Paige orbed into the living room. " Hello? Anybody home?" She heard
excited chatter from the kitchen. " Piper? Phoebe?" She hurried to the
kitchen. Her sisters sat there, plus Cole and Leo, and a sort of familiar
dark-haired woman.
" Paige!" cried Phoebe, leaping up. She grabbed her sister and led her over to the dark-haired woman. The stranger stood. The woman had ebony hair, icy blue eyes, and a friendly smile.
" Have we met before?" Paige asked curiously.
" Paige," Piper whispered into her ear. " This is Prue. Your big sister."
The youngest of the family gasped. This was Prue. Piper and Phoebe had talked Paige's ears off about her. She was the Power of One, the strongest Charmed One. Prue was the one who raised Piper and Phoebe when their mother died. She was the protector, the strong one. Piper had accused Paige of trying to take her place. Paige swallowed. Like she would ever be able to do that.
" What're you doing here?" suddenly popped from Paige's mouth. Quickly she slapped a hand to her lips. Stupid Paige! she thought. God, that was nice of you! Prue probably thinks you're the most awful person ever.
Besides the barely noticeable raising of her eyebrow, Prue didn't seem too upset. "Hello, Paige," Prue greeted her baby sister gently. " For defeating the Source, the Elders have let me come to visit you."
" Oh," Paige said, tapping her foot nervously. She'd felt this awkward around Piper and Phoebe in the beginning, but not like this.
" Want a sandwich, Paige?" Piper asked. Paige gave her a distant nod. While Piper spread mayonnaise on the bread, she realized something. Without realizing it, she had slipped back into the role of middle sister, diffusing the tension. Piper glanced up at Phoebe. No, Phoebe was the second middle sister. Things wouldn't change for her.
" Here you are, Paige," Piper said, handing Paige her sandwich. She sat down at the table. Prue sat next to her. She twiddled her thumbs. Prue had been watching Paige for years it felt like, yet she could not make conversation. She knew so much about Paige there was nothing to talk about.
Leo glanced up at Piper, who shrugged and looked at Phoebe. Phoebe cleared her throat and looked at Prue. Prue took the hint and turned to Paige. " So you learned to orb in five months? That's pretty impressive."
" Thanks," Paige replied, her cheeks getting rosy. " You could astral project, I heard."
" Yeah."
" What's that like?"
Soon enough, the oldest and youngest were deep in conversation. Piper smiled and poked Phoebe's shoulder. " I told you," Piper told her sister. " They're getting along great."
***********************
" Look," Caelestis said, pointing to the Halliwell manor. " The sisters."
Divina sighed gleefully. " They are so happy."
" They are indeed," Bozidar agreed. He turned to Engel. " See? This was not such a bad idea."
" I do not know," the seraph said, biting his lip. " I foresee pain for the Halliwell Four."
" Paige!" cried Phoebe, leaping up. She grabbed her sister and led her over to the dark-haired woman. The stranger stood. The woman had ebony hair, icy blue eyes, and a friendly smile.
" Have we met before?" Paige asked curiously.
" Paige," Piper whispered into her ear. " This is Prue. Your big sister."
The youngest of the family gasped. This was Prue. Piper and Phoebe had talked Paige's ears off about her. She was the Power of One, the strongest Charmed One. Prue was the one who raised Piper and Phoebe when their mother died. She was the protector, the strong one. Piper had accused Paige of trying to take her place. Paige swallowed. Like she would ever be able to do that.
" What're you doing here?" suddenly popped from Paige's mouth. Quickly she slapped a hand to her lips. Stupid Paige! she thought. God, that was nice of you! Prue probably thinks you're the most awful person ever.
Besides the barely noticeable raising of her eyebrow, Prue didn't seem too upset. "Hello, Paige," Prue greeted her baby sister gently. " For defeating the Source, the Elders have let me come to visit you."
" Oh," Paige said, tapping her foot nervously. She'd felt this awkward around Piper and Phoebe in the beginning, but not like this.
" Want a sandwich, Paige?" Piper asked. Paige gave her a distant nod. While Piper spread mayonnaise on the bread, she realized something. Without realizing it, she had slipped back into the role of middle sister, diffusing the tension. Piper glanced up at Phoebe. No, Phoebe was the second middle sister. Things wouldn't change for her.
" Here you are, Paige," Piper said, handing Paige her sandwich. She sat down at the table. Prue sat next to her. She twiddled her thumbs. Prue had been watching Paige for years it felt like, yet she could not make conversation. She knew so much about Paige there was nothing to talk about.
Leo glanced up at Piper, who shrugged and looked at Phoebe. Phoebe cleared her throat and looked at Prue. Prue took the hint and turned to Paige. " So you learned to orb in five months? That's pretty impressive."
" Thanks," Paige replied, her cheeks getting rosy. " You could astral project, I heard."
" Yeah."
" What's that like?"
Soon enough, the oldest and youngest were deep in conversation. Piper smiled and poked Phoebe's shoulder. " I told you," Piper told her sister. " They're getting along great."
***********************
" Look," Caelestis said, pointing to the Halliwell manor. " The sisters."
Divina sighed gleefully. " They are so happy."
" They are indeed," Bozidar agreed. He turned to Engel. " See? This was not such a bad idea."
" I do not know," the seraph said, biting his lip. " I foresee pain for the Halliwell Four."