Andy decided he would check up on Prue each night, just to make sure she was safe. He drove to the house on his way home from work and rang the doorbell. Phoebe answered the door.
"Hey," she greeted him.
"Hey Phoebe, where's Prue? The house is quiet, which makes me worried."
"Oh, she just went out with Piper to her club with the kids. Piper's the manager there."
A Jeep drove up to the manor and parked itself behind Andy's, and he smiled when he saw Prue. The women got out of the car, took the children out from the backseat, locked the doors, and walked up the front steps. Melinda and P.J. scampered upstairs while giggling.
"Andy, hi," Prue said. "You look relieved." She tried to hide her smile, but failed. She pursed her lips, and he was reminded of how cute she looked when she did that.
"I'm just glad things are back to normal, for you, anyway." Not really for him and Prue, though.
Her smile faded and she flinched at his words. "Things aren't normal, because I jump every time there's a noise, I have horrifying flashbacks, I'm afraid of men I don't know-in fact, I hate them-and I don't feel like myself anymore. Though it's true that I'm with my sisters again, I'm not the Prue Halliwell that you knew in high school. You can't look after me any longer, it's not your job. My sisters are with me. All I need now is for the last five years to never have happened, and then I'd be able to say I'm fine." She walked past him and up the steps with a scowl on her face.
Piper and Phoebe sighed sadly. Andy frowned and shook his head.
"Did I say something, or do something?" Andy was puzzled. Women can be so confusing. "I mean, she flashed her pearly whites at me when she saw me. It was for a split second, but it was there."
"It could be that you said her life was back to normal. Yes, the Prue that we've always known is still here, but she's not the same as she was nine years ago. She's gone from being a strong, stubborn, sassy woman, to a lady who's afraid of her own shadow. She's basically a grieving mother, too, don't forget. She needs protection and crumbles into your arms if you give it to her, and she only feels safe with her own gender, which means that the kidnapper was obviously male." Piper let him know. "Andy, she needs to testify. Whatever happened to her had to have been beyond a beating. You said she was locked in a basement with bruises and scrapes, well imagine what nine years of that must have been like. I can't bear to think of her in that situation. If she gives her statement, this guy will be behind bars for life...I hope."
"You girls mind if I come over and tell her that myself? The daylight might also calm her. It's dark and she wasn't expecting me, so that may be another reason she didn't feel comfortable talking to me."
"Sure, come over tomorrow. Good night," Phoebe said, and the sisters closed the door behind them. He shuffled back to his car and wished that he'd never moved anywhere away from Prue. He also thought that if she ran after him and begged him not to leave, he would've changed his mind and stayed, anything for her. Then this whole thing would have never happened in the first place. They'd be married now with kids.
Prue regretted her choice to let go of Andy the day he left for Portland. Ashamed of herself and lonely, she let herself get into one bad relationship after another until she hit rock bottom. She'd turned down dates and her sisters called her picky, so to make her stop, she decided to accept one man's proposal,Whitaker Berman's, and they eloped after he heavily romanced her. She snuck out of her bedroom window and went to Las Vegas with him. It was by far the biggest mistake she'd ever made, apart from not holding onto Andy. She wanted danger and Andy was too bland for her, or so she thought at the time. Now look at where that had gotten her.
Scars marked up her flesh, and she could really feel her bones through her skin. A reddish-purple bruise was on her cheek where he'd slapped her days before. She looked tired, and she was. She lifted her bangs and smoothed them back so they would tangle into the rest of her coarse hair.
Prue sat down on the toilet and she examined herself. She'd felt an immense stabbing in her lower area ever since she was in the basement, but she didn't want to think about it, so she pushed it to the back of her mind until it hurt too much and she couldn't do that anymore. There were little bite marks there, human bite marks. She wondered how such a tender and tiny area could have that many wounds. She couldn't bear to look at herself any longer, so she got back up and prepared to bathe herself. She'd do it until she was clean.
She yawned and then stepped into the shower. She turned it on and immediately cowered in the corner when she felt the burning water on her flesh. It reminded her of the time he threw boiling water on her for not cooking enough for him and his friends. She turned the knob slightly and tested the water. It was much too cold, but at least it soothed her wounds. She washed herself quickly until she started trembling. She turned off the water and then carefully patted herself dry. Some of her injuries were fresh and too sore to handle the softest of towels. She got herself dressed in her light pink nightgown and tiptoed to bed.
She used to love taking a bath because it calmed her, but now, all it did was give her nightmares, even when she wasn't sleeping.
The feeling was suffocating, being immersed in the hot, sudsy waters. She couldn't even tell she was crying, since the water blended with her tears. She swallowed gallons and it hurt to cough. Her heart was slowing and she felt like she was on fire, the way his