Chapter 4
Paige and Phoebe were driving towards the manor, as Phoebe stopped at a red light she looked over at Paige, "So how was your day?" She asked, "Great, thanks Phoebe I loved it." "Yeah, well what are big sisters for? And I'm sorry about the black eye, it'll teach you to keep your eye on the ball anyway." "Yeah" Paige laughed as she recalled the events of the day, she was really, truly happy and Phoebe could see that.
"Have you had enough to eat?" Phoebe asked as she resumed driving, "Yeah, I'm stuffed!" She answered, "I had a great day I can't wait to tell Prue and Piper everything that we did." Phoebe smiled; she was glad that she could make someone happy, even if she couldn't make herself happy! "Okay, but after that you have to get upstairs and get a shower, you have mud all over you." "Oh, you're just mad because I took you down in football." "Yeah well next time you have had it, okay. I was just being easy on you." "Yeah right I beat you by miles." Phoebe glanced over, "Well what can I say I taught you well, you'll be able to take anyone on." "I liked the hat as well Phoebe, thanks for buying it me." "You're welcome and you won the bet anyway, fair and square." "Well it was a cert that guy wasn't going to win." "You better be able to take Piper in a tickle war now. You have seen how they wrestled, Piper won't stand a chance!" Phoebe and Paige both laughed.
The Jeep pulled around the corned of Prescott street and then into the driveway of the manor. "Well come on then, lets get you inside." With that Phoebe took the keys from the ignition and stepped out of the car, walking around to the other door, she opened it and unclipped Paige's belt, "I love you Phoebe." "You to sport" Phoebe beamed, Pulling Paige from the seat she place her on her shoulders and took the foot ball of the seat and held it in her hand.
She walked around the back of the manor to go through the back door, Paige was sat on her shoulders still and had the biggest smile on her face, "You and me have to do this more often." Phoebe said, "I had a great time with my little sis today." "Yeah me too" Paige agreed, "Come on then let's see if Piper's up for a tickle war!"
As she pushed open the door, both saw Piper and Prue sat at the kitchen table, Paige called, "Piper! Prue" Phoebe lifted her from her shoulders and placed her on the floor, as soon her feet touched the ground she ran over to them, "Phoebe took me out and we went to the park, and had breakfast and we went shopping and we..." Piper bent down, "Wow squirt calm down, so I take it you had a good time." "Yeah, the best...and I beat Phoebe at football, she says it's because she was been soft but it's really because I'm better than her." Piper looked at the hat, "And is this new?" she asked, Paige took the hat room her head, "Yeah, Phoebe got it me, because she lot the bet." Piper and Prue both saw the darkening bruise around Paige's eye.
"Wow Paige what happened to you..." Before Piper could finish Prue jumped in, "Was it Dan, Mark or Josh?" She asked harshly looking at Phoebe, Phoebe was shocked, she looked at Prue who was staring at her, and then she walked over to Paige, "Hay, Sport, go up and get a shower and changed, I'll be up to tuck you in later." Paige nodded, not picking up on the hostility she turned to Piper and Prue, "Night Guys." "Night honey" Piper said, Prue never made a sound; she never moved her eyes off of Phoebe.
Paige turned and through her arms around, Phoebe neck, who was crouched, in front of her, "Love you" "Love you to; now go on sport up stairs. Remember I told you I'd sort it all out, well we are going to sort it out now, so after your shower get into bed and I'll be up later to tuck you in." Phoebe handed her the foot ball and with that Paige bounced from the kitchen and up the stairs.
Phoebe watched her leave and slowly stood to her feet, she walked over to the door of the kitchen and closed it, and then slowly she turned and looked at her sisters, "You think that I would let that happen?" She spat, disgusted at what Prue had asked, "Well it looks like something happened." Prue shot back, "Yeah, we were playing football; the ball hit her in the face. How dear you think I would ever let anyone hit her!" "What the hell am I supposed to think you leave with out telling anyone where you are going and we haven't hared from you all day, and now its nine thirty and you come back with Paige who has a black eye." "Let me make one thing clear, no matter what you think of me, I would never put Paige in any danger, and I think that you should really think before accusing me of putting her in any kind of trouble." Piper stood up, "Okay both of you calm down, Prue, let her talk..." Piper walked over to Phoebe, "Are you okay?" "Fine, just fine..." Phoebe stood back from the approaching sister and walked over to the sink pouring a glass of water which she downed, "Prue its one thing to hit me!" Phoebe spoke with her back still to them, "But don't ever think of accuse me of putting her in danger." "Phoebe, Prue was just worried about Paige, she hadn't hared from you all day." Phoebe swung around, "Piper stop sticking up for her, I know exactly what she meant and so did you. Just stop trying to make everything okay, it isn't we all know it. Ever since I...stabbed dad you and Prue have...looked at me like I'm...crap." "That's not true..." Piper began only to be stopped by Phoebe, "Yes it is, I know you and Prue loved dad, just like I did, until mom and grams died. He changed and you were not around to see it, you didn't want to, dad changed, he would have killed any of us, and I stopped it. I'm sorry that I ruined the perfect family that you imaged we were but, we weren't I did what I had to, to save that little girl upstairs...and after all I went through to do that, it hurts, no it kills me to think you believe I would let anyone hurt her."
