Peanut2lbs: Dude, hope you like this update, there are a few nasty things comind our way. Thanks for sticking out with me.
Princess Pinky: Here's another update for you kiddo. Tell me what you think. I also like Karen, she's cool, ain't she? Thanks for reviewing!
C.C. McKenna
Inexperienced Love
Chapter Twenty Two
Phoebe put away her cell phone and gazed up to find her sister's eyes eagerly staring at her.
"Well?" Prue raised her eyebrows, slightly motioning her head. "Come on, … what did she say!?"
"What's wrong with Lexie?" Piper swiftly stood in front of Phoebe, harshly pulling her sister's elbow to get her attention.
"It was Rachel… she did something to Lex, I'm not quite sure what yet, but our baby sister's hurt" Phoebe unconsciously pulled her arm free from Piper's grasp and walked to Prue. "I'm going home Prue, at least one of us should be with her right now" She grabbed her bag and tossed her jacket over her shoulder, giving each sister a kiss on their foreheads before leaving.
"Y-yeah, sure" Prue said, turning to Piper. "You should go with her"
"But Prue, you…"
"I'll be ok" Prue smiled weakly. "You just make sure Lex's ok"
"All right then; I'll give you a call when we get there" Piper said, still not quite convinced of leaving her big sister alone.
Prue reached out and gripped Piper's arm while the latter was putting her jacket on; as if she knewhow washer sister feeling."I'll be fine… Andy's here" She smiled with reassurance. Piper nodded and leaned forward to kiss her sister's clammy cheek. "I have to run to catch up with Phoebe"
Prue stared at the door, watching her sister's leave in a hurry, and as soon as they were gone she determinedly turned to Andy. "Call the doctor… I need to go home" she said sternly.
"But Prue…"
"Now Andy, I want to leave now!"
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"Prue…what the hell are you doing home?" Phoebe scolded as soon as her sister answered the phone at the manor. "I've just called your room and they said you 'obstinately released' yourself a few minutes ago" Phoebe shook her head with annoyance. "Prudence, why do you have to be so stubborn!"
"Sorry" Prue slightly smiled listening to her little sister. "I needed to be here, I needed to see Lexie" Prue said, slowly lying down on her bed. "Where are you guys?" She managed to draw a bigger smile when Andy lovingly dropped a warm quilt over her.
Phoebe sighed, obviously still upset. "At the hospital! Lexie's in the ER right now, … Piper's with her, and Sophie too, she arrived at the manor when the paramedics were still there; Karen brought her in her car and I rode with Lex in the ambulance"
"Good, don't leave her alone, not even for a minute" Prue closed her eyes and bit the corner of her lip to suppress the pain. "Do you w-want me to go over there with you?"
Phoebe chuckled. "Are you kidding me?! You're staying home, and you're getting some rest; we'll be there as soon as the cute doctor says it's ok to take her home…yeah, she's ok, she's being stitched right now… hey, is Andy with you?"
"Uh hu, he's right here, and he's not leaving until you guys get home" Prue turned to Andy and winked an eye. Andy just smiled.
"Ok then, let me go back to Lexie and Piper, we'll be there as soon as we can; try to sleep, you must be exhausted"
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"Thanks for coming to get me Dad" Kevin said to his father while they stood by the entrance counter, impatiently waiting for the cop in charge to finish his maple doughnut. Kevin was angry and tired, and he just wanted to go home, but he had to wait for his belongings. He did not care much about his Rolex, nor his diamond rings, much less his wallet; he just wanted his most valuable possession: 'The Triquetra Charm'
"It's ok son, I couldn't allow a son of mine to spend a night in jail; I just don't agree about you calling that Rachel girl for help instead of me, your mother was simply shocked when she called to let us know about you being detained"
"I'm sorry dad" Kevin annoyingly snatched his things from the counter and glared at the policemen. "It was about time!" He growled and immediately turned to his father. "Let's get the hell out of here"
Kevin's father shook his head trying to ignore his son's attitude. "Oh, by the way…that girl, Rachel, is outside, waiting for you"
"She is?" Kevin was surprised, but happy. "Then you can go home, I'll go with her"
"Fine" Kevin's father gave him a pat on his back. "Don't forget to call your mother, she's worried sick" He admonished him and walked away, followed by his three bodyguards and his two lawyers.
