History Repeats Itself
Chapter 4
By JewWitch
By the time Piper came back upstairs after clearing away the dinner dishes, she found both Paige and Phoebe fast asleep in the large bed. A small grin quirked her lips automatically as she took in what was fast becoming one of her favorite sights, pulling up the blankets protectively around her two adorable little sisters. After spending a few minutes fussing over them, smoothing back their hair and checking Paige's forehead again, Piper was satisfied that they were both sleeping peacefully, and quietly crept from the room to tidy up the rest of the house. For the past 48 hours, all three of them had been pretty much living in Paige's bedroom, and the rest of the house had fallen quickly into a state of minor chaos. There was plenty of sweeping, vacuuming, and dishwashing to keep her busy while she danced and sang along with the radio, happy to be getting things back to normal. Paige's fever had been going steadily down since the afternoon, and Piper felt sure that the worst was over. Now they could all look forward to a few well-earned vacation days, lazing around the house and pampering their baby sister while she got her strength back. In fact, she thought, why wait? Grabbing her keys, Piper left a quick note on the table—gone for videos and ice cream—and quietly slipped out the back door.
When she returned home, the first thing Piper heard was the sound of coughing echoing down the stairs. Ooh, that sounds awful, Piper thought with a wince. Guess it's time to give Paige another dose of Grams' medicine. She was quite startled, when she walked into the kitchen with movies and ice cream in hand, to find Paige standing there wrapped in a warm robe and a pair of fuzzy slippers.
"Honey, what are you doing out of bed?" Piper chided gently. Paige looked up guiltily, but made no move to pull away as Piper rushed up to her and felt her pale face. "You're still pretty warm, but you're not scalding anymore…I think the fever's finally broken." She smiled encouragingly at her little sister and kissed her lightly on the cheek. Then a thoughtful frown quirked her features. "Wait a minute," Piper murmured. "If you're down here, then who did I hear coughing upstairs?"
"I think I got Phoebe sick," Paige whimpered miserably. "I'm sorry!" Her brown eyes shone with tears.
"Oh, Paigey, it's not your fault," Piper soothed her, putting one arm around her distressed sister and guiding her into a chair. "It happens, okay? It's not the end of the world." Paige nodded, still sniffling miserably. "Here," Piper handed her a tissue and rubbed her back soothingly, "let's get you back upstairs, and we'll see how Phoebe's doing, okay?"
"'Kay," Paige hiccupped. The tea kettle whistled, causing Piper to turn and notice two cups sitting by the stove.
"Aw honey, were you making tea for the both of you?" Paige nodded.
"She was coughing so much in her sleep, I figured her throat would hurt when she woke up." Piper hugged her thoughtful little sister.
"Well you don't have to worry about that now, I'm gonna take care of everything. Okay?"
"What if we make you sick too?" Paige asked meekly.
"Oldest sisters never get sick," Piper said with a wink. Paige gave her a disbelieving smirk. "Well, okay, maybe not never," Piper conceded. "But only when no one else is sick. That's just the cosmic order."
Peeking back into Paige's bedroom, Piper's eyes fell immediately on her sweet baby sister, who was obviously not sleeping peacefully. She had thrown off all the covers, and was curled up in a ball in the corner of the bed, shivering. Her face was flushed, and her hair was damp with sweat.
"Oh, my poor little girl," Piper sighed, sitting down next to Phoebe's trembling form and running her hand gently up her sister's leg.
"Uhhhh…" Phoebe mumbled in her sleep, and twisted further onto her side as her small body was wracked with a hard, deep cough. Piper rubbed her back until it passed, leaning down to kiss her little sister's hot forehead. Paige sat down on her other side.
"Piper?" Phoebe croaked. She was already losing her voice, just like Paige. My two little froggies, Piper thought with a small grin.
"Hey there, little one," Piper hummed, stroking Phoebe's hair back from her face. "Do you think you can sit up and swallow some of this medicine for me?"