"Why did you just walk out this morning?" Prue asked, standing to her feet, "It's what I do Prue, every time Paige gets upset like that, I take her out for the day, every time she'd see dad hit me, she'd break up and I would have to pick up all the pieces, Yesterday Prue, she saw you hit me and it really broke her, so I did what I had to I'm so sorry that I never put your feelings before our baby sisters but to be honest I don't give a crap." Phoebe looked at Piper "What do you want from me, both of you?" she asked, "I want you to be happy" Piper spoke, "It's not going to happen Pipe, I'm sorry but it's not going to happen!" "Talk to me Phoebe." "I can't, don't force me to talk about stuff I'm not ready to..."
"When will you be ready?" Prue asked, "I'm sick of having this guilt about dad thrown at me, and I'm sick of the way your acting." "I'm sorry that I haven't gotten over the fact that I nearly killed my dad, and the I hate him so much that to even think about him hurts, I'm so sorry." "Phoebe I have tried to..." "Bullshit, you just look for the worst in me, always have done. Tonight you saw Paige and automatically felt the need to bring up my boyfriend, you want to make me out to be a failure but you are the only failure, you Prue!"
"You think it's easy for me to watch you come in night after night, drunk and beat up? You are better than that." "No I'm not Prue, I am that, it's all I have had since I was sixteen and now even you hit me..." "Once" Prue shouted, "Every one starts off like you, 'I only hit y once it won't happen again' but it always happens again Prue...maybe not tonight or tomorrow but you will hit me again." "You made me hit you, you just kept going and going, I just want to look out for you..."
Phoebe stepped forward, "The only reason that I'm sticking around for is that little girl, and she needs me...and trust me, if it wasn't for Paige, when you hit me last night I would have walked away from you." "Well why, don't you walk away from all those losers that hit you." "There's a difference that's why..." "How?" Prue shouted, "Because they drunk or high when they hit me...but you were sober, you hated me, and you hate me now and I can see it in your eyes." "I don't hate you" "Yes you do, look, I just want to tell you, from now on we don't fight in front of Paige, and we don't argue in front of her, and ever hit me her or Piper, I'll kill you Prue" With this she turned and walked from the kitchen and up the stairs.
Prue fell back to her chair, "Went well." She mumbled, "Piper, I'll be in the basement, I need to be alone and I have some Photos to develop." "Sure" Piper said pissed that once again Prue had blown it and convocation between them had turned into a fight.
Phoebe walked up the stairs and into the room of the youngest Halliwell, she found her sitting on the bed, "So ready for bed?" she asked, the youngest nodded, "Come on then, in you get!" Phoebe said with a smile lifting the quilt and letting Paige jump in, when lying down Phoebe tucked the sheets around her, "Night angel." "Night Phoebe!" Paige smiled, "Paige, I'm going out for a bit okay. I might be home very late so, don't get worried. I'll be back." Paige nodded, "Okay. Be careful." "Always, now get some sleep."
With this Phoebe turned around leaving the room and walking into her own, she changed into a pair of tight jeans and a blue shirt, wearing her army typed boots and a denim jacket. She took her lighter and her pen knife from the side and left the room, walking down the steps she was met by Piper at the bottom, "Hay" The older spoke quietly, "Hay Piper, I'm sorry about in there, you don't deserve it..." "None of us do...look you will talk to me, about everything wont you?" "I'll see how tonight goes, and if it goes to plan then sure..." "Are you off out?" Piper asked, "Yeah" "Be careful okay!" Phoebe nodded, "Always, keep an eye on Paige for me." Piper nodded, "When will you be back?"
"I don't know, I could be out all night, I have my Phone so if you need to call me." Piper nodded. And with that Phoebe left the manor, to do what she had to do.
