Sisters Bound

Part 5 – A Little Sister

By: Silverstar

Ok…no one has reviewed yet…but I guess that's ok! I enjoyed writing this story, so I'm posting the next chapter. Please enjoy!

Over the next few weeks I didn't go back to my house. Just thinking about what I had found out in the attic made me dizzy…and it also made me think of Grams…and therefore of Prue and Phoebe. The police had basically given up on their search, and I was starting to mourn their loss. But, Kit kept me company. That's what Paige had named her, and I thought it was suitable, so I had agreed to it. No one had answered the newspaper ad, just as I had expected, and she hardly ever left my side. I liked it like that. Jamie just laughed at the little cat, and Mike rolled his eyes at all of us. It was almost like the little fuzz ball was bringing the family closer together, me included.

"Hey Piper!" Jamie called as she was ushering us out of the house for school. I kissed Kit goodbye, swung my backpack over my shoulder, and headed downstairs.

"Yeah?" I asked as I grabbed a granola bar for the ride and shoved my paper-bag lunch into my bag with my school books.

"I have some errands to run today. Will you be okay to watch Paige after school?"

"Yeah…that's fine," I answered as I grabbed my jacket, surprised at the request. Jamie and Mike hardly ever left me alone in the house, and never alone with Paige. But, then again, Grams always had Prue and me watch over Phoebe to make sure she was okay when we were all alone. Sadness filled my features as I thought of my little sister, but I quickly turned from Jamie to pull my bag over my shoulders so she couldn't see it. However, glancing over as Paige bounded down the stairs ready for school, I had to smile. There was such an energy about her, that I couldn't help it. Shaking my head, I followed her and Jamie out the door.

I was upstairs in my room after school crying when Jamie called up to me that she was leaving. Today hadn't been a good day. Mostly, everyone at school had been keeping their distance. Even Phoebe's friends two grades below me didn't speak to me…and for the most part I was okay with it. I spent lunch time in the library and any other free time reading. But today in the bathroom I overheard some girls talking about me.

"…And have you seen that ugly loser moping around school…Piper Halliwell?" I heard a popular girl named Whitney say from my place in the last bathroom stall. My eyes opened wide as I continued to listen. "It's a shame that gang didn't take her instead of her sisters. That could've improved our school!" Whitney and her friends laughed as I thought of my sisters and tears formed in my eyes. Covering my eyes with my hands, I pushed open the stall and ran for the door. I could hear all four girls laughing as I ran down the hall towards the bathroom on the far end of the school.

I had spent last period in the other girls bathroom crying in the stall, and then making myself look decent for Jamie when she picked me up. I didn't want to give her any more trouble or have her worry about me any more than she already was. As soon as we had gotten home I headed for my room, and the comfort of Kit. She sat quietly beside me as I cried into my pillow, holding Gram's necklace to my chest. I wore it always, only to give me strength.

"Piper! I'm leaving!" Jamie then called, and I knew I had to go downstairs. Getting up, I wiped my eyes with my sleeve and looked at myself in the mirror. After brushing my hair out of my face, I poked my head out the door. Jamie had come half way up the stairs, but stopped when she saw me. "Oh, good, you heard me," she smiled. My cell number, Mike's cell, and his work number are on the notepad next to the phone. Just make sure Paige gets her homework done before I get back. I'll bring dinner." I nodded as she started heading back down the stairs. "I'll be back in a few hours," she then called back up as Paige ran to her from the kitchen to give her a hug. "Now you mind Piper," she told my new sister as she kissed her on the forehead.

"I will," Paige said, heading back for the kitchen to do homework as Jamie grabbed her purse and keys off the hallway table and headed out.

"If you need anything, call!" were her final words before the door shut. Sighing to myself, I trudged back into my room and threw myself onto the bed. Moments later, I was crying again. I don't know how long I laid there, but the next thing I knew, I felt a hand lay gently on my back. Sniffling, I slowly turned to see Paige sitting next to me on my bed with a worried expression on her face. But, she didn't say anything. She just looked at me. My eyes widened as she suddenly leaned in and wrapped her arms around me. I stiffened at first, but slowly relaxed as Paige hung on tighter, and I gradually wrapped my arms around her as well and cried into her shoulder. I knew I shouldn't be putting an eight year old through this…but…I had no one else even remotely my own age to relate to. And she reminded me so much of Phoebe…Paige let me cry, acting older than her years, and I hung to her tightly, loving her so much just for being there for me. I hated being alone. Even though I'd never really had any friends my own age at school…at home I had always had my sisters. It was nice to have that feeling back. When my tears finally subsided, I slowly let go of Paige and leaned back. She did as well, but kept her hands on my shoulders. I smiled faintly at her as I wiped my eyes with my sleeve and sniffled.

"Thanks," I finally said, and she smiled at me.

"Do you want to talk about it?" she then asked, and my mouth hung open with shock. How could she be this mature?

"Oh…just some girls at school…they were saying really mean things about me…and they mentioned Prue and Phoebe…I miss them…" I whispered, my voice fading as I pictured their faces in my head…afraid and lost...just like the last time I saw them…and how I saw them in my dreams regularly. Paige then reached down and grabbed my hand in hers.

