Prue and Piper kept watch over Phoebe for the rest of the night. Prue had managed to clean up Phoebes knife wound and got the bleeding to stop with the help of Leo before he got called away.
"Oh baby please come back to us. We need you." Prue said as she sat on the bed beside Phoebe. Piper was sleeping next to her on the other side.
Prue got off the bed and picked up Phoebes jacket. Reaching through the pockets she pulled out what she was looking for. Walking back to the bed she unfolded it and read it over and over, still trying to grasp what it said, still not believing that what was written was true. Some how she had a feeling deep in her heart that it was wrong, everything was wrong. She had believed her Mother all these years when she heard her fighting with Dad. Phoebe was his child, she is my flesh and blood sister: Full sister.
Piper woke up and saw the frown on Prues face.
"You ok?"
"Just thinking."
Piper sat up on the bed and rested her back against the headboard. "That could be tough at your age." She siad trying to lighten the mood for both of them.
"Haha. I was thinking about this." Prue said as she held up the piece of paper.
"What about it?"
"It just seems wrong to me Piper. I know that Mum was telling the truth that night."
"Than how do you explain it?"
"I don't know." Prue said as she looked again at the paper that had started the whole thing.
Just then Leo orbed back in. "I have news that I know you're not going to like." He said before either sister could greet him. After his meting with the Elders he knew that what he had to say he had to just do it and get it over with as quickly as possible. Once again I'm doing their dirty work. He thought.
"Leo you're scraing me." Piper said as she got off the bed and greeted her fiancée.
"I'm sorry. I just figured that coming right and telling you would be the best. Just keep in mind that I am just the messenger, I would NEVER let anything happen to Phoebe. I love her like she was my little sister."
"Spill Leo." Prue commanded more then anything.
"Ok. The birth certificate is wrong. Victor is Phoebe true father."
"What?" Both Prue and Piper yelled
"It's true. This was a test. To test your sisterhood. Phoebe proved it when she pushed you two out of the way of that demon and then you guys did when you went to her a few hours ago."
"Ok then explain this?" Prue asked as she held up Phoebes birth certificate in her hands
"The only thing I can think of was they fixed it somehow. Or that is not the real one."
Prue was fuming mad. To many times had the Elders felt the need to test them and to try their sisterhood. And now the result was Phoebe fighting for her life.
"Leo, she could die!" Prue yelled.
"I know."
"You know. That's all you have to say? She is in there somewhere thinking that she is not our sister. If she continues down that path she won't come back. We all lose her. Including them. No more power of three."
"Prue I'm sorry."
"No Leo. I don't want your apologizes. I don't want theirs. I want my sister back!"
"Prue Leo is not the person to be yelling at." Piper said. She too was angry at the way the Elders had once again put their lives in danger.
"Piper who do you want me to yell at. Phoebe could die."
"Leo isn't there something that they could do. After all this is their fault. If they hadn't set this in motion Phoebe would have never left that night." Piper asked of Leo
"I can try. And if it's any consolation Prue I told them the same thing you and Piper did. They can't keep messing with your lives. That one day you are just going to say no to them." Leo looked over at Piper and orbed back out.
Prue and Piper stood there and remained silent. Then Prue lifted her hand and looked down at the birth certificate in her hand.
"Amazing what a small piece of paper can do to someone." Prue said quietly.
Suddenly the paper almost glowed and then just as suddenly it returned to normal.
Phoebe Marie Halliwell, born San Francisco, November 15, 1976. To mother Patty Marie Halliwell, and father Victor Lee Bennett.
"Prue?"
"I saw it Piper. So they doctored Phoebes certificate."
"Ok this is the final straw." Piper said now very angry.
"Piper we can't."
"To hell with them Prue. How many times have we had to put our lives on hold because it was convenient to them? How many times have we risked our lives because they felt that we needed to test our sisterly bond? It's gone to far Prue. If they want us to help them fight this force of evil, than they are going to have to play a few innings by our rules. And the first rule is no more damn tests." Piper yelled out as Prue went to her.
"I'm with you Piper, really I am. I just don't want to piss them off so much now that they don't bring Phoebe back." Prue said as she held her sister.
"I know Prue. But if this doesn't work out: I quit. They can find someone else to be their bat boys."
Phoebe ran until she couldn't run anymore. She stopped and fell to her knees to the sand. Everything that Prue and Piper had said made sense. So did everything that Sam had said. She held her head down in her hands and cried. She was so confused, nothing made sense anymore.
"Phoebe."
Phoebe didn't move. She recognized the voice but wasn't certain.
"Phoebe please. Look at me."
Phoebe looked up. "Mum?"
"Oh my baby. What have they done to you?"
"I was hurt fighting a demon." Phoebe answered her mother though not really understanding the question.
"Oh Pheebs. That wasn't what I meant. I mean them." Patty said as she pointed her finger to the sky.
"I don't understand. What do they have to do with this?"
"Phoebe, Victor is your real father, not Sam."
"But I saw the certificate Mum." Phoebe said now more confused then ever.
"I know Phoebe. The elders altered it. They wanted to test your relationship with Prue and Piper and theirs with you."
"So the past few days have been a lie?"
"In a way yes. That part that you need to hold on to is that your sisters love you no matter what. Nothing will ever change that."
"Oh Mum. What am I going to do?"
"Think of home Phoebe. Think of the sisters that are there waiting for you: to love you. The elders sent me because they realized that what they did was wrong. And that in doing so had set off the events that had occurred. None of this should have happened Phoebe, if they had just stayed out of it. They asked me to tell you that from now on they will leave you three alone. No more tests."
Phoebe looked at her Mother who had bent down to her daughter on the sand. Wrapping her arms around her she embraced the warmth that was in them. It reminded Phoebe of Prue. That same strong hug that Phoebe had loved so much, yet somehow this one was a little different. "I love you Mum."
"Oh baby I love you too. Now go to your sisters."
Suddenly Phoebe fell to the sand clutching her side in pain. "Oh god Prue please make it stop." She said.
"Phoebe?" Prue said as she turned to her sister on the bed.
"Prue it hurts."
"Oh baby I know." Prue said running her hand over Phoebes head.
"Piper?"
"I'm right her sweetie." Piper said with a tear in her eye.
"I saw Mum." Phoebe said. "She told me what they did. They are going to leave us alone."
"Well that's good news." Piper said
"They know that this is all their fault."
"Well their right, it is." Piper continued. She and Leo had their own issues with the Elders.
"You're home now honey and that is all that matters." Prue said
"So you were right again Prue."
"How?"
"You said that Dad was my father. That Mum had said so. You were right and I flew off the handle."
"I don't really care who your father is Phoebe. You are my sister and that will never change."
"And mine." Piper added
"I love you guys."
"And us you. Now lets get you to the hospital. You my sister need stitches." Prue said as she helped Phoebe up.
"You have the same hug as Mum." Phoebe told her as she rested her head on Prues shoulder as she let her sisters guide her down stairs
Prue just looked at her baby sister and smiled. "And I love you just as much as she would have."
As the sisters took Phoebe to the hospital Leo orbed onto the front steps with one of the Elders.
"You know you guys didn't have to go through all that. If you'd been paying attention to their lives then you would know that there is nothing on earth stronger then the love they share for each other."
"We know that now Leo."
"So are you going to let them lead their own lives?"
"Yes Leo. We've learned our lesson. Prue and Piper were pretty mad. We have decided that it is better to have the Charmed Ones on our side then not at all. They will do a lot of good those three. More then we had ever expected."
