Sorry it took me so long to update; I'll try harder this time to update sooner... thanks for all the review guys... reading them made me realize I've been delaying this update for too long- so without further ado, here's the next chapter!

Chapter 9

Prue flashed back a quirky grin as she mirrored her younger sister's stance and stood with her arms crossed against her chest and a look of sarcasm plastered on her face.

"Hey sis, what's going on? Long time no see... How're you doing? I'm doing fine, thanks for asking. I've only been dead for a couple of decades, no need to be so welcoming."

Paige, Phoebe, Leo, and Wyatt were at a loss for words as their mind couldn't even comprehend what was going on. Everything was just happening to quickly for their minds to wrap around the days surprising events and digest what was really going on. First Chris breaks down and is now currently missing; now Prue returns from the dead? This was going to be one hell of a day....

As the wheels began to turn in Phoebe's head, a rush of emotions started to course through her mind. 'It's Prue..... oh my gosh..... its Prue....'

Gasping, tears began to fill her eyes and heart, with a quivering voice; she managed to squeak, "Prue?"

At the sight of her baby sister, Prue's hardened demeanor softened as she stepped out of the circle and quickly turned solid. Smiling slightly, Prue nodded a little and whispered, "Yeah Pheebs, it's me."

That was all the proof she needed, as Phoebe ran into the arms of her older sister and gave her a tight squeeze, never wanting to let go. Tears found their way down her face and left their mark, but she didn't care... she had her sister.

Patting Phoebe on the back, Prue released from their hug and stood back to examine her and the rest of the occupants in the room.

Leo stood off to the side with a distant look in his eyes, as though he were only half there, like half his heart had been broken... can you blame the guy; he was missing his son.

Her gaze wandered to Paige... her baby sister... the one she had never met... well in person that is. Of course she had been watching her family from above, and was just as shocked as everyone else to discover she had another baby sister. It took a while to get the whole story, but she had finally managed to dig it up from her mother and grams after much cajoling.

Flashing her a warm smile, Prue stepped forward and placed a warm hand on Paige's shoulder, "Hey, sis. Glad to finally meet you."

Eyes glittering with tears, Paige covered her hand with her own, "Me too.... me too..."

Turning on her heels, Prue glanced over at Wyatt who had yet to say a word. Standing slouched, hands rammed deep into his pocket, and eyebrows slightly furrowed, Wyatt closely resembled Leo. This brought a smirk to her face as she examined her oldest nephew with scrutiny.

"What, no hug for your long lost aunt?" Prue teased with open arms.

However, Wyatt was in no mood for joking or reacquainting with long lost relatives, all his mind could focus on was his brother. Without moving a muscle, Wyatt stared solemnly at Prue and repeated his mother's question, "Where's my brother?"

Nevertheless, Prue wouldn't let his sour attitude rain on her mood as she let her arms drop to her side.

"Good question. I thought I had another nephew around here somewhere... where is that Ryan? I'm sure he'll be happier to see his dead Aunt."

Quickly losing her patience with her sister, Piper took a threatening step towards Prue and repeated her question, deliberately pronouncing each word with a hint of venom,

"Where. Is. My. Son."

Fighting back with equal heat, Prue stared her sister dead in the eye and said with a hint of sarcasm, "Don't tell me you lost your own son, Piper. Speaks volumes for your mothering skills, don't you think?"

Piper's eye burned with fire as her need to protect her son took over.

"Don't play games with me, Prudence; I'm warning you right now. I'm on the verge of hysteria, and I will do anything to get my son back. I mean it," she hissed.

Not backing out, Prue replied with a cold chuckle, "Changing your tune a bit aren't you? The last time I checked, you didn't give a crap whether Chris was here or on the brink of death!"

Her face flushed a dark crimson shade as Piper took another step towards Prue, "How. Dare. You-"

Knowing what Piper was capable of, Phoebe and Paige quickly stepped between the two and placed a hand to stop them.

"Piper, you have to calm down! Yelling at Prue isn't helping!" Paige exclaimed as she glared at her sister.

"And physical violence isn't going to help either," Phoebe added as an extra measure as she stared apprehensively between her glowering sisters.

But Piper took no heed from either of the two as she tried to push Paige out of the way, "Move, Paige."

Paige however remained unmoving, and kept her hand placed on Piper's chest.

Sensing the growing tension and antagonism rising in the air, Leo quickly stepped in and placed a hand on his wife's shoulder in an attempt to get her to relax. However, Piper was too wrapped up in her emotions to think and shrugged his hand of roughly.

"Listen to your sisters, Piper. Chris is my son too, and I want him home just as badly! Yelling and screaming isn't going to bring him back, so just take a breath and calm down," Leo commanded as he placed another hand on her shoulder.

Whipping around, Piper glared at Leo with fierce eyes, "Calm down?! How the hell am I supposed to calm down, Leo?! He's out there right now! We're his parents, it's our job to find him and take care of him! We have to make this right, I can't- No, I refuse to sit back and let him suffer out there! So you're either with me, or not!!"

Prue scoffed, "'It's your job to take care of him?' Give me a break Piper! Did it take you 18 years to figure that out?! Wait, no- you had that concept down with both Ryan and Wyatt... I guess you just couldn't fit Chris into you busy scheduled life!! You refuse to sit back and let him suffer?! News flash Piper, you already did!! While Chris went through hell, you still managed to be ignorant of his existence!!"

