Prue and Piper looked at each other, and then at their mother in total shock and disbelief. It was a full minute before anyone spoke.
"Our sister?" Prue repeated increduously. "But... how?"
Patty glanced at Grams, who nodded reassuringly. Patty turned back to her girls, took a deep breath, and began.
"I... had a bit of a wild streak when I was a teenager. Not unlike the one you went through, Prue, except that I got pregnant. Sam and I... Well, I was barely 19, and I was a witch, and he was a Whitelighter, and we both knew that we couldn't..." Patty bit her lip, searching for the right words. Grams put a hand on her should comfortingly and continued for her daughter.
"Witches and whitelighter were absolutely forbidden to be together, and Patty was so young at the time. We all knew it was the best thing for her and for the baby if Patty gave her up. You girls must understand, it nearly killed her to do it, but she had to."
"Why didn't you tell us?" Prue demanded.
Patty shrugged helplessly, tears forming behind her eyes and threatening to spill over. "I couldn't. You three were so little, I knew you wouldn't have understood just yet. I planned to tell you when you got older, but..."
"You never got a chance." Piper finished sadly. Patty nodded.
"So Dad was right." Prue mused. "That... thing, between you and Sam. It started before the divorce, hell, it was before the marraige. But if you knew you loved Sam, why'd you marry Daddy?"
"I loved your father." Patty said. "After Paige was born, Sam and I didn't see each other much, if at all. It hurt too much, being around each other. He couldn't ask for a different assignment, that would require telling the Elders why, but he didn't check on me nearly as much as he was supposed to. Eventually, the Elders noticed, and Sam had to start coming around more, but that wasn't until after the divorce." She looked at Victor, who'd been silent through all of this. "I know you probably don't believe me,"
"I do." he said, surprising everyone, including himself. "I do believe you."
"Thank you," Patty said, a bit flustered.
"Does she know?" Piper asked suddenly.
"That she's a witch? No." Grams replied. "She does know, or at least she's pretty sure you're her biological sisters. That's why she came to the funeral today."
"So how do we find her?" Prue asked, not sure if she even really wanted to.
"Oh, I think she'll find you." Grams said with a smile.
Prue and Piper exchange glances, but before they could ask Grams what she meant, they heard a noise coming from downstairs.
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A/N: I know, short chapter. I'll get around to writing more... eventually. If you really want to see another chapter soon, bug me about it. Review, e-mail, IM, whatever. Come on, people, I need motivation.
"Our sister?" Prue repeated increduously. "But... how?"
Patty glanced at Grams, who nodded reassuringly. Patty turned back to her girls, took a deep breath, and began.
"I... had a bit of a wild streak when I was a teenager. Not unlike the one you went through, Prue, except that I got pregnant. Sam and I... Well, I was barely 19, and I was a witch, and he was a Whitelighter, and we both knew that we couldn't..." Patty bit her lip, searching for the right words. Grams put a hand on her should comfortingly and continued for her daughter.
"Witches and whitelighter were absolutely forbidden to be together, and Patty was so young at the time. We all knew it was the best thing for her and for the baby if Patty gave her up. You girls must understand, it nearly killed her to do it, but she had to."
"Why didn't you tell us?" Prue demanded.
Patty shrugged helplessly, tears forming behind her eyes and threatening to spill over. "I couldn't. You three were so little, I knew you wouldn't have understood just yet. I planned to tell you when you got older, but..."
"You never got a chance." Piper finished sadly. Patty nodded.
"So Dad was right." Prue mused. "That... thing, between you and Sam. It started before the divorce, hell, it was before the marraige. But if you knew you loved Sam, why'd you marry Daddy?"
"I loved your father." Patty said. "After Paige was born, Sam and I didn't see each other much, if at all. It hurt too much, being around each other. He couldn't ask for a different assignment, that would require telling the Elders why, but he didn't check on me nearly as much as he was supposed to. Eventually, the Elders noticed, and Sam had to start coming around more, but that wasn't until after the divorce." She looked at Victor, who'd been silent through all of this. "I know you probably don't believe me,"
"I do." he said, surprising everyone, including himself. "I do believe you."
"Thank you," Patty said, a bit flustered.
"Does she know?" Piper asked suddenly.
"That she's a witch? No." Grams replied. "She does know, or at least she's pretty sure you're her biological sisters. That's why she came to the funeral today."
"So how do we find her?" Prue asked, not sure if she even really wanted to.
"Oh, I think she'll find you." Grams said with a smile.
Prue and Piper exchange glances, but before they could ask Grams what she meant, they heard a noise coming from downstairs.
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A/N: I know, short chapter. I'll get around to writing more... eventually. If you really want to see another chapter soon, bug me about it. Review, e-mail, IM, whatever. Come on, people, I need motivation.