Kevin opened the door to Rachel's car and swiftly got inside. He leaned over and gave her a quick kiss on her lips. "Let's go to your house; I have to tell you something".
"Well, that makes two of us" Rachel smirked, stepping on the accelerator.
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"Phoebe, is there something I should know?" Karen sipped her coffee and slowly sat down on the stool next to her friend. "I mean, what happened to Lexie? Why would Rachel want to hurt her like that?"
"Because that bitch is Kevin's lover, and she hates Lexie… that's why!" Sophie spat, suddenly realizing her lack of tact. "Sorry" She turned to Phoebe and shyly smiled.
"It's ok" Phoebe unsuccessfully tried to smile. "I'm just surprised you knew about it and you never told Lexie…or us, for that matter; but that's not the point right now; what really matters now is that we have to keep Lex away from them" Phoebe repeatedly hit her forehead with the palm of her hand. "None of these would have happened if I had done something to break them up"
"You didn't know Phoebe" Karen quickly stood up and wrapped her arm around her friend's shoulders; gently pulling her close, and resting her chin on her head.
"That's the problem Kary… I 'did' know about it, but I foolishly decided to turn the other way" Phoebe buried her head deeper on her friend's chest.
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"Prue" Piper knocked on the door and slowly pushed it open. "You awake?" She stuck her head inside and smiled when she saw her big sister wide-awake and reading.
"Come on in" Prue set her book aside and tossed her eyeglasses on the night table, "Where's Lexie?"
"Cole is carrying her to her room… how are you feeling?"
"I'm fine" Prue was obviously nervous. "I… I want to see Lexie, please, ask her if she wants to be here in my room; we can be of company to each other"
Piper smiled. "See, that's a good idea, that way I won't have to be running around carrying food trays from one room to another…hey… where's Andy?" She carefully scanned the room. "I thought you said he was going to stay with you until we got here"
"Yeah, he was, but he had a very important phone call from the station, something about Kevin, and he had to leave… of course he didn't want to, but I forced him, sort of speak, by asking him to do something about Rachel."
Piper shook her head with annoyance but did not dare to say a word; she knew for sure her sister was going to end up being right, she always had, and she always will. "All right, let me go talk to Lexie" She approached the bed and slowly lifted the sheets from the other side of the bed.
"Piper, what are you doing?" Prue asked.
"Hellooo, I'm getting the bed ready for your visitor"
"But how do you even know she'll say yes?"
"I know her Prue… and you should do too by now"
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Lexie stood outside Prue's room and cleared her throat, the door was wide open, so it was a lot easier to knock without being tempted to walk away. "H-hi" Lexie stuttered. "Piper said you wanted to see me" She hesitantly walked in. "Is it true or do you want me to leave?" She asked sweetly.
"Uhm… yeah, come here" Prue patted softly on the bed and smiled. "Lie down, you shouldn't be on your feet"
Lexie hesitated for a moment but quickly convinced herself that it was the right time to sort things out with her sister once and for all; besides, she wanted to be close to her sister for a change.
"You sure I won't bother?" Lexie carefully sat down on her sister's bed, a little bit far from Prue, but not too far, because she could easily smell her sister's perfume. Lexie loved 'Clive Christian's No.1' scent; it fit her big sister perfectly.
"No, you're definitely not a bother" Prue smiled and hesitantly placed her hand on top of her sister's.