"I'm not sick," Phoebe murmured hazily, rubbing her eyes. "Just fell asleep…where's Paige?"
"Right here, tough stuff," Paige smiled gently, curling up against Phoebe's back. "You can't get rid of me that easy." Disoriented, Phoebe automatically took her sisters' hands as they both helped pull her up into a sitting position.
"Open up, sweetie," Piper cooed, holding out a spoonful of the detested red goo.
"Piper, I told you, I'm not—" Phoebe never got the chance to finish her sentence, as the spoon was shoved unceremoniously into her mouth.
"Hey!" Phoebe whined, making the sour face that amused Paige so.
"Your turn, Paigey," Piper continued brightly, completely ignoring Phoebe's complaints. Paige swallowed the bitter red liquid without comment. Then Piper handed them each a mug of the hot, sweet tea. "Drink up, my little froggies," she grinned. Phoebe ignored her sister's offering, pushing past her to wriggle out of bed.
"I told you I'm…" Phoebe gave a small whimper, as an intense wave of dizziness washed over her the moment her feet hit the floor. She would have fallen if Piper hadn't been there to catch her.
"Save it, grumpy smurf. You're not going anywhere with that fever."
"I don't have a fever," Phoebe insisted with a whine, though she didn't fight when Paige curled up tightly against her side, wrapping one arm around her stomach to keep her pinned to the bed.
"Pheebs, I could fry an egg on your forehead," Piper exclaimed with a roll of her eyes. With an exasperated sigh, she reached over to the bedside table, waving the thermometer in front of her stubborn sister's face. "Let's just see, okay?" With a dramatic sigh, Phoebe reluctantly opened her mouth, allowing Piper to slip the thermometer under her tongue.
"Boy," Paige mumbled from her place on Phoebe's shoulder, "I thought I was stubborn."
"You should've seen her when she was little," Piper giggled, running her fingers soothingly through Phoebe's brown hair. "Stubborn as a mule! And she'll never admit she's sick, either," she added pointedly, with an affectionate smirk for her younger sister. Phoebe glared back at her with a pout that, combined with the thermometer sticking out of her mouth, made her look no more than five years old. "I remember this one time when Grams went away for a romantic weekend with husband number four, and Prue was left in charge of us…"
"Phoebe! For the last time, dinner's ready! Get your ass down here!" Prue hollered up the stairs, hands on her hips. "What does she want, a written invitation?"
"You sound just like Grams," Piper giggled. "Should I get you some prune juice, grandma Prue?"
"Oh, hush, you," Prue smirked. "I could still make you do the dishes!"
"In your dreams, prom queen," Piper sniggered. "I cooked."
"Yeah, well I have a date with Andy tonight, and I am not gonna be late because your rebel-without-a-clue sister won't come to dinner!" With that, Prue stomped up the stairs and pounded on Phoebe's door. Unsurprisingly, there was no response. Finally, Prue simply opened the door and marched in, fully expecting to be pelted with dirty laundry and screamed at to get out. But no flying legwarmers came her way. For a moment, Prue thought thirteen-year-old Phoebe had snuck out again—the room was dark, and there was no sign of her youngest sister. But as her eyes adjusted to the dim evening light, Prue noticed a small, Phoebe-shaped lump in the middle of the bed, hidden under a pile of covers.
"Pheebs?" Prue called tentatively. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing," came a muffled reply from beneath the blankets. "Leeme alone."
"Hey," Prue said gently, sitting down on the bed and pulling the blankets down until she found a head of dark, disheveled hair poking out. "What is it, Pheebs? Talk to me. Did something happen at school? A fight?"
"Nothing happened," Phoebe mumbled, still hiding her face from her sister. "I just wanna be by myself, okay?" Prue reached out and ran her fingers gently through her sister's messy hair.
"Oh, Phoebe," she gasped, "You're burning up! Why didn't you say something?"
"I'm fine," Phoebe snapped, her voice growing thick with tears. "Just go on your stupid date, okay? GO!" Curling herself up in a ball, Phoebe began to cry.
