~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Maybe it's intuition
Some things you just don't question
Like in your eyes
I see my future in an instant
And there it goes
I think I found my best friend
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Piper wrung her hands nervously, pacing in the hallway of the big, Victorian manor she shared with her older sister, Prue. She walked quickly, coming to a stop every so often in front of Prue's bedroom door.
'Just tell her.' Piper thought. She glanced down at her watch. She was running out of time. Bracing herself, she knocked on the door.
"Come in." she heard Prue call.
Piper opened the door just wide enough for her to slip in, and closed it softly behind her. Prue was sitting on her bed, going through what looked like some files from work. Piper frowned. She hated to disturb her sister. She knew Prue liked to do as much work at home as possible, so she could spend less time in the office around her boss -- and ex-fiance -- Roger.
"What's up?" Prue asked, taking her glasses off and tossing them onto the closest stack of papers.
"Um, well, you know we've been back here for six months already, and we've been talking about getting a roommate for the longest time, and I've been thinking, uh, maybe now's a good time to go through with it." Piper stammered.
Prue smiled. They could use another person around the house. Things were always needing to be fixed, and a third income would really help. "Did you have anyone in mind?"
Piper bit her lip. Here came the hard part. "Yeah... um... Phoebe."
Prue's smile quickly faded, and was replaced by a deep frown. "No." she said. "No. I can't deal with her coming back, Piper. Not after what she did."
"Prue, you know it's not Phoebe's fault that you and Roger broke up." Piper protested.
"Oh, come on, Piper. Did you hear her explanation for being in his apartment? He said he had a package for me, that's real original." Prue snapped. "She can't come back here."
"Um, actually, she already is." Piper said, bracing herself. "Coming back here, I mean. Grams left the house to all three of us, Prue, she has as much right to be here as either of us."
"Then why hasn't she been?" Prue demanded. "Why'd she bail on us right after Grams died? We haven't seen or heard from her in six months, and now we're just supposed to act like nothing's happened?"
"You haven't heard from her, Prue," Piper corrected. "You didn't want to. Prue, please, she's our sister."
Prue sighed. "When is she coming back?"
It was then that they heard the door open. "Um... now. She come back now." Piper answered.
Prue glared at her sister, then got up to see Phoebe.
"Be nice." Piper pleaded, following Prue downstairs.
They got to the bottom floor to see Phoebe, standing in the foyer, clutching a small backpack. Piper ran over to hug her sister. Prue hung back.
"Come on," Piper said, ushering Phoebe in. "How about I cook a big, family-reunion dinner?" she suggested.
Prue turned to go back upstairs. "I have work to do."
Piper's smile faded a little. "Okay, well, Pheebs, I guess it's just us two. I can make you speghetti, your favourite."
"I'm not hungry." Phoebe said, staring after her oldest sister.
Piper put her arms around Phoebe. "She'll come around, honey."
"I know you'd like to think that, Piper, but... Maybe I shouldn't have come back." Phoebe sighed.
"Don't say that." Piper said. "Don't ever say that. She loves you, she just..." Piper's voice trailed off. The truth was, she didn't know why her older sister acted the way she did.
Phoebe nodded. She returned her sister's embrace, then pulled away, stifling a yawn. "It's late." she mused. "I'm tired."
"Want me to tuck you in?" Piper offered, wanting to take care of Phoebe now that Prue was shutting her out.
Phoebe smiled, but shook her head. "I'm okay. Good night."
"Good night." Piper said. "And Pheebs? I'm glad you're home."
***************
A/N: So, what did you think? I took the alternate reality from the day they got their powers, just to show how that changes everything. Next chapter, you'll see what Leo does now that he's not a Whitelighter.
~from the song "I Knew I Loved You Before I Met You" by Savage Garden~
Maybe it's intuition
Some things you just don't question
Like in your eyes
I see my future in an instant
And there it goes
I think I found my best friend
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Piper wrung her hands nervously, pacing in the hallway of the big, Victorian manor she shared with her older sister, Prue. She walked quickly, coming to a stop every so often in front of Prue's bedroom door.
'Just tell her.' Piper thought. She glanced down at her watch. She was running out of time. Bracing herself, she knocked on the door.
"Come in." she heard Prue call.
Piper opened the door just wide enough for her to slip in, and closed it softly behind her. Prue was sitting on her bed, going through what looked like some files from work. Piper frowned. She hated to disturb her sister. She knew Prue liked to do as much work at home as possible, so she could spend less time in the office around her boss -- and ex-fiance -- Roger.
"What's up?" Prue asked, taking her glasses off and tossing them onto the closest stack of papers.
"Um, well, you know we've been back here for six months already, and we've been talking about getting a roommate for the longest time, and I've been thinking, uh, maybe now's a good time to go through with it." Piper stammered.
Prue smiled. They could use another person around the house. Things were always needing to be fixed, and a third income would really help. "Did you have anyone in mind?"
Piper bit her lip. Here came the hard part. "Yeah... um... Phoebe."
Prue's smile quickly faded, and was replaced by a deep frown. "No." she said. "No. I can't deal with her coming back, Piper. Not after what she did."
"Prue, you know it's not Phoebe's fault that you and Roger broke up." Piper protested.
"Oh, come on, Piper. Did you hear her explanation for being in his apartment? He said he had a package for me, that's real original." Prue snapped. "She can't come back here."
"Um, actually, she already is." Piper said, bracing herself. "Coming back here, I mean. Grams left the house to all three of us, Prue, she has as much right to be here as either of us."
"Then why hasn't she been?" Prue demanded. "Why'd she bail on us right after Grams died? We haven't seen or heard from her in six months, and now we're just supposed to act like nothing's happened?"
"You haven't heard from her, Prue," Piper corrected. "You didn't want to. Prue, please, she's our sister."
Prue sighed. "When is she coming back?"
It was then that they heard the door open. "Um... now. She come back now." Piper answered.
Prue glared at her sister, then got up to see Phoebe.
"Be nice." Piper pleaded, following Prue downstairs.
They got to the bottom floor to see Phoebe, standing in the foyer, clutching a small backpack. Piper ran over to hug her sister. Prue hung back.
"Come on," Piper said, ushering Phoebe in. "How about I cook a big, family-reunion dinner?" she suggested.
Prue turned to go back upstairs. "I have work to do."
Piper's smile faded a little. "Okay, well, Pheebs, I guess it's just us two. I can make you speghetti, your favourite."
"I'm not hungry." Phoebe said, staring after her oldest sister.
Piper put her arms around Phoebe. "She'll come around, honey."
"I know you'd like to think that, Piper, but... Maybe I shouldn't have come back." Phoebe sighed.
"Don't say that." Piper said. "Don't ever say that. She loves you, she just..." Piper's voice trailed off. The truth was, she didn't know why her older sister acted the way she did.
Phoebe nodded. She returned her sister's embrace, then pulled away, stifling a yawn. "It's late." she mused. "I'm tired."
"Want me to tuck you in?" Piper offered, wanting to take care of Phoebe now that Prue was shutting her out.
Phoebe smiled, but shook her head. "I'm okay. Good night."
"Good night." Piper said. "And Pheebs? I'm glad you're home."
***************
A/N: So, what did you think? I took the alternate reality from the day they got their powers, just to show how that changes everything. Next chapter, you'll see what Leo does now that he's not a Whitelighter.
~from the song "I Knew I Loved You Before I Met You" by Savage Garden~