Chapter 9: It's a Long Story….

They say we wonder blindly through life, ignorant to what fate has in store. If Prue had known on that spring day some 4 years ago what would have happened to her when they left the manor to go confront Shax, would she have gone? It was a question that many years later, even after all then blanks had been filled in, she would still be unable to answer.

Similarly, if Paige had known that on that same day an event would occur that would have an impact on her life. That the death of a sibling she never knew she had, would change her life so completely in a few short months, would she have believed it? No, definitely not.

Either way, fate had intervened once more, and two people who were never destined to meet were suddenly stood less than 10 metres apart.

"Who are you?" Prue asked the woman in the living room who was staring at her as if she had two heads. "and what are you doing in my house?"

Paige just gaped, unable to form any words to provide a response.

Not waiting for answer Prue called again, "PIPER PHOEBE"

Upstairs, Piper could just about hear someone shouting her name above the sounds of baby Victor babbling. She placed him gently back in his cot, closed the door and headed down stairs.

"What's the big emergency…" she trailed off as she took in the sight before her, stopping short on the bottom stair. "Prue?" she croaked, scarcely believing her eyes "Is that really you..?"

"Piper!" Prue cried, rushing toward her, "You made it back, you're alive!"

"Wuh?" Piper stuttered looking at the demonic clothing.

She wanted so badly to run into her sister's arms, to hold her tightly and tell her how much she had missed her. There were countless times over the years when she had imagined this kind of scenario, prayed for it, longed for it so much that it hurt.

But they had grown wiser in the 4 years since Prue's death, they had all learned to harden their hearts and not to foolishly trust people, Cole had taught them that, Gideon had taught them that, Barbras had taught them that. Not to mention the numerous shapeshifters, possessor demons who had all, impersonated family members in order to get close to them with the ultimate aim to kill and amass their powers. Therefore caution needed to be exercised, she could not and would not put her family in unnecessary danger again.

"Is that really you?" she repeated, still maintaining her position on the stairs, gripping the hand rail for support. "Or is it a warlock?"

"A warlock? Are you crazy?..." Prue cried in disbelief.

"what's my full name?" Piper asked, "better yet, what's my star sign?" She hated herself for doing so, but reminded herself that this was not the first time a demon had played on their fears and emotions, appearances could not only be deceptive, they could be deadly.

" Piper Elizabeth Rose Halliwell,so called because you have a birth mark on the small of your back in the shape of a Rose, which incedently you used to pretend was a tattoo when we were in High School.and you're a libra. For godsakes, I practically ran all the way here, worrying out of my mind about what Shax might have done to you and Phoebe, and when I get here I have to play 20 questions, what is this?" Prue felt her temper begin to flare up.

"It is you, you are real" Piper's eyes filled with tears as she finally stepped towards her sister.

"Wait a minute! I'm real? What's that supposed to mean? Of course I'm real.."

Now it was Prue's turn to become distrusting. She began to back away, in doing so she took in the surroundings properly for the first time.

"That wall, why is it pink? it was yellow this morning, and your hair, what have you done to your hair? It wasn't that long before…." She stuttered, although her exterior remained calm, inwardly she was beginning to worry, confusion rising in her chest.

"Prue, it's okay I can explain" Piper began. In fact she couldn't explain at all, she had no idea what was happening, but she was acting on instinct, and her instinct was to reassure Prue.

"..and who are you? "Prue continued, suddenly remembering Paige "Have I fallen into some alternate reality?"

"No,… at least I don't think so" Piper admitted.

"Then what's going on?" she spluttered, her voice beginning to tremble as panic set in, the smooth exterior was beginning to crumble, and she looked genuinely frightened.

"Prue you need to calm down, and tell me, what is the last thing you remember?"

"I remember you lying on the ground, and then Shax coming after me, then I must have blacked out because next thing I know I was lying on the floor of some warehouse outside of town, wearing these rags"

"Ok, it's all ok, I am sure there must be some kind of explanation" Piper began to pace up and down, wracking her brains in attempt to try and make some kind of sense of the situation . "Let's think about this.."

Prue took a further step backwards, crashing into the coffee table, causing the TV remote to fall to the floor, which turned off the mute button.

