CharmedMilliE - Um.. you'll see the answer this chapter! This explains it! Thanks for the review!
angel1178 - Thanks for the review, and I'm really sorry that I didn't fill out your request!
versatilecutie - Um... let's see... you'll find out soon, you'll find out soon, you'll find out soon, and... no. But, well... you'll just see. I know, I gave you know answers, but if I told you the answers, you wouldn't read the story! I'll try to update sooner so that you can get relief from the migraine! Thanks for the review!
lillynilly - Um... you'll see! Thanks for the review!
CharmedAli - You'll find out, and thanks!
winter blaze - Oh, the first one was Piper's, the second one was Phoebe's. Just wanted to clear that up. Thanks!
naiya-isis - Yes, the horrible ranting... and you'll see. Thank you oh so much!
piperleo4eva - Sorry! Thanks for the review, although you did cuss at me. Don't worry, I feel the same way sometimes!
andy20 - Thanks, and you'll see!
Angel of Death - Thanks!
Mysterious Midnight - Tres? Three? Strange. Yes, it will be getting REALLY good in a few chapters, don't worry! Thanks!
Faith Kingsley - Well, um.. I bet you don't think that way about me now! Thanks, though.
AsherSmasher - I'm sorry for leaving you in suspense for so long, but it will be relieved. Thanks!
P3-CharmedForever - Thanks!
OTHCharmedFreak - I know, I know. Thanks!
charmedmel32 - Sorry for the anxiety, and thanks!
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goldband - Thanks, and I was rofl!
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obsessedCharmedfan19 - Thanks!
CharmedFan12 - Yeah, I know, I know, I did, didn't I? Well, I didn't know it was THAT long since I updated, and I finally got my groove back! Thanks for the review.
Again, thanks to all my fans for waiting so (im)patiently, so please, enjoy your read and review!
Chapter 9 (finally):
T:T:T:T
Piper just held her best friend, letting her tears soak through her shirt. Piper knew that it would take a lot to break through the strong outer shell of the resilient Phoebe Halliwell, so she was anxious to find out what had happened. She didn't want to intrude on the family, but wanted to get Phoebe to sit down. She led Phoebe into the Manor, into the living room, and onto the couch. Phoebe seemed to graciously accept the opportunity to sit, and still kept sobbing into her best friend. Piper reassuringly rubbed her back, just being there for her friend.
Finally building up the courage to speak to Phoebe, Piper asked "Honey, do you wanna tell me what happened?" "Grams... she's, she's .... she's ..." Phoebe said, almost incoherently. Piper, knowing of Grams' heart problem, assumed the rest of the sentence. She was a bit shocked by the fact, though. The Halliwells' grandmother sort of became the parent figure she never had. Although she had only known Grams for a short time, Piper felt a great sense of loss from the passing of the elderly woman. A small tear slipped down her cheek. "Oh, Pheebs." Piper whispered, pulling her friend closer into the comforting embrace.
Piper glanced up, and noticed a teary-eyed Prue coming down the stairs. She watched as Prue spotted the two of them, and wiped the tears from her face, pulling herself together. Prue then came into the room. She stood in front of the two teens on the couch, and said, "I just got off the phone with the police. They're gonna come p-pick up the b-body in a few minutes." Phoebe sobbed louder at that, and Piper just stared at Prue. She had no idea that their Grams had died THAT recently. If Prue had just gotten off the phone, then Grams had probably died, at the most, about ten minutes earlier.
Prue, meanwhile, was a bit jealous of Piper. Although her grandmother had JUST died, Prue felt as if her younger sister should be crying on HER, not her best friend. "Prue!" Prue turned around, and a crying Paige was standing at the bottom of the steps. She ran up, and cuddled into her older sister. Prue felt a little better, now that she had someone leaning on her.
Just then, there came a knock on the door. "I'll get that." Piper mouthed to Prue, and transferred the crying Phoebe onto the said's older sister. "Thank you." Prue mouthed, sincerely grateful. She knew that she needed to spend all of her energies comforting her sisters, and would break down if she had to be strong for someone else.
Piper walked to the door, and opened it wide, revealing a number of people. "Hello, Ms. Halliwell..." one of the policemen started, but he was cut off. "No, I'm not a Halliwell, I'm their friend, Alexa Gordon." Piper corrected, ignoring the voice in the back of her mind that said 'Wait... that sounds WAY too familiar...'. "Well, Ms. Gordon, we got a call of a Miss Penelope Halliwell recently deceased." the policeman said, and Piper nodded. "She's this way."
T:T:T
Piper spent the next few hours comforting her best friend and her sisters, whom were also her friends. They sent Phoebe and Paige to bed early, in Prue's room, so Prue finally got to break down. Piper had spent the last half an hour comforting her. Not only did Piper comfort Prue, but they talked, just talked. No sisters, no other family, just the two of them talking. It was the first time that the two had really been alone together.
