The Other Grams
Summary: This is a story I started writing a loooooong time ago. I found it in a folder while cleaning my room, and decided to continue it. It's AU, as both Piper and Prue have kids, and, yanno, the whole Prue-being-alive thing. But yeah. I said I started this a while ago, so it's not like I excluded Paige on purpose (not this time, anyway)...
Anyhoo, it's set soon after Victor comes back. He introduces the girls to their paternal grandmother, a mortal who supposedly doesn't know magic exists.
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A/N: Constance M. Burge/Brad Kern/Spelling & Co. own all the Charmed characters. Molly-Melinda, Adriana (Addie), and Elizabeth (Eliza) are mine, as well as any minor characters (i.e. demons, innocents, etc.) you don't recognize.
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Victor glanced at his watch. 4 o'clock. He'd told his daughters he might stop by around now. He reached out and rang the doorbell, hoping one of his girls would answer quickly. He knew Eliza loved promptness, and he really wanted Eliza to love the girls.
Prue heard the doorbell and set her camera down on the table to answer it. She opened the door partway, and her face broke into a huge smile. "Daddy!" she exlaimed, and motioned for her father to come in.
Victor did, and Prue's smile faltered when she saw there was a woman standing behind him. The woman was elderly, but stately, and she carried herself haughtily. There was something about her Prue thought she vaguely remembered.
"Piper, Phoebe!" Victor called. His younger daughters came running in, and stood beside their sister, studying her face, trying to figure out what was going on. "Girls," Victor started, "this is my mother, Elizabeth Bennet. Your grandmother."
Piper and Phoebe stood there, in shock. "Grandma?" Prue whispered. Now that Victor had said it, she knew precisely who the woman was.
Eliza nodded, her formal appearance softening. "You must be Prudence. You were the only one old enough to remember me." Prue nodded, and Elza moved on to her sisters. "You have to be Piper. And you are Phoebe." she correctly guessed. "You girls look so much like you did when you were little."
Piper found her voice. "Gram- Grandma," She was surprised at how hard it was to say the word. "Why don't you come in, sit down?"
Victor led Eliza to a chair in the living room, and Prue, Piper, and Phoebe sat awkwardly on the couch across from her.
"Would like something to drink, or eat?" Phoebe offered. "Piper's a wonderful cook."
"Oh, no, thank you." Eliza declined.
After that, there was an uncomfortable silence. It was broken by Adriana, Prue's two-year-old daughter.
"Mommy," she called softly from the doorway. Normally when Victor came she would run to him, but she was afraid of the strange woman sitting next to him, and so she clung to the doorframe timidly. Eliza looked up, startled. Victor hadn't told her that she had a great-grandchild.
"Come here, baby." Prue said soothingly. Shyly, Addie came and sat on her mothers lap, sucking her thumb and looking at Eliza bashfully.
"Mother, this is Prue's daughter, Adriana." Victor introduced. "Addie, this is your great-grandmother."
Addie took her thumb out of her mouth. "Hi." she said, almost inaudibly.
Eliza smiled. "Hello." She looked at the little girl in Prue's arms, then frowned slightly when she noticed Prue wasn't wearing any rings. Eliza, though she was extremely proper and old-fashioned, did her best to ignore it.
"Addie, you want to come say hello to your grandfather?" Victor asked, motioning for her to come to him. Addie jumped off of Prue's lap and onto his. She gave him a kiss on the cheek, then buried her face in his shirt. The adults laughed.
"She's very shy." Prue explained.
"That's OK," Eliza said, speaking directly to Addie. "I used to be shy, too. Your name is Adriana, right?"
Addie lifted her head, and, deciding Eliza wasn't so scary after all, nodded. "Wha's your name?" she asked.
"Elizabeth Anne Bennet. So, Miss Adriana, how old are you?"
"Two. How old are you?"
"Very." Eliza answered, obviously amused by her small great-granddaughter's baby talk and apparent fondness for asking questions. Before they could continue their little guessing game, they heard the sound of a baby crying.
"I'll be right back." Piper excused herself. "Grandma, would you like to come see the baby?"
"I'd love to." Eliza answered, looking strangely at her son, as if to ask 'How many other great-grandchildren are there?', followed Piper upstairs.
The baby's crib was in Piper's room, though in a few months it would be moved into Addie's room, as the little girl proudly informed Eliza.
"Piper, she's beautiful." Eliza cooed, watching her granddaughter pick the baby up and start rocking her gently. "What's her name?"
"Molly-Melinda Victoria Wyatt. We call her Molly."
Eliza's gaze fell on a picture of Piper and a tall, blond man. "Is this Molly-Melinda's father?"
Piper nodded. "That's my husband, Leo. Here, do you want to hold the baby?"
Eliza took Molly, who had by now stopped crying. Thankfully, she was paying attention to the baby and didn't notice Leo orbing in. He saw her, and quickly opened and closed the door, making it look like he'd walked in.
