Aunt Gail sat on the couch with Prue and Piper leaning against her on either side of her, and Phoebe playing with some blocks on the floor. She turned each page careful and slowly as she read the tale of Little Red Riding Hood.

"Aunt Gail when is Mummy comin' home?" Pipers innocent question seemed to have a hidden sadness in it.

"She's with Grams Piper. Now be quiet and let her read the story." Prue scolded her little sister wanting the story to continue.

"NO! I want Mummy!"

Piper sudden outburst caused Phoebe to look up from her blocks and take a sudden interest that her mother was not there.

"Piper that's enough. Your mother and Grams will be home shortly. Grams explained that to you already." Gail said trying to sooth the brewing situation

"But what if she doesn't come back?"

"She isn't like Daddy, she would never leave us." Prue explained to her sister seeing worry in her sisters' eyes. Prue got off the couch as Phoebe started to cry, "Now look what you did Piper." She made her way to the kitchen and got Phoebe her bottle for bed. Hoping that would calm her sister down and forget the fact that Mummy wasn't there

Gail held Piper in her arms. "Oh sweetie, your Mummy's coming back I promise. She just had to take care of something with your Grams."

"But she said she'd be home for dinner."

"When you wake up in the morning your Mum will be down stairs making you breakfast like she is every morning."

Gail was at a loss. She couldn't tell the girls where their mother and Grams where. Patti having the baby was a secret that no one could ever know. Including the girls. Grams and Patti had gone to Gail's house over in Santa Costa to deliver the baby. Then Patti and Sam would take her to the orphanage at the church. That was two days ago. Penny had called to let Gail know everything was fine but they wouldn't be home till the next day. To give Patti a chance to rest before coming home to the girls. She had told them they would try and make it in time for dinner.

Gail lifted Piper in her arms. "I think its time for bed sweetie. And believe me, your Mummy will be home in the morning." Piper snuggled under her covers as Aunt Gail tucked her in. "get some sleep sweetie. Sweet dreams."

Making her way down the steps Gail heard soft whispers coming from the kitchen. She smiled as she saw Prue sitting on the floor, expertly hold Phoebe in her arms as the youngest gulped down a bottle of milk.

"Guess she was thirsty." Gail sat in the chair just across from Prue.

"No, she always does this with her milk before bed. I don't think it even goes in her mouth. Straight to her tummy."

"Well she's two she needs the milk to help her grow."

"No, Mummy says she is 21 months. She isn't two till November."

Gail once again smiled at her long time friends Granddaughter. "You're right she is. And someone who is only 21 month old should be in bed. And so should someone who is 6 coming up 7." She bent down as Phoebe finished her bottle and started to drift off to sleep, lifted her up from Prue's arms.

Prue placed a soft kiss on Phoebe's forehead before Aunt Gail lifted her out of her arms and led the three of them up the stairs. Looking in on Piper she gave her a kiss as well before making her way to her own room.

She tossed and turned as the perspiration beaded on her. Her breathing quickened and her heart raced. She screamed and screamed again each time getting louder. She had to get away, had to run. She screamed as she got off her bed and ran from her room. She ran down the hall and was quickly met by arms wrapping around her. She kicked and punched and did everything to get away.

"Piper stop. STOP IT!" Prue tried to get Piper to calm down but all it got her was her sisters elbow to her nose and she instantly let Piper go.

Penny and Patti quickly came around the corner.

"Prue!" Patti kneeled beside her oldest daughter who was now on the floor crying and holding her face in her hands. She could see the blood seeping through her closed fingers.

Penny knelt beside Piper who had calmed slightly but was still looking extremely scared. She placed herself between Piper and her sister where Patti was trying to tend to her daughter.

"Prue come on sweetie. Let Mummy see."

"No! It hurts."

"I know honey, but I have to stop the bleeding." She gently helped Prue to her feet and made their way to the bathroom. She turned to her mother and Piper, "Mum?"

"I got her, you can't lift her up anyway. Take care of Prue." Penny reached down and lifted Piper into her arms as the small child curled up against her fast to sleep. It was if it her walking terror had suddenly stopped.

