Disclaimer- See Chapters 1-6

A/N- I could say the words I'm really sorry five billion times, and you guys would still be mad at me right? Hopefully, this chapter'll cheer you guys up. Thanks to everyone who reviewed and favorite storied me. Special thank to mistyfoxmaid for motivating me in a really weird way that she doesn't even realize?

Chapter 6- Beginnings or the First Few Dots

Phoebe settled down on the couch, making herself as comfortable as possible. The days events were still rushing through her head. The exisence of Cleaners (couldn't they be more creative with the names?), here new powers screwing up her life, and living through it all twice without realizing, even if the first was forgotten. She closed her eyes, wondering, If the Cleaners had been able to change things to avoid exposure, then where were they when Prue and Piper had accidentally exposed magic?

It wasn't that she didn't like Paige, they had learned about her only after Prue's death. So they probably wouldn't have met her if Prue hadn't died, but all too often, Phoebe was reminded that Paige wasn't Prue, the older sister that she had grown so close to, one of the few good things magic had brought with it.

Even though she had long accepted Paige, grown to love her like an sister; knowing that she wasn't a replacement at all, just someone with the misfortune of seemingly to replace someone else, Phoebe still missed Prue, sometimes even comparing, something that happened though she knew wasn't fair at all.

It was the dull throb that still remained in her heart when Prue's name was brought up.

The emptiness of where her presence used to seem to fill up.

And the fact that she was no longer there.

"You thinking what I'm thinking?"

Jerked from her reverie, Phoebe looked up and saw Piper taking a seat by her on the couch. She was holding Wyatt with one arm, balancing him on her hip as well. Wyatt's arms clung around her neck, holding onto the person he trusted the most in the world. Phoebe loved the way that they seemed to fit together, like pieces in a puzzle. No words were needed for Piper to realize the answer to her question.

Worry, sorrow, regret were all things that crossed her mind, but Piper knew that Prue was in a better place (as cliché as it sounded) and she was at peace. Thinking so, Piper said to Phoebe, "I miss her too, but whats happened happened."

A small hesitant smile appeared on Phoebe's face as she said, "I wonder what she would say if she was here. I mean you have a kid. And you're a natural."

Piper closed her eyes, wondering what Prue would think about her sudden separation with Leo. If anything, Prue had admired the way that she and Leo had hung on and managed to actually get married, despite the odds.

Phoebe could feel how conflicted and hard she was feeling Leo's absence and decided not to push on the subject.

Piper, suddenly extremely tired, got up and headed towards the stairs, while yawning a "G'night" to Phoebe.

Phoebe got up and headed toward the attic, determined to check the Book once more for the Cleaners. She just needed to check once more to see that there was nothing in the Book. She couldn't help think that the Cleaners could have changed everything in the situation with Prue. If they had managed to stop the reporter from exposing magic, and Shax would never have killed Prue when Leo was in the Underworld where he couldn't hear Piper or Prue. Things could have taken a completely different turn.

Phoebe made it to the top of the stairs and was surprised to find that the light was on in the attic. Cautiously, she tip toed to the door and slipped inside. She saw Mel lying on the floor, pouring over the Book of Shadows with a laptop the side. There was a small table next to her. There was a small boiling pot, exhuming a considerable amount of scentless smoke that drifted out a slightly open window. Surrounding the pot were small vials of potions, ordered by color, and potion ingredients.

Though she seemed entirely concentrated on the Book, and Phoebe had made extra sure to be quiet, Mel somehow knew that Phoebe had entered the room, and without looking up, she asked, "What are you doing here?"

Phoebe was shocked that Mel even knew that she was there, but she hid her surprise well. "What are you doing here?" she retorted, putting her hands on her hips. After all, this was her house…

The tone in Phoebe's voice made Mel's head jerk up, and for a second, she saw Prue. The same attitude, exactly something she would say. Mel distantly wondered how Prue was holding up, odds were that she would end up being Resistance leader in Chris's absence. Despite what most people would think, that was a hard post. She realized Phoebe was still waiting for an answer, so she pointed at the Book and said curtly, "Work. Book duty."

Phoebe smirked, "You know, I still can't believe you guys have book duty, shop shifts, and persuade people to go demon hunting shifts."

Mel shrugged, "It gets him to sleep." She turned back to the laptop while Phoebe walked over to the table and started looking through the potions, reading the small labels.

---

A faint blue light appeared from a bedroom wall, it expanded, and burst into a portal in the shape of a triquetra. She stepped out of the portal, and it vanished behind her. She looked around, and seeing the room that she once grew up in, her sanctuary, she felt a bolt of nostalgia, but she shook it off. The younger version of herself lay in the bed, the sheets in a tangled around her body. This girl was a picture of innocence that not even the red birdlike mark on her arm could dispel. She shook her head to clear her thoughts, she was wasting time, there was work to do.

---

He walked through the booming pulse of the club. His fondness of this place was well placed, many of his happy memories were centered here. That doesn't make my life sound very nice, does it? He was not very tired, but he knew that Mel would bite his head of if he didn't turn in for the day. He walked up to the door and pushed it open…

---

Mel looked up from the laptop and asked Phoebe, "Why are you here?"

Phoebe sighed deeply and for some strange reason, decided to open up to someone she barely even knew. She wondered at her sanity, but she explained herself anyways. Only after she had finished did she wonder at what kind of person her words had made her sound. Selfish?

Mel's eyes were anything but accusing though. Although she had already known these facts, the Charmed Ones being major history in her time, she felt the understanding pour deep into her, and she pushed the book towards Phoebe. "It probably won't tell you anything, but you can look if you want."

Phoebe was beyond surprised, but she knew better than to look at a gift horse in the mouth. So she nodded her thanks and started flipping.

---

When the door opened and closed, she made sure that he was inside the room before she stepped out from the corner of the room. He looked much more disheveled than she remembered from her memories. His haired was a mess, and there were bags under his eyes. She was not surprised at all when she saw his astonishment and confusion. There was also a different light in his eyes when he saw that it was her. She could not place it, but there was a strange familiarity in them.

"Bianca. What-" he managed to get out before she places a finger on his lips.

She knew then that he had placed all his trust in her at that moment, and there was no way that she could possibly screw up. She couldn't help but feel spiteful for someone who could put their lives into someone else in a split second? But even as she thought this, her body seemed to relax slightly, almost by instinct. She backs him into the wall, and they are so close….

---

Phoebe was beyond frustrated, she had flipped through the entire Book and the word Cleaners hadn't even appeared once. She had reached the last pages of the Book. The ones that were empty, and void of words. She expressed her annoyance by slamming the Book shut harshly. As if the book were insulted at being slammed shut, it opened again up again. The pages began to flip before settling on a page. Phoebe raised her eyebrows at the page; it was one that she knew only too well. She was about to slam the Book shut once more when words appeared on the bottom of the page. Phoebe thought that it was kind of ironic that it was Prue's.

When the Book's pages began to move of their own accord, Mel looked up. She knew that Phoebe hadn't found what she had been looking for, whatever it was. As Phoebe read the very unhelpful words on the page, she said…

---

As she leaned forward, she could feel the sweet taste of victory already washing over her. Just before their lips mad contact, she shoved her arm just slight above his abdomen. He gasped with such pain, she almost flinched, and her heart skipped a beat, but she did not back down. After all…

---

"That was then, this is now."


A/N- Any questions, just ask or pm me.