Author's note: Okay, I'm trying the main idea of this story once again, but
I changed the circumstances. I set it towards the end of season one.
Hopefully, I can make it work this time ;)
**********
Prue meandered through the mall, lagging behind her sisters a few paces. She had two bags in her left hand and three more in her right, and the bags kept getting tangled up in each other. She could only take shopping in small doses, and she and her sisters had been at the mall a little over three hours. She was more than ready to pack up and go home, but Piper and Phoebe were having a blast. They both had already spent more money than they probably should have, but they showed no signs of slowing down.
The sun was shining through the skylights in the ceiling, casting bright beams of light on the floor. Prue looked up through the skylights, gazing at the white puffy clouds that were rolling past, and all she could think about was how much she wanted to be outside in the fresh air. All of a sudden, the mall felt very confining. The air suddenly seemed thin, almost as if it wasn't enough to fill her lungs, and all she wanted to do was go outside and take a couple of deep, refreshing breaths. "Guys," she managed to croak. "Guys, wait."
Piper and Phoebe whirled around as Prue leaned back against the glass railing. "Are you okay?" Piper asked, immediately concerned.
"Yeah, I'm fine," she mumbled, setting her bags beside her. She placed her hands on her knees and leaned forward, taking deep, even breaths. "I just got dizzy for a second."
"Do you think you're hungry?" Phoebe asked. She didn't remember seeing Prue eat breakfast and she had only picked at her meal when they got lunch at the food court.
Prue shook her head, slowly standing up straight. "No. I'm okay now."
"You don't look okay," Piper said, her voice shaking. "You're a little pale."
"I promise, I'm fine." She picked up her bags and started to walk ahead. "I just got a tiny bit claustrophobic."
Piper and Phoebe exchanged a concerned glance, but Piper just shrugged and followed Prue.
The sisters walked through the mall in silence until they came across the World of Science. The small shop sold all kinds of scientific relics and items as well as educational toys, games, and books. The displays were set up to encourage shopper interaction and buyers of all ages were invited to play with the products on display. Phoebe's eyes widened and she turned to her sisters, a look of pure mischief on her face. "Want to go in the science store?"
Prue smirked, shaking her head at her sister. "Sure, why not?"
Phoebe grinned and ran ahead of her sisters. "Yes!"
Prue shook her head again as Piper sidled up next to her. "What was wrong earlier?" Piper asked quietly.
"I told you, it was nothing," Prue answered with a shrug. "I haven't been feeling well lately. I keep getting the feeling that something big is going to happen."
"Like what?"
Prue shrugged again and entered the store, breaking away from Piper. She wandered around the shop, taking care not to knock anything over with her bags. She stopped once to look over the polished rocks, The smooth, rounded blue worry stones made her smile, a little bubble of nostalgia making its way to the surface. As she made her way to the back of the store where the glow in the dark stars and blacklights were on display, she spotted a young girl with long blond hair that hung down to her waist staring at the wall, fascinated by the blacklights.
The little girl, who looked to Prue to be no more than seven or eight, turned around with a grin, then walked further down the back wall. She abruptly turned around, peering around the store. Suddenly, all the color drained from her face. "Daddy?" she called, running a little closer to the front of the store. "Daddy, where are you?"
When no one came over to the girl, her eyes filled with tears. "Daddy? Daddy, where are you?"
Prue walked up to her, kneeling down so that she was eye-level with the girl. "Hey, honey, what's the matter?"
"I can't find my daddy," she cried, sniffling. "I stopped to look at the stars and when I turned around, he was gone."
"Okay, don't panic," she answered gently. "Maybe he went to another store and he thought you were right behind him. Want me to take you around to a couple of the other stores?"
The little girl hesitated, clearly remembering what she had been taught about going places with strangers.
Prue smiled. "You're a smart girl," she said, reading the girl's mind. "My name's Prue. What's yours?"
"Abby," she answered after a moment.
"That's a pretty name." In the meantime, Piper and Phoebe had come up behind Prue. She looked up at them, then back at Abby with a smile. "These are my sisters, Piper and Phoebe. I promise you, we're not going to hurt you. We just want to help you find your dad."
Abby glanced from Piper to Phoebe, and finally into Prue's eyes. She seemed to be completely sincere. Abby took a deep breath and slipped her hand into Prue's.
**********
The sisters had been at the information booth with Abby for about an hour. The woman working the booth was a kindly older woman who reminded Prue a lot of her grandmother. Her dark hair, her wise eyes, even her tone of voice were so much like Grams's that it was a little disconcerting. The woman had been paging Abby's father every five minutes for the past hour, and so far, no one had come to claim the little girl.
"Peter Lancaster, please come to the information booth on the first level of the mall," she said into the microphone once again. "Your daughter is waiting for you." She looked up, caught Prue's eye, and shook her head slightly. This wasn't shaping up to be good.
