A/N: Once again, really sorry for what I did last chapter! At least no one's furious... yet. (gulps) The song used at the end of this chapter is "Let It Be" by The Beatles.

Lucy Knight: I figured there were two possible reactions to Chapter 16, either anger or shock (which you displayed in your review). I'm just glad you're not mad at me:)

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Phoebe and Pam sat in one of the rooms in the hospital. It was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop. Pam stared down at the bandage she now had around her hand.

Phoebe looked up at the ceiling. "Maybe Piper was right. Maybe our only destiny is to die."

Pam knew she had to get her mom off of morbid subjects, and fast. Unfortunately her mind was blank of other topics. "Look, mom, I'm sorry about the window thing…"

"I just want to know why," Phoebe said. Pam recognized the scolding mother tone in her voice and knew that she was in for it.

"I was angry," Pam replied.

"Yeah, but when you're angry, you don't punch holes in walls."

"Different people have different ways of dealing with things."

"Well, I'd like to make sure you don't havea violent tenacity all of a sudden. Wouldn't want you turning evil on us."

"I'm fine," Pam snarled.

"What was it you were shouting about anyway? Professor Taylor?"

"He wouldn't let me leave the class."

"Really? Even after you told him your aunt-" Phoebe stopped suddenly, choking on her words."Told him about what was going on?"

"Yeah. He said he'd fail me if I missed any more days."

"So how'd you get out of there?"

Pam took a deep breath. "Here it comes…" she thought. "I sort of… dropped out. I think."

"WHAT?" Phoebe asked in disbelief.

"Hey, you did it too," Pam reminded.

"Yeah, because I was young, pregnant, and too stupid to realize what a bad mistake I was making! You, however, have been told numerous times about why you should stay in school," Phoebe scolded.

"I know, I know," Pam apologized. "I'm sorry."

"I'm afraid sorry isn't going to make up for this one."

……………………………………

It was three o'clock in the morning. Phoebe couldn't sleep. She didn't even know why she bothered to try. It was just the same as the week after Prue died. Nobody slept a wink. At least this time she wasn't burning the midnight oil trying to find a way to resurrect her sister. Phoebe knew very well that she was gone. The Power of Three had been broken. When Prue died, Piper had been the one that fell apart like this. Phoebe had been the strong one. This time, it was Paige that held herself together better. Phoebe guessed that the loss of the two strongest people she ever knew just made her break down. She rolled over on her side and gazed longingly at a picture of her and Piper.Then sheshook her head and sat up. If she lay there grieving desperately any longer, she would never survive this.

She wandered downstairs and through her house aimlessly. Eventually, she found herself wandering out the front door and down the porch steps. She looked over at the Manor and walked towards it, only half realizing what a stupid idea this was. Did she want to wake everyone up? As she approached the door, a figure standing on the porch became clearer and clearer. It was her sister.

"Paige?" she asked. "What are you doing here?"

"Thinking," Paige answered. "You?"

"I'm not sure. I got out of bed and the next thing I knew, I was here."

"Oh. Did you want to… go inside?"

"Uh… I guess so."

"Okay," Paige said. She took out the hide-a-key and quietly opened the door.

As soon as they stepped in, the smell of Piper overcame them. It was quite powerful, to say the least. Looking in at the parlor room, they could see that Leo was fast asleep on the couch. The TV was on, but the volume was turned down very low. Because of the lack of light, it's dim, bluish glow danced on the walls.

"Poor guy," Paige said, turning off the TV. The house was instantly encased in darkness. She turned towards Leo.

"No, let him sleep," Phoebe said, shuffling forwardthrough the hallway. Paige followed. They stopped at the staircase and looked around. Paige began to tip-toe up the stairs. Although Phoebe was uneasy about venturing further, she followed.

"Skip the next stair, it creaks," she whispered.

"Exactly how many times have you snuck out?" Paige asked.

"More like snuck in. I climbed down a tree by my window to get out," Phoebe explained as they reached the upstairs hallway. They shuffled to the end and stopped at the doorway to Piper's room. Phoebe took a deep breath and opened it. Now it smelled like her even more.

Paige was the first to venture in. She walked forward and soundlessly lied down on the bed.

"What are you doing?"Phoebe asked, stepping forward.

"I dunno," Paige answered. "It reminds me of Piper somehow... if that even makes sense."

Phoebe lied down next to her. They remained there in silence for a moment.

"Do you realize that we're both in our pajamas, lying in a strange bed in a house next door to our own?" Phoebe asked.

"Yeah. We're crazy," Paige said casually.They smiled only for a second. "I miss her."

"We all do," Phoebe said. "I finally understand why Piper didn't want to be a witch anymore after Prue died. This sucks."

"So I guess we're not the Charmed Ones anymore," Paige commented.

"Not unless you have some twin sister no one ever told us about." Paige laughed. "No, if mom did that to me again I think I would have to re-kill her," Phoebe said sarcastically. She was laughing now too.

"I'm thinking about buying that book, On Death And Dying," Paige said. "Find out about the five stages of grief and all."

"Why waste money?" Phoebe asked. "You know as well as I do, you cry yourself to sleep and reminisce non-stop for about a month, and then it gradually tapers away."

"I guess so," Paige said. "But I'm a research person. I want to know why I cry hysterically when I cry hysterically, and why I act almost normal when I act almost normal. Like now."

"It's just the calm before the storm," Phoebe interpreted. "Tomorrow there's gonna be funeral arrangements to make, and settlements to go over…" She sighed. "I just hope nobody runs away on us."

"What do you mean?"

"Pam quit school."

"What?"

"She got pissed at her teacher, and she quit school. When I quit school, I ran away. I don't want her to do that."

"She won't. Pam's got a pretty good head on her shoulders."

"Yeah, but I still feel like this is all my fault. She probably figured 'oh, mom did it and she was fine. So I can do it too.'"

"Don't blame yourself," Paige said. "Everything's gonna blow over in a few days. You can probably get her to go back, too."

"I guess so... What about you, are you going to take some time off from being a whitelighter?"

"If they'll let me. I don't even know if that's possible. I, um- Iwant to paint again."

"Really? You haven't painted in years," Phoebe remarked.

"I know. I used to love it, too. Somewhere along the way, I guess being a witch got in the way of one of my passions."

"Don't tell me you're gonna start eating lolly-pops again."

Paige chuckled. "No. What about you? Anything you'd like to rediscover about yourself?"

"I used to follow football." Paige gave her an incredulous look. "Yeah, I know, hard to believe."

"So what, you're going to watch football again?"

"Probably not, I just can't think of anything better. All I know is how weird it isthat there's no one left to boss me around any more. I'm the boss now."

"We're doomed," Paige joked.

There was another minute of silence as she looked at a copy of the recently-taken family portrait on the bedside table. At least they were able to get the whole family together for that. Piper was really smart to think of it.

"What's gonna happen to us?" Paige asked. Phoebe looked over at her. "All of us. What're we going to do?"

"I don't know," Phoebe answered. "We'll just have totake it one day at a time for now."

And when the night is cloudy

There is still a light that shines on me

Shine until tommorow

Let it be...