TWO

Patricia sat at the kitchen table eating a meal Piper had made for her. Apparently, the young girl had spent the better part of the last two days on a bus ride to San Francisco.

"She's claiming to be Prue's daughter?" questioned Leo.

"That's why I called you," said Piper. "She has this picture of Prue but I don't recognize the man with her."

"And she told you she was twelve-years-old?" Leo asked. "That would mean she was born in 1989."

"That's when Prue was away at college," said Phoebe. "Is it possible Prue got pregnant in college and no one knew about it?"

"I suppose it's possible," Piper said. "But I find it hard to believe something like that would happen and she wouldn't tell anyone."

"Grams would have killed her," said Phoebe. "I remember when I told Grams I thought I was pregnant. She went ballistic."

"That's because you were fifteen," said Piper. "And it was just another in a long line of screw ups that you kept making."

"Well, that's certainly true," said Phoebe.

"Does she have anything else?" Leo asked. "Besides the picture, I mean?"

"No, nothing," said Piper. "She told us she found the adoption papers in her parents attic a couple of years ago. But they didn't list the names of her biological parents. When she found out she was adopted she started looking for her biological parents. All she's been able to track down so far is the name of the man she thinks is her father and that picture. His name is Daniel Clary, the man in the picture."

"And she thinks Prue is her mother simply because of one photograph?" asked Leo. "That's not a lot to go on."

"She said she did an Internet search," said Phoebe. "Apparently Prue was in the same hospital the same week Patricia was born. But she couldn't find out what Prue was in the hospital for."

"Prue was in the hospital about that time," said Piper. "Grams told me it was pneumonia."

"You think what Patricia says is true?" Phoebe asked. "Maybe Grams knew about it?"

"I doubt that," said Leo. "I can't see Penny allowing her to be put up for adoption. Especially since she's a girl. Penny would never have let a Halliwell witch be adopted out."

"That's true," said Piper. "We didn't know anything about our lineage but Grams did. Except we don't know that Patricia is a witch. She hasn't said anything about having any special powers. And you know it does skip a generation some times."

"That's true," said Phoebe. "But I still can't see Grams allowing her to be put up for adoption. It would have been her great granddaughter. But whether she's Prue's daughter or not I'm sure her parents are worried sick about her. We should at least try to find out who they are so we can let them know she's okay."

"That's a good idea," said Leo. "Paige might be able to find out how much of her story is true. She'll have access to records where she works that we don't have access to."

"Leo," said Piper, "why don't you go let Paige know what's going on? Phoebe can see what she can learn on the Internet. I'll go have a talk with Patricia and see if I can learn some more about her that can help us."

"You really think that's Prue's daughter?" Phoebe asked Leo as Piper went into the kitchen.

"I don't know," Leo said. "It's hard to believe Prue could have been pregnant and no one ever found out. Before you got your powers the Elders didn't watch you all the time. But they did look in on you from time to time. It's hard to believe that didn't notice anything for nine months."

"I'd better get started," Phoebe said. "You should get to Paige and fill her in."

"Right," said Leo.

He orbed out of the manor as Phoebe headed for her computer.