"TODAY'S NEWS HEADLNES" the New's readers voice came booming out of the TV and seemed to resonate around the room "ON MONDAY MAY 2ND 2005".

Prue went deathly pale "It's 2005!" she yelled as Paige frantically dived to turn the sound down

"I've come to the future! how did I come to the future?"

"No sweetie, this is the present, we know way too much about time travel and I can assure you that this is the present..," Piper soothed "CHRIS, CHRIS"

"Mom?" Chris materilaised in the centre of the room "seriously, mom I was just about to…"he glanced at the room "…is that aunt Prue?" he finished rather dramatically.

"Yeah, I know, look I need you to get dressed, orb to Elderland and ask your father and the rest of them about what the hell is going here"

"Sure, whatever you say" Chris orbed out.

"Did he just call you mom?" Prue interrupted

"yes"

"I knew it, this is some bizarre universe"

"No, Prue, it really isn't…. Paige, can you go fetch Phoebe immediately please"

"But, She..." Paige began at last finding her voice

"..I said now Paige" Paige knew better than to argue, and simply orbed out in the direction of the TV studios.

"So let me get this straight, if this is the present then 4 years have passed since we fought Shax?" Prue attempted to establish some facts.

"Yes, Prue I think you need to sit down" Piper wrapped her arm around her and lead her over to the sofa, wondering exactly how much to reveal, and how to do it.

"How the hell did I end up in 2005?"

Piper merely shrugged.

"So I've been missing for 4 years?" the eldest charmed one continued.

"missing..um..not exactly.."

"Come on Piper, you don't need to lie to me, I saw the way you greated me just now, it was as if you hadn't seen me for a long long time"

"Oh right" Piper averted her eyes.

"what is it? Has future me emigrated to some far distant country, have I become estranged from you guys, or did I cross over to the dark side?"

"No" Piper said cautiously

" I mean the only other explanation" Prue continued "would be if…if…I ..were…."

"dead" Piper finished.

"But of course that's impossible,.." she paused, waiting for her sister to agree, to laugh and tell her that her future self was at work in Australia, or was being held captive by terrorists deep within the heart of the amaonian rainforrist, anything.

"You thought I was dead?"

"we didn't just think you were dead ..we saw you.." Piper blurted, she really really didn't want to have this conversation.

"How could you think I was dead?"

"Like I said, we saw you, not breathing, or moving , just lying on the floor, trust me Prue, it was my worst nightmare brought to life, I was not imaging it "

"I don't understand, I can't be dead, I'm here, I'm alive, I'm breathing!"

"No, I don't understand either at the moment, but hopefully Leo and the other Elders' will know what has happened"

"Leo's an Elder?"

"Yes, it's a long story"

"Okay" Phoebe's voice could be heard , as her and Paige orbed into the Hall "Can someone please tell my why I was dragged half way across town, during a commercial break 'cos missy Paige here is refusing to.." Phoebe rounded the corner "...say..why….oh my god, Prue!"

Phoebe flung herself into her oldest sisters arms without a moments hesitation. "You're here, you're alive, oh my god"

"Phoebe" Prue hugged her youngest sister tightly, "Look at you," she attempted a smile "all grown up!"

"You are real aren't you" she asked, "I'm not hallucinating?" she turned to Piper.

"No, you're not hallucinating" Piper beamed.

"This is amazing. Gosh I feel so giddy right now" Phoebe exclaimed.

Paige stood observing this happy reunion, feeling strangely out of place. She wondered if anyone would notice if she orbed out of there. Seeing Prue there in the flesh was almost like some outerbody experience, as if she was dreaming the whole scene. She pinched her arm. Nope, she was definitely awake. As if to further the point, her phone began to ring.

"sorry" she apologised to the room at large,she grabbed the handset and silenced the thing.

The trio on the sofa jumped, as if finally remembering that there was a fourth person in the room.

"Prue" Piper stood up " We need to introduce you to someone very important" She beckoned Paige to move forward. Prue looked at the young woman with the pale complexion who appeared to be shaking slightly, she had orbed earlier, was she their new whitelighter or something?