"I'm not going anywhere, baby," Prue hummed quietly, gathering her distressed little sister into her arms and rocking her as she cried. They stayed that way for a few moments, Phoebe's tears slowly easing in the comfort of Prue's strong arms. Finally, with a deep, steadying breath, Phoebe looked up into her sister's patient blue eyes.
"Sorry I'm making you miss your date," she mumbled, resting her hot cheek against Prue's shoulder.
"You have nothing to be sorry for, little one," Prue said soothingly, using her childhood nickname for her youngest sister. She had outgrown it years ago, but in times like this—when she was upset, or not feeling well—it comforted her. "I wouldn't ever leave you when you needed me."
"Really, Prue?" Phoebe asked, sniffling quietly.
"Really." Phoebe smiled, then her body bent forward in Prue's arms with a loud "Ah-choo!"
"Bless you!" Prue giggled, always amazed that someone so little could have such big, explosive sneezes.
"Ugh," Phoebe groaned, trying to cover her nose and mouth with her hands. "Uh, Pwue…do you hab ady kleedex?"
"Here, sweetie," Prue smiled adoringly at the sniffling Phoebe, and in an act of supreme love and devotion, wiped her baby sister's nose with her sleeve.
"Hey," Piper called, popping her head through the door curiously. "What's going on up here? Dinner's getting cold!"
"Piper, can you bring us a box of tissues?" Prue asked innocently. Phoebe giggled in spite of herself.
"…So that was the sleeve incident." Paige smiled at her sister, who looked back at her with a shy grin. Then her large brown eyes filled unaccountably with tears as Piper pulled the thermometer from her mouth.
"A hundred and two, baby girl," Piper sighed, wiping away the tears that were spilling down her sister's cheeks.
"I miss Prue," Phoebe whispered.
"I know, little one," Piper said soothingly, crawling into the big bed with her sisters. "So do I." She kissed Phoebe's hot forehead and hugged her tightly. Paige looked down at her hands, feeling guilty as always that she was here, while Prue was gone.
"She would have loved you so much, Paigey girl," Phoebe said huskily, with a big, beautiful, teary smile.
"Really?" Paige asked in a small voice.
"Absolutely," Piper agreed, giving Paige her smile as well. "I see so much of her in you, Paige…it's almost like having a piece of her back." Paige couldn't think of anything to say to that, so she simply threw herself across the bed and hugged both her sisters tight.
"Okay," Piper finally sighed when she was released, "we've got movies and ice cream downstairs, who's game?"
"What kind of ice cream?" Phoebe asked in a little-girl voice.
"Oh," Piper said airily, "just peanut butter cup and chocolate-raspberry ripple."
"Those are my two favorite flavors," Paige said happily. "How did you know?"
"They're all our favorites," Piper said simply, smiling softly as her two sisters snuggled up against her in the big bed. "Prue's too."
Piper had expected her sister to fall asleep during the movie, but when the end credits rolled on "The Breakfast Club," they were both still awake, if not completely. Paige was yawning and blinking sleepily, while Phoebe was shifting restlessly between her sisters on the couch.
"I think we better get the both of you up to dreamland," Piper said quietly, getting up and stretching with a few satisfying pops.
"I can't sleep, Piper, I hurt too much," Phoebe whimpered, burying her face against Paige's neck, who reached out and stroked her hair sleepily.
"Sorry you're sick, big sis," she murmured, leaning down and kissing Phoebe's ear. "It's my fault."
"Not your fault, dummy," Phoebe sighed, looking up from her sister's warm shoulder. "Don't be stupid."
"That's just Phoebe's way of saying she loves you," Piper assured Paige, helping her to her feet and wrapping one arm securely around her waist. "Can you walk back upstairs, Paigey?"
"I wanna stay with Phoebe," Paige said softly. Phoebe, now alone on the couch, looked up and smiled.
