Chapter 4 - On the Doorstep

He'd left already, and it was barely nine o' clock. Neither of them knew where he'd gone, neither of them cared. Sat in the small living room, neither spoke. Silence was something they were used to - if they didn't talk, there was less chance of them annoying him. They'd learnt to communicate without words, using expressions and gestures. After a few minutes, Prue got up, walked into the kitchen and returned with a bowl of cereal, which she handed to Phoebe.

"Eat." She said quietly, and Phoebe reluctantly put a spoonful into her mouth, looking up at Prue as she chewed. She tilted her head slightly, looked at Prue questionably, silently asking What about you? Prue shook her head, looked out of the window instead. She wasn't hungry, didn't want to eat. As long as Phoebe was OK, so was she.

----

Holding her sister's arm tightly, Piper led Paige down another street.

"Are we nearly there?" She asked. She'd given up trying to figure out that map, leaving it to Paige to tell her which direction to head. She hesitated when they came to a junction.

"Uh, I - I think... Piper?"

"What?" Piper stopped, looked back at Paige.

"I think this is it." Paige murmured, nodding her head down the street to the left.

"This is it? This is the street?" Piper asked quickly. She was too exited to take in the small houses, the messy gardens.

"I think so." Paige nodded, excitement welling up. "Oh, wow, Piper, this is it."

"OK, OK, calm down." Piper said. "What exactly are we going to say?"

"What if he answers?" Paige added quickly. "Do you think he works, or - or that he's out?"

"I never thought of that." Piper admitted guiltily.

"Me neither." Paige said. "And what if they'd already moved? It's been two weeks..."

"We couldn't help that." Piper murmured. "We had to get the money, and the tickets, and everything together..."

"Do you really think they'll have moved?" Paige said, her eyes wide, sand Piper realised her sister had wanted reassurance. But she couldn't give it.

"Only one way to find out." Piper replied, adjusted the rucksack on her shoulder, and then started down the street. Paige hesitated, them smiled and hurried after her.

Piper didn't slow until she was right on the doorstep. What if he was in? Would he recognise her? But she couldn't back out now, they were so, so close. So she slowly lifted her hand and knocked on the door.

----

Prue jumped as the noise echoed through the house. She and Phoebe looked at each other.

"The police?" Phoebe said hopefully.

"Probably a salesman." Prue said. "Or - maybe someone to see him. Wait here."

"No way." Phoebe replied, and followed closely behind Prue as she headed for the front door. Prue tried to look out of the peephole, but it was too dirty to see through.

"We're not allowed to open the door." Phoebe said quietly.

"Then we better hope he won't find out." Prue replied, then gripped the door handle tightly in her hand. With one quick turn and a pull, she opened the door a tiny crack.

Piper was about to knock again when the door opened. Only a little bit, enough to reveal one blue eye on a slim, white face, framed by dark hair.

"Hi - uh - is your father home?" Piper asked awkwardly. Was this Prue? Prue had blue eyes, she remembered. Slowly, the girl behind the door shook her head, then moved to close the door.

"No - no wait." Paige said, and Piper felt Paige's nails digging into her arm. Piper grabbed the edge of the door to stop it closing, then gave a nervous smile.

"Um, hi - you wouldn't happen to be called Prue Halliwell, would you?" Piper said the shock in the girls' eyes, and she didn't say anything. "Prue... please, say it's you." Piper said softly. The door opened wider and a second girl was revealed, this one with brown hair and eyes.

"Phoebe..." Piper murmured.

"Who are you?" Phoebe demanded, looking from Piper, to Paige, then to Prue.

"I... I'm Piper, and this is Paige." Piper siad softly. "Do you - do you remember us?"

"Piper? Paige?" Phoebe gasped, her brown eyes wide. Prue was silent, though Paige had noticed her eyes widen too. "Prue..." Phoebe whispered.

"I'm sorry, I think you have the wrong house -"

"No, Prue, it's us, it's your sisters." Paige said quickly. "Not surprised you don't recognise me, I was just a baby." She tried to laugh, but her mouth was too dry.

"Paige." Prue whispered hoarsely, then drifted her eyes over to Piper. "Is it really ...?"

"We've come to take you home." Piper stated. "We got the letter."

"The letter... but what about mum -"

"Please, just get your stuff and come with us." Piper replied. "We'll explain everything -"

"She's dead, isn't she?" Phoebe siad quietly, and Piper nodded slowly. "I'm sorry you had to find out like this." She said, simply because she had nothing else to say.

"He killed her." Prue whispered. "Oh, god, he killed her."

"What? No! It was later, years later. She - she drowned -" Piper stammered. "She never gave up trying to look for you - he - he didn't kill her -"

"Where's Victor?" Paige asked.

"He went out... I don't know when he'll be back." Prue replied. "Any minute." She added.

"Get your things, quickly." Piper ordered. " We'll go to the bus station -"

"We have to bus it home, cos we don't have enough money for more plane tickets." Paige finished. "Hurry."

"We can't do this. He'll kill us."

"No, when we get home, we'll go to the police." Piper said. "Come on, we'll help."

"Prue, we can't stay here!" Phoebe hissed. "This is what we always wanted, always dreamed of -"

"I never wanted a couple of teenage girls to save us!" Prue replied.

"We're your sisters." Piper cut in.

"It won't work, he'll find us -" Prue said.

"We'll move fast." Piper said firmly. "Go. Pack. Quickly." Prue looked at the two of them for what seemed like ever. She had to admire the fact that two of them had travels across the state to get them, to save them.

"OK. OK, wait here. Shout if you see him." Prue said, then disappeared into the house, Phoebe close behind.