Chapter Nine
The clock on Prue's nightstand flashed three in the morning, while mother and daughter slept. Prue peacefully, Mady not so much. With one more toss of her thin body, Mady's blue eyes snapped open; both already filled with tears. Mady glanced over at Prue and slipped out from under the covers and out into the dark hallway.
Mady was tired of this and ready to go home. She headed up to the attic and fell discontentedly onto "Aunt Pearl's couch." It was only then that Mady allowed her tears to fall. She pulled her legs up and pressed her face into her shaking hands trying to silence her sobs.
"Tears don't do anyone any good, besides crying only makes you look like Rudolph the red-nose reindeer." There was only one person that Mady knew that would make such blunt and seemingly rude comments. Mady spread her fingers apart and saw Penny Halliwell standing before her.
Mady wanted to lash out, but she was to tired and to stressed to even completely remove her hands from her face. "Why are you here? I don't want to talk to you." Mady grumbled, covering her eyes again and holding her breath in attempt to stop crying.
"That may be so, but I'm here and we're going to talk anyway." Penny crossed the room and settled next to Mady, Mady slid away from her.
"I'm not going to talk to you."
"You already have, so, so much for that." Mady dropped her hands and glared at her great-grandmother.
"This is your fault." Mady growled jumping to her feet and standing in front of Penny, her arms folded over her chest. "None of this would have happened if you hadn't attempted to help me. I would have been fine!"
"Obviously not. You are so much like you're mother; she never wanted to talk about loosing Patty either."
"Don't talk about her!" Mady growled. "You're always giving excuses in the future to why she never comes and I wonder, is it because you don't want her to!"
"Of course it isn't Madelyn. Patty could come and see even me for nearly a decade after she passed away and I don't think any of us will ever understand why the elders have done that more then once to out family, especially for little girls who loose their moms."
"Your saying I have to wait, three more whole years!" Mady wailed falling back onto the ugly old couch.
"I didn't say that either." Penny pulled Mady into her lap and cradled the shaking girl close to her. "Maybe you need an emtional epiphany as such to finally understand or at least accept your mom's death and I really think that's all that the elders are looking for; your acceptance."
"But what if I don't want to accept her death? I lost you and my dad too, loosing her is beyond unfair."
"I know Madelyn, but life isn't fair to begin with and magic does anything but help with that." Mady sighed.
"I hate this, nothing is ever easy."
"It's not meant to be and if it was, would life be any fun? Plus you have to be able to do all of the hard stuff and make it through to be able to do the easy stuff." Mady was surprised at the ghost's wisdom; she had never shown so much care or compassion as far as Mady was concerned. This was odd.
Mady stopped talking, words meant nothing, so she wasn't going to say anymore, she couldn't truthfully. "Mady!" Both turned there heads at the sound of Prue's fearful cry.
"I have to go." Then with that Penny was gone, Mady headed down the stairs. Running into Prue half way down. Just looking at her Mom, brought tears back to her eyes.
"What's going on?" Prue asked studying Mady's flushed and tear stained face. Mady shook her head and wrapped herself around Prue. "What happened?" Mady shook her head again, stubbornly. Prue lowered herself and Mady onto the stairs.
"What's the matter Sweetie?" Prue asked softly, calming herself so that she could calm Mady.
"It happened again." Mady mumbled, pressing her face tightly against Prue's shoulder.
"What happened again?"
"The nightmare."
"About what?"
"When…when you…." Mady's body started to shake and Prue knew what the nightmare was about.
"Oh Sweetie." Prue cooed wrapping Mady in an even tighter hug.
"It was so real and…and."
"Shh."
"It's not fair! You don't deserve to die; I deserve to get to have you as a mom. It's not fair!" Mady sobbed, clinging to Prue.
"I know Bumblebee. I promise I know." Mady shook her head adamantly, still crying.
"But I actually remember things and you were all that I had. My dad's gone too, I'm all alone! It doesn't matter what anyone says!" Prue sighed and shifted Mady so that she could look her in the eye.
"You have to trust me Mady, I understand. I really do and that's a pain that will never go away, but it does get better."
"No, no it doesn't!" Prue sighed and pulled Mady back against her again.
"That's only cause you're being stubborn about the whole thing and you won't let yourself heal."
"But if I do that means that you aren't going to be there anymore and…." Prue stopped Mady shocked.
"Mady, like I said earlier I am always going to be there."
"But having you in spirit isn't the same as having you around and really there."
"Of course it's not and nothing ever will be. But you have to know and trust that I will never leave you completely alone, no matter what happens to me or you." Large tears still rolled down Mady's flushed cheeks, but there was a glimmer of belief in her eyes. "I will always be there for you in one way or another."
"Then why do you never come when we try and summon you. You never come." Prue was unsure on how to answer that, because all the possible scenarios seemed ridiculous to even Prue.
"I don't know Sweetie and I will do everything I can to stop that from happening."
"But it hasn't worked so far." Prue looked down as Mady pressed her face tightly against Prue's neck and yawned.
"Well, come on don't worry about it so much, you'll only give yourself wrinkles." Mady smiled slightly, Prue took her free hand and wiped Mady's cheeks. "You hear me Missy, stop worrying and open up." Mady shrugged her shoulders and yawned again.
"If you don't agree to that, I'll have to talk to Phoebe and Piper; they'll enforce their roles as your guardians." The only reply that she got was another yawn, Prue chuckled and glanced down at Mady.
"Come on Bumblebee, back to bed for the both of us. We have a long day ahead of us." Mady's half-lidded eyes opened to look at Prue.
"What are you talking about?"
"We've gotta figure things out and send you home."
"But…."
"You know you can't stay Mady, but we're going to make the transition easier and I promise that you'll be more prepared. I'm not going to let you fall as much as you have."
Mady sighed, but nodded her head anyway. Prue pushed her to her feet and then pulled herself up with the railing. Mady climbed into the bed as Prue was entering the room and her eyes were closed by the time Prue laid down next to her. Prue lay on her side watching Mady for a few minutes.
As Mady's breathing reached an even, steady pace, Prue reached out and pulled the blankets up over her. "I'm going to make easier, no matter what it takes; I promise you that much." Prue murmured kissing Mady on her temple and laying back down herself.