Thanks for all the feedback on this story, I'm glad you like it lol.

Chapter 3 - My Sisters, The Strangers

Phoebe's POV.

"Phoebe." My mother said awkwardly. "I have something to tell you."

I'd just gotten in from school, and the front door was barely closed. It must be bad news.

"OK ..." I said carefully, following her into the living room. I didn't sit down, even though she did and montioned me to. I could tell she was nevous. I knew it must be bad, because she's never nervous. She's been my 'mother' since I was five, and she's more like a sister to me. I had a foster dad too, at one point. He died a long time ago, and I know mum still misses him. I barely remember him.

"What's wrong?" I asked anxiously.

"Nothing, nothing's ... wrong." She assured me. For some reason it wasn't that reassuring.

"What ... what's happened?" I tried, when she didn't say anything more.

"I had a phone call today ... On - on behalf of your sisters ..."

I dropped heavily into the chair behid me. I knew about my two older sisters, who had both been given up too. I had a letter from my real mother, telling me about them. I didn't know what to say, so I said nothing.

"They want to meet you." She continued.

"Oh ... Do you think I should?" I asked.

"It's up to you, Pheebs. I think you're old enough to decide."

Huh? I'm 13. I'm not old enough to decide what time I have to be in by, or whether or not I can stay up late, or if I can live on chocolate ... so why am I old enough to decide this?

"Should I?" I repeated. I wanted her opinion. She's more like a sister, or a fun aunt to me. I didn't want her to tell me what to do, as such - I valued her opinion.

"Honestly? I think you deserve to know where you came from, and they deserve to know you. But if you don't want to, it can wait." She said.

I thought about it.

"I ... I think I'd like to meet them." I said carefully.

"OK. I'll arrange it for you." She smiled, knowing I wouldn't know what to do.

"OK."

"Oh, and ... you ... you have another sister." She told me. My head snapped up, and I gaped at her. "A younger one, which is why you didn't know about her."

"Is she ... will I be -?"

"No. Apparently they haven't been in touch with her. She's been adopted, she has a family. Apparently they were advised to talk to you first."

"How - how old are they?" I asked tentivly.

"Seventeen, fifteen and twelve." She replied. She squeezed my shoulder, then walked into the kitchen. I heard the beeping as she dialled a number, and I went upstairs.

I was going to meet my family. Two of my three sisters.

I squealed as I reached the top of the stairs.

Mum grabbed my hand to stop me twisting my fingers.

"Relax." She said. I nodded and put my hands on my knees. I had butterflies the size of sharks in my stomach.

The knocking on our front door made me jump about three feet in the air.

"I'll get it." Mum smiled.

She came back a minute or so later with a woman - a social worker mum had warned me would be here - and two girls, both with long dark hair. One had brown eyes like me, and looked as nervous as I felt, the other had blue eyes, and seemed confident and aprehensive. My sisters.

"Hi, Phoebe." The older one smiled, and as I stood up, she hugged me briefly. So did the other one.

"Hi - uh- Prudence, Piper." I muttered.

"Call me Prue." The older one said quickly. "Prudence is so old fashioned and formal."

I nodded. I sat back down, on the sofa next to mum, and the two of them sat on the other on. The social worker sat on the chair.

"So ..." I muttered, unsure what to say.

Prue and Piper looked at each other.

"Well, Phoebe, the reason - the reason I - we - found out about you is because our grandmother died and left us a house." Prue told me. My eyes widened, and I gaped at her. A house? To myself?

Oh, wait. A house. To share with my "sisters". The strangers.

"Oh." I said.

"Our mother died, years ago." Piper told me. I nodded. Mum had told me all of this last night. Except for the house bit, I knew everything.

"I'll be moving in, as soon as I can." Prue said. "Piper might be joining me, for a while at least."

"I'm staying here." I said quickly. "With my mum." I looked across at her and she smiled at me. I meant it. I wouldn't leave her. She wasn't just a foster mother any more - she was my mother, and my best friend. I was all she had in the world ... and it used to be vice versa ...

"Of course." Prue nodded. "We just wanted to meet you, and tell you ..."

"We'd like to stay in touch." Piper said. "We are sisters."

I nodded again.

"What about the other one? The youngest?"

"Her name is Paige." Prue smiled. "Paige Matthews. She's twelve. We're going to get in touch soon."

"Can I come to meet her?"

"Of course." Prue said.

They left 15 minutes later, promising to call me and let me know what was happening with Paige. Which they did, a day or so later.

"Bad news." Prue's voice said down the line. "Paige ... doesn't want to meet us."

"What?" I said disappionted. "Why?"

"I don't know. I guess 'cause she's so young? She isn't ready, apparently."

"Oh."

"I'm sure we'll meet her one day." Prue told me. "And I, uh, kinda gave her your number, in case she wants to talk to you."

"OK, that's something, I guess." I murmurd.

All I could do was hope she'd change her mind.

Next chapter: A life-changing event makes Paige reconsider her desion ...