A/N: Hello Everyone.

I noticed alot of you thought it was Andy in the last chap, don't worry that was my intention. hehe, sorry that was kinda mean.

Anyway, next chap. Not sure how you'll like this oneso let me know.

23. Drowning.

"Prue, sweetie, I need you to calm down." Patty explained to her eldest daughter, "You need to breath." she soothed gently.

Amongst the sobs, Prue managed a few barely audible words, "I can't breath anyway."

Patty understood that at this point, Prue wasn't being literal but it pained her to hear her ever-strong daughter sound so defeated. If I had stayed alive, maybe things would have been different? she pushed the thought away, deciding to try and settle Prue again.

"Come on Prue, or you'll make yourself sick."

After a short time and few more comforting words, Prue began to settle slightly, taking sharp intakes of air every now and again.

"That's my girl." Patty whispered, keeping hold of her daughter. It was at that moment that the deceased witch realised that the last time she had held Prue in this manner was when she was eight. Even at that age it was a rarity.

The sobs sub-sided to the odd snivel, as Prue relaxed in her mother's arms. Finally reality dawned on her and she pulled away, enough to gain a better look at Patty.

"How'd did you get here?" she asked, her voice still showing the tell-tale signs of her anguish.

"I had help from Grams and some other ancestors." Patty smiled, pushing a piece of hair behind Prue's ear. For an instant, she studied her daughter, aware of how much she had missed out on. Although she would watch over them as long as she possibly could, it was never the same.

"The Elders don't know?" Prue asked worriedly. She didn't want her mum to be punished, especially as it was her own lack of control that had caused her to visit.

"Grams is working on it. She can be quite the force to be reckoned with." her mother mused, still not taking her eyes of her little girl. Patty couldn't help but compare her memory of the carefree child she had known, to her daughter now.

"I remember." Prue smiled, she had often butted heads with her grandmother. Both as stubborn and as forceful as the other.

Patty's heart jumped at the smile Prue offered. It filled her with pride knowing Prue would pull through, although worry was another emotion she was painfully enduring. Everyone 'Up There' speaks of how powerful and strong, her daughters, the Charmed Ones are; having faced so much in a relatively short life. Always pulling through together.

However Patty's worries concerned the obvious fact that Prue would bottle up her feelings instead of facing them, which was causing her Prue to fall apart bit by bit. She couldn't help but be scared of the consequences of her daughter's actions.

"Are you going to tell me about it?" she asked gently, aware that when Prue is pushed, she shuts people out.

Prue's gaze fell to her hands, "It's nothing to worry about." she sighed quietly, suddenly embarrassed by her failure to handle the situation.

Patty held Prue's chin, forcing her daughter to look directly at her. "Don't lie Prudence."

Prue was taken back by the use of her name and the forcefulness within her mother's voice. "I just….I…." she stuttered, surprised at how much she wanted to say, and finding it hard to find the right words. "I feel like I'm drowning."

As the words left her mouth, Prue gasped as fresh tears streamed down her face. She stood quickly preparing to run, unable to believe she could be so inconsiderate.

Patty, however, gripped Prue's arm causing her to stop still. She then turned her, so they were face to face. Prue diverted her eyes from those of her mother's, to ashamed of herself. How could I have done that? she scolded.

"I...I'm so…sorry." she stuttered again, keeping her eyes low on the ground.

"Prue, honey, it's okay." Patty whispered, as Prue pulled away and went and sat back on the couch where she rested her head in her hands.

"No, it's not." Prue reprimanded herself, incapable of believing her mum was so forgiving.

"It is." was the soft reply as Patty joinedher on the old couch.

"I..I was...out of line." she stammered.

"Prudence."

Prue glanced up in shock. Twice in the matter of a minute. she thought.

"Stop it, you hear me." Patty continued, "I'm not mad, okay, I'm worried….so tell me why you feel this way."

Once again Prue's eyes fell to her hands, as silence enveloped the two for a short amount of time.

