Different Paths, 5 of 5

by PrueTrudeau

last chapter up! 5th in my series. prue and andy are married and await the birth of their first child... will there be more charmed kids? and who will they be? read and review! it's not neccesary to have read the

40. 1979

Different Paths Part 40:
1979

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The clouds faded and Prue sat up more again. It'd get interesting again. She looked at the pool or screen and watched as her father was tucking her in

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8 year old Prue was laying in her bed, victor sitting on the edge of it. He grabbed a thermometer from her mouth, looked at it and sighted. Prue didn't seem to get better at all
"okay... sleep now a bit, sweetie"
Prue didn't answer. Victor sighted
"heey... I know you wanted to go with mommy... but this isn't so bad either, now is it? We finally have time to spend alone with each other..."
Prue smiled a bit
"you just shouldn't be gone so much..."
Prue told him, with a sore voice...
"I know..."
Victor said and smiled a bit as well, then kissed her forehead again
"now sleep a bit"
"can you read me a story first?"
Prue asked. Victor smiled
"naturally"
he told her and grabbed for a book. He put off his shoes and sat down on the bed fully. His legs outstretched. Prue grabbed her teddy and hugged it tightly, then snuggled into her dad and closed her eyes, as Victor started to read.

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Prue watched a few seconds and knew what was going to happen. Only seconds later she heard the melody of the ice cream truck. Prue didn't look at the pool anymore. She couldn't. She knew what was wrong

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Little Prue ran down the stairs with her teddy baer, looking for her dad. She didn't want to be alone any longer. Suddenly she heard this song and went to the living. She starred outside, as she watched a boy being sucked into the truck. He looked very scared. She wanted to help him. Prue shook slightly as a shudder went down her spine. She felt somehow attracted by the music and she wanted to help the little boy so badly. She hesitantly went for the door. On the way there she dropped her teddy, but was too caught up in the things going outside to even notice. She left the house and ran up to it.

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Victor had taken a shower while Prue was sleeping and now returned to Prue's bedroom. He opened the door and walked up to her bed. It was empty. Victor's heartbeat immediately increased. He felt there was something wrong. There had to be something wrong.
"Prue!"
he called to local his daughter. He heard nothing. It freaked him out not to know where his ill daughter could be or why she wouldn't answer him. He left the room and went downstairs. On his way, he permanently called out for Prue. When he finally reached the bottom of the stairs and his eyes had checked every inch, trying to find any sign of his daughter he tried once more to call Prue. But again there was no answer. He then saw something laying on the floor. He immediately froze. It was Prue's teddy baer. This so wasn't good.
"she'd never leave it behind"
he said lowly to himself as he picked the brown stuffed animal from the floor. As he got up again he finally noticed the open door and started to panic.
"oh my god"
he whispered. he ran up to the door and saw Prue at the ice cream truck
"Prue!"
he called. Prue turned around to look at her father, just as the window of the ice cream truck opened.
"daddy!"
Prue yelled as bets as she could before completely disappearing into the truck. Victor was completely stunned, he dropped the teddy again and ran up to the truck to still catch his daughter. it was too late. The window had closed.
"open up!"
he yelled, as he hit the window, worried about his little girl
"damn it, open!"

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Prue looked back at the pool just to find Victor examining the truck, to find a way in. she smiled slightly. Her dad really had loved her
"dad"

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"dad"
Prue mumbled. Only Andy and Victor were with Prue while the girls and Cole tried to figure things out.
"I'm here... don't worry"
Victor said, not sure if she meant him or was just 'dreaming' something. Andy glanced up at Victor, then at Prue. why didn't she call after him? he didn't understand anything. Why did Prue hide all of that from him? he was used to Prue hiding everything to her sisters in order to protect them, but she normally always talked to him and they always talked about how she was feeling.
"this time, she wanted to protect you"
Victor said, somehow reading Andy's thoughts Andy looked at him, but didn't say a word.
"she said...s he was hunted by something... and that it had something to do with you... she was very scared and almost hysterical..."
"I know... this ahs been going on for weeks now... I noticed how she changed... but... why did she come to you? why not to me? she always used to tell me everything... why not this time? I don't understand this..."
"Andy..."
"no! don't! leave it... I'm... simply hurt right now... there's nothing you could say to change that... this... reminds me so much... on..."
Andy closed his eyes. Victor just looked at him, waiting for him to go on
"after Meghan died, she closed up to me as well. It was the beginning of the end."
He told him and then looked again down on his wife

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finally Victor had found his way inside the truck and found the frozen playground before his eyes. He looked around to see Prue somewhere
"Prue!"
he yelled he walked more inside and again yelled out for her
"Prue!"

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Prue had been freezing cold and had settled on a swing. She was crying a lot because she was scared. then she suddenly heard her dad's voice
"daddy!"
she yelled as bets as she could

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Victor didn't hear Prue. Prue's voice had been sore and so she wasn't very loud.
"Prue... honey... if you hear me... just follow my voice... you can do it... I know you can... just follow my voice... c'mon"

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Prue heard her dad and tried to local him. she walked towards the voice, to where she thought it was coming from. And after only a few more steps she saw a big someone standing a bit away form her

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Victor looked desperately around, he hoped Prue heard him. then he saw her pink pajama not far away
"Prue!"
he yelled
"daddy!"
Prue answered and ran towards him. Victor made a few steps forwards as well and picked her up, she was almost jumping into his arms
"it's okay... it's alright... it's okay"
Victor whispered and held her tightly. He noticed how she shook slightly and set her down on the floor again, then wrapped his jacket around her and picked her up. He held her like a baby and Prue, without a word snuggled, into her dad. Victor kissed the top of Prue's head and then backed again... to get out of this place again. He went back to the door, a she didn't stand far away from it and had left it open.

