Thank you to all of you who replied to the last chapter! Your comments mean more to me than I can say! I'm glad you realized that instead of killing Piper, I simply let her die, just like what happened to my Mom. Your love and support has given me the strength to tell you all the tale of my Mom's last day, written Charmed-style. Chris' comments to Phoebe in the previous chapter is just what my brother John (the only one of our immediate family with Mom when she died—the rest of us were downstairs eating) is exactly what he told me (except for the bit about Janna, of course) and is the main thing I wanted to share with all of you, the thing that has helped comfort me after Mom's death more than anything else. Although you have no idea how much I wish something like the following chapter could've happened to us!

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

My oldest sister, corporeal for the moment, lifts me to my feet and hugs me tight. I put my head on her shoulder and finally let go, no longer having to be strong or be brave because my big sister is here. Prue holds me tightly and rocks me, much as Chris is still rocking Leo.

I finally look up, tears streaming down my cheeks. "Piper?"

Prue nods. "Mom and Grams have her. She's already made the transition."

"Already?" I sob.

"Yeah, it was a lot easier for her than it was for me, because she's gone through it before, and because she wanted to go. She left knowing her loved ones are in good hands now."

"No, they're not!" I protest. "How can they be in good hands when they're in my hands? They need her hands or your hands! Please tell me you get to stay!"

She smiles sadly and shakes her head.

"No! Please say you get to stay! I need you so much! If I can't have Piper, I really need you!"

She smiles sadly. "You know better. They just let me come down for a short while, so I could let you know that she's OK and that even if you don't think you can do this, she knows you all can--that's why she was able to leave--and that we'll all be watching you, helping you, even if you can't see us."

"Please! Just stay for the funeral!" I plead. "I need you so much for that!"

"No, Phoebs, sorry. Of course I'll be there, all of us will be there, just like we've always been there for all of you, but you guys can handle this, we know you can and you know you can."

"I need you," I told her.

"She needs me, too," Prue points out, her smile still sad.

"Who? " I ask, then it hits me. "Oh, of course. Oh, Prue!" and again I put my head down on her shoulder and cry. "I'll be all alone," I mumble between sobs.

Now she rolls her eyes at me. "Hardly."

"PRUE!" Paige has recognized the sister she never met. She and David run over and join a family hug. At the sound of her voice, Leo looks up from Chris' shoulder and soon he and his sons join the family hug, too, while Dare just stands and watches. We hug and we cry and we cry and we hug.

Softly Prue tells them, "She just wants you to know that she's OK, that she loves you and she's so excited about always getting to be close to each of you, the way I have, the way Mom has, the way Grams has. She knows you guys will be OK, coz she knows that you guys will do it together. She loves you guys so much--her love for you and yours for her just makes her glow! Just like I love you guys so much!" and suddenly she begins to glow as the lights begin to take her away.

"No, Prue!" I cry. "Please, no!" but the lights take her away, so I hug my family as tight as I can and we cry and we hug and we hug and we cry some more, so happy that Piper's OK, but already missing her so very much.

This is as much as I have written right now. I know what I want to say; I simply have to be able to write it. Hopefully I can do that soon.