"Everything is just too much;.." she began,"..I'm a magnet for guys who can't stick around; I'm facing the Source and having to take my little sisters along for the ride, who could die in the process; Victor hates me and could careless;…"

Patty was about to cut in but Prue continued.

"..I'm jealous of my sisters and the relationships they have, as well as looking at a life alone and the added bonus of possibly dying." she sighed, running her hands over her face trying to calm herself, "…and that's without other things."

"Like Piper being pregnant." Patty interpreted with a small smile.

Prue however looked up dumbfounded. "How?…What?"

"I peak." her mother smiled, unable to hide the pride that shone at the thought of being a grandmother.

"Does anyone else?" Prue asked scared of Leo and everyone else finding out at the moment. She couldn't handle the consequences of Piper's and her ownactions right now.

"No, just Grams and myself. We can keep a secret."

Prue breathed out heavily in response and leaned back on the couch. "That's the problem."

"Honey, Piper will be okay, it's not ideal buteverything will work out, you just have to have faith. You will find your footing, I promise. You will all make it through this and be stronger for it." Patty encouraged, to which Prue offered a small smile. "..and your father doesn't hate you." she added.

Her daughter, however, scoffed and rolled her eyes. "I don't care it's mutual."

"Prue." Patty was shocked by the tone.

"Mum, he told me I was condemning them to death. He told me. Of all people to tell me, it had to be him. I think I'm intituled to be angry."

"He doesn't hate you, Prue. Your still his little girl."

"The only problem is that I've grown up." Prue replied quietly, again looking away.

Patty was silent, saddened at the fact that Prue's words rang true. She had grown up, something Patty always wished she could have experienced with her daughters. A wish never granted.

"Where was he anyway?" Prue asked rhetorically, aware of the silence her words had caused. "He left us, Mum and now he acts like he can come back and demand what he wants. Expects us to just let him talk to us….me, as if I was the one that had abandoned them."

"Prue, he's still your father." Patty argued, although understanding her daughter's reasoning. She couldn't believe how stupid her ex-husband could be. She knew he would never hate Prue but he once again allowed his mouth to get the better of him. Resulting in the fragments of their relationship, which they had managed to piece together, being shuttered all over again.

"No, Mum, he's Victor."

In spite of her words, Patty could tell her daughter's voice had an underlining of sorrow, showing that no matter what Prue would say, there was still apart of her that cared for Victor.

----------

Unbeknown to them, Piper was listening intently to the conversation between the two from the doorway and had been there for some time.

She had left the comfort of her bedroom and had been heading for the stairs when she heard small voices from the attic. Panicked by the thought of demon's after the book, she decided to investigate.

She found Prue sobbing and her mother attempting to comfort her. Piper chose to stay by the door, although her instincts had told her to run inside. She thought of leaving, however the more of the conversation she heard, the more she couldn't

Only now, she was overwhelmed with guilt and it showed as a few silent tears ran down her cheeks.

"Prue." she heard her mother sigh.

----------

"It's true. He is just the first person that showed me that eventually everyone leaves." Prue stood and turned to face Patty. "I'm just sick of always being the person left behind."

Patty was more than worried by what her daughter was saying, but she didn't now what to say to reassure Prue. When she looked at her, she felt horrible and guilty for not being able to shield her eldest daughter from the harshness of the world when she was a child, it would have given her the chance to be a child.

Patty always found the guilt of leaving her daughters was greater when she was with them.

"It's just….." Prue trailed off.

"It's just what? Honey." Patty pressed, standing to meet her oldest child. It was then she noticed tears had returned to Prue's eyes.

"How many more people, that I love, do I have to watch die? I have images of people that just play over and over and I sometimes can't seem to make them stop."

"What are you talking about Prue?" her mother asked softly, while wiping a stray tear from Prue's face.

Prue pulled away, stepping back for distance, while simultaneously Piper drew closer to the door, still trying to remain hidden.

"I was there when they came for Andy. They zipped him up and shipped him out." Prue replied with a hollow and short laugh.