"Uncle Leo!" Addie ran to her uncle, who scooped her up.
"Grandma, this is my husband, Leo. Honey, this is my grandmother, Eliza Bennet." Piper quickly introduced them.
Leo shifted Adriana so he was holding her with only one arm, and respectfully kissed Eliza's hand with the other. "It's a pleasure to meet you, ma'am."
Piper raised her eyebrows at her husband's old-fashioned behavior, but Eliza appeared flattered. "The pleasure's all mine." she responded. "I was just telling Piper how beautiful your daughter is. She looks just like you."
"Thank you, Mrs. Bennet." Leo smiled at the older woman.
"Why don't we go back downstairs?" Piper suggested. "Daddy, Prue, and Phoebe are down there."
"Good idea." Eliza agreed. "I'm sure my son would love to see this little angel."
Addie wriggled free from her uncle's grasp and followed Eliza downstairs. Piper stayed behind to talk to Leo.
"What was that?" she asked, laughing.
Leo shrugged. "I wanted to make a good impression. And, technically I'm only a bit younger than she is, I'm guessing, so I remember the strict manners she most likely grew up with and tried to act accordingly."
"Okay." Piper said. She was obviously making an effort not to tease him. He decided to make it easier by leading her downstairs, knowing she wouldn't make fun of him in front of the others.
They spent the rest of the evening talking, trying to catch up on the past 20-something years. Addie was falling asleep on Prue's lap before they realized hwo late it was getting.
The girls walked Victor and Eliza out to his car, and then went back inside. None of them could think of anything to say about the shock that day had been. Finally, thay all agreed to go to sleep and give themselves time to process everything before they tried to talk about it. Prue picked up Addie and carried her upstairs, followed closely behind by her sisters and brother-in-law.
"Mommy?" Addie asked as Prue tucked her in.
"Yes, baby?"
"Who was that lady?"
"She was Grandpa Victor's mommy. My grandma." A tiny lump formed in Prue's throat as she said that last word. She had already had a grandmother whom she still loved vvery much. She hardly remembered the stranger who'd shown up on her porch only a few hours before.
"Is she going to come back?" the little girl asked.
"Soon, sweetie." Victor had promised to bring Eliza back in a few days, so that the girls could get to know her better, and vice-versa.
Addie yawned. It was way past her bedtime. "Go to sleep, baby." Prue told her. She kissed her daughter good-night, then switched the light off and went back to her own room. That night, she dreamt of her early childhood, and of the few things she could remember about Grandma Eliza.
Summary: This is a story I started writing a loooooong time ago. I found it in a folder while cleaning my room, and decided to continue it. It's AU, as both Piper and Prue have kids, and, yanno, the whole Prue-being-alive thing. But yeah. I said I started this a while ago, so it's not like I excluded Paige on purpose (not this time, anyway)...
Anyhoo, it's set soon after Victor comes back. He introduces the girls to their paternal grandmother, a mortal who supposedly doesn't know magic exists.
****************
A/N: Constance M. Burge/Brad Kern/Spelling & Co. own all the Charmed characters. Molly-Melinda, Adriana (Addie), and Elizabeth (Eliza) are mine, as well as any minor characters (i.e. demons, innocents, etc.) you don't recognize.
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Victor glanced at his watch. 4 o'clock. He'd told his daughters he might stop by around now. He reached out and rang the doorbell, hoping one of his girls would answer quickly. He knew Eliza loved promptness, and he really wanted Eliza to love the girls.
Prue heard the doorbell and set her camera down on the table to answer it. She opened the door partway, and her face broke into a huge smile. "Daddy!" she exlaimed, and motioned for her father to come in.
Victor did, and Prue's smile faltered when she saw there was a woman standing behind him. The woman was elderly, but stately, and she carried herself haughtily. There was something about her Prue thought she vaguely remembered.
"Piper, Phoebe!" Victor called. His younger daughters came running in, and stood beside their sister, studying her face, trying to figure out what was going on. "Girls," Victor started, "this is my mother, Elizabeth Bennet. Your grandmother."
Piper and Phoebe stood there, in shock. "Grandma?" Prue whispered. Now that Victor had said it, she knew precisely who the woman was.
Eliza nodded, her formal appearance softening. "You must be Prudence. You were the only one old enough to remember me." Prue nodded, and Elza moved on to her sisters. "You have to be Piper. And you are Phoebe." she correctly guessed. "You girls look so much like you did when you were little."
Piper found her voice. "Gram- Grandma," She was surprised at how hard it was to say the word. "Why don't you come in, sit down?"
Victor led Eliza to a chair in the living room, and Prue, Piper, and Phoebe sat awkwardly on the couch across from her.
"Would like something to drink, or eat?" Phoebe offered. "Piper's a wonderful cook."
"Oh, no, thank you." Eliza declined.
After that, there was an uncomfortable silence. It was broken by Adriana, Prue's two-year-old daughter.