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Penny had returned to the manor earlier than she thought and entered it. She found the front door open and then saw the teddy bare,
"Prue's teddy..."
she mumbled and then heard the sound of the ice cream truck. She turned and froze. Penny right away went towards it to yell at the incompetent fool inside, who got one of the charmed ones caught and maybe even vanquished by the nothing. Penny just reached the truck, as Victor got out of the truck again as well. The next few things happened so fast, that no one really noticed. Victor got out of the truck, Penny arrived at the truck and automatically started to pick on Victor, the door to the truck shut again, the ice cream truck drove away and almost at the same time Patty drove into her parking space as well. Patty found it weird to see her mother and Victor standing in the middle of the street to discuss. Especially with an ill Prue in Victor's arms. she unbuckled piper and Phoebe and set them outside the car
"Piper, honey... can you take Phoebe inside and then you two wash your hands already... we'll order some pizza..."
she said. piper nodded and did as she was told, while Patty went over to her mother and husband
"what happened? What did you do? Can't you watch Prue for one lousy hour?"
Penny shot questions at Victor who just stayed where he was to let Penny take a look at Prue. Patty looked down at Prue, who was half asleep already, again
"Prue..."
she saw Prue's reddened cheeks. She looked worst. She kissed her forehead gently and with that felt how hot she was
"what's wrong here?"
Patty finally questioned
"I'm gonna bring her inside..."
"yeah..."
Patty said nodding. It was the bets to bring Prue into bed and then discuss what had happened, especially because she knew, this would get them into another huge fight between Victor and Penny and she didn't want Prue to witness this. Especially not in the state she was
"oh no you don't... you won't enter this house ever again, you understand me Victor?"
Penny yelled after him. Victor completely ignored her and started to climb the stairs already while Penny and Patty still stood in the middle of the street
"mother!"
Patty said, as calm as possible, to finally stop Penny.
"First of all... are you crazy? Can't you fight with my ex husband inside the house! Second. You know exactly we don't fight in front of the kids. So not with Prue there! and third... let him go... Prue needs to rest... so just let Victor bring her to bed."
Penny just glanced heatedly at the front door where Victor had disappeared at just seconds ago, while Patty started for the stairs as well.

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Prue sighted. She heard how her grandmother and father yelled once more at each other. She tried her best to ignore the pictures and voices. Her mom stayed away from the fight this time. She was sick of being always in the middle. She just stood at the counter and listened. Prue swallowed. This must have been horrible for her mom. If she had to always stand in the middle of fights between Andy and her dad... it'd be horrible. She only then noticed once more, how much her mom and piper were alike... always the mediator, always between her sisters, always between their father and Leo. A forbidden love. They had so much alike. A slam of a door, pulled Prue out of her thoughts. Her father was now in the basement. Packing.
"no... please... you can't go... not now... please dad... you need to stay. Please, daddy, stay"
Prue said lowly... but had to watch him packing everything he had anyway. He then went upstairs and to Prue's bedroom.

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"I'm sorry, sweetie, but... I have no choice... I love you"
Victor whispered and kissed Prue's forehead once more, got up and walked to the door. He looked once more back.
"I'm so sorry"
then he carefully, not to wake Prue, closed the door and went back down, into the backyard, where piper and Phoebe played. He chased them for a good minute and the girls laughed. There never was much time to play with their dad. Finally Victor had managed to catch phoebe started tickling her a bit.
"hey... can I talk to you two for a second?"
he asked smiling and sat down on one of the swings in the backyard. He placed phoebe on his lap. Piper came up to him and stood next to them. Victor looked at her and ruffled her hair.
"you're going again, right?"
piper asked. Victor sighted
"yes... I have to go..."
Phoebe turned around with big eyes and looked at her dad
"no go"
Victor smiled and kissed her gently.
"heeey... I have no choice... job is job…"
he said in a gentle voice and only then saw Patty approaching
"you do have a choice. Don't go, Victor. The girls need you."
Victor shook his head
"leave it, Patty. My decision is made."
Piper looked scared at her dad and then snuggled into her mom. She felt there was something very wrong.
"you be back for my birfday, rite?"
Phoebe asked. Victor smiled
"naturally"
he lied and kissed Phoebe once more, then placed her on the floor and got up.
"you don't have to do this..."
"yes I do..."
Victor said and then looked down at piper and knelt down again
"do I get a hug?"
Piper pulled away from her mom and hugged Victor tightly
"I'm gonna miss you so much"
he told her, holding her very tight as well. he pulled away and looked at her and Phoebe again
"always remember, that I love you two and Prue more than anything, okay?"
"we love you too, daddy"
both said crying already. Victor sighted. This was so hard. It never was this hard, because he'd be back. But this time he wouldn't be back. He reached out for their cheeks and with each thumb tried to pull as best as possible tears from their cheeks and eyes
"be good girls, okay?"
he asked, finally got up and went as fats as possible out of the manor. he entered his car and leaned his head on the steering wheel, closing his eyes tightly. He let out a few deep breathes, to calm himself down and then pulled away. he turned the engine on and on the display in his car appeared the date and time. 6th August 1979. 2.00pm.

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Prue cried lightly. She never had imagined it was this hard for her dad to leave.
"6th August..."
she whispered, watching his car getting smaller and smaller
"the same date..."

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AN:
faith kingsley: no, it wasn't Paige. It was Phoebe. Prue wasin backyard and Penny just took piper down for a nap. Phoebe's in Patty's stomach, so that's how everyone was busy.

I wanna say a whole lot lovely thank yous to everyone who commented. You guys keep me going! Thank you!