Back together, or not? Part 18:

Retracting their claws for Penny

"Okay, girls, now if you could just move a little closer, okay? Uh, Phoebe, turn to me, I wanna be able to get your good side. "

Penny told them. She was changing her vision from the one through her camera to real one back and forth again and again as she tried to get the best view of her grandchildren. But even though the girls had agreed to make this picture for their grandmother, they still didn't stop fighting. Evil comments and stupid allusions were made over and over again

"I don't think she has one today, Grams."

Piper told her grandmother

'Only today?'

Prue thought angrily, but decided not to say it though. Phoebe felt Prue's view on her and heard Piper's comment. She was getting uncomfortable. She couldn't understand why Piper now started it as well. Piper had always been on her side, but since what happened the other day, where she was caught shop lifting, everything changed and even the middle sister didn't know how to protect the baby sister anymore. It was impossible to try and defend her. There was pretty much nothing good anymore, she could say. Before her arguments were sentences like... at least she doesn't do drugs... a week later she got disappointed or she put the statement in hey, it's not that bad, at least she never did something bringing her into hospital another week later, Phoebe had laid in hospital, because she thought she could fly and jumped out of the window. The list of arguments, Piper had used was endless. But now Phoebe crossed the border between her understanding and accepting, to something even Piper wasn't able to ignore.

"Can we please get this over with?"

Phoebe asked. She just wanted out. She wanted to her friends. The ones who understood her. Just smoke a calming cigarette and feel better once again. But as mostly, the next allusions weren't too far away.

"Why? You got plans?"

Prue asked looking at Phoebe

"Prue, all I'm getting is your shoulder."

Penny said. She still tried to get the girls into a somewhat good position. But once again she was ignored.

"Anyone that I know?"

"I'm sure lying beneath all that sarcasm there is a point. And if it has anything to do with Roger... "

"Well, I mean, he said that you call him pretty often"

"Looking for you. Prue, I'm not gonna defend myself when I didn't do anything wrong."

"Really?"

Prue asked ironically. Prue and Rodger had a long talk yesterday. He had told her a lot of things about her little sister, she didn't like too much. Naturally Rodger lied to Prue. But in his opinion it was just bowing the truth a bit, so Prue wouldn't find out about his interests on Phoebe. Just some ridiculous lie, not to hurt Prue.

"Just trying to be nice to the guy considering he's gonna be part of this family soon. You know, which I'm not even sure I wanna be part of this family."

Phoebe snapped back. Rodger had told Prue something. She could tell that. She was sure of that. But she was also sure of Rodger lying. Piper just simply starred at Phoebe for a second. Once again, she got disappointed. Penny had in the meantime let the camera sink. She looked up and saw that the sun was shifting.

"The sun is shifting. Could you move down a step please?"

Penny asked nicely and surprisingly was heard and listened to. Pleased Penny smiled at them and again posed her camera in front of her face. But she had to put it away after a second again. Phoebe couldn't leave it. Couldn't stop pressuring the subject.

"And why would I spend my time on a wimp who's got mother issues?"

"I don't know, but why should I believe anything that you say? I mean, you don't even know the difference between what belongs to you and what belongs to, oh, let's say Macy's.

"Alright then. Are we done?"

Piper asked, as she grew sick of hearing the fight. She wanted to leave her sisters right now. Act as if they wouldn't exist. She was mad at phoebe to say, she didn't want her to be her sister anymore and disappointed form Prue, to always start those fights. She was the more mature one. She finally should understand it wasn't going to help, but just made things worse. Grams just watches disappointed. She was tired of hearing their fights. She suddenly feels very much responsible for the fights. She raised the girls and she was the one not able to get them, to stand together. Instead she got them into more and more fights.

'They have to stay together.'

Penny thought to herself and the guilt-feelings start to overcome her. She put herself into a lot of stress.

'Just because I didn't raise them well enough, they won't be able to fulfill their destiny...'

Penny though mad at herself. Suddenly she felt like getting too less air. She gasped for air. There once again one of those stupid attacks was. She grabs her chest as it felt like someone squeezed her lung and/or heart. Phoebe was the first to notice and hurriedly walked down a few steps, to her grandmother's side

"Grams!"

She yelped and put a supporting arm around her grandmother.

"Grams."

Prue gasps as well and along with piper hurries a few steps forward again

"Okay, okay, take shallow breaths."

Piper told Penny, as she was the one, hearing that often enough from all the doctors that treated their grandmother. But piper not only said it to help Penny, but also to help herself. Calm herself.

"I should call the doctor."

Prue said, letting go of one of Penny's hands

"No doctor."

Penny told them and Prue returned her hand to Penny's

"Just a picture."

Penny said, freed herself of the arms and hands of the girls and finally looked at them

"Is it too much for an old lady to ask her granddaughters to retract their claws, stand still and look at me long enough to take one lousy picture?"

Penny asked looking from one of the sisters to the other. The girls exchange looks and then nod at Penny before they went for a good place. Penny let out a big breath. Calming herself down and also in relief. She again put the camera to her face and finally made a picture. It wasn't perfect, but it was the most she could ask from them.