As Penny settled Piper back to bed she was doing so with the screams of Phoebe from her crib. She looked up to see her youngest granddaughter standing at the bars her mouth wide open screaming as the tears run down her cheeks like a river flowing.

"Ok baby, come on now, before you wake Piper up." Penny lifted Phoebe from the crib and quickly exited the room.

Patti had Prue sitting on the toilet lid as she held the cold wet cloth around her nose. "That better darling." She sat on the edge of the tub brushing the hair from Prue's face.

"A bit." She nodded gently.

"Let see." She took the cloth away and was relieved to see the bleeding stopped. "Well it doesn't look broken. You'll be ok." She stood up and helped Prue get her feet back on the floor, "Lets get you back to bed too hey." She took Prue's hand as the two of them went back to Prue's room.

Getting Prue settled back down she looked up when she heard the muffled cries coming in the room.

"Quite the lungs this one has." Penny sat on the bed looking down at Prue, "How you feeling sweetie?"

"I'm ok." Prue looked up at her mother, "she was scared you weren't coming home."

"Oh honey you know I'll never you three. You're my baby girls and I love you sooo much."

Phoebe shifted from her grandmother's arms and crawled along the bed to Prue. She wrapped her tiny arms around Prue's neck and snuggled in against her big sister and quickly sniffed her way back to sleep. It was as if she knew something was wrong.

Patti smiled at her two daughters as she pulled the covers over the two of them, "Get some sleep darlings. I'll see you in the morning." She bent down and placed a gentle kiss on both her daughters before getting up and closing the door behind her.

Patti then made her way across the hall to check on Piper who was tucked all up with her teddy bear in her arms.

"She's ok Patti."

"I know Mother. But Prue is right. Me not coming home yesterday scared her. Just like when Victor left."

Penny wrapped her arms around her daughter. "You needed the extra day darling. You and Sam needed that time to heal and to let go of Paige."

Patti leaned back against her mother, "I know. But at what cost." She held her eyes on her sleeping daughter.

February 28, 1978

Penny Halliwell slowly made her way to the top of the steps of the Manor. She opened the front door and made her way inside. She couldn't believe the day had transpired the way it had. She hadn't even noticed Mr. Trudeau walk past her taking the sleeping, exhausted Prue up to her room.

She heard the running of the tiny feet making there way through the Manor from the kitchen. The two year old Phoebe far ahead of her older sister Piper.

"Gwans!" Phoebe grabbed hold of her Grams legs looking up at her with her big brown eyes and her partially toothed smile.

Reaching down she wrapped her arms around the small child. She fought back the tear that was escaping her and she hugged Phoebe tight. "Oh my little one." She looked down and saw Piper looking up at her.

"Grams. Where's Mummy?" Piper looked at the front door that Mr. Trudeau had closed behind him.

Penny reached down and took Pipers hand in hers and started towards the living room. She caught the look that her friend Gail was giving her, letting her have the time to try and explain things to her two youngest granddaughters.

Settling Phoebe on her lap, Piper sat beside her looking at her with hope.

"Grams. Where is she?"

Penny brushed the hair from Pipers face, "Oh darling. She loved you so much. There was an accident at the lake today honey." She took in a deep breath as she looked between the two girls, "do you remember the little bird that you and Prue saved from the tree?"

"Yeah, you said he went to heaven to live with the angels."

"Yes I did. Well sweetie that is where you're Mummy went. She didn't want to go and she tried really hard not to. But she had to. God wanted her back so she too could be an angel."

Piper sat silent and looked at her grams, "No. No she isn't. You're lying she isn't gone!" she pushed off the couch and ran up the stairs. "It isn't TRUE!"

Penny closed her eyes and felt Phoebe resting against her quietly. She knew that Phoebe didn't fully understand what was going on and she wouldn't for some time. But the child was always attuned to the feelings of the others in the Manor. Penny just wasn't sure how long the sadness would be there for all of them.