"Mommy," she called softly from the doorway. Normally when Victor came she would run to him, but she was afraid of the strange woman sitting next to him, and so she clung to the doorframe timidly. Eliza looked up, startled. Victor hadn't told her that she had a great-grandchild.
"Come here, baby." Prue said soothingly. Shyly, Addie came and sat on her mothers lap, sucking her thumb and looking at Eliza bashfully.
"Mother, this is Prue's daughter, Adriana." Victor introduced. "Addie, this is your great-grandmother."
Addie took her thumb out of her mouth. "Hi." she said, almost inaudibly.
Eliza smiled. "Hello." She looked at the little girl in Prue's arms, then frowned slightly when she noticed Prue wasn't wearing any rings. Eliza, though she was extremely proper and old-fashioned, did her best to ignore it.
"Addie, you want to come say hello to your grandfather?" Victor asked, motioning for her to come to him. Addie jumped off of Prue's lap and onto his. She gave him a kiss on the cheek, then buried her face in his shirt. The adults laughed.
"She's very shy." Prue explained.
"That's OK," Eliza said, speaking directly to Addie. "I used to be shy, too. Your name is Adriana, right?"
Addie lifted her head, and, deciding Eliza wasn't so scary after all, nodded. "Wha's your name?" she asked.
"Elizabeth Anne Bennet. So, Miss Adriana, how old are you?"
"Two. How old are you?"
"Very." Eliza answered, obviously amused by her small great-granddaughter's baby talk and apparent fondness for asking questions. Before they could continue their little guessing game, they heard the sound of a baby crying.
"I'll be right back." Piper excused herself. "Grandma, would you like to come see the baby?"
"I'd love to." Eliza answered, looking strangely at her son, as if to ask 'How many other great-grandchildren are there?', followed Piper upstairs.
The baby's crib was in Piper's room, though in a few months it would be moved into Addie's room, as the little girl proudly informed Eliza.
"Piper, she's beautiful." Eliza cooed, watching her granddaughter pick the baby up and start rocking her gently. "What's her name?"
"Molly-Melinda Victoria Wyatt. We call her Molly."
Eliza's gaze fell on a picture of Piper and a tall, blond man. "Is this Molly-Melinda's father?"
Piper nodded. "That's my husband, Leo. Here, do you want to hold the baby?"
Eliza took Molly, who had by now stopped crying. Thankfully, she was paying attention to the baby and didn't notice Leo orbing in. He saw her, and quickly opened and closed the door, making it look like he'd walked in.
"Uncle Leo!" Addie ran to her uncle, who scooped her up.
"Grandma, this is my husband, Leo. Honey, this is my grandmother, Eliza Bennet." Piper quickly introduced them.
Leo shifted Adriana so he was holding her with only one arm, and respectfully kissed Eliza's hand with the other. "It's a pleasure to meet you, ma'am."
Piper raised her eyebrows at her husband's old-fashioned behavior, but Eliza appeared flattered. "The pleasure's all mine." she responded. "I was just telling Piper how beautiful your daughter is. She looks just like you."
"Thank you, Mrs. Bennet." Leo smiled at the older woman.
"Why don't we go back downstairs?" Piper suggested. "Daddy, Prue, and Phoebe are down there."
"Good idea." Eliza agreed. "I'm sure my son would love to see this little angel."
Addie wriggled free from her uncle's grasp and followed Eliza downstairs. Piper stayed behind to talk to Leo.
"What was that?" she asked, laughing.
Leo shrugged. "I wanted to make a good impression. And, technically I'm only a bit younger than she is, I'm guessing, so I remember the strict manners she most likely grew up with and tried to act accordingly."
"Okay." Piper said. She was obviously making an effort not to tease him. He decided to make it easier by leading her downstairs, knowing she wouldn't make fun of him in front of the others.
They spent the rest of the evening talking, trying to catch up on the past 20-something years. Addie was falling asleep on Prue's lap before they realized hwo late it was getting.
The girls walked Victor and Eliza out to his car, and then went back inside. None of them could think of anything to say about the shock that day had been. Finally, thay all agreed to go to sleep and give themselves time to process everything before they tried to talk about it. Prue picked up Addie and carried her upstairs, followed closely behind by her sisters and brother-in-law.
"Mommy?" Addie asked as Prue tucked her in.
"Yes, baby?"
"Who was that lady?"
"She was Grandpa Victor's mommy. My grandma." A tiny lump formed in Prue's throat as she said that last word. She had already had a grandmother whom she still loved vvery much. She hardly remembered the stranger who'd shown up on her porch only a few hours before.
"Is she going to come back?" the little girl asked.
"Soon, sweetie." Victor had promised to bring Eliza back in a few days, so that the girls could get to know her better, and vice-versa.
Addie yawned. It was way past her bedtime. "Go to sleep, baby." Prue told her. She kissed her daughter good-night, then switched the light off and went back to her own room. That night, she dreamt of her early childhood, and of the few things she could remember about Grandma Eliza.