Paige and Phoebe were driving towards the manor, as Phoebe stopped at a red light she looked over at Paige, "So how was your day?" She asked, "Great, thanks Phoebe I loved it." "Yeah, well what are big sisters for? And I'm sorry about the black eye, it'll teach you to keep your eye on the ball anyway." "Yeah" Paige laughed as she recalled the events of the day, she was really, truly happy and Phoebe could see that.
"Have you had enough to eat?" Phoebe asked as she resumed driving, "Yeah, I'm stuffed!" She answered, "I had a great day I can't wait to tell Prue and Piper everything that we did." Phoebe smiled; she was glad that she could make someone happy, even if she couldn't make herself happy! "Okay, but after that you have to get upstairs and get a shower, you have mud all over you." "Oh, you're just mad because I took you down in football." "Yeah well next time you have had it, okay. I was just being easy on you." "Yeah right I beat you by miles." Phoebe glanced over, "Well what can I say I taught you well, you'll be able to take anyone on." "I liked the hat as well Phoebe, thanks for buying it me." "You're welcome and you won the bet anyway, fair and square." "Well it was a cert that guy wasn't going to win." "You better be able to take Piper in a tickle war now. You have seen how they wrestled, Piper won't stand a chance!" Phoebe and Paige both laughed.
The Jeep pulled around the corned of Prescott street and then into the driveway of the manor. "Well come on then, lets get you inside." With that Phoebe took the keys from the ignition and stepped out of the car, walking around to the other door, she opened it and unclipped Paige's belt, "I love you Phoebe." "You to sport" Phoebe beamed, Pulling Paige from the seat she place her on her shoulders and took the foot ball of the seat and held it in her hand.
She walked around the back of the manor to go through the back door, Paige was sat on her shoulders still and had the biggest smile on her face, "You and me have to do this more often." Phoebe said, "I had a great time with my little sis today." "Yeah me too" Paige agreed, "Come on then let's see if Piper's up for a tickle war!"
As she pushed open the door, both saw Piper and Prue sat at the kitchen table, Paige called, "Piper! Prue" Phoebe lifted her from her shoulders and placed her on the floor, as soon her feet touched the ground she ran over to them, "Phoebe took me out and we went to the park, and had breakfast and we went shopping and we..." Piper bent down, "Wow squirt calm down, so I take it you had a good time." "Yeah, the best...and I beat Phoebe at football, she says it's because she was been soft but it's really because I'm better than her." Piper looked at the hat, "And is this new?" she asked, Paige took the hat room her head, "Yeah, Phoebe got it me, because she lot the bet." Piper and Prue both saw the darkening bruise around Paige's eye.
"Wow Paige what happened to you..." Before Piper could finish Prue jumped in, "Was it Dan, Mark or Josh?" She asked harshly looking at Phoebe, Phoebe was shocked, she looked at Prue who was staring at her, and then she walked over to Paige, "Hay, Sport, go up and get a shower and changed, I'll be up to tuck you in later." Paige nodded, not picking up on the hostility she turned to Piper and Prue, "Night Guys." "Night honey" Piper said, Prue never made a sound; she never moved her eyes off of Phoebe.
Paige turned and through her arms around, Phoebe neck, who was crouched, in front of her, "Love you" "Love you to; now go on sport up stairs. Remember I told you I'd sort it all out, well we are going to sort it out now, so after your shower get into bed and I'll be up later to tuck you in." Phoebe handed her the foot ball and with that Paige bounced from the kitchen and up the stairs.
Phoebe watched her leave and slowly stood to her feet, she walked over to the door of the kitchen and closed it, and then slowly she turned and looked at her sisters, "You think that I would let that happen?" She spat, disgusted at what Prue had asked, "Well it looks like something happened." Prue shot back, "Yeah, we were playing football; the ball hit her in the face. How dear you think I would ever let anyone hit her!" "What the hell am I supposed to think you leave with out telling anyone where you are going and we haven't hared from you all day, and now its nine thirty and you come back with Paige who has a black eye." "Let me make one thing clear, no matter what you think of me, I would never put Paige in any danger, and I think that you should really think before accusing me of putting her in any kind of trouble." Piper stood up, "Okay both of you calm down, Prue, let her talk..." Piper walked over to Phoebe, "Are you okay?" "Fine, just fine..." Phoebe stood back from the approaching sister and walked over to the sink pouring a glass of water which she downed, "Prue its one thing to hit me!" Phoebe spoke with her back still to them, "But don't ever think of accuse me of putting her in danger." "Phoebe, Prue was just worried about Paige, she hadn't hared from you all day." Phoebe swung around, "Piper stop sticking up for her, I know exactly what she meant and so did you. Just stop trying to make everything okay, it isn't we all know it. Ever since I...stabbed dad you and Prue have...looked at me like I'm...crap." "That's not true..." Piper began only to be stopped by Phoebe, "Yes it is, I know you and Prue loved dad, just like I did, until mom and grams died. He changed and you were not around to see it, you didn't want to, dad changed, he would have killed any of us, and I stopped it. I'm sorry that I ruined the perfect family that you imaged we were but, we weren't I did what I had to, to save that little girl upstairs...and after all I went through to do that, it hurts, no it kills me to think you believe I would let anyone hurt her."
