Closer to thee Part 44:
Another one gone

--------------------

Prue and Piper came down the stairs. They were still talking. As a fact they didn't stop talking and holding each other since Prue had put her arms around Piper, 15 minutes ago. Phoebe sits in the living, starring into nothing
"I'd still like to know what she was doing up there."
Piper said, just as they entered the living
"Up where?"
"Piper thinks that Grams was up in the attic before she died."
Prue answered Phoebe
"That's not possible. She always told us that the attic was sealed off."
Phoebe said, agreeing, for once, with Prue
"Yeah, well, then what was she doing coming down the stairs?"
Piper asked, but no one had the answer for it. Phoebe looks down again and then tries to change the topic
"Um, I think the more important question is what are we doing?"
"What do you mean?"
Prue asked her
"I mean, precisely what Grams was always concerned about. Our future. The only reason we're all still here together is because of her and now... Prue, you've already got one foot out the door... and Piper, I know you don't wanna bunk with me any longer than you have to, so let's just face it, she was the glue."
"Why don't we talk about this over dinner? I'll make one of Grams' favorite meals. She always liked the idea of me being in the kitchen."
Piper asked. She didn't want to talk about something like that right now. She just wanted to think about Grams some more. She didn't want to hear any of their random babblings.
"Ummm... actually... I'm sort of... supposed to spend the night with Roger."
Piper nodded and bit her lip, not to start crying all over again
"What about you, Pheebs? Table for two?"
Piper asked looking at the yo8ungest sister
"Ummm... actually... I was thinking about getting outta here."
"Huh? What you mean? Are you going out?"
Piper asked. She didn't understand what Phoebe meant
"No. I'm going away. I... um... I'm not sure what my future holds but I do know it's not in San Francisco."
Phoebe told them. She just babbled into nothing. She didn't look at her sisters one second. She knew she couldn't. If she did, she wouldn't be able to leave. It hurt too much to loose them now as well, but the New York thing, was something she wanted to do already as Gillian told her about it. She picked up her bag and turns back to her sisters
"Phoebe, you don't have to..."
Prue started, but Phoebe stopped her
"It's okay. We all know that the only thing that I contribute to this threesome is trouble, so... I'm gonna go and see what New York thinks of me. Whatever my destiny may be, I might find it there.
"Phoebe, what about school?"
Piper asked worried, looking at her little sister. It was true, she didn't like being around Phoebe that much neither, but she didn't even want to imagine in what troubles Phoebe could get in New York
"Well, school will still be there if I come back. Grams always said that we all had a purpose. Maybe we'll have an easier time finding it on our own."
Phoebe told them, and without a goodbye leaves her sisters standing there alone, as she leaves the Manor.
"I guess I'm... umm... gonna..."
Prue said but only then noticed, how Piper was close to crying all over again
"Yep."
Piper answered, her voice cracking into a whisper once again. Prue just put a hand on her arm, to comfort her, before going upstairs. She couldn't face anything like that right now. Even though, Phoebe and her were fighting a lot, she still was her little baby. Prue couldn't think of one day, she wasn't there. And now she was gone. She wasn't only mad at her and sitting in the next room. She was gone.