The cry split through the Manor as she tossed in her bed, the perspiration covering her body, but the nightmare would not let go.

Piper was the first one to the room as she tried to wake her sister.

"No, you left me! How could you? You knew what he would do. You LEFT ME THERE!" her voice carried all her anger and her pain inside. Phoebe bolted up she recoiled at the touch she felt.

"Phoebe, its ok sweetie, it's me." Piper reached her hand out as she waited for her sister to relax. It was almost becoming a ritual between them, Phoebe waking up with nightmares of what she had been through and Piper trying to calm her down to let her know it was over.

Phoebe never missed the silhouette in her doorway each time she woke, but her sister never came to her.

---

Ever night Prue's own nightmares kept her awake, but now they were real as her baby sister woke every night with nightmares of her own of what had happened to her.

---

Weeks she had been home, and still the one person she wanted to come to her at night when she woke, stood off in the distance. But she also knew it was partially her fault for the distance growing between them.

Piper noticed the distance her sisters where keeping from each other. Prue because of her guilt, and Phoebe because of what she had gone through. She wanted to help them through it but she knew it was something they needed to work out on their own. It was the first sound of a raised voice that made her close her eyes and realize it was about to come slamming to ahead.

"What did you just FORGET that I wasn't there? That I was stuck in the underworld with the Source of all Evil?"

"No Phoebe I didn't" Prue felt her guilt building as she listened to Phoebe yell at her. She had no right to yell back but somewhere inside she wanted to

"Oh, so what you just thought. Hell Phoebe got herself into this mess she can get herself out is that it? After all I am the one always causing trouble around here isn't it?"

Prue couldn't say anything. What Phoebe was saying made sense to her but she never wanted any of this to happen.

"What no quick come back Prue? I almost died down there! I wanted to die down there! Do you have any idea what I went through? No you don't, because you were to busy up here worrying about Piper!"

Prue felt her fear her guilt and her anger building until she too fought back, "You're right Phoebe, I was worried about Piper. She DIED! And there was not a damn thing I could have done. Where were you? Down trying to save a DEMON! I was thinking of Piper and not you. What did you expect from me? You left us, it wasn't the other way around." Prue felt everything inside her come out, but ignored the tears that ran down her face.

"You don't think I know that? I saw it Prue. They all made me see it over and over, the guilt it made me feel for having not been here. She's my sister too and the thought of losing either of you scared me to death. Because if had I not done that, I would have lost you both." Phoebe hadn't talked about her time in the underground but now everything was making more sense to Prue. But it didn't ease her guilt, until she saw Phoebe start to crumble to the ground her head in her hands. "I couldn't help." Her tears and sobs consuming her.

Prue reached for her, each having just about exhausted their feelings but Phoebe pushed her away. "Phoebe?"

Phoebe pulled herself together before stepping towards the front door. She looked back and met her sisters' eyes as she then walked out the front door.

--- ----

Later that day Phoebe stood just inside the kitchen door as she looked across the patio to find her oldest sister curled up in the lawn chair. "Prue?" she started towards her sister making up her mind that no matter what happened, her and Prue were going to sit down and work whatever it was out. She didn't blame her sister, she never really did. What she felt every night was something they needed to face together.

Prue turned as she heard her sister call her name. She had to leave, she didn't have the right to sit there with her and discuss what had happened. It was her fault.

"Phoebs." Prue wasn't even sure where to begin a conversation with her sister any more.

"Hi." Phoebe moved close to Prue as she noticed her sister get almost tense as she got closer. It was the closest she had been to Prue since she woke up on the couch when they had all returned from the underworld. And she knew why, she always had.

Prue found herself getting nervous as Phoebe sat bedside her. She wanted to take her sister in her arms and tell her how sorry she was that everything was her fault.

"I'm sorry" Phoebe started as she took Prue's hand in her.

Prue looked at Phoebe with confusion. She hadn't told Phoebe what had happened and she was certain Piper hadn't. How did she know? Did she see everything take place topside when she as underground as time was reset? Had she seen everything that had happened before that?

"You're sorry. Phoebe I..." she looked into her sisters' eyes seeing something she hadn't seen in sometime. Something she missed when she was gone: love

"I saw it Prue. When you held me here in the Manor. But I also knew from somewhere else. They kept showing me but it is deeper then I want to go. But when you held me for that brief moment I saw everything that happened up here to you and Piper. I don't blame you Prue and you shouldn't either. The Source tricked me and everyone else."

"Phoebe." Prue looked into her sister's deep brown eyes. Her care and love was always there.

"No Prue. It wasn't your fault. You made a choice. Probably one I would have too. You thought I was safe with Cole and Leo. You had no idea what would happen. And I'm sorry for earlier, it was the only way maybe for me to deal with everything."

---

Piper stood at the kitchen sink watching the interaction between her two sisters. She could see from there the pain it was bringing them both for different reason. But she was glad it was coming out. But she also knew to let them work it out without her help.

---

"Prue. Please don't do this. I need you right now as much as I have needed Piper, but you aren't there when I need you most. Everything I went through, I held you close to me Prue. It was you that kept me going I knew you would be back to get me. And now every night when I wake up I miss those arms around me to protect me just like they did when I was little. It was those warm and loving embraces that helped me to keep going." The tears ran freely down Phoebes face as she tried to get through to her sister. She just wanted for everything to get back to normal.

Prue tried to understand what Phoebe was saying but to her it made no sense. She had left her there in the underworld making a deal with the Source. How could she just forgive her?

"Prue we have been sisters to long for us to throw it all away. I know what you are thinking, and I can always forgive you. As much now as when we were kids I love you Prue and nothing can ever change that." Phoebe leaned against her sister as her mind took over as memories swirled in her mind. Happier days of when they were kids.

Phoebes mind ran with visions of the past through her senses. She took in what she could but held her sisters' heart broken face in her mind. Each time she saw the darkness ease through her face the scene would change. Until she saw the tears of terror and joy as she came back to them.

Phoebe looked up at her sister as she lay with her head on her chest; "I love you Prue."

Prue looked down into Phoebes deep brown eyes. "I'm sorry Phoebe. I never thought when Leo. I just reacted. Piper was lying there covered in blood. I was. I was struck by fear. You two are everything to me and with everything that happened I lost it. I didn't even think.­" she held Phoebe tight never wanting to let her go. "I love you too baby girl. I love you too."

Piper moved from the kitchen window towards the back yard. She had seen Phoebe getting her vision and wanted to be there for her as she had. But stopped suddenly realizing maybe this was something between the two of them. But as she saw her come out of it and the 'I love you's' were exchanged she knew her sisters were all right. Through everything in the past and could come in the future, now was the moment they connected. Sisters as they should have been at the cost of nearly losing themselves. They had found themselves behind a mask of guilt.

Piper curled up beside the two of them as they each relished in the love of the other waiting for another day when evil would tear them all apart. But knowing their love would hold them strong.

Patty looked down at her sleeping daughters. She had come so close to giving up.

"But she didn't." Penny placed her arms over her own daughters' shoulders as she held her eyes on her grandchildren.

"But she nearly did. She was so close Mum. In so much pain."

"But her love for her sisters won out. We will see her one-day, but not now. They have to much yet to face together before any of them decide to let it all go."

Patty leaned over the placed a gentle kiss on each of her daughters' cheeks. Resting her hand on the kiss with her baby the longest, "I love you. And don't ever let go of the love you all have together."

Phoebe didn't even move from her place next to Prue. She felt the love form both her sisters and wanted to leave it that way.

"I love you too Mum."