Disclaimer: I don't own anyone, don't sue me.
A/N: So we've reached the final chapter. The Epilogue. It's been really great, guys. Thanks to all of you who read it, and I'm even more grateful to those of you who reviewed. Hope I managed to keep you reading.
* * * * *
"We should probably clean up a bit before that woman turns up." Piper said as they entered the manor, looking around at the scruffy house.
"Woman?" Cole questioned, closing the door behind them.
"Social Services." Prue explained. "They're going to try and split us up into foster families, I think." She said.
"What?!" Cole exclaimed. "They can't do that! You're the Power of Three!"
"I'm pretty sure they don't know that, Cole." Piper said with a smirk. She disappeared into the kitchen, then reappeared holding a basket full of cleaning appliances. "I'm going to get cleaning. It'll keep my mind off other things." No one said anything, they all knew what she was referring to. Grams' death wasn't something any of them were going to get over any time soon.
"We'll help." Prue said, nodding to Phoebe and Cole. They all grasped hold of a sponge, feather duster or cloth, and began to spread out around the manor. Ten minutes later, they were still at it. Phoebe stopped as she looked up and spotter Cole dusting the windowsill. She approached him and put her hand on his arm to get his attention. He looked down at her.
"You okay?" He asked, concerned. She nodded.
"I'm just glad you're here." She said with a small smile.
Cole smiled back. "Me too." He leaned forward and kissed her gently on the lips. They pulled away abruptly as there was a loud 'thump' heard from upstairs.
"What was that?" Piper said, emerging from the kitchen immediately.
"I don't know." Phoebe replied. "Where's Prue?"
"She was cleaning the attic." Cole replied. They shared a look for a moment, before all sprinting up the stairs.
"Prue!" Phoebe called as they climbed the second set of stairs to the attic. As they entered the room, they stopped, shocked. Prue was standing in the attic, a fallen box at her feet having made the loud noise. But what shocked them was who was standing in front of her, the reason she had dropped the box.
"Grams?" Piper said barely audibly.
"Piper, Phoebe." Grams said, relieved. "Cole." She greeted them all. "I was just telling Prue why I'm here."
"Why you're here?" Piper said suddenly. "How about how you're here?" Grams smiled.
"It took a lot of convincing, but I managed it." Grams said.
"So you're. . ." Phoebe began.
"A spirit." Grams explained. "I know my death has been hard on you girls. . ."
"You don't know the half of it!" Prue interrupted. "We miss you Grams, more than anything." They all nodded in agreement.
"And I miss you, all of you. But we can't tamper with fate. This was meant to be." Grams said.
"And I guess us being sent to different foster homes is meant to be, too." Phoebe said. Grams glanced at her youngest granddaughter.
"That's why I'm her, actually." She said. "I need to talk to you. The Elder's were reluctant to let me come, but my reasoning was too clear for them to prevent it."
"What do you mean?" Piper questioned.
"I mean, the Power of Three can not exist without you being together. It is absolutely necessary that now that you have reached such a high status in the magical world, that you stay together. Otherwise it will not be safe, for any of you." Grams said. "There is only one solution to prevent your separation."
"And what's that?" Prue asked. Grams turned to Prue.
"You have to take responsibility." She said to Prue. "You're over eighteen years old, legally, you have the right to take care of your sisters, keep them together."
"Grams. . ." Prue started. "I can't. . ." She began.
"You don't have to actually take responsibility. . .just tell the Social Worker you will." Grams said with a smile. "I know all three of you are capable of looking after yourselves." She stopped. "But Cole, on the other hand. . ." She gave Cole a smile. "I'm glad you're back, they'll be in a lot of trouble when a new Source is appointed."
"And I'll be here to help protect them." Cole replied, squeezing Phoebe's hand.
"I know you will." Grams said. She stopped and looked at the ceiling. "I have to go." She said simply.
"But--" Prue started.
"I'll always be here, Prue. Always. You know that." Grams said. "I love you." She whispered, before she faded away. Silence followed her departure, before a faint knock on the front door caught their attention.
"That's social services." Prue said, looking slightly nervous.
"We know what to do." Piper said, laying a hand on her older sisters. "We'll do it." She descending the stairs, Phoebe and Prue going with her. Cole contemplated staying.
"Coming?" Phoebe asked.
'I don't think so, this is a family thing. . ." Cole said awkwardly. Phoebe smiled slightly.
"You're part of this family now too." She said. "Come on." She pulled him downstairs, where the Social Worker was already waiting.
* * * * *
"Are you sure you can handle taking care of both your sisters?" The woman asked Prue.
"I'm sure." Prue said.
"Okay." The woman said, somewhat uncertainly. "I'll send out some forms you'll have to fill in. Send them back as soon as possible." She stood up and shook Prue's hand.
"Sure." Prue said, leading the woman to the door. "Thanks." She closed the door after the woman left, before turning to her sisters' and Cole. They didn't say anything for a moment, before Piper broke the silence.
"Coffee anyone?" She asked, walking towards the kitchen. Prue caught Phoebe's eyes, and they smiled, thinking the same thing: they could do this. They could get on with life. And if they found it unbearable, well, they all had each other.
* * * * *
I think my endings keep getting worse. Anyway, review and give me your thoughts.
