Paige Matthews Halliwell: Mean? What, me? No way! Seriously…No!

Memories

"Good morning Prue!" Prue reluctantly opened her eyes.

"Um, morning Roger."

"Coming to work today?"

"Work?" Prue asked in surprise.

"Not that you have to, of course. Maybe you should stay at home, get some rest."

"Uh…okay." Prue touched her cheek, aware of Roger's eyes on the bruise there and wondered why he was acting like this.

"Well, I'm going to go now. Get an early start, you know. I might come home for lunch if I can."

"Okay. Bye then."

"Bye honey. I love you."

"I love you too," Prue said. Roger smiled, satisfied and then left. Prue listened to him shut the door before she relaxed. The phone ringing made er jump, and she leaned over to answer it.

"Hello?"

"Hi Prue!"

"Phoebe, hi. How are you?" Prue smiled; she was even glad to hear Phoebe's voice.

"I'm good! You?"

"Fine."

"So what are you doing today?"

"Uh, nothing…"

"Great! So do you wanna go shopping with me?"

"I thought you didn't even have a job," Prue said suspiciously, "Where would you get money from?"

"Oh, you know…we can meet Piper for lunch. She's busy all morning, but she says she can make lunch. Come on, we haven't all hung out as just us three for ages."

"Yeah, that sounds like fun," Prue started to say and then remembered the unexplainable bruises on her face. "Wait, I can't."

"And why not?"

"I'm…busy. I have a doctor's appointment."

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong…Oh, the doctor's…just been feeling ill lately."

"Ooo, maybe you're pregnant!"

"No! I mean, I am not pregnant Phoebe, so don't you start telling Piper I am."

"But you could be."

"Well I'm not. I can just be ill, you know!"

"Well surely this appointment doesn't last all day. You could still make lunch, or come shopping with me."

"No, I'm not well, remember?"

"You said you were fine earlier. Are you purposely thinking of an excuse not to go out with me? I know we've had some difficulties these past few years, but I thought those were behind us. You don't need to make up excuses to avoid me. If you don't want to see me, then just say."

"No, I do want to see you, I just don't feel well. I didn't need to mention I felt ill earlier…it wasn't important," Prue said hopelessly.

"Prue, I have to go now. Maybe I'll see you some other time, if you want to, or maybe I won't. Bye." Prue listened to the dial tone in surprise and annoyance. Phoebe's words had hurt her, but she couldn't think of a way to explain to Phoebe that she couldn't see her without telling her why. Prue got up and looked at the bruises in the mirror, hoping that by some small miracle they had disappeared so that she could call Phoebe back and tell her she could come after all, but they were worse than they had been early that morning. She had really wanted to see Phoebe and now Roger had ruined it for her, like everything else. She showered and was just pulling a sweater over her head when the phone rang for the second time that morning. Prue picked it up and opened her mouth to say hello, but was interrupted.

"Prue! I can't believe you're lying to Phoebe just so you don't have to see her today! I know you two used to hate each other, but don't you think this is a stupid? Phoebe's really upset!"

"Piper, I do want to see Phoebe! I can't though! I'm not lying, Phoebe's just interpreted it wrong. I'd love to see her, I just can't."

"Oh. Well, why don't you call her and tell her you'll go tomorrow instead?"

"I…I can't. I told Roger I'd have lunch with him."

"The day after?" Piper was starting to sound suspicious.

"I…"

"Prue! I can't believe you!" For the second time that day, a sister hung up on her. Prue slammed the phone down in fury. It was all Roger's fault. She wanted to know why he was being so nice all of a sudden. Maybe he wanted to discuss the wedding. Or maybe he'd realized that Andy clearly cared what happened to her, was in the police and he scared that Andy would do something because he knew about everything. Feeling melancholy, Prue decided to look at her old photographs. She dragged down the one box in the attic that contained her possessions, or as Roger called it, her crap. She went into her room and sat on the bed with it, to look through it. It was mainly full of old photographs, of her and her sisters. They made Prue smile. The further into the box she got, the older the photos got. There was one where Phoebe was a tiny baby in their Mom's arms, and Prue stood holding her Mom's hand, with Piper holding hers. Prue thought she could vaguely remember that photo being taken, but she wasn't entirely sure. It made her cry seeing that. She wished her Mom were still alive and then felt stupid for crying for her dead mother, who had been gone for so long. She curled up on the bed, crying and laughing at the same time, remembering her Mom.

Prue woke up with the photograph in her hand. It was almost lunchtime. She had been dreaming about her Mom, and her sisters and Andy and before she met Roger, and was feeling sick. She hated herself. She was nothing like how she used to be in high school and she wanted to go back to being that person. She had had friends, she had been happy and she hadn't been pathetic, like she was being now. She wanted to get away from Roger, so she could go back to being that person. Prue wished she could throw everything into a suitcase and then just leave her stupid engagement ring on the bed, and run.

"I'm home darling!" There couldn't have been a worse time for him to come home, Prue thought bitterly.

"Just coming!" She pushed everything back into the box and shoved it under the bed to hide later, then hurried downstairs.

"Shall we go out for lunch…" Roger trailed off when he saw her and remembered her face. "I'll make us something nice." He smiled brightly.

"No…I'm really not hungry. Thanks all the same though…" Roger looked at her for a moment and then turned around.

"Maybe I'll just go back to work," he said irritably, flinging the front door open. "I'll see you tonight."

"Bye." Prue watched him step out into the rain that was beginning to fall then he slammed the door, blocking her view of both him and the miserable day.

AN: Wow, life is cruel. I had to do 100 sit ups at school! I didn't even do anything wrong! That was the lesson! Talk about child labor! They are way too obsessed with sport there! I almost threw up. I wish I had because it would have served them right to have vomit all over their precious floor. I hate my school. So, please be kind and review! Your nice reviews make me feel guilty for not updating so I'm far more likely to do it with reviews! (I'm not happy with the amount of reviews from last time. You can say if you hate it!)