"You're not a mother, Prue!! You have no idea what it's like to have to raise kids, not to mention three!! I did my best raising my sons!! What more do you want me to do?! If you're really so concerned about Chris, just tell me where he is!!!" Piper spat back as her face was livid.

Shaking her head, Prue had tears of anger, frustration, and sorrow in her eyes, "You're right Piper, you did do your best at raising your sons- but you forgot you had more than two! While you were at one of your other sons soccer games or football games, the one that need you the most was alone crying at home! It amazes me how dense all of you were these past 18 years! Chris needed you guys, he needed his family- but instead he had to grow up alone. Can any of you imagine how much that hurt him? Growing up uncared for and unloved when you're family is right there all along?

I'm not a mother, nor will I ever be one... but I was more of a parent towards Chris than any of you were, and I'm dead. It broke my heart to have to watch Chris at age seven and twelve or fifteen, crying in the attic alone because he had no one to cry to; Holding all of his emotions in and letting it tear him up inside because no one took the time to listen. How many times have I had to come down here myself and give him a shoulder to cry on because none of you took notice to lend him one of yours? It hurt me like hell, to sit here and listen to him sob- hearing him tell me he thought he was unwanted, he was a mistake, that no one cared... Seeing the pain permanently sketched into his eyes, and watching them fill with tears every time. Tell me Piper, where were you when all this happened? Where were you, or Leo, Paige, Phoebe, Wyatt? What the hell was so damn important that you couldn't spend 10 minutes of your time comforting him?! Helping him, giving him a shoulder to cry on?! Because I sure as hell can't see an excuse!"

Leo shut his eyes as tears streamed down his face and he couldn't seem to find a remedy for the new pain filling his heart and drowning his mind.

Phoebe and Paige couldn't respond... because Prue was right... there was no excuse. They stood there, too pained to shed a tear, but could only stare at the newfound truth that was laid before them. And the truth had never hurt so much. Was this their punishment? To have this guilt sink into their guts and give their mind no rest from the agony it caused? If it was, they took it with no complaint... they knew with all their heart- they deserved this more than anything. They all did.

Shaking her head, Piper tried to fight the dawn of realization- it was too painful... she couldn't take it. She knew once it hit, her mind would go into hysteria, her guts would be wrenched, the guilt overwhelming... she couldn't handle it, and so she fought with all her strength. Tears were burning holes through her eyes and fire blazed within them, flickering with ferocity.

"Shut. Up." She hissed with cold, harsh words.

But Prue wasn't ready to let up yet... eighteen years of watching her nephew go through hell and back, eighteen years of screaming she held in, the pain she went through just watching her nephew suffer... She kept her silence for eighteen years, now was her time to fight for Chris.

"What's the matter, Piper? Did I hit a nerve? I'm right and you know it. Trying to fight the guilt, the pain? Well deal with it, because this is what Chris went through every day. You guys are his parents, older brother, Aunts! Yet you failed to protect him, help him, guide him! Do you think Chris would've ended up a father at eighteen if you guys had done what you were supposed to? If you had been there for him and actually raised him? Why the hell do you think Chris had to run to Bianca for support? It's because his own blood turned their backs on him."

Wyatt had remained quiet until then, but he had had enough of this crap. Listening to his parents and aunts fight and scream. This wasn't helping him find Chris, and that was all he cared about right now. His main focus. His aunt's words stabbed his heart and left a deep wound that he knew, would never heal. He needed his brother, and his mind wouldn't rest till he had Chris in his arms.

Stepping up, he faced his aunt, "If you really care about Chris, tell us where he is.... Tell me where my brother is..." Wyatt choked on his sobs as his face began to crumble, "please... just help me find Chris...."

Prue's eyes gazed around the room, as she saw Piper kneeling on the floor racked in sobs, succumbing to her inner guilt; Leo looking so broken.... so lost; Paige with her tears cascading down her face, mind melting from her emotions; Phoebe breaking down slowly and tears turning into soft sobs.... was this the family Chris would be returning to?

Holding back the tears that were steadily filling her eyes, Prue turned around and slowly stepped into the circle of candles and once again became transparent. Turning once more to her family she opened her mouth to speak,

"It may be hard for Chris in the beginning, but he will adjust to his new life. He has a baby, a wife, and a chance to start his new life. A chance to be happy. And I could never deny him that. I'm not going to tell you where he is so you guys can tell him you're sorry and feel better about yourselves. Don't you get it? This isn't about you... this is about Chris... I love you all so much, but I won't let you hurt Chris anymore. I've seen him suffer too much already, more than he should ever bare. If you really do care about him as much as you say, prove it. Use you're time and effort to find him and then make it up to him. Because I sure as hell won't give you an easy break and let you drag him back here and treat him like crap. While you're searching for him, I want you to realize the hell he went through and think about it. Make you realize your mistakes. Hopefully the time it takes you to find him will give you enough time to change and clean up your act. Appreciate him more."

Closing her eyes for a second, Prue took a deep breath. When she opened them once again, her eyes glistened with unshed tears as she spoke in a pained voice, "I love you all so much...." She hesitated before continuing, "But if you ever hurt Chris again, I won't be as forgiving...."

With her final words spoken, Prue disappeared in a dazzling display of white orbs and left the room in a dead, gloomy, silence.....

TBC....

Next Chapter:

I'm thinking I'm going to switch to Chris and Bianca on the next chapter and have had a couple of months pass by....but I'm not sure... tell me if you guys want the next chapter to be more of the family or to be of Chris and Bianca.