Three hours later, Piper, Phoebe, Faith, and Wyatt returned to the manor with a lot less money and a lot more bags than they'd left with. Piper, although disappointed that she hadn't been able to talk Faith into buying anything that didn't resemble her present wardrobe of short skirts, leather pants, and clingy tops, was happy that she'd been able to share a somewhat normal aspect of daily life - namely, shopping - with this girl who was anything but normal.
They were just setting their packages down when Paige came into the foyer to greet them.
"Honey, what are you doing home so early?" Phoebe asked.
"I'm on my lunch break," she explained. "I figured I come check on things."
"So, does this mean you're going to tell me about magic now?" asked Faith.
Piper suddenly became uncomfortable. "Um, we need to talk something over first, honey. Can you put Wyatt down for his nap?"
"Sure," Faith said wearily. She hated having people put her off, although she was used to it by now. She took the little boy's hand, and led him upstairs, glancing frustratedly back at his mother.
"Okay, what was that about?" Phoebe asked once Faith was out of earshot. "I thought we had this talk, Piper. You can't keep beating around the bush with her."
"Okay, wait, I don't know what you guys are arguing about now, but we really do need to talk," Paige interrupted.
Piper and Phoebe stared at her, not used to their youngest sister acting as peacemaker.
"Look, I found something on the computers at work that I think you should know about," Paige continued. "I went into Faith's records, everything from her adoption records on. I couldn't really get any information on her biological parents, because her mother was only 17 when she was born. But on one of her adoption papers, where her biirth mother gave up her parental rights, she was identified by an alias - 'Minor Halliwell'. Do you guys know something I don't?"
Piper and Phoebe shook their heads; both were clearly shocked.
"No," Piper said, "But we're going to find out."
She grabbed her sisters and marched up to the attic. They were intercepted on the second floor by an increasingly impatient Faith.
"You guys have to tell me something eventually. If these things are out to get me, then I think I deserve to know what the hell they are before they try to kill me again."
Piper sighed, not in the mood for an arguement. "Fine. You want to see magic? Come with us." She led the rest of the way to the attic, going straight to the Book of Shadows.
"Um, Piper?" Paige questioned, "What are we doing?"
"We are finding out what the hell all of this means, once and for all," Piper answered, flipping to the page in the book with the spell to summon the dead.
"Uh, honey, Faith is alive, and as far as we know, so are the Goron demons," Phoebe pointed out. "How is this going to help us, exactly?"
"I don't know," Piper said quickly, "But I guess we're about to find out."
Phoebe and Paige exchanged glances. They were both thinking the same thing: She's lost it. They stood back as she recited the spell, waiting for Grams to appear and confirm their suspicion Instead, they got...
"Prue?!?" Piper exclaimed upon seeing the ghost of her big sister.
"Piper," Prue returned, clearly glad to be there. "And Phoebe... Oh, and Paige, I can't believe I'm finally seeing you... And... Oh my God," she breathed upon seeing the girl standing in the corner. "Faith?"
Faith stepped out of dark attic corner. "Yeah; you know me?"
Prue let out a heavy sigh. She knew that the girl wouldn't recognize her, but she still felt a tiny twinge at the blank, guarded expression in those ice-blue eyes that were so much like her own. She corporealized, then took a step toward the teen. "Yeah, I know you," she said with a smile. "Faith... I'm your mother."
"My... what?" Faith questioned, backing away. "No. You can't be. My mother's name was Veronica, and she was short, with blonde hair, and she always used to wear this apron that I liked to play with when I was little, and you aren't her."
Prue's expression became serious. "I know. I know how wonderful your adoptive mother was to you, and I know you think I'm just a stranger, but please, sit down and let me explain." Casting a glance back to her clearly shocked sisters, she added, "Let me explain to all of you."
