She promised Prue she would be down for dinner and she was going to keep it.

She just didn't expect it to be this easy.

She thought getting out of the bed would be harder, almost enough so that she wouldn't. Yet here she was, doing the last button on her top so she didn't resemble the zombie she had morphed into. It felt right but there was also something in her chest telling her it was wrong.

That she was rushing into this.

That she was forgetting Billie

That she wasn't ready.

It seemed too early to be this far along in the grieving process. Then again, she had unfortunately had a lot of practice in ignoring the voice of guilt and sadness that lived in her heart. Years of family, friends and innocents getting slaughtered around her had hardened her, letting her exist in a type of survival mode where feelings no longer mattered. Of course she felt them, but for the sake of everyone she could pretend she didn't. It was time to pull herself together and stop crying through the day. Just at night when no one would know.

It was time to get on with her life.

"You were always your most beautiful when you were just wearing jeans. Only angels should be able to look that amazing without make up on."

Unless something like that happened. Losing her mind now was definitely not a step towards moving on. Still, to hear her voice again, to be able to picture the little smirk on her face as she dropped cheesy compliments, she was happy to be insane.

It's not like it could be a demon. The underworld was in ruins, apparently it's going to take years for them to restructure themselves and in that time they would likely not be bothered. Which was good but also meant that she had no distraction like she had after Cole or even Prue.

Then again, hearing Billie talking to her was probably going to be quite the distraction.

"That was cheesy, wasn't it?" Yup, incredibly distracting. "Plus, we know angels. I've seen Paige in the morning and, let me tell you, before the coffee she could pass as Clem from Buffy."

Okay so imaginary, disembodied Billie was kind of funny. And remembered her love of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Though, thinking on it now, Willow had always been her favourite character. Bisexual witch that had problems with dark magic… Makes sense…

"Are you going to turn around? Or at least say something? I mean this is fun but I kind of missed all of you, not just your back."

She froze. The voice was originating behind her, not ringing around her inside her head. And it wanted her to turn around, implying there was something there to see. Something like Billie, like the girl she was sure had died. Like the one she was in love with. If this was her imagination she was going to murder someone.

It's not possible.

But impatient arms had wound their way around her body. And they were real, and solid and just as comforting as they always had been. And an impatient head had rested on her left shoulder in a familiar gesture. Watermelon engulfed her senses and it was exactly how she remembered, sweet but not overpowering. Her chin slotted into the divot of her neck so perfectly, a puzzle piece finally finding its home.

Soft lips placed quick kisses along her neck, each one igniting a butterfly in her stomach, greeting her like an old friend. Hands rested firmly against her hips, coaxing her to step back and lean into her lover's body. To give in to the part of herself that knows that this Billie, and the smaller part of her that knows that this is real.

While she prayed to every god she knew, she only held onto a slim hope that this was really happening. Magic was an amazing thing, but even this seemed too far. If it couldn't bring back her mom, or her sister, how could Billie possibly be snuggling into her back? Weeks after she was presumed dead?

"I know what you're thinking" And now she's a mind reader too. "But I'm real. He said it had been a while since the battle up here, so you can't believe that after all this time I'm actually alive." A good mind reader. "But it was a misunderstanding. I wasn't dead, I was just stuck in the underworld with no elevator to bring me up again. But I came back, I came back for you so please, just turn around. Turn around and see that I'm not lying to you. I kept my promise, I'll always come back to you, Pheebs."

She twisted slowly. The words were said with such passion that she just had to. She was hesitant but she could feel hope welling in her chest. The arms loosened, allowing her more room. She kept her eyes low, enjoying the fantasy too much to give it up now.

The body looked right. Gorgeous, dressed in the clothing she had last seen her in. It was too real. Her eyes welled up with tears, this was all too real. Lithe fingers hooked under her chin, forcing her to look into her eyes. Phoebe's breath hitched the moment their eyes connected.

She finally sank into the blonde's embrace, tears falling from her eyes in sheer relief. Billie whispered sweet nothings into her ear, but Phoebe couldn't have cared less what she was actually saying because she was there. In her arms. Living, breathing, talking. She didn't know how or why but she was content to let it go for now so she could hold onto the love of her life.

Phoebe leaned back and pushed a desperate kiss against the younger girl's lips. Fuck she had missed this. She had missed everything about her. The way she always moaned when Phoebe would swipe her tongue across her bottom lip. The way she would reach up and lightly grip the tendrils of hair at the base of her skull while they kissed, never failing to send shivers shooting down her spine. She missed having her there in the morning when they first woke up, she missed the way her nose would crinkle when she laughed, she missed how cute Billie looked when she was with Wyatt and Chris, running around and playing tag, giving them ice cream despite Piper's obvious warnings.

She had missed those things when she thought Billie was gone forever. Now, she wanted to see her do all those things simultaneously. And it felt stupid, because she knew now she had all the time in the world to experience those things again. She actually had her love back and had no idea what she wanted to do with her first. Sex came to mind immediately but she knew they had to talk first and explain to the family that Billie had returned to them.

Shit

"Baby," Phoebe pulled back enough to whisper before her lips were reclaimed. She let it continue for another second before gently pushing the blonde away. "Billie, sweetie, we can't do this now. I'm not the only one that has been missing you."

"Oh yeah," Billie said as she finally pulled away although leaving her hands planted on Phoebe's hips. "I forgot how co-dependent you all are. Should I go make out with the rest of them too then?"

That one earned her a slap on the arm though they were both laughing. Billie took the opportunity to rest her forehead against Phoebe's, staring deeply into her eyes. "I love you." She stated simply, Phoebe sighing in contentment as she took in this moment. "I love you with my heart and soul, Phoebe. After growing up the way I did, I was so afraid to love someone. Everyone else I ever loved had been taken from me in one way or another and I was so scared to love someone that I shut everyone out. Except you. Because you just somehow came and just flattened every wall I ever built, and you made me love you whether I wanted to or not."

Phoebe laughed because it was true. She herself had been the opposite. While she had been scolded by love in the past it was still something she wanted, craved. When she met Billie, it had given her feelings that she had initially ignored because of Billie's gender. She hadn't known she was bisexual, not really having experienced sexual attraction for a women before. However, the more she got to know Billie the more she couldn't deny what she was feeling. She was in love and that was a wonderful but scary thought.

"Anyway, what I'm actually trying to get to is," Billie paused, looking around before shrugging and dropping to one knee. "I know this isn't the most romantic setting, and I don't have a ring, but if the last few days has taught me anything it's that we can't wait around anymore. I… I want you to marry me. I know we really haven't been together too long but I don't think that matters because we're in love and I don't know about you but I see this as my forever. I see a future for us, with two and a half kids and a white picket fence, having Sunday brunch with your family until we're too old to move out of our own manor. So please, Phoebe, will you be my wife?"

The sentence was barely out of her mouth before she was tackled to the floor. Phoebe's face was once again painted with tears but this time they were happy. She peppered Billie's face with kisses, repeating the word yes over and over again.

The worst month of her life had become one of the best within minutes and she could hardly believe her elation. It seemed so unreal but just looking into the blondes eyes grounded her again, reminding her that she was genuinely there.

It was what she had been dreaming about for a month.

A/N: I was going to get the family's reaction too but I thought I would leave this to be a private chapter for the happy couple. Please review and what not, only a couple of chapter guys so just hang in there