"Why did you just walk out this morning?" Prue asked, standing to her feet, "It's what I do Prue, every time Paige gets upset like that, I take her out for the day, every time she'd see dad hit me, she'd break up and I would have to pick up all the pieces, Yesterday Prue, she saw you hit me and it really broke her, so I did what I had to I'm so sorry that I never put your feelings before our baby sisters but to be honest I don't give a crap." Phoebe looked at Piper "What do you want from me, both of you?" she asked, "I want you to be happy" Piper spoke, "It's not going to happen Pipe, I'm sorry but it's not going to happen!" "Talk to me Phoebe." "I can't, don't force me to talk about stuff I'm not ready to..."
"When will you be ready?" Prue asked, "I'm sick of having this guilt about dad thrown at me, and I'm sick of the way your acting." "I'm sorry that I haven't gotten over the fact that I nearly killed my dad, and the I hate him so much that to even think about him hurts, I'm so sorry." "Phoebe I have tried to..." "Bullshit, you just look for the worst in me, always have done. Tonight you saw Paige and automatically felt the need to bring up my boyfriend, you want to make me out to be a failure but you are the only failure, you Prue!"
"You think it's easy for me to watch you come in night after night, drunk and beat up? You are better than that." "No I'm not Prue, I am that, it's all I have had since I was sixteen and now even you hit me..." "Once" Prue shouted, "Every one starts off like you, 'I only hit y once it won't happen again' but it always happens again Prue...maybe not tonight or tomorrow but you will hit me again." "You made me hit you, you just kept going and going, I just want to look out for you..."
Phoebe stepped forward, "The only reason that I'm sticking around for is that little girl, and she needs me...and trust me, if it wasn't for Paige, when you hit me last night I would have walked away from you." "Well why, don't you walk away from all those losers that hit you." "There's a difference that's why..." "How?" Prue shouted, "Because they drunk or high when they hit me...but you were sober, you hated me, and you hate me now and I can see it in your eyes." "I don't hate you" "Yes you do, look, I just want to tell you, from now on we don't fight in front of Paige, and we don't argue in front of her, and ever hit me her or Piper, I'll kill you Prue" With this she turned and walked from the kitchen and up the stairs.
Prue fell back to her chair, "Went well." She mumbled, "Piper, I'll be in the basement, I need to be alone and I have some Photos to develop." "Sure" Piper said pissed that once again Prue had blown it and convocation between them had turned into a fight.
Phoebe walked up the stairs and into the room of the youngest Halliwell, she found her sitting on the bed, "So ready for bed?" she asked, the youngest nodded, "Come on then, in you get!" Phoebe said with a smile lifting the quilt and letting Paige jump in, when lying down Phoebe tucked the sheets around her, "Night angel." "Night Phoebe!" Paige smiled, "Paige, I'm going out for a bit okay. I might be home very late so, don't get worried. I'll be back." Paige nodded, "Okay. Be careful." "Always, now get some sleep."
With this Phoebe turned around leaving the room and walking into her own, she changed into a pair of tight jeans and a blue shirt, wearing her army typed boots and a denim jacket. She took her lighter and her pen knife from the side and left the room, walking down the steps she was met by Piper at the bottom, "Hay" The older spoke quietly, "Hay Piper, I'm sorry about in there, you don't deserve it..." "None of us do...look you will talk to me, about everything wont you?" "I'll see how tonight goes, and if it goes to plan then sure..." "Are you off out?" Piper asked, "Yeah" "Be careful okay!" Phoebe nodded, "Always, keep an eye on Paige for me." Piper nodded, "When will you be back?"
"I don't know, I could be out all night, I have my Phone so if you need to call me." Piper nodded. And with that Phoebe left the manor, to do what she had to do.