"This is Paige" Piper was saying "our baby sister"

Paige felt Prue's eyes on her

"Our baby what?" Prue asked, wondering if she had momentarily misunderstood and confused 'baby sitter' with 'baby sister', but then logically why would Piper be introducing a baby sitter?

"Our little sister" Phoebe clarified, wrapping her arms around Paige's shoulders "you know how mum and Sam had this thing..it's a long story"

"Oh" Prue commented, apparently taking this revelation in her stride. " It's uh nice to meet you" she struggled to her feet.

"Same here" Paige extended an arm and awkwardly they shook hands.

The sound of silence was broken by orb lights which deposited Sam into the room.

"Hi" He called, " Prue! So it is true! Good to see you!"

"Hi" Prue said in a small voice, shouldn't he be dead, after the whole sea monster vanquish?Hell, that's nothing to go by I suppose, after all, I'm supposed to be dead.

"What are you doing here?" Paige asked relieved to have something other than Prue to focus her attention on.

" I came to collect you"

"Collect me?"

"Haven't you heard the call? All Whitelighters are being mobilised, we're on red alert, we need to get up to Elderland now"

"What for?" Paige asked, she had heard the call but had chosen to ignore it, given the events currently being played out in the manor.

"What for?" Sam looked at his daughter, wondering if she had lost her mind "For A Jamboree" He deadpanned "Your eldest sister, one of the charmed ones has suddenly returned from the apparent dead. The elders need to find out what happened, and find out fast, hence they need our help"

"well I can't go, I need to stay here"

"Paige"

"Sam, I said no"

"Alright" He knew there was no reasoning with her " But if the elders physically recall you, don't say I didn't warn you"

"Fine"

"Tell Leo, that if the Elders are using Whitelighters to play supernatural detectives, I do not want Chris going to the underworld alone, and that is an order" Piper interrupted.

"Will do." Sam agreed. " I'll see you later, and Paige? You can't keep ignoring the call because it's a bad time" with that he orbed out.

"Sorry about that" Paige felt the need to apologise again. Why was she apologising it wasn't here fault that Sam had dropped by?

Prue sat rubbing her temples

"are you ok?" Piper asked concerned.

"My head just keeps throbbing , I feel like I've been hit by a truck or something"

"why don't you go have a nice lie down" Piper suggested.

"and a bath" Phoebe added, indicating the mud on Prue's cheek and the torn clothes.

"I don't know…"

"You should" Piper cajoled, "and then perhaps when you have finished we will have some answers for you"

"I guess I could" Prue stood up slowly, "you still have my room right?" it was just a courtesy question, of course they would still have her room, if Paige was living here then they would have given her the guest room surely? Admittedly the guest room was half the size, the light wasn't very good and there wasn't room for a double bed, but still.

There was another awkward pause. The silence answered her question. In fact if the whole situation wasn't so confusing, Prue would have found the scene terribly funny as the 3 younger siblings quickly exchanged glances at each other as if to decide who should tell her.

"It's sort of actually kind of Paige's room" Phoebe explained.

"But you can still use it its fine" Paige blurted, not wanting to be unwittingly the source of dispute.

" I see" Prue's tone was neutral. " I suppose I have been gone 4 years, a bit silly of me to think that you would keep it empty" There was a note of sadness in her voice.

"Go on up" Piper gave her a little push toward the stairs. "you'll feel much better, and then we can try and make sense of all this together."

"okay" Prue said almost hesitantly. Slowly she made her way up the stairs. She paused at the top, and leant over the balcony to listen to the conversation that had resumed in the living room.

"Do you think it is the genuine Prue?" Phoebe was asking "Just because it looks like Prue and talks like Prue doesn't mean it is her"

"I believe it is her" Piper replied "She knew things a demon wouldn't"

"Then what's happening, I mean how did she come back to us?" Phoebe continued

"This is all freaking me out" Paige interupted

" I have no idea "Piper replied, "but whatever it is, it's obviously very powerful magic. I just hope the Elders find an explanation…."

XXX

Prue awoke from her nap and for a second thought that everything was normal. Then she noticed the artist easel in the corner, the framed photos of Paige and some young girl on the walls and a rather questionable lamp, and it all came rushing back to her.

