A/N: Due to the fact that it's the last chapter and the long noteI left last chapter, I'm keeping it short. Thank you everyone. I really hope you like this ending. I wrestled with it for a while. And it's a little fluffy at the end. So be prepared. Will there be a sequel? I'm already thinking about it. But it'll be different. And not anytime soon. So don't wait for it. Anyways, this isn't so short is it? Thanks for reading.

Chapter Eleven: Safe and Sound

•••••

Prue swung slowly. Back and forth. Back and forth. Dragging her feet on the ground like she had done when she was a child. She, Piper and Phoebe used to play in this park when they were little, as it was conveniently just blocks from their house. Days were so simple then. The worst that could happen was Phoebe doing something Phoebe-like to her and the both of them getting in trouble while Piper watched innocently. Now, everything was too complicated.

She had never seen the park so dead. The moonlight illuminated the grounds in a way that made Prue feel at ease, almost completely calm. She was almost positive the park had a curfew, and that she was breaking it, but it didn't matter. She needed to feel peace, if only for a moment. She knew it wouldn't last long; she would have to confront her sister again sooner or later.

When she heard leaves crunching on the ground behind her, she knew that the moment had come. Two figures sat down on the two empty swings, one on each side of Prue. She heard a deep intake of breath followed by a small sob. She turned towards the noise, on her left, and came face to face with a sullen Phoebe. The sight of her baby sister in such a state sent her heart pounding heavily in her chest with guilt.

"Hi, beautiful," Phoebe quietly said and mustered up a small smile. Prue could tell she was desperately trying to keep herself together. She felt a tugging on her swing and turned to her right to see Piper pulling herself closer to Prue. Phoebe did the same, wrapping her arms around Prue's waist and lying her head on Prue's shoulder. Prue instinctively wrapped her arms protectively around both of her sisters.

"I'm sorry, Phoebe." Prue said hoarsely.

"Don't apologize. You have nothing to be sorry for." Phoebe tightened her grip on Prue.

"Yes I do. God, I screwed up so bad." Phoebe pulled away and looked Prue square in the eye. What she saw there, she hated.

"Prue, don't beat yourself up over this." Prue looked as though she were made of porcelain and at the slightest prying, she would break. Phoebe shuddered at seeing Prue so different from the Prue she had always known. "The only person that screwed up was that slimeball." Phoebe took in a deep breath to keep herself calm. "You, my sister, are a goddess. I know you didn't mean to hurt me, and that's good enough for me." She paused again, what she was about to say hurt her, but it needed to be said. "Please don't hurt yourself. It hurts me seeing you in so much pain." Because of me.

Prue looked back at Phoebe curiously. "Hurt myself?"

"We know, Prue." Prue still held a baffled look on her face. "We know about your.. we know that you've been hurting yourself... physically because of this fight." The expression fell off Prue's face quickly and was replaced with a blank, empty look. "Please don't shut us out."

Phoebe couldn't help but feel guilty. If she had just let it go, if she had just not been angry at Prue. If she hadn't yelled at her. Then maybe this wouldn't have happened. It was her fault. She drove Prue to tear herself open. And then she didn't notice. She didn't care until it was right there in front of her, yelling at her. Screaming at her, Prue was in pain. And she couldn't see that sooner.

"How did you find out?" Prue asked softly.

"I looked in the trash can in the bathroom."

Prue only nodded. She didn't know what to say. She couldn't say anything that would help. She hurt her sister, both of them, and then she hurt them more. No matter what Phoebe said, she felt guilty. She was guilty. She did screw up. Nothing could change that. She tore her eyes away from Phoebe's, and found something interesting in the grass to look at.

"I love you, Prue." Phoebe said. Prue's blue eyes shot back up to meet hers. Prue was surprised. Phoebe didn't know why; Prue knew she loved her. At least she hoped she did. She always told her so, but she couldn't make Prue believe it. That was up to Prue.

"I love you too." Prue said quietly. She could feel her facade melting away and soon she had tears trickling down her cheeks. Phoebe pulled Prue into her and hugged her tightly, raking her fingers through Prue's hair while Prue sobbed into her shoulder. Phoebe stole a glance at Piper, who was softly rubbing Prue's back and watching the two of them silently. Their gazes met and Piper nodded her head at Phoebe as if to say good job. They both knew that Prue needed to open up to them.

After a few minutes, Prue's well seemed to have dried up. She pulled away from Phoebe, almost seeming to be ashamed, and wiped her cheeks dry. Phoebe put a finger under Prue's chin and forced Prue to look at her. Prue tried to assure Phoebe she was fine by forcing a small smile.

"Hiding your feelings is not going to help you get better." When Prue looked at her confused, she knew this was going to be a tough journey for the three of them. "Prue, what you've done to yourself- what you're doing to yourself- you can't keep doing that. We need to get you past this hell that you're going through."

"We?" Prue couldn't help but be confused by that. Why would Phoebe want to help her? Prue had made her so angry only hours before, why had that suddenly changed just because of this new revelation? What was the big deal?

"Yes. You, me and Piper. We're gonna get you through this."

"Prue, no matter what, we can't let you keep doing what you're doing. And we're going to make sure that you don't do it again." Piper put more emphasis on again than she meant to and recieved a questioning look from Phoebe. Prue looked at Piper, then at Phoebe, and could tell Piper knew her last secret and that Phoebe didn't.