"Until they come back…I'm your sister," she said, smiling up at me. More tears coming to my eyes, I just smiled, and then leaned over to wrap my arms around her again.

"Thank you," I whispered as she hugged me back. "How did you get so good at knowing the right thing to say?" I then asked, as I leaned back and Paige picked Kit up from the other side of my bed, placed her in her lap, and started to stroke her.

"I…I don't know," Paige then said. "There's just…something inside of me. Ever since I can remember, I've wanted to help people…and…it seems to come easily to me." I smiled at this and then reached forward to ruffle her hair.

"Well, if you keep this up, you'll be taking on the role as big sister." Paige laughed at this and then flopped down on the bed, sending Kit out of her lap and into mine.

"Naaw…I've always wanted a sister…and now that I have one…I think I like being the youngest." I laughed at this and then leaned back into my pillows.

"I'm…I'm not use to being the oldest…I've always been the middle child…so I hope I do alright." Paige just smiled at this.

"Thanks for treating me like an equal," she finally said. "Even though you're four years older…"

"You're not that much younger…I mean, you're only two years younger than Phoebe…" Thinking of my sister made me fall into silence, and Paige kept it that way. We sat there in a comfortable silence until I heard the front door open and then close.

"Girls!" I heard Jamie yell, and I looked at the clock. It was already 6!

"Up here!" Paige yelled, and I looked at her. "Don't worry, I finished all my homework. Not that I had a lot…I know how Mom gets." I smiled at this comment and then set Kit down beside me. "You want to go downstairs?" Paige then asked, and after a moment, I shook my head. I liked the atmosphere we had created, and I didn't want it to end. So, Paige crawled up next to me from her position at the bottom of the bed and wrapped her arms around my shoulders. Ten minutes passed before I heard Mike get home, and soon after that Jamie was knocking on the door.

"Girls…Dinner," she said softy, opening the door to find us there - My arm around her shoulder, hers around mine, and our free hands petting Kit. I looked over to see her smiling at us, and then looked down to see Paige looking up at me.

"We'll be down," I finally said before Jamie left and Paige sat up and got to her feet. I followed suit, and seconds later we were downstairs for dinner.

It was almost a month later before I thought about going back home. I knew I had found the Book for a reason…Grams had always told me that "everything happens for a reason" and I always believed her…at least until my world changed. Still…my sisters and those…demons…visited my dreams regularly, and I somehow couldn't accept that they were gone forever. When I finally asked Jamie if I could go back home the next Saturday, she didn't seem surprised.

"I was wondering when you were going to ask," she said to me over breakfast as Paige watched silently. "Mike can drive you over this Saturday." I nodded as I continued to eat my cheerios and thought about Mike. I hadn't really talked to him much during my stay here…at least not individually. I was always with Jamie or Paige when I spoke to him or was around him. He worked strange hours at the firehouse, so when he was home the whole family was always with him.

"Piper…" My thoughts broken, I looked up to see Paige waving her hand in front of my face. "Come on, we're going to be late." I looked over to see that Jamie was already out of the kitchen, and I quickly dumped out the rest of my cereal before grabbing my bag and following Paige to the car. Sometimes I felt like she was the big sister…School had been rough the past month. I still had no friends…probably because people didn't know how to act around me. I wasn't much of a talker, and got nervous easily. It also didn't help that the popular crowd had taken to disliking me. I knew that next year in high school it was going to be rough. I had always known that Prue, my very popular big sister, would be there to help me out. But now…I dreaded going to high school. However, I still had more than half of eighth grade to get through, and I didn't know if I'd even make it through that.

That Saturday, after Jamie left with Paige, Mike called upstairs to me. "Ready Piper!" I took a deep breath as I grabbed my small bag and my jacket, and headed downstairs. The start of the ride was very quiet, but I finally asked the question I had wanted to ask for months.

"Mike…" I saw him glance over at me out of the corner of his eyes as he continued driving, and I took in a deep breath before I continued. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure Piper, anything," he replied, and I saw concern and anxiety in his eyes.

"What…what made you take notice of me…that night at the manor? Why did you take me home? You don't do that often, do you?" Mike looked shocked at this question, but he continued driving, and a few seconds later, he answered.

"At first…I saw a little of Paige in you," he said softly. "I've never gotten involved in cases like yours before…but there was something driving me to help you. Maybe it was something my daughter had said to me that afternoon…She told me to be careful and to be sure to help in every way I could that night. She…she sometimes speaks beyond her years…and I've always taken her seriously…or as seriously as I can. So…when I saw you…I knew what she meant." The car was silent for the next few minutes as I processed this.

"Thank you," I finally said as we pulled up to my house and he stopped the car. "It has meant the world to me." Mike smiled at this, and as he put the car in park, I reached over and gave him a hug.

"I'll pick you up at 3?" he finally said as I pulled back and reached to let myself out of the car. I nodded, mentally noting that I had a little over three hours to myself, and then headed for the house. Once inside I slumped down into the couch and looked around. It was getting dusty in here. But, I wasn't here to clean. I was here to read. Gathering my courage, I headed upstairs and climbed up the attic staircase. The Book was where I had left it, and thinking that I needed familiar scenery, I picked it up and headed back downstairs. After making myself some tea, I settled myself on the couch and began to flip through the ancient heirloom.

To Be Continued…