"Prue, are you sure this is a good idea?" Phoebe asked, as she looked skeptically between her youngest sister's terrified face and the vehicle that was scaring her. "I have a feeling she's never seen a car before. For all she knows, it's some weird looking demon. Maybe one of us should stay home with her."
"No, no," Prue said, her hand on Peyton's shoulders. "She has to go out in the real world eventually."
"Yeah, but are you sure she's ready?" Piper questioned. "Can't this wait until tomorrow? Next week?"
"Now," Prue insisted. "I just have this feeling that today is the day."
"Funny how you're not the one in this family who gets premonitions," Phoebe commented only half-jokingly.
Prue scowled at her. "In the car. Now. Phoebe, Piper, Paige."
"Yeah, like you're the boss of me," muttered Piper, getting in the car anyway. Prue gave Paige and Phoebe her famous staredown.
"Fine." Paige climbed into the backseat and Phoebe climbed into the passenger seat next to Piper.
"Amazing how that never gets old," Prue smirked.
"You just wait," Phoebe threatened, waggling her finger at her oldest sister. "One day we are going to stage a coup d'etat and overthrow you from your thrown, Queen Prue."
"That'll be the day," Prue laughed. "I was born queen!"
"And don't we know it," Paige agreed. "Are you guys getting in the car or not?"
"Yes. But I am giving her a few minutes to get used to the idea. The psychologists say—"
"Again with the wanting to be like me," Phoebe said. "Cut the psychobabble and get in the car."
Prue scoffed and lifted Peyton into the back seat carefully, then helped Paige slide her over to the middle seat. The little girl was surprisingly calm, although clearly confused.
"This is a car," Paige explained to her younger sister. Peyton looked up at her blankly.
"I think you're going to have to give her a little more to go on that," Phoebe told Paige, turning around in her seat. "'Car' is just a funny sounding one-syllable word."
Paige sighed and looked down at Peyton. "It's a non-magical way to travel. You just sit inside and it takes you wherever you want to go." Peyton seemed to either understand or not really care, and Paige looked at Phoebe for approval.
"Better," Phoebe nodded.
"Alright, are we ready?" Piper turned the keys and started the ignition. "Where are we headed?"
"Target," Prue replied. "They should have everything we need. Paige, can you hand me her seatbelt?"
Within seconds, everyone was securely buckled and Piper was pulling out of the driveway on to the San Francisco streets. "Don't drive too fast," Prue warned.
"I've been driving for over ten years, Prue," Piper replied. "I think I can handle this."
"I just don't want you to scare her."
Piper glanced in the rearview mirror. "I think she's fine." And Piper was right. Peyton seemed uncharacteristically curious at the buildings that were passing through the windows. She was leaning forward in the seat, tugging and straining against the seatbelt to peer past Paige. Prue had her arm gently placed across Peyton's abdomen just in case they happened to be in some sort of accident and the seatbelt suddenly decided to stop working.
"Prue, chill out." Paige reached over and pushed Prue's hand back into her own lap. "I think the seatbelt's got her covered. Look, Peyton's fine."
"You know," Piper began. "She still hasn't talked yet. Maybe we should take her to a doctor."
"And tell him what?" Prue asked. "Our sister was kidnapped by a demon eleven years ago and magically reappeared in Paige's room?"
"Or a human kidnapper. But whatever floats your boat."
Phoebe felt like now was a good time to jump in with her psychology expertise. "Look, there's no doubt she has some form of PTSD. She'll talk when she's ready."
"Well, I guess if Miss Psych major says everything is fine…" Piper said with just a hint of sarcasm.
"Hey!" Paige shouted, startling Peyton and causing her to jump slightly. "You're about to pass it!"
Piper quickly swerved into the parking lot. Prue gritted her teeth. "Was that really necessary? You could have made a U turn up ahead."
Piper shrugged her shoulders slightly as she cautiously pulled the SUV into a parking spot. "Sorry. Too used to driving on the job, I guess. Demons don't wait if you miss your turn."
Prue groaned. "Just don't do it again, Pipe. Goodness knows the Halliwells don't have luck with car accidents." Her eyes flicked over to Phoebe.
"Oh, Prue. That was a long time ago, chill out," Paige said, reaching over and patting Prue's shoulder gently.
Prue glared at her sister. "We just can't forget that we can die, too."
"Come off it, Prue," Phoebe groaned. "Do we really have to have these serious discussions every five minutes?"
Prue rolled her eyes "Just get out of the car! Phoebs, do you have the list?"
"Check. I made two….divide and conquer." Phoebe passed one Post-It sticky note to Paige and Prue in the backseat and kept one for herself and Piper. "Ready…and break."
