Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters you recognize, but how I wish I did.

A Sister's Pain

Prue walked into the kitchen on Monday morning, almost ready to go to work. "Piper, have you seen my keys?" Prue asked as she poured herself another cup of coffee.

"I think you left them on the table in the sunroom," Piper answered back.

Prue walked over to the table in the sunroom and began shuffling around the morning paper, which was flung across the table. "I've found them!" Prue exclaimed, thrusting the lost item into the air. "I've gotta run, thanks Pipe." Prue began walking towards the front door.

"Prue, wait" Piper called out.

Seconds later, Prue was walking back into the kitchen. "What is it Piper? If I don't leave soon, I'm gonna be late."

"It's just...I'm a little worried about Phoebe."

"Phoebe's fine," Prue replied rather quickly and turned around ready to leave again.

"Prue," Piper called back. Prue stopped. "I know your still mad at her, but she's not talking to me either. I only see her once a week at P3 the same as you."

"So what do you want me to do about it?" Prue asked her sister.

"I want you to talk to her. I know she's avoiding us because she doesn't want to see the disappointment in your eyes every time you look at her..."

"Piper I..."

"I know you don't mean to, but I've seen it too. All I ask is that you talk to her and try to understand where she's coming from. I'm not asking for an instant relationship, but I am asking that you make an effort."

Prue turned her head to the side, not quite facing Piper, who was in front of her. "I'm still so mad at her," Prue sobbed out.

"I know.."

"But I love her so much. I'm losing her again aren't I Piper?"

"Yes you are. You and me both," Piper spoke, with her eyes glued to the floor.

Phoebe sat at the table in the library going over her sociology notes again. Ever since she told Prue about Cole, Phoebe had been skipping out before anyone awoke and wouldn't come home until her sisters were asleep. During the time Phoebe wasn't in class, she had taken to residing at the library. At this rate, she would be valedictorian. Phoebe laughed at that last thought. She only physically saw her sisters for a couple of hours when she went with her friends to P3 on Saturday nights. Phoebe was pulled out of her thoughts by a loud voice.

"The library will be closing in 5 minutes. If you have any books you would like to check out, please bring them to the counter now," the librarian's voice boomed out over the loud speaker.

Phoebe began putting her books and such in her bag. She swung her bag over her shoulder, grabbed her purse, and began making her way towards the door. The parking lot contained only a couple of cars, which could be caused by the fact that it was 11:55 and the library was closing in 5 minutes. Anyway, Phoebe made her way over to her car. She went over to the passenger side and opened the door. Phoebe put her purse down on the seat and her bag on the floor. "Excuse me," she heard a deep voice ask.

Phoebe turned around, "Yes?" she asked the man.

"I'm kind of new in town and I can't seem to find a drug store anywhere, and I was wondering if you might be able to help me?" asked the dark and somewhat handsome man.

Phoebe noticed the van that was parked next to the man. She began taking in the man's features, his thick, dark black, wavy hair. He didn't have a beard or mustache, but he did have bright blue eyes, which Phoebe couldn't tell if they were like that because of contacts or not. The man was at least 6'3, maybe 6'4 and he looked to weigh about 240, give or take ten pounds. "I'd love to help," Phoebe told the man. "I just need to get something out of my bag," Phoebe told him. She bent down and grabbed her phone and made sure her keys were sticking out of the fist she was making. But before Phoebe could do anything else, the man had grabbed a wrench, which must have been hidden in his back pocket, and whacked Phoebe over the head with it. She blacked out instantly.

Prue kept glancing back and forth from her book to the clock. "Where could she be?" Prue asked. They had tried to call Phoebe's cell phone earlier, but it was off. Prue just thought she probably forgot to recharge it.

"What makes you think I know?" Piper answered.

"Well, she was always closer to you than she was to me. She loathed me, in fact, I sometimes get the feeling that she still does.."

"Prue."

"What?"

"Phoebe does not loath you. She was just rebellious and you know it. As for now, you two have never been closer."

"Then why did she lie to us? Huh, tell me why she lied to us?"

"Because she's in love," Piper responded. "And to be perfectly honest, I don't know that I would have acted differently."

"What?"

"Tell me Prue, after being around Jack like you were, and then finding out that he was a demon, could you honestly tell me that you would have vanquished him on the spot, with no hesitation."

"If it meant saving my sisters than yes."

"What if in your head, your sisters weren't in any danger."

"Yes Piper I would, and do you want to know why? Because he was a demon, a demon that could come back at any time and kill us if he wanted to."

"Cole could have killed us more times than I like to admit, but he didn't because he loves Phoebe. So why would he come back and kill us if he loves Phoebe? Not really something that will put him on her top ten list will it."

"He could still come back and kill us if he wants to."

"I'm beginning to wonder how Phoebe still lives under the same roof with you. It seems to me that with you someone's stripes are never allowed to change are they?"

"Well, you know how the saying goes, 'A zebra can't change his stripes'. So what makes you think it's any different with a demon."

"Earlier you asked me if you were losing Phoebe. Do you think that having that attitude is going to help get her back?" With that said, Piper got up and walked up the stairs to her room. It was going to be another night without Leo around. He was working on another assignment at the time being. Piper noted that it was 2:57 and Phoebe still wasn't home.