A/N: Sorry for the hold-up. I was feeling sick yesterday, But I'm better now.
Dark-Black-Shadow-Cat, Glad you like it!
wyatt333, The answer to your question will come soon! Promise!
Jade-eye Halliwell, The doctors would, but her cousins wouldn't. If the family requests it, then they won't pull the plug. Presley and Paisley had their fingers crossed that Patience would come back to them and begged the doctors not to pull the plug. Make sense?C. C. McKenna, Lol. Thanks. Glad you like it!
Also, just in case I don't get to update tomorrow or Saturday: I want to wish everyone a happy and healthy holiday and a wonderful New Year! Though, I'm sure I'll update before New Year's, lol. But I didn't want to just say Christmas, since not everyone celebrates it.
So, hope everyone enjoys this chapter. It will get better, promise! Just keep reading and don't give up on me. And please review
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Home sweet home, it wasn't. Patience had a hard time adjusting to life at the Manor. She didn't have amnesia from her coma; she had amnesia because it had been so long since she'd been home and with her family.
The first thing she'd done when she had arrived home was walk around all of the first floor, looking at everything and hoping something would trigger her memory. She could faintly remember coming downstairs from her bedroom and running into the kitchen. The delicious smell of cookies, brownies, and cupcakes was always warm and alive in the air. She remembered that one of her aunts was a cook and made all sorts of yummy goodies.
In the living room, Patience had spotted four pictures that caught her attention immediately. The first was of three girls, all in about their twenties or thirties. One had long, raven black hair and pale blue eyes. Another had shoulder-length, dark blonde hair, and the third had long hair with bangs. Presley explained to her that they were Prue, Phoebe, and Piper. She had explained that after three years of living together, Prue had been murdered and Paige had been discovered. That was the second photo; Piper, Phoebe, and Paige. Paisley explained that they were their mother's mothers (or, in short, their grandmother's). The third photo was of a young brunette, a dirty blonde/brunette, and a raven-haired girl. Presley explained that they were Payton, Pandora, and Phoenix – their own mothers. And finally, the fourth photo was of a sixteen year old girl, a seven year old, and a five year old. Gently, Paisley told her that that was them, shortly before she had fallen into a coma.
Patience had listened in silence. Chills crept up her spine and she had to step away and went on to explore the rest of the house. Upstairs, her cousins allowed her to go into their rooms and look around, then she went into her own room which was still decorated for a five year old.
"We can fix it up and make it more for you once you're ready," Presley promised.
Tears in her eyes, Patience walked down the hallway and up a second flight of stairs that led to a third door. She was unable to open this one.
"That door," Paisley said, "has never opened for us. Our mom's said they could never get it open, either. It's supposed to be the attic, so I don't understand why it's locked."
By the end of the day, her head ached and rest was on her to-do list. Presley made her up a hot bowl of soup and some chicken and mashed potatoes – Patience's favorite meal when she was younger and, apparently, still her favorite meal now – and then she went to her room, cuddled with one of her childhood stuffed animals, and went to bed.
She wasn't sure how many hours had passed since she'd gone to sleep, but Patience was awoken some time later by the sound of her cousin's voices, floating up the staircase from downstairs. Silently, she tiptoed to the steps and went down far enough to listen, but far away enough so she wouldn't be seen.
"It's going to take some adjusting," Presley was saying to Paisley. "When I first came back, you guys had to adjust to me. You had never even met me. At least we've all known each other before."
"I know. But we were little when you came back. We were all 'Oooh, another playmate!' Now we're older and we're more mature and0"
"And we're thinking 'Ooh, another shopping buddy?'"? Presley asked.
Paisley slapped her playfully, laughing. "No. But it's just different when you're older. It might be harder to get along and stuff. I don't know. Plus, we've had since the day I was born to bond. Patience was with us five years, which isn't much bonding time with me because I was little, too, and little girls argue a lot and fighting over who stole who's Barbie. I'm just worried."
"So am I. I want to get along with her, I do. And I hope we do," Presley replied.
"She's been so quiet," Paisley commented.
"Well," Presley replied, "She did just wake up after nine years in a mysterious coma to find out her mom and aunts are dead, and she can't remember much of anything because it has been so long."
Paisley smiled softly. "Good point. Okay, so we just need to be patient, right?"
"She'll get back into the swing of things, and so will we," Presley nodded.
From her hiding, Patience clenched her fists, then went back upstairs.
In her room, Patient sat in bed, thinking. She didn't feel welcomed and she felt confused. They were her family, but it almost seemed as if she were a burden to them.
She heard footsteps in the hallway and quickly lay back down and closed her eyes.
The door to her room opened a bit. The light from the hall reflected into her room and across her face.
"She's still asleep," Presley whispered.
"Should we wake her?" Paisley asked.
Presley shook her head. "Just let her sleep. We'll talk to her tomorrow."
The door gently and quietly closed. Patience opened her eyes and stared at the door, her heart aching. She almost wished she hadn't heard her cousins' conversation. But at least she now knew how they really felt about her being home again.
Hey, no one said the truth was pretty. Patience had learned this; she had learned that the truth hurts.
