Chapter 2

Leo had stayed with Piper all morning trying to comfort her, but after Phoebe left she had clammed up. She wasn't crying anymore and she remained silent lost in her own thoughts. He could tell she was holding something in, something she hadn't even told Phoebe. He could tell by the look on her face, and the way she moved. Something was burdening her heart and it was weighing down on her. "Piper, talk to me sweetie", Leo whispered as he followed her to their bedroom. He wished she would talk to him but she remained silent as if she hadn't heard him. "The elders were right," Piper said barely above a whisper. Leo had to strain to hear her words. "About what?" he asked confused.

"About us", Piper said as she stood by the window in their room. "If I hadn't fought to be with you then Prue would still be alive", she whispered.

"Are you blaming me for her death, Piper?", he asked.

"No Leo, I'm not", she told him with a sigh. He watched her a moment contemplating what she meant. His eyes went wide when a theory passed over him. "Do you think it was your fault?" he asked as he watched her carefully. She didn't say anything only turned her gaze to the floor.

"Oh, honey its not-," he started to say when she whirled around.

"It is my fault Leo! If I hadn't married you, then you would have healed her first! You healed me because I'm your dang wife, when you should have healed Prue! She was stronger and she was better. She protected us with no regard of her own safety.. You healed the wrong sister", Piper whimpered as tears found her cheeks again. Leo stepped forward to hug her, but she moved away from him. "Leo I need to be alone", she told him. Leo watched her a moment before orbing out of the room.

Piper sat in her room for an hour before standing up finally making a choice in her mind. She swiftly made her way to the attic knowing exactly what she was going to do. "I'm sick of this new destiny crap! I want to speak to my sister!" she barked to no one in particular as she moved to the Book of Shadows. She flipped to the spell she needed and reviewed the instructions first. She moved from the book and grabbed candles off the table and began to place them in a circle. She placed nine candles on the floor and made sure to light them before moving back to the book. "Here goes", she mumbled before she began to chant:

"Here these words, Hear my cry,

Spirit from the other side,

Come to me, I summon thee,

Cross now the great divide"

As she finished the spell, white lights began to form in the center of the room. Piper watched as a shape began to form in the swirling white lights. Her heart was racing as she watched wondering if finally they were going to grant her, her wish. Her heart broke when her mother appeared instead of Prue. "Hello my darling daughter", her mother told her with a smile. "Mom, what are you doing here?" Piper said disappointment evident in her voice.

"I'm here to talk", she said calmly.

"No offense mom but I'm through talking. I just want to see my sister", Piper snapped. "I cannot go on without her", she stated defiantly.

Patty sighed then turned her gaze up towards the ceiling as if talking with someone other then Piper. Piper silently folded her arms as she watched her mother. Patty nodded after a moment and turned her gaze back to her daughter. "Blessed be", she said goodbye then vanished. Piper's jaw dropped when her mind finally registered what had just happened. She turned her back sighing as she moved towards the attic door, disappointment showing by the slump of her shoulders. She froze when she heard movement behind her, it was soft as if someone was shifting in their position. She swung around thinking a demon had just shimmered into the attic. What she saw though made her eyes water and her heart pound. She couldn't find her voice as she looked onto the figure before her. Her gaze took in the tall fair skinned woman in front of her. The woman had long raven black hair that stopped at her shoulder blades and piercing ice blue eyes. Piper saw the tears welling up in her sister's eyes just as the tears were doing in her own eyes. "Prue?" Piper whispered almost as if she wasn't sure this was really happening. She noticed her sister was transparent as her mother had been.

Prue didn't say anything just moved to her younger sister and embraced her in a tight hug. She held her close as she wept not saying anything for a long time. After a bit they both heard the front door downstairs open and close signaling one of their sisters was home. Phoebe's voice rang out from downstairs, "I'm home." Prue couldn't wait to see Phoebe, it had been so long since she was allowed to see her sisters. "How, Prue?" Piper's quiet voice interrupted her thoughts. "I'm going to be here for a little bit, then I have to go", Prue told her sister. "Piper?" Phoebe's voice called from the stairs. "Up here!" Piper called as she wiped the tears from her eyes. She heard her sister coming up the stairs quickly. Prue stood behind Piper now out of view to Phoebe when she stepped onto the landing in front of the attic door. "Sweetie, what are you doing up here?" Phoebe asked her as her brows furrowed slightly. Piper smiled and simply stepped aside. She watched her sister cover her mouth as tears met her cheeks. Prue smiled at her baby sister as Phoebe moved to her quickly and threw her arms around her. Prue held Phoebe back just as tightly not wanting to ever let her go again. Phoebe held her sister close as if afraid she would vanish right then as a cruel joke from the elders. Piper watched happily, forgetting the pain that she had felt for weeks. She never wanted this time to end.

Paige tiredly sat in her cubicle at the social services office. She had attempted to do her work but all she had done for most of the day was stare off into space. She kept thinking about Piper and wondering what she would have to do to make her oldest sister accept her. It was 4:30, which meant she had thirty more minutes before she could leave. She turned back to her computer about to attempt to do some of her work when her phone rang. "Paige", she said as she answered it. Phoebe's voice ran out on the other end. "What time do you get off?" she asked.

"In thirty minutes, you know that. Why?" Paige asked confused.

"There's someone here we want you to meet", her sister replied before hanging up. Paige watched the phone a moment baffled by her sisters behavior. She stood up, grabbing her things quickly. Something was up at the manor and that warranted an early leave, she thought as she walked out of the office. She moved to her lime green bug and got into it. She started it and pulled out wondering what awaited her at home.