Piper, Phoebe, Paige, and a reluctant Faith assembled themselves on the couch, while Prue perched on an old rocking chair. Piper took a deep breath, and asked, "How, um, how is this possible? That Phoebe and I don't remember her, I mean. This isn't exactly something we'd forget easily. Did Grams cast a spell or something?"
Prue nodded slowly. "Yes, that was part of it, although I didn't know it at the time. See, I was only 17 when I got pregnant. I wanted to keep the baby, but I knew that I needed a college education in order to get a good job, and that if I didn't secure my own future first, I'd never be able to take care of a child. I planned on going to night school, so that I could have a job during the day, but as much as I wanted that to work, I knew it wouldn't. Grams was having enough trouble taking care of Piper and Phoebe as it was, without bringing an infant into it, too. Also, I guess she knew that once I got my powers, it wouldn't be safe for a child. She told me not to tell anyone that I was pregnant, and then I guess she cast a glamor or something to hide it. Since nobody else knew, I had to figure out what to do all by myself. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that I couldn't give you the life you deserve." At this point, a few tears started rolling down her face. She wiped them away with the back of her hand, and continued. "I didn't want to give you up, Faith. If there was any way I could have kept you, and given you every oppurtunity that I wanted for you, I would have done it. Grams made me see that someone else could, someone who would love you just as much as I do. If either of us had known what would happen, then I never would have let you leave my sight, destiny be damned."
"Destiny?" Faith repeated. Of everything she'd just heard, this seemed like the easiest to deal with.
Prue nodded. "Yeah. Faith, everything happens for a reason. I believe that, and now you have to."
Faith shook her head. "No. No, I don't have to believe anything. There was no reason for my parents to die, no reason for me to grow up the way I did." She shrugged, as if indifferent to the whole thing. "But it doesn't matter. What's done is done, you know? No use wishing for things you don't got. Right now, I'd just like to know what the hell is going on."
"There was a reason, Faith," Prue insisted. "You'll learn it soon enough, I promise." She looked up, her expression becoming troubled. "I have to go. I'll be back later. I love you."
She stepped back into the circle, and, before the eyes of her confused family, faded away.
****************
A/N: Okay, so you finally know who Faith is. Congrats to Vanessa for being the only person to guess in advance. :D
They were just setting their packages down when Paige came into the foyer to greet them.
"Honey, what are you doing home so early?" Phoebe asked.
"I'm on my lunch break," she explained. "I figured I come check on things."
"So, does this mean you're going to tell me about magic now?" asked Faith.
Piper suddenly became uncomfortable. "Um, we need to talk something over first, honey. Can you put Wyatt down for his nap?"
"Sure," Faith said wearily. She hated having people put her off, although she was used to it by now. She took the little boy's hand, and led him upstairs, glancing frustratedly back at his mother.
"Okay, what was that about?" Phoebe asked once Faith was out of earshot. "I thought we had this talk, Piper. You can't keep beating around the bush with her."
"Okay, wait, I don't know what you guys are arguing about now, but we really do need to talk," Paige interrupted.
Piper and Phoebe stared at her, not used to their youngest sister acting as peacemaker.
"Look, I found something on the computers at work that I think you should know about," Paige continued. "I went into Faith's records, everything from her adoption records on. I couldn't really get any information on her biological parents, because her mother was only 17 when she was born. But on one of her adoption papers, where her biirth mother gave up her parental rights, she was identified by an alias - 'Minor Halliwell'. Do you guys know something I don't?"
Piper and Phoebe shook their heads; both were clearly shocked.
"No," Piper said, "But we're going to find out."
She grabbed her sisters and marched up to the attic. They were intercepted on the second floor by an increasingly impatient Faith.
"You guys have to tell me something eventually. If these things are out to get me, then I think I deserve to know what the hell they are before they try to kill me again."
Piper sighed, not in the mood for an arguement. "Fine. You want to see magic? Come with us." She led the rest of the way to the attic, going straight to the Book of Shadows.
