Back together, or not? Part 11:

More stress for Penny

"After I get that..."

Penny told them, her smile growing, as she was getting out of the part were everyone worries about her and tries to get her into hospital, again. Penny walked out into the foyer and up to the front door.

"Eh... wait..."

Piper stumbled, trying to keep penny in the kitchen and to get her to sit down. But naturally penny didn't listen. Prue and piper followed her. They didn't want to leave their grandmother's side, as they were still worried. Penny opened the door, just to find two policemen standing outside. Along with her youngest granddaughter and as always, that granddaughter had a cookie sentence on her lips to ease the situation

"Oh, you guys didn't have to get out of bed for little old me."

She told them, a smile plastered on her face

"Mrs. Halliwell?"

One of the cops asked into the group of the three women. All three women were kind of shocked. But why were they even shocked? This was something, which nearly happened on a regular basis, lately.

"Can I hear what she did first before I answer that?"

Penny asked, knowing the she automatically answered the cop's question with that

"She was caught shoplifting."

The cop told penny as they enter along with phoebe, who had already made up a nice little story for her grandmother to believe

"Oh, that is so not true; I just forgot to pay for them, Grams. The store's not even pressing charges. "

Piper and Prue exchanged looks, which clearly say 'oh yeah sure!'

"Phoebe"

Penny said in a calm and disappointed kind of voice

"Oh, please don't sound so disappointed."

Phoebe begged. But it was already working inside of phoebe's brain. She had to find something really good, to be able to change the topic. She had to change the topic, because she knew, this would get ugly, if she didn't

"Look, you're always talking about how we should spend more time together and, well, here we all are."

Phoebe looked into the faces of her grandmother and sisters to see their reaction, but nothing changed on their expression.

'Damn it, why can't it work once?'

Phoebe thought

"Okay, that was really fun."

She told them ironically, as she passes everyone

"Phoebe, what is the matter with you? How can you behave so recklessly? What about your destiny, your..."

Penny stops for a second to look at phoebe and also to make sure, nothing slipped from her lips, which shouldn't

"... your future?"

She asked. Phoebe looked at her. She was slightly annoyed, because she had heard this speech a million of times. But still she staid silent till her grandmother had finished. Her grandmother expected of her, to apology, she expected her to say anything, which made this break of law any less bad. But phoebe wouldn't say that. She was sick of everyone telling her she was bad. This was the way she is. And they finally should learn to accept that.

"Well, maybe my future plans don't match up to the ones that you've mapped out."

Phoebe spat at penny. She was pretty relieved as those words finally escaped her lips. She felt much freer. Prue and piper just looked shocked at their little sisters. They couldn't believe, that phoebe dared to speak in such a voice in such a way to their grandmother. Penny wasn't shocked. She had seen this coming already a while. Buts she still had hoped, this day would never come. But I had come. It was there. Penny looked hurt at phoebe. She had tried the best to raise her, and she had failed. She had disappointed patty and herself. The police men look at each other, as the situation was getting more and more intimae. They both felt uncomfortable, to interrupt this family discussion. They both thought, it would be the best, if they just left and left the family alone. After exchange looks once again, one of them finally broke the silence with clearing his throat, to get the attention of the four women

"We're, uh, gonna need to take back those shoes that you... "

"... Forgot to pay for?"

Phoebe continues his sentence in a rather happy voice

"Right. "

The police officer told her, clearly showing, that not only penny, Prue and piper didn't believe that story.