Okay general stuff first... I don't own Charmed. I just got bored and decided I'd like to try writing fanfiction. The story is set... around 7 years after Prue's death. Everyone has kids, except Paige lost her boyfriend to evil, so she's a single parent. Yeah... I think that's all I need to include... hmm... I'll probably keep going with the story, so don't think this is all of it.
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'Piper…' Piper spun around. That voice, could it be? No… Piper couldn't see anyone else. She was still alone. 'Piper…' That voice, she knew it anywhere. It had to be.
'Prue?!' Piper called out. All around her was a white mist, gently floating, hindering her vision. 'Prue is that you?' Piper spun around again, looking, searching for something more then the clouds. Suddenly something touched her shoulder. She jumped. There beside her was her sister.
'Prue!' Piper looked at her older sister. Prue's eyes were dull, her skin was pale, but she still looked somewhat alive and well.
'Andy, you can come out now…' Murmured Prue. Andy stepped from somewhere behind Prue.
'Prue?! Andy…? What are you guys doing here? Wait… I'm not dead, am I?' Prue just smiled.
'No Piper, of course you're not dead, silly. We came because we need your assistance.' Her sister spoke to her directly, before embracing her.
'What? I don't understand… Prue, I saw you die. And then they said you couldn't visit and… oh Prue!' Tears glistened in Piper's eyes, and she fought hard not to cry. She looked from Prue to Andy, her heart breaking. Two of her favourite people, were here, standing in front of her. And yet weren't they dead?
'Andy…' Piper started, 'How are you?' She moved, and hugged him.
'As good as a spirit can be.' Andy commented, smiling.
'Why are you guys here?' Asked Piper, stepping back from them, suddenly a tad worried.
'It's nothing bad.' Prue insisted, seeing the concerned look on Piper's face. Piper relaxed, and Andy put his arm around Prue's shoulder, urging her to continue. Prue hesitated.
'Piper…' She stopped, took a deep breath, and began again. 'Piper, it wasn't fate that caused Andy's death. And it wasn't fate that caused my death.' Piper looked extremely pale.
'So you mean… you should still be alive today? But Prue… why did you die then? Why didn't they bring you back? Why did you leave us? And Andy, why didn't Andy come back? I don't understand.'
'Of course you don't sweetie.' Prue wiped the tears from Piper's face. 'But Piper, I need you to listen, we need to ask you a very big favour.'
'Mmhmm…?' Piper mumbled, unsure and afraid.
'We… Prue… what we mean to say is…' Andy stopped. He didn't know how to say it.
'I'm pregnant.' Prue blurted out.
'How?!' Piper's jaw dropped and she stared wide-eyed at the happy couple in front of her.
'It's a bit confusing…' Said Andy, 'Because we weren't meant to die, the elder's permitted us to conceive a child. And although the dead don't grow or age, we can still hold the living within. So Prue… she's 3 months pregnant.'
'Unfortunately,' Cut in Prue, 'I can't give birth to a living child up here. Nor can I raise it.' Piper stood silent, shocked and surprised.
'So we…' Andy started again 'We would like you to raise it for us.'
'Wait… you're… you're going to have a kid, and then I'm going to raise it? I mean… isn't that a little weird?' Piper looked from Prue to Andy.
'Piper, please.' Prue looked at her little sister pleadingly.
'If the child is born up here, it will die.' Commented Andy. 'I'm not sure either of us could take that.'
Piper studied Andy's expression, and then Prue's. She thought about how much she had missed them both, and how great it would be to have someone like them around the house again. 'Of course I will' she whispered.
'Thank you.' Prue smiled for the first time in a long time.
'Prue shouldn't we…'
'What?' Prue turned to face Andy.
'Tell her?' He mouthed.
'Yes… I suppose you're right.'
'Tell me what?' Piper asked. She had seen what Andy had said, and she wanted some answers.