"So, you're adopted?" Prue asked, facing Piper. The latter just nodded. She didn't know what had caused her to divulge the information to Prue, as she had never told anyone before. She just felt like she could just tell Prue anything. She completely trusted the older teen. "Wow. So you've never known your real parents, just like us?" Prue asked and Piper nodded again. "Gosh, what's life with your 'dad' like?" Prue asked, although Piper had heard that question a thousand times. She replied cryptically. "Well, it has its ups and downs." 'Ups as in being flung up to the ceiling; downs as in being pushed to the ground.'
Just then, Leo walked into the room, his heavy footsteps alerting the girls to his presence instantaneously. "Leo? Didn't hear you come in." Piper noted skeptically. "Well, um... I guess you were too busy talking." Leo covered immediately. "What are you doing here early, Leo?" Prue asked, wanting to change the subject. She guessed that he had orbed in, and didn't want her friend to get suspicious. "Well, picked up a rose, and it pricked me. It mad SENSE that it was PAINFUL." Leo said, putting emphasis on two of the words. Prue got the message, but Piper just arched one of her eyebrows, showing confusion.
Prue opened her mouth to say something, and then closed it, tears welling up in her eyes for the umpteenth time. Piper looked into Prue's eyes, then back at Leo. "Um... can I talk to you in the kitchen?" Piper asked, pointing to the said room. Leo looked at Piper, at Prue, then at Piper again. "Sure." he said, and the couple headed into the kitchen.
T:T:T
Once they were safely in the other room, Piper turned to Leo and took a deep breath. "I don't know how to tell you this, so I'll just come out with it." Piper said, closing her eyes. Leo began to worry a bit. "Grams is dead."
Leo felt his mouth drop open. "What? Why, how?" he asked frantically. He should have known that Grams was dead, he should have been able to sense it. But, he wasn't able to, since he was only the girls' whitelighter, not their Grams'. "She had a heart attack. She died a few hours ago." she said, looking away as a tear fell from her eye. Leo saw the tear glistening as it made tracks down her cheek, and pulled her into a hug. "It's okay, Lex." Leo said, running his hand through her hair. She buried her face in his shoulder, and cried. She felt sadness, a great sense of loss. It was only the second time in her life she had felt that way. The other time was when she was in the fourth grade.
After a few moment, she pulled away. "Leo, are YOU okay? She's YOUR guardian. What are you guys gonna do?" she asked, getting increasingly concerned about her friends' well being. Leo was startled by her questions. Those thoughts hadn't occurred to him. He had completely forgotten about what Prue, Phoebe, Paige, and himself would do without a guardian. He looked down at his girlfriend, and found himself looking at the top of her head. He put his finger under her chin, and gently tilted her head back so that he could see into her eyes.
"Don't worry about that, okay?" he said, and caressed her cheek. "We'll be okay. I promise." Piper just stared at him, unconvinced. Leo glanced up. He heard the Elders jingling him. He then looked back down at his girlfriend. The last thing he wanted to do right then was leave her. 'Wait... I have charges, the girls. I shouldn't be thinking about just her, I should think about them too.' Leo told himself, and looked into her eyes again. 'No, it's definitely her I don't want to leave.'
The Elders jingled him again. 'It's important, Leonard.' he heard them urge. He knew that he HAD to go. "Honey, I think I'm going to go to bed. I think sleep will help me work things out." Leo lied, and Piper nodded. "Yeah, I should probably get back to Prue." she said, and wiped all traces of tears from her face. She straightened her clothes, and gave Leo a peck on the lips. She brought her hand up to his cheek, and caressed it. "You'll be okay, honey." she said, and headed out the room. As soon as she was out of sight, he orbed 'Up There'.
T:T:T
Piper walked into the living room to see Prue with her hand over her mouth, silently crying. Piper sat down next to the elder girl and Piper put her arm around Prue's shoulder, giving it a little squeeze. Prue leaned sideways and put her head on Piper's shoulder. Piper ran her fingers through Prue's hair in a comforting fashion, tucking the loose, raven black strands behind her ears.
"Thanks." Prue said after a few moments. "What for?" Piper asked curiously. "For being here. It means a lot to all of us." Piper smiled. "Hey, what are friends for?" she asked, and Prue smiled as well.
Just then, Piper looked up at the grandfather clock. It read twelve thirty. Her curfew for that night was one. She hated to leave, but she knew that she had to. "Oh, gosh, it's twelve?" Prue asked rhetorically. "I better get to bed. I want to be wide awake tomorrow." Prue stood up, and Piper followed suit. "And I better be going." Piper stated. "Bye." Prue said, and Piper pulled her into another comforting hug. After a moment of friendly embrace, Piper pulled back. "I'll come as soon as I can tomorrow." Piper promised, and picked up her purse, which she had left on the floor in the beginning of the night. "Have a good night's sleep, Prue." Piper called as she headed out of the door. "You too." Prue whispered under her breath as she saw Piper head out the door.
T:T:T:T
AN: Okay, this chapter didn't have much use except to show how close Piper really was to the Halliwells, and to have Grams out of the picture. Don't worry, I have a solution all worked out for what's going to happen, and I'll try to update a lot sooner than I did this time. Please, please review! I don't care if you yell at me for not updating, just please review! I beg of you! Please, even just a little letter! I really just want the reviews! Pretty please?