"Prue?" Abby asked in a small voice. "How come he's not coming?"
Prue locked eyes with her sisters, begging them to help her think of something to tell the little girl. They just shrugged, completely at a loss. "I don't know, sweetie," she answered after a moment's hesitation. "But I promise, we're not going to leave until someone comes for you."
"Abby, is your mom home?" the receptionist, whose nametag identified her as Lorraine, asked. "I can call her and she can come pick you up."
"I haven't seen my mom in four years," she answered somewhat uncomfortably. "Daddy and I moved because my mom didn't want me. I don't even really remember her." She moved closer to Prue, seeking comfort. Prue placed her hands on the little girl's shoulders and gave them a reassuring squeeze. "Actually, he's not really my daddy. My real daddy died before I was born and then my mom married Peter."
The sisters all exchanged a glance with Lorraine. They were all thinking the same thing: this poor little girl had been through so much already. Could it really be that her stepfather had abandoned her? "How old are you, pumpkin?" Lorraine asked, trying to get Abby's mind off the fact that no one was answering her pages.
"I'm seven, but I'm almost eight," she answered proudly. "My birthday's in July."
Prue smiled and hugged the little girl lightly. She was such a sweet little kid. Why would anyone abandon her not once, but twice? She let the girl out of the embrace and grinned. "Honey, can you stay here with Piper and Phoebe for a second? I just have to talk to Lorraine real quick." Abby nodded with a smile, quickly ran over to Piper, and climbed into her lap. Prue walked over to Lorraine, finally letting her concern show on her face. "What happens if he doesn't come for her?" she asked quietly.
"I'll have to call the police," she answered, her voice barely above a whisper. "They'll come down, take a statement, and take her to a group home downtown. Unfortunately, I've seen it happen more than once."
"A group home?" Prue asked with a slight moan. The thought of Abby spending even one hour in a group home after what she'd already been through made Prue sick to her stomach. "Isn't there some other way?"
"I don't know," Lorraine whispered back. "Unless you three would be willing to take her in, I don't see any other way, and even that's a long shot."
Prue groaned, running her hand over her face. There had to be some other way, there just had to. It was a little unnerving how much Abby meant to her already, and she had only known her for a little over an hour. Suddenly, her eyes lit up. "It may not be that long of a shot," she said with a grin. "When you call the police, ask for Inspector Andy Trudeau. He should be able to help us out."
Lorraine smiled and picked up the phone, dialing the number to the police station. Prue turned back to Abby and her sisters, setting her shoulders. "Okay, guys, the four of us need to have a talk."
**********
Prue meandered through the mall, lagging behind her sisters a few paces. She had two bags in her left hand and three more in her right, and the bags kept getting tangled up in each other. She could only take shopping in small doses, and she and her sisters had been at the mall a little over three hours. She was more than ready to pack up and go home, but Piper and Phoebe were having a blast. They both had already spent more money than they probably should have, but they showed no signs of slowing down.
The sun was shining through the skylights in the ceiling, casting bright beams of light on the floor. Prue looked up through the skylights, gazing at the white puffy clouds that were rolling past, and all she could think about was how much she wanted to be outside in the fresh air. All of a sudden, the mall felt very confining. The air suddenly seemed thin, almost as if it wasn't enough to fill her lungs, and all she wanted to do was go outside and take a couple of deep, refreshing breaths. "Guys," she managed to croak. "Guys, wait."
Piper and Phoebe whirled around as Prue leaned back against the glass railing. "Are you okay?" Piper asked, immediately concerned.
"Yeah, I'm fine," she mumbled, setting her bags beside her. She placed her hands on her knees and leaned forward, taking deep, even breaths. "I just got dizzy for a second."
"Do you think you're hungry?" Phoebe asked. She didn't remember seeing Prue eat breakfast and she had only picked at her meal when they got lunch at the food court.
Prue shook her head, slowly standing up straight. "No. I'm okay now."
"You don't look okay," Piper said, her voice shaking. "You're a little pale."
"I promise, I'm fine." She picked up her bags and started to walk ahead. "I just got a tiny bit claustrophobic."
Piper and Phoebe exchanged a concerned glance, but Piper just shrugged and followed Prue.
The sisters walked through the mall in silence until they came across the World of Science. The small shop sold all kinds of scientific relics and items as well as educational toys, games, and books. The displays were set up to encourage shopper interaction and buyers of all ages were invited to play with the products on display. Phoebe's eyes widened and she turned to her sisters, a look of pure mischief on her face. "Want to go in the science store?"
Prue smirked, shaking her head at her sister. "Sure, why not?"
Phoebe grinned and ran ahead of her sisters. "Yes!"
Prue shook her head again as Piper sidled up next to her. "What was wrong earlier?" Piper asked quietly.
"I told you, it was nothing," Prue answered with a shrug. "I haven't been feeling well lately. I keep getting the feeling that something big is going to happen."