"Um, Piper?" Paige questioned, "What are we doing?"
"We are finding out what the hell all of this means, once and for all," Piper answered, flipping to the page in the book with the spell to summon the dead.
"Uh, honey, Faith is alive, and as far as we know, so are the Goron demons," Phoebe pointed out. "How is this going to help us, exactly?"
"I don't know," Piper said quickly, "But I guess we're about to find out."
Phoebe and Paige exchanged glances. They were both thinking the same thing: She's lost it. They stood back as she recited the spell, waiting for Grams to appear and confirm their suspicion Instead, they got...
"Prue?!?" Piper exclaimed upon seeing the ghost of her big sister.
"Piper," Prue returned, clearly glad to be there. "And Phoebe... Oh, and Paige, I can't believe I'm finally seeing you... And... Oh my God," she breathed upon seeing the girl standing in the corner. "Faith?"
Faith stepped out of dark attic corner. "Yeah; you know me?"
Prue let out a heavy sigh. She knew that the girl wouldn't recognize her, but she still felt a tiny twinge at the blank, guarded expression in those ice-blue eyes that were so much like her own. She corporealized, then took a step toward the teen. "Yeah, I know you," she said with a smile. "Faith... I'm your mother."
"My... what?" Faith questioned, backing away. "No. You can't be. My mother's name was Veronica, and she was short, with blonde hair, and she always used to wear this apron that I liked to play with when I was little, and you aren't her."
Prue's expression became serious. "I know. I know how wonderful your adoptive mother was to you, and I know you think I'm just a stranger, but please, sit down and let me explain." Casting a glance back to her clearly shocked sisters, she added, "Let me explain to all of you."
Piper, Phoebe, Paige, and a reluctant Faith assembled themselves on the couch, while Prue perched on an old rocking chair. Piper took a deep breath, and asked, "How, um, how is this possible? That Phoebe and I don't remember her, I mean. This isn't exactly something we'd forget easily. Did Grams cast a spell or something?"
Prue nodded slowly. "Yes, that was part of it, although I didn't know it at the time. See, I was only 17 when I got pregnant. I wanted to keep the baby, but I knew that I needed a college education in order to get a good job, and that if I didn't secure my own future first, I'd never be able to take care of a child. I planned on going to night school, so that I could have a job during the day, but as much as I wanted that to work, I knew it wouldn't. Grams was having enough trouble taking care of Piper and Phoebe as it was, without bringing an infant into it, too. Also, I guess she knew that once I got my powers, it wouldn't be safe for a child. She told me not to tell anyone that I was pregnant, and then I guess she cast a glamor or something to hide it. Since nobody else knew, I had to figure out what to do all by myself. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that I couldn't give you the life you deserve." At this point, a few tears started rolling down her face. She wiped them away with the back of her hand, and continued. "I didn't want to give you up, Faith. If there was any way I could have kept you, and given you every oppurtunity that I wanted for you, I would have done it. Grams made me see that someone else could, someone who would love you just as much as I do. If either of us had known what would happen, then I never would have let you leave my sight, destiny be damned."
"Destiny?" Faith repeated. Of everything she'd just heard, this seemed like the easiest to deal with.
Prue nodded. "Yeah. Faith, everything happens for a reason. I believe that, and now you have to."
Faith shook her head. "No. No, I don't have to believe anything. There was no reason for my parents to die, no reason for me to grow up the way I did." She shrugged, as if indifferent to the whole thing. "But it doesn't matter. What's done is done, you know? No use wishing for things you don't got. Right now, I'd just like to know what the hell is going on."
"There was a reason, Faith," Prue insisted. "You'll learn it soon enough, I promise." She looked up, her expression becoming troubled. "I have to go. I'll be back later. I love you."
She stepped back into the circle, and, before the eyes of her confused family, faded away.
****************
A/N: Okay, so you finally know who Faith is. Congrats to Vanessa for being the only person to guess in advance. :D