"That's sweet, little sis, but I think I'll keep you up all night with this cough. You really need your rest."
"You stayed up with me the last two nights, didn't you?" Paige persisted.
"Sweetie, you won't be doing anyone any good if you get yourself sicker," Piper reasoned, lightly rubbing Paige's back. "You've been crazy with that fever for the past two days; now you can finally get a good night's sleep. I'll take good care of Phoebe tonight…and in the morning, you can have her all to yourself, okay?" Paige nodded, looking down miserably at her fuzzy slippers.
"Hey," Phoebe croaked, smiling crookedly up at her little sister. "Wanna paint my toenails tomorrow?" Paige nodded. "Good. Now come kiss me goodnight." Paige threw herself on her sister, kissing her on both cheeks and her forehead.
"Love you," she murmured.
"Love you too, baby girl," Phoebe sighed, squeezing her sister tight. Then Piper leaned down and, following Paige's lead, covered her little sister with kisses.
"I'm gonna take Paige up to bed, and then I'll be back for you…okay, my baby?"
"'Kay," Phoebe nodded. "Night, Paigey."
"Night, Pheebs," Paige called sleepily. It took Piper and Paige a few minutes to make their way, slowly but steadily, up the stairs, but the moment Paige's head hit the pillow, she was out. Piper didn't even have a chance to tell her youngest sister she'd be back to check on her before she was snoring softly, a stray lock of hair fluttering gently in front of her face with each breath. Smiling, Piper leaned down and kissed her, tucking the curl back behind her sister's ear.
"I love you, little one," she whispered in the sleeping girl's ear. Stealing one final glance at her youngest sister, Piper backed out of the bedroom, leaving the door slightly ajar. That way, if Paige needed her during the night, she'd be able to hear. Then she padded back downstairs, thinking good thoughts about Prue. All the times Prue had put her own needs and desires aside to care for her and Phoebe, always looking out for them. The nights she'd spent listening to Piper cry when the popular kids teased and bullied her; the sweet lullabies she'd sung to them when Phoebe had night terrors. She felt the sadness, the ache of missing her big sister; but she also felt a strange serenity. In some way, she could still feel Prue—not the memory of her, or the idea of her, but Prue herself, right there next to her. It was as if her sister was guiding her, teaching her how to be the oldest, and Piper knew for the first time since Prue's death that her survival wasn't a betrayal. She wasn't erasing Prue's memory by taking her place; she was honoring it.
"Hey, there's my girl," Piper smiled warmly at Phoebe who lay curled up on the couch rubbing her eyes. "Can we get you upstairs, baby?"
"I dunno," Phoebe admitted. "I feel kinda spinney."
"Just climb on my back, kiddo," Piper said soothingly. "The bus to your bed is about to leave."
"I'm too big for you to carry me, Pipe," Phoebe murmured sleepily. "It's okay, I'll sleep on the couch…"
"No way, Jose," Piper shook her head. "You're hotter than a Hibachi grill, I want you where I can stay next to you all night, and this couch ain't big enough for the both of us. Besides, you know you'll be more comfy in your nice big bed. And, you don't weigh a pound more than you did when you were fourteen," she grinned. "I could carry you over my shoulder if I wanted to."
"'Kay," Phoebe agreed with a weak smile, sitting up and wrapping her arms around Piper's neck, and laying her head down on her shoulder. With her big sister carrying her up to bed, humming "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot," Phoebe felt about eight years old. It was a feeling that persisted as Piper tucked her in, and curled up next to her holding an ice pack to her forehead.
"Tell me the story of the day I was born," Phoebe murmured sleepily, her hand winding into the fabric of Piper's top.
"Well…it all started on the night of November 18th, 1975, when Prue and I were eating dinner at Buddy's with Grams," Piper began, rubbing light circles over Phoebe's stomach with the pads of her fingers. "Mom was bringing us our burgers, when all of a sudden she dumps everything on the ground, right in front of us, and says, Girls, your sister is on her way!"