"Prue, what-" Prue opened her mouth and Phoebe quickly shut hers. Prue took in a deep, ragged breath and decided it was time to tell Phoebe the one thing she knew her baby sister didn't know about her.

"When I was younger... sometime in high school, I got really... depressed, I guess. And for a while, I would..." Prue stopped, unable to say the phrase that tore at her core.

"For how long?"

"A couple months, maybe. I don't really know." Prue lied. Four years. And ten months. And seventeen days. It killed her, lying like that. But it was better Phoebe not know the complete truth.

"Prue." Piper said quietly. Prue looked over at her sister. "You don't need to protect us from the truth anymore. We can handle it." Prue shook her head slightly.

"How long?" Phoebe asked again.

"A while."

"Prue, please." Prue looked into Phoebe's pleading eyes. They hadn't changed a bit since Phoebe was born and Prue found comfort in that. "How long?" Prue tore her eyes away and glanced around the park for a few moments before giving in.

"Almost five years." They sat in silence for quite a few long minutes before Phoebe whispered a new question.

"How come I never knew?" Phoebe asked softly.

"I hid it. I thought from both of you, but apparently not." She said, sadly looking over at Piper. "I never wanted either of you to know. Ever. Especially not when you were so young." Again, she threw an apologetic look at Piper. Piper then took Prue's hand in her own and gave it a squeeze.

"Why'd you stop?" Prue looked over at Phoebe again. She could see the curiosity in those hazel eyes. She didn't know whether to tell her the truth, a partial version, or nothing at all. "I'm a grown woman, Prue. I can handle the truth." Phoebe knew her better than she had thought. It sent a small smile to her lips.

"It was getting out of control. It felt like if I didn't stop when I did, I wouldn't ever be able to." She took in another deep breath. This conversation was going smoother with her sisters than she had thought, but it was much harder than she had imagined. It brought up too many bad memories. "I was scared I would accidentally do something permanent. And I couldn't do that to you two." Phoebe looked at her somewhat curiously again. "I couldn't let you live your lives thinking I had killed myself. I didn't want you to have to go through losing someone else."

"It sounds like you didn't stop for yourself." Phoebe noted quietly.

"I don't think I did. I did it for you two. You gave me hope. And that pulled me through it all." She said very gently. Phoebe nodded and cuddled into her sister once again. They all three sat still for quite a while, enjoying being a family again.

"Ahem." A husky voice said behind them. They all three spun around and looked at the man standing behind them. "I do believe this park is under curfew, ladies." A very handsome police officer said after shining a flashlight in the girls' faces.

"And we're going home now, officer." Prue said smiling and stood up. Both of her sisters followed suit. He shot a smile back at Prue that none of the girls could possibly miss.

"Now, wait a minute. You think you can just break the curfew and then go home, without having to pay a price?" The girls froze.

"You don't think he's going to take us to jail, do you?" Phoebe whispered to Piper, keeping her eyes locked on the "smokin' hottie" in front of her.

"Not with the way he's lookin' at Prue, I don't." Piper replied with a smirk. Phoebe glanced over at Piper and giggled. Prue shot both of her sisters a harsh look. They quickly got serious. When Prue looked back at the policeman, neither one could help but smile once again.

"I'm sorry about my sisters. It was my fault that we were out here tonight. Is there anyway that you could just put the blame- and the punishment- on just me?"

"Well, Miss..."

"Halliwell."

"Miss Halliwell, I'd be willing to forget about this little meeting if you and I could possibly have another meeting. Perhaps Friday night?" Prue heard giggles coming from behind her and nodded at the officer.

"Friday night it is, then."

"Is eight alright?"

"Perfect."

"Where do you live?"

"The big red house right over there." Prue said, pointing right at the Halliwell Manor. The policeman nodded.

"I will pick you up on Friday, then." He said and began to turn away before stopping and looking back at Prue. "By the way, my name's Charlie Reed."

"Prue Halliwell."

"It's very nice to meet you, Prue." He said with a smile and walked back to his car. He pulled out of the parking lot and out of sight. And that was when both Phoebe and Piper started singing.

"Prue and Charlie sittin in a tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-g."

Prue smiled and started to walk back to the house with her giggling sisters in tow. After a few seconds, they were calm again and Phoebe looked at Prue seriously as they trekked across the park to their house.

"Now, Prue, I could be crazy, completely and totally insane."

"Oh, I already knew that." Prue answered.

"I'm not done yet." Prue smiled and let Phoebe continue. "I could be dreaming this, but... I think he likes you!" Phoebe said with too much enthusiasm for Prue.

"Remember, I'm only going on a date with him to get you two out of trouble." Phoebe and Piper both scoffed at Prue's words.

"Now, Prudence, I saw that smile you flashed at him. I think he's gonna be Prue's loverboy from now on." Piper said, winking at Phoebe. She took Prue's hand in her own. Phoebe noticed and followed suit. Prue looked from one sister to the other, noting both of their smiling faces. She had missed this. They were sisters again. Not that they weren't before, but it had definately felt that way to Prue. When she lost her sisters, she lost herself. Now that she had both her sisters and herself back, she was going to fight like hell to keep it that way.