Lexie released the air she was unconsciously holding back and instinctively brought both feet on the perfectly made and thoroughly cleaned bed with an attitude that would certainly had distressed her mother to see and probably horrified her grandma beyond measure. She suddenly noticed she was wearing her boots, so she slowly pulled her knees up to her chin and carefully clasped her arms around them. "Sorry" she said softly. "I couldn't take them off, my shoulder hurts like hell"
"It's ok… sorry I can't help you either" Prue lifted her purple cast and they both laughed. "Lexie… I… I uh…" Prue swallowed, mentally propping herself.
Lexie softly squeezed her sister's hand. "I know… it's ok, you don't have to say anything"
"But… I want to… I need to"
"No, Prue, if someone needs to say something… or to apologize, for that matter, that would definitely have to be me; I'm sorry, I'm sorry for being such a stupid…"
"Lexie…"
"Prue, let me finish please; I'm awfully ashamed of myself for being so stupidly blind and not being able to see who Kevin really was" Lexie locked eyes with her sister. "And most of all, I'm sorry for trusting him instead of you… I will never forgive myself for that"
Prue closed her misty eyes for a moment and quickly wiped her cheeks, "Yes you will… you will forgive yourself and you will forgive me for being an arrogant, egotistical… and… and… it's all my fault, I just got to always do things my way…"
"Prue"
"And I messed up… I… I never know when to let go of my pride, and… and"
"Prue!"
"What?!"
"That's enough… just… just shut up, you've proven your point!"
"I have?"
"Yes, and I have to tell you something else" Lexie smiled nervously.
"Oh…oh" Prue cocked an eyebrow.
"No, it's not an 'oh oh' thing…"
"Then what is it?" Prue exhaled relieved.
Lexie held her sister's gaze steady. "I love you" She said proudly.
Prue closed her eyes again; tears suddenly welling up inside them, and swiftly lunged over her sister. "Oh I love you too…" She said before the two of them hissed in pain at the same time, and slowly held her back at arms length. "But I'm sure you'll bring out the gray on me"
Lexie pulled back a little. "You mean more than the ones you already have?!" She joked.
"I do not!" Prue snapped back. Lexie just cheekily nodded.
"I do?…. well, take them out!… take all the grey out, one by one!" Prue pretended to be scared.
Lexie bent down her sister's head and obediently took out one gray hair with a swift pull; then she stopped and started counting the rest of her sister's hairs. "Erm… Prue, I think it might be easier and faster if I took all the black ones instead"
"You little…augh, wait till I get my hands on you" Prue lifted her hands and pretended to want to strangle her sister.
Lexie smiled and hastily pulled away. "But you love me!… remember?" Lexie chuckled.
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Phoebe swiftly opened her eyes to a sudden noise; she blinked and listened carefully to identify its source but the stillness of the night brought her back into her heavy sleep.
Piper quietly closed the bathroom's door behind her and gently rubbed the excess lotion in her hands; she was about to enter her bedroom when she heard a shattering noise coming from downstairs. She stopped on the middle of the hall, concentrating, holding her breath, but nothing came up again. She fixed her robe and decided to go check up on her sisters; she opened the door and silently poked her head inside. A shower of relief invaded her nervous body while she drew a slight grin on her face, finding both sisters, the eldest and the youngest, peacefully sleeping nose to nose. She gently closed the door and headed towards Phoebe's room, she was about to go inside when a louder noise called her attention; she did not know what it was, but she definitely knew now it was for real. She swallowed her fear, took a deep breath and bravely propped herself to go downstairs and check, once and for all, what was going on. She started descending the stairs, slowly, one by one, and unconsciously cracking her fingers.
"Are you out of your mind?!" Rachel grabbed Kevin's arm and clenched her fingers tightly around his elbow. "Why did you break the glass? There are hundreds of different ways to brake into a house," She whispered with a harsh tone of voice. "They'll know we're here"
"Hey, chill out…I told you I didn't care if they found out… I'm going to kill them anyway"
"Excuse me?!" Piper raised her voice, standing at the bottom of the stairs, and surprising the intruders by unexpectedly turning the lights on. "Who is going to kill whom…exactly?"
TBC