From All Sides
A Special Gift
Chapter Ten Prue came rushing into the living room carrying a huge package. If anything could cheer her family up at this point what she was carrying would. She sat down on the floor in front of the coffee table and began tearing off the packaging paper. "Sam dropped these by first thing this morning. It is a little project she, Angel, Chloe and I have been working on together. "I thought it would be the perfect cap off to your homecoming," she said excitedly to her parents.

"Darling," Patty said to her. "I appreciate all the trouble you've gone too but I don't think I'm up for any more surprises tonight," she said sadly. "You will like this one I promise. Besides it wasn't any trouble it was literally a labor of love," Prue said. She reached inside the box and pulled out four brightly wrapped smaller ones from inside. She handed one to her mom and then one each to her sisters keeping one for herself.

"Okay girls on three rip off the paper." There was the sound of tearing followed closely by sounds of delight. "Wedding albums," Piper said joyfully. "I have to hand it to you Prue. I didn't hold out much hope that anything could make me forget about the dagger looming over our heads at the moment but you have managed to pull it off. Right Pheebs?" "Huh," Phoebe replied. Prue turned her gaze toward their younger sister and noted with satisfaction that Phoebe was already totally engrossed in her gift.

Cole and Leo joined their wives, and Prue smiled contentedly as John came and wrapped his arms around her to study theirs with her. Each album contained not only photographs but also brief stories from the couple's romantic history written in calligraphy, which had been done by Angel.

"These are so amazing," Phoebe enthused. "Absolutely tremendous," Piper agreed. "Well it was the least I could do. This is an apology of sorts to you and Leo, Piper because my astral self almost wrecked your first ceremony." "What did you do?" John asked clearly interested. Prue went beet red. She hadn't told him this story before.

"As you know John, Prue had always taken on a great deal of responsibility and her astral self reminded her that she needed to go a little foot loose and fancy free for a change. She just chose an inopportune moment to do it that's all," Phoebe said trying to sugarcoat it. "Besides it all worked out in the end," Piper added protectively trying to save Prue as well.

"I want details," John prodded. "You would," Prue said shaking her head at her husband's insistence." If you must know my astral self ended up hanging out in a biker bar and getting accused of murder. "Then this motorcycle man in an attempt to help me literally crashed into Piper and Leo's cake and a good portion of their decorations with his bike. It almost caused Piper to call off the wedding. Not to mention I could have ended up in prison if it wasn't for Cole.

"By the way," she said turning towards Cole. "I never really thanked you for getting the real killer to confess."

Prue could sense both Phoebe's and John's gratitude towards her for giving Cole the credit for saving her. It was easy enough to do because he did deserve it in this matter. "You don't have to thank me," Cole replied. "It wasn't really me it was Belthazor who scared the crap out of the guy." "Well Belthazor wouldn't have voluntarily helped a witch. It was your force of will, which made him do it." "I suppose," Cole said considering the possibility. Prue could tell he had never thought of it that way before. "You're welcome," he then responded.

"So back to this biker dude tell me about him," John prodded. "Only if you tell me about all your various rendezvous with women," Prue needled back. "On second thought I don't need to know that badly," John assured her quickly. "Just tell me one thing. How much do you like Harleys?" "I think they are incredibly sexy," she replied. "Then how about I take you for a ride someday?" "I thought you were strictly a luxury car man?" she said. "I can make any engine purr," he whispered in her ear making her blush and giggle.

"Okay back to the albums, she said desperately trying to cool herself down. Phoebe the album for you and Cole is to thank you for arranging for the personal wedding on the very peak of Mount Olympus for John and myself and for performing the ceremony as one of your first acts as a goddess of love. That is a day I will cherish for eternity. It helped assure me that the union between John and I is truly blessed." Phoebe leaned over and hugged her sister. "My pleasure," she said.

Then Prue rose to go sit between her parents on the couch. She put one arm around each of them. Your album Mom and Dad is my way of telling you how glad I am that you found your way back to one another. You've made us a real family again and I know I speak for Phoebe and Piper, when I say that was one of the best gifts we've ever received." Piper and Phoebe squeezed onto the couch for a group hug. "Now there's a picture," Grams said as she captured it with one of Prue's best cameras. This was a truly happy moment in time for the Halliwells and Prue vowed no one especially Paige was ever going to spoil it.