'You're the only one who can know about the child.' Said Andy.
'So when it's born… what… I just keep it in a box or something?' Piper smirked to herself at the thought of how impossible that would be.
'No, no, not at all. You're the only one who is allowed to know the baby is ours. You have to raise it as your own, and everyone has to think it's yours.'
'He's kidding… right?' Piper asked Prue.
'No.' She responded. 'No one can know. Otherwise the baby will be in grave danger. I can't say why, you've just got to trust us.'
'So not even Pheebs can know?' Piper doubted whether she was actually hearing this.
'Not even Pheebs. Not Paige. Not Cole. Not Leo. No one.'
'Won't Leo find out from the elders anyway? Plus, how am I supposed to explain suddenly being in possession of a newborn baby?'
'Silly! You've got to make yourself look pregnant.' Piper looked at her sister, thinking of the problems this would create.
'Alright.' Piper responded. 'But I'm only doing this because my big sister and my friend asked. If anyone else had asked I would've said no.'
'Thanks so much sweetie.' Said Prue. 'We'll keep you posted on when it'll be born.'
'Okay…' Suddenly Piper could feel herself fading, sinking, losing them. 'Prue I don't want to go, I miss you…'
'You've got to go back to the real world…' Prue whispered.
'Prue! Nooooo!'
'Wake up, wake up.' Leo shook Piper gently. She bolted up into a sitting position, her eyes wide.
'Prue…' Tears welled up in Piper's eyes, as the night's event came flooding back to her. She sat there for a little while, dazed and unsure of what to do. She knew she couldn't tell Leo… and yet maybe it had all been a dream? She wasn't sure.
'Honey were you having a nightmare?' Leo broke the silence. He wrapped his arms around her and drew her in close. 'It's alright…'
Piper lay there, silently, listening to the sounds of the birds chirping outside, and cars driving down the street, and her noisy sisters banging and clanging objects downstairs. She listened to Paige's toddler, Sophie, screaming. And to Phoebe and Cole's 4 year old, Bekky, chatting away to Cole while he got her dressed in the nursery across the hall.
The sound of little hands knocking on the door broke Piper's trail of thoughts. 'Come in' Said Leo, knowing all too well whom it was. The door creaked open slightly, before 6 year old Melinda stepped into the room. Piper smiled. Melinda was still dressed in her one piece pajamas, and she clutched her teddy bear in one hand. She pattered over and climbed up on the bed.
'Morning mommy! Morning dad!' Exclaimed Melinda. She peered closer at Piper, who uncertainly tried to smile. 'Mummy what's wrong?' Asked Melinda curiously, her hazel eyes showing her concern. She's becoming more and more like Prue each day thought Piper.
'I'm alright sweetie…' Piper hesitantly replied. 'Go get ready for school.'
'Aw do I have to?' Moaned Melinda.
'Yep.' Leo cut in. 'Off you go scamp.'
After Melinda had left the room Piper got out of bed. 'You okay?' Asked Leo.
'Yeah… yeah I am.' Said Piper, 'I just have to go check something.' Then before Leo could reply Piper walked out of the room and up the attic stairs.
She entered the attic and closed the door behind her, before sinking to the ground. She buried her head in her hands, sat there and started to cry. Her every thought was whether or not Prue and Andy had actually visited her, or if it had all just been a dream. She missed Prue terribly, but she knew she could hardly break down in front of her sisters, husband, daughter, brother in law, and nieces. It would make them think she was still upset over Prue's death, and true she was, but Prue had died almost seven years ago.
Piper lifted her head as the sound of pages flipping filled the room. She fixed her eyes on the Book of Shadows and watched it until it once again became motionless. Piper slowly rose to her feet and approached the book. It has come to rest with two blank pages open, except as Piper moved closer she realized there were three words on one page.
'Don't give up.' Were those three words. They were written in very distinct handwriting, one that Piper recognized instantly.
'Prue…'