A/N: So we've reached the final chapter. The Epilogue. It's been really great, guys. Thanks to all of you who read it, and I'm even more grateful to those of you who reviewed. Hope I managed to keep you reading.
* * * * *
"We should probably clean up a bit before that woman turns up." Piper said as they entered the manor, looking around at the scruffy house.
"Woman?" Cole questioned, closing the door behind them.
"Social Services." Prue explained. "They're going to try and split us up into foster families, I think." She said.
"What?!" Cole exclaimed. "They can't do that! You're the Power of Three!"
"I'm pretty sure they don't know that, Cole." Piper said with a smirk. She disappeared into the kitchen, then reappeared holding a basket full of cleaning appliances. "I'm going to get cleaning. It'll keep my mind off other things." No one said anything, they all knew what she was referring to. Grams' death wasn't something any of them were going to get over any time soon.
"We'll help." Prue said, nodding to Phoebe and Cole. They all grasped hold of a sponge, feather duster or cloth, and began to spread out around the manor. Ten minutes later, they were still at it. Phoebe stopped as she looked up and spotter Cole dusting the windowsill. She approached him and put her hand on his arm to get his attention. He looked down at her.
"You okay?" He asked, concerned. She nodded.
"I'm just glad you're here." She said with a small smile.
Cole smiled back. "Me too." He leaned forward and kissed her gently on the lips. They pulled away abruptly as there was a loud 'thump' heard from upstairs.
"What was that?" Piper said, emerging from the kitchen immediately.
"I don't know." Phoebe replied. "Where's Prue?"
"She was cleaning the attic." Cole replied. They shared a look for a moment, before all sprinting up the stairs.
"Prue!" Phoebe called as they climbed the second set of stairs to the attic. As they entered the room, they stopped, shocked. Prue was standing in the attic, a fallen box at her feet having made the loud noise. But what shocked them was who was standing in front of her, the reason she had dropped the box.
"Grams?" Piper said barely audibly.
"Piper, Phoebe." Grams said, relieved. "Cole." She greeted them all. "I was just telling Prue why I'm here."
"Why you're here?" Piper said suddenly. "How about how you're here?" Grams smiled.
"It took a lot of convincing, but I managed it." Grams said.
"So you're. . ." Phoebe began.
"A spirit." Grams explained. "I know my death has been hard on you girls. . ."
"You don't know the half of it!" Prue interrupted. "We miss you Grams, more than anything." They all nodded in agreement.
"And I miss you, all of you. But we can't tamper with fate. This was meant to be." Grams said.
"And I guess us being sent to different foster homes is meant to be, too." Phoebe said. Grams glanced at her youngest granddaughter.
"That's why I'm her, actually." She said. "I need to talk to you. The Elder's were reluctant to let me come, but my reasoning was too clear for them to prevent it."
"What do you mean?" Piper questioned.
"I mean, the Power of Three can not exist without you being together. It is absolutely necessary that now that you have reached such a high status in the magical world, that you stay together. Otherwise it will not be safe, for any of you." Grams said. "There is only one solution to prevent your separation."
"And what's that?" Prue asked. Grams turned to Prue.
"You have to take responsibility." She said to Prue. "You're over eighteen years old, legally, you have the right to take care of your sisters, keep them together."
"Grams. . ." Prue started. "I can't. . ." She began.
"You don't have to actually take responsibility. . .just tell the Social Worker you will." Grams said with a smile. "I know all three of you are capable of looking after yourselves." She stopped. "But Cole, on the other hand. . ." She gave Cole a smile. "I'm glad you're back, they'll be in a lot of trouble when a new Source is appointed."
"And I'll be here to help protect them." Cole replied, squeezing Phoebe's hand.
"I know you will." Grams said. She stopped and looked at the ceiling. "I have to go." She said simply.
"But--" Prue started.
"I'll always be here, Prue. Always. You know that." Grams said. "I love you." She whispered, before she faded away. Silence followed her departure, before a faint knock on the front door caught their attention.
"That's social services." Prue said, looking slightly nervous.
"We know what to do." Piper said, laying a hand on her older sisters. "We'll do it." She descending the stairs, Phoebe and Prue going with her. Cole contemplated staying.
"Coming?" Phoebe asked.
'I don't think so, this is a family thing. . ." Cole said awkwardly. Phoebe smiled slightly.
"You're part of this family now too." She said. "Come on." She pulled him downstairs, where the Social Worker was already waiting.
* * * * *
"Are you sure you can handle taking care of both your sisters?" The woman asked Prue.
"I'm sure." Prue said.
"Okay." The woman said, somewhat uncertainly. "I'll send out some forms you'll have to fill in. Send them back as soon as possible." She stood up and shook Prue's hand.
"Sure." Prue said, leading the woman to the door. "Thanks." She closed the door after the woman left, before turning to her sisters' and Cole. They didn't say anything for a moment, before Piper broke the silence.
"Coffee anyone?" She asked, walking towards the kitchen. Prue caught Phoebe's eyes, and they smiled, thinking the same thing: they could do this. They could get on with life. And if they found it unbearable, well, they all had each other.
* * * * *
I think my endings keep getting worse. Anyway, review and give me your thoughts.