Heya guys sorry its been so long. I hurt my wrist at the begining of last week and did "soft tissue damage" (not a clue what it means) and I had to rest it, so no computer. But I'm back!
Chapter 7 - Family
Two weeks later.
Prue walked down the stairs and into the kitchen, dismayed to find that once again she was the firs tone up, other than Grams.
"Hi, Prue." Grams said brightly, and Prue nodded awkwardly.
"Morning." She mumbled. Grams was making an effort, a big one, as were Piper and Paige, but she found it hard to accept this whole thing. She was used to it just being her and Phoebe, with Victor around sometimes. Now, suddenly, she was sharing a room with two more people, and her long-lost Grandmother, with no idea where her father was. The police hadn't caught him, yet, but Prue wondered how long he would run for. He'd once told her, a long time ago, that when she and Phoebe were older and had left him, he might as well give himself up to the police, with nothing else to live for.
"Did you sleep well?"
"Great." Prue lied. The truth was she had hardly slept at all over the last two weeks unable to settle. Plus, whenever she did sleep, Phoebe would wake her up by climbing in next to her.
"Prue... I... maybe you and Phoebe should think about counselling -" Penny said carefully.
"No way. We're fine. Really."
"Well, a friend of mine mentioned family therapy sessions -"
"No." Prue said firmly, and Penny surprised a smile.
"You remind me a lot of myself, Prue." Penny told her. "Your mother always used to say we were alike, but I never saw it... until now."
"That's great." Prue said. "Uh, actually Grams I wanted to talk to you about something..."
"Prue, I know you don't want to go to school, but you have to. You have another two weeks before the school year starts, so please just enjoy them and stop worrying."
"Phoebe and I have never attended school for more than three weeks at a time. Sometimes he enrolled us into the wrong years, so no one would know who we were. We... we wont be as smart as the other people in our years." The last part was barely audible.
"I know that. And so does the school. If you need any help, just ask the teachers, no one will think anything of it."
"Sure they won't." Prue muttered, then spun on her heel and walked out of the room.
----
"School isn't that bad." Paige said, and received withering looks from all three of her sisters. The four of them were sat on the steps outside the manor. "OK, so it's not great. But it's survivable, honest."
"What are you so worried about?" Piper asked. "I know it's not the best thing in life, but you guys seem... almost scared." Neither Prue nor Phoebe spoke, and Piper and Paige exchanged looks.
"This whole sister thing... it wont work out if we keep secrets from each other." Paige said.
"This'll take some getting used to, but we can do it. So come on, what is it?" Piper coaxed.
"Promise you won't laugh?" Phoebe mumbled, and when Piper and Paige nodded, she looked at the floor. "See, the thing is, we didn't go to school regularly. We only know the basics... I mean, we can read and write and add up, but... well, we won't fit in. People will think we're stupid."
"They won't. Look, people around here know all about you. Everyone at school knows who you are, and, well, Paige and I sometimes get a lot of attention over it. They'll understand, really..."
"So you don't think anyone there will give us a hard time?" Prue asked, her eyebrow raised.
"OK, so some of them will. But you'll soon catch up... we'll help you, we'll help you study." Piper promised.
"Really?" Phoebe sounded surprised, and Piper nodded.
"That's what families do." Paige said. "They help each other out."
"Family." Phoebe echoed quietly. "Yeah..."
----
"Oh, Patty, you should see them together." Penny smiled. "They're already so close, just like they used to be."
"I'm glad." Patty smiled. Floating several inches above the floor, the candles around her shining through her transparent body, Patty smiled wistfully. "I wish I could see them." She sighed.
"One day. But they're not ready, not yet."
"I know. Look after them, mum." Patty murmured.
"I will do." Penny promised. "You will see them, someday. I promise you..."
----
Dinner that night made Penny smile the whole way through. Her four granddaughters chattering away, giggling and joking. She knew then that nothing could ruin this...
A loud banging on the door made silence fall over the room, and Penny's smile vanish. It sounded again, and Prue and Phoebe automatically gripped hands under the table.
"It's him." Prue murmured. She'd been expecting this, for the last two weeks she'd been waiting.
"Wait here." Penny ordered, then walked into the hallway.
"Wait here." Piper repeated to her sisters, then hurried to the kitchen door. She put her head into the hallway so she could watch, and was soon joined by Paige. Prue and Phoebe stayed sat at the table, not daring to move.
"What if he takes us back...?" Phoebe mumbled.
Penny opened the door, just a crack, and recognised him instantly. Sure, his brown hair was speckled with grey, his eyes looked dull, tired and were framed by lines that aged him more than he was, and his clothes hung off of him, as though he had lost weight recently. His face was pale, unshaven, and he smelt, even from a foot away, faintly of drink.
"Victor..."