Patty was taken back by her daughter's choice in words. Surprised at the sudden change in demeanour as well, she felt as though Prue had never spoken properly of the incident and only now opened up what she had bottled away for so long. Pattyknew she was right, as more tears escaped Prue's eyes.

"I was there when they took Grams. I..I told Piper and Phoebe to go downstairs while she was taken. I..I didn't want them to see it." Prue attempted to compose herself but failed as she suddenly found the control she always had disappeared and she was unable to stop what she was saying. "I stayed as I had seen it practically every night when I was younger."

"Prue, I…." Patty began but was cut off.

"I was there when they took you." Prue whispered.

Pipercovered her mouth to stop herself from making a noiseat the revelation. She had never known, all these years and she had never known. Some questions were answered at that moment, only to be replaced with others.

"I..I was at…the lake. I was there and…and I kept calling for you but nothing happened." Prue was flooded by tears as she spoke.

Patty was also in tears. She had never known either that Prue had been there to witness the one thing a child should never see. She wondered if anyone did know and if they did, why wasn't she told?

She instinctively moved to hold her child, for Prue to step back again. Pain shot through Patty's heart at the reaction, she wanted to help but she found herself in her own turmoil. She watched Prue and noticed she was shaking.

"I don't want to lose anyone else, Mum. I can't." Prue practically begged. A part of her was still trying to find the control but it was tiny compared to what she felt.

"You won't." came a quiet reply from behind them.

Prue spun round and covered her mouth. Piper was stood before her crying in the doorway. Prue had never wanted them to find out, they didn't need to know.

Silence invaded the room, as the sisters stood opposite the other, neither breaking eye contact. While their mother was stood speechless, aware that Piper couldn't have known. There was something in her second-eldest eye's that was slightly angry at her sister for keeping it a secret.

Suddenly Prue bolted for the doorway, just scraping past Piper, who was dazed by the hasty exit.

"Prue?" she called and turned to follow her older sister, only to be held back by her mother's hand.

"Piper, let her go." was the quiet response.

Piper had fresh tears as she turned to face Patty.

"Mum?" she whined, looking for help as to how to deal with this.

However Patty had little advice or idea as to how to handle this and instead pulled Piper closer. "I'm sorry, sweetie. You should have been here." Patty soothed, now trying to calm Piper down, although she, herself, felt very little calm inside her.

"But she needs me." Piper managed to choke out.

"I know, just give her some time, okay."

Piper nodded in response, while Patty's mind wandered. She needed to speak to her own mother, to try and answer the mass of questions that plagued her mind.

"Piper, I'm sorry but I need to leave. I haven't really helped. Could you tell Prue that I'm sorry, for me?" Patty whispered, kissing the top of Piper's head gently.

"Okay." was the whispered response.

"Thank you, sweetie. I'll be back soon." she kissed Piper's head again, then disappeared, determined to get answers.

Piper sobbed as she now stood alone in the attic.

A/N: Did you guys understand that? If not just let me know.

I aways wondered if anyone knew Prue had seen what she had, coz in the show it didn't seem as if they did...so I wrote it.

Also I wanted to let all the sisters know but I would have had to let them know about Piper's baby...so that will come later.

Thank you to all the reviewers; I got more than a 100 :o)

Danielle87; I think you were my 100th review(If my math is right) I would give you a prize but I don't have one. Thank you for the compliment, I was always told I was crap.

Peanut; aww thanks. I loved that ep. Ah I miss the good old days.

Kaydence; no need to blush, I wanted people to think it was.

Charmedbaby11; did that answer your question. :)

Mony19; I think your back on track, (lowers head in shame) I'll have to try harder. :) Oh and my 1st week at work was cool, were training at the mo so it's easy. Roll on pay day. Thanks for asking.

Last but not least emelie; hey, thanks for the review. I can't review AHTQ at the mo coz of my threat :( but you brought back the old man, woo who! Shame about his fish thou.

If anyone is still reading you should check out her story All Hail The Queen. Okay, so if your not going to review at least do that for me. :o)

I think I've wrote enough now, so bye.