"Like what?"
Prue shrugged again and entered the store, breaking away from Piper. She wandered around the shop, taking care not to knock anything over with her bags. She stopped once to look over the polished rocks, The smooth, rounded blue worry stones made her smile, a little bubble of nostalgia making its way to the surface. As she made her way to the back of the store where the glow in the dark stars and blacklights were on display, she spotted a young girl with long blond hair that hung down to her waist staring at the wall, fascinated by the blacklights.
The little girl, who looked to Prue to be no more than seven or eight, turned around with a grin, then walked further down the back wall. She abruptly turned around, peering around the store. Suddenly, all the color drained from her face. "Daddy?" she called, running a little closer to the front of the store. "Daddy, where are you?"
When no one came over to the girl, her eyes filled with tears. "Daddy? Daddy, where are you?"
Prue walked up to her, kneeling down so that she was eye-level with the girl. "Hey, honey, what's the matter?"
"I can't find my daddy," she cried, sniffling. "I stopped to look at the stars and when I turned around, he was gone."
"Okay, don't panic," she answered gently. "Maybe he went to another store and he thought you were right behind him. Want me to take you around to a couple of the other stores?"
The little girl hesitated, clearly remembering what she had been taught about going places with strangers.
Prue smiled. "You're a smart girl," she said, reading the girl's mind. "My name's Prue. What's yours?"
"Abby," she answered after a moment.
"That's a pretty name." In the meantime, Piper and Phoebe had come up behind Prue. She looked up at them, then back at Abby with a smile. "These are my sisters, Piper and Phoebe. I promise you, we're not going to hurt you. We just want to help you find your dad."
Abby glanced from Piper to Phoebe, and finally into Prue's eyes. She seemed to be completely sincere. Abby took a deep breath and slipped her hand into Prue's.
**********
The sisters had been at the information booth with Abby for about an hour. The woman working the booth was a kindly older woman who reminded Prue a lot of her grandmother. Her dark hair, her wise eyes, even her tone of voice were so much like Grams's that it was a little disconcerting. The woman had been paging Abby's father every five minutes for the past hour, and so far, no one had come to claim the little girl.
"Peter Lancaster, please come to the information booth on the first level of the mall," she said into the microphone once again. "Your daughter is waiting for you." She looked up, caught Prue's eye, and shook her head slightly. This wasn't shaping up to be good.
"Prue?" Abby asked in a small voice. "How come he's not coming?"
Prue locked eyes with her sisters, begging them to help her think of something to tell the little girl. They just shrugged, completely at a loss. "I don't know, sweetie," she answered after a moment's hesitation. "But I promise, we're not going to leave until someone comes for you."
"Abby, is your mom home?" the receptionist, whose nametag identified her as Lorraine, asked. "I can call her and she can come pick you up."
"I haven't seen my mom in four years," she answered somewhat uncomfortably. "Daddy and I moved because my mom didn't want me. I don't even really remember her." She moved closer to Prue, seeking comfort. Prue placed her hands on the little girl's shoulders and gave them a reassuring squeeze. "Actually, he's not really my daddy. My real daddy died before I was born and then my mom married Peter."
The sisters all exchanged a glance with Lorraine. They were all thinking the same thing: this poor little girl had been through so much already. Could it really be that her stepfather had abandoned her? "How old are you, pumpkin?" Lorraine asked, trying to get Abby's mind off the fact that no one was answering her pages.
"I'm seven, but I'm almost eight," she answered proudly. "My birthday's in July."
Prue smiled and hugged the little girl lightly. She was such a sweet little kid. Why would anyone abandon her not once, but twice? She let the girl out of the embrace and grinned. "Honey, can you stay here with Piper and Phoebe for a second? I just have to talk to Lorraine real quick." Abby nodded with a smile, quickly ran over to Piper, and climbed into her lap. Prue walked over to Lorraine, finally letting her concern show on her face. "What happens if he doesn't come for her?" she asked quietly.
"I'll have to call the police," she answered, her voice barely above a whisper. "They'll come down, take a statement, and take her to a group home downtown. Unfortunately, I've seen it happen more than once."
"A group home?" Prue asked with a slight moan. The thought of Abby spending even one hour in a group home after what she'd already been through made Prue sick to her stomach. "Isn't there some other way?"
"I don't know," Lorraine whispered back. "Unless you three would be willing to take her in, I don't see any other way, and even that's a long shot."
Prue groaned, running her hand over her face. There had to be some other way, there just had to. It was a little unnerving how much Abby meant to her already, and she had only known her for a little over an hour. Suddenly, her eyes lit up. "It may not be that long of a shot," she said with a grin. "When you call the police, ask for Inspector Andy Trudeau. He should be able to help us out."
Lorraine smiled and picked up the phone, dialing the number to the police station. Prue turned back to Abby and her sisters, setting her shoulders. "Okay, guys, the four of us need to have a talk."