Prue asked concerned about her sister.

"I'm not sure. I just got a call from Candace, Phoebe's friend from school, she was suppose to pick up Phoebe at 2pm this afternoon after she had some day surgery."

"WHAT!" Prue yelled back. "How could she not tell us?"

"I don't know, but I figured if we get there earlier we can talk to someone."

"Ok I'll start wrapping up here and meet you there at 130." Prue said as she hung up the phone. "Oh I am so going to kick her butt." Prue said to nobody.