She was in the future, (or so it seemed to her at any rate), which was actually the present. And she was dead. Well, not dead, that was impossible surely, but for some reason her sisters seemed to think she had died.

She blinked at the digital clock on the bedside table. 1.30pm? she had been asleep for nearly 5 hours. No wonder she felt rested. She swung her legs round out of bed, took two steps forward and was immediately flung backwards by a beam of whitelight.

"Hey" she shouted "Can some one deactivate the crystal cage please?"

"Sorry about that" Phoebe came running in about 30 seconds later, clutching a bundle of clothes."forgot about that"

"Why did you put me in a cage?" Prue was indignant

"We thought it would be safest, until we know what was going on"

"Right"

"So, did you sleep okay?"

"Surprsingly well actually"

"These are for you" She handed Prue a pair of jeans, a top and some underwear

"well this is a change, me borrowing clothes from you."

"Indeed"

"Can I ask you something?"

"sure, silly it's still me!"

"mind telling me why your name is on the side of a bus?"

Phoebe laughed. "I'm an advice collumist for the Bay Mirror"

"you're an advice columnist?"

"Bet you never thought you'd see the day huh!"

"well you never did like listening to any of my advice. Things must have changed"

"yeah and that's not the only thing"

"PHOEBE" Piper stuck her head round the door. "Elise is on the phone and she's mighty pissed about something"

"Great" Phoebe groaned. "She probably wants to know why I left the tv studios and never came back. This should be good"

"hey" Piper entered the room fully, baby Victor on her hip "how you feeling?"

"A bit better thanks" Prue noticed the baby "wow…is he yours?"

"yeah, this is Victor, Victor this is your aunty Prue"

"He's precious! Can I hold him?"

"here" Piper handed him to her sister, her eyes tearing up slightly at the sight that she never thought she would see.

"hello baby, aren't you just the cuteist" she cooed, bouncing him on her lap.

The baby looked up at her with his big green eyes. He seemed to be considering whether he knew this strangely familiar looking lady. Deciding that she was one of the good guys, he reached out and grasped her finger in one of his tiny hands.

"he seems taken with you" Piper commented.

"yeah..hey?" Prue puzzled as the dummy that Victor had been sucking suddenly disappeared from his mouth. "where'd that go?"

"WYATT!" Piper roared "YOU RETURN THAT DUMMY RIGHT NOW"

No sooner had the words left her mouth than Wyatt orbed into the room, a sulky expression on his usually angelic face, clutching his brother's dummy in his hand.

"Thank you" Piper retrieved it and handed it back to the baby.

"and this", she continued "is Wyatt. Wy say hello to your aunty Prue"

"hewo pwoo" came the reply.

"Look at him!" Prue exclaimed, " he looks like a little angel!"

" don't be fooled" Piper deadpanned.

"I can't believe it, two little boys!"

"Well 3 really, but I guess Chris isn't so little"

"What is the deal with Chris"

"It's another long story"

"I always knew you would be the first to..PIPER" Prue screamed as a minion blazed into the room.

" not again" Piper turned round and blew him up with an almost lazy flick of her wrist.

"Jeez, you certainly got the hang of that new power of yours" Prue was in awe

"New Power?"

"yeah to blow things up, you just got it remember right after…." She stopped "right! It was 4 years ago" she admonished herself.

"Sweetie it's okay, all this will take a bit of getting used to"

" I know"

"Look, I'll leave you to get dressed and then we'll have a proper talk, okay ? we have so much to catch you up on"

"OK" Prue hated feeling foolish. "wait aren't you going to ID the demon?"

"No, we know whats going on, it's the same one as before, and they are tomorrows problem"

Piper balanced Victor back on her hip and grabbed Wyatt by the wrist. "Come on babies, lets give aunty Prue some pivacy" she sing songed as she lead them out of the door.

XXX

30 minutes later a freshly showered Prue descended the stairs to the bottom floor. She entered the living room expecting to see Piper but instead found Paige.

"where is everyone?" she asked.

"um, Pipers putting the boys down for a nap, and Phoebe's still on the phone with Elise, some conference call" Paige felt herself involuntarily flush as she spoke. What was going on with her? it was only Prue, not a Royalty or something.

"What's with the candles?" Prue pointed to the pile on the coffee table.

"Piper wants us to summon mum and Grams, see if they have any answers" Paige explained, concentrating hard on getting her words out without stuttering.

"I see"

Silence.

It was funny Paige thought, glancing sideways at her oldest sister, how short Prue was. All the talk of Prue Halliwell super witch, had lead her to imagine Prue to be this tall commanding presence which struck fear into the heart of demons and men everywhere, but in reality she was tiny, Paige herself not the tallest person in the world, towered a good 3 inches over her.

"Can I um, ask you a question?" Paige asked nervously, this matter had been bugging her since this morning, and she figured now was a good a time as any to ask, especially since the alternative was to sit in awkward silence until either Piper or Phoebe returned.

"Yes" Prue responded, glad of the opportunity to talk to this newly aquiered little sister.

"I might be completely making this, up or imaging it or I don't know, but you didn't seem overly shocked when Piper and Paige introduced me earlier, I mean compared with how they reacted when they found out."

Prue smiled, "nothing get's past you does it?"

"I'm sorry I shouldn't be so nosey, asking you questions and all when your

So confused and everything.." Paige began to babble nervously

" I always wanted to go to Camp" Prue said simply, cutting off Paige in mid babble.

"huh?" it was Paige's turn to be confused.

"Every year I asked Grams if I could go, and every year she said no. Then, the year I was 7, I came home from school one day and Grams called me into the kitchen and told me that this summer Piper and I were to go on a little holiday, and that we could either go stay with Aunt Majorie or we could go to camp. I was so happy, I thanked Grams, but she said it was mom's idea. I ran upstairs to thank her too, but her room was empty, she was on the phone down the hall. So I waited and waited, but I got a little bored. I noticed her make up on her dresser, and I just couldn't resist myself, I painted my face, and in doing do probably ruined several of her best lipsticks. I heared mom hang up the phone and I panicked, I thought that if she saw me, saw what I had done then she would change her mind and wouldn't let me go to camp. It was too late to run out of the room, she would catch me, so I dived under the bed. She came in and began getting changed to go to work..she took her blouse off and I noticed her stomoch, it was all swollen. The last time I remembered seeing her like that had been 2 years before, when she had explained that our new little sister Phoebe was inside of her. I was confused, because I didn't remember her telling us anything about having another little sister. She finished getting changed and went out. I didn't say anything, and a month later Piper and I went off to Camp Skylark. When I came home, mom was thin again, and there was no new baby, I began to think that I had imagined it. Later after mom died, nothing was mentioned about another sister, and when Grams eventually passed away without revealing anything, I became convinced that I had indeed made it all up. Until today that is."

"You knew? All these years?" Paige was amazed

"I had an idea, I didn't know for sure"

"So you.."

"FINALLY" Phoebe groaned as she entered the living room cutting off the conversation, "Elise wouldn't let me go, good job she was paying the bill. Did I interrupt something?"

"No" Paige said at exactly the same as Prue shouted 'Yes"

Phoebe looked at them and raised an eyebrow. "are we all set?" she asked deciding to speak to Paige about it later.

"Yep." Paige waived the candles "apart from.."

"..me" Piper finished, entering the living room. "Ok, Prue I think you should wait over there out of sight, then you can step forward when you get your cue, give mom and Grams a surprise.."

"Alright" Prue hesitantly trundled into the alcove,. She hated taking orders, but this whole situation was so confusing, it was easier for someone else to take control, besides she wondered what exactly Piper was planning on doing

"Good". Piper gathered her younger sisters in a circle

"Here these words, here my cry

Spirit from the otherside,

come to me,

I summon thee,

cross now the great divide"

a swirling of bright lights deposited Patty and Penny into the centre of the circle.

"Girls" Patty exclaimed, excited to see her daughters.

Penny upon noticing her Granddaughters lined up in a row, their arms folded, looks of determination on their faces, appeared less enthusiastic to be back on earth.

"You called?" She said cautiously.

"Yes" Piper declared. "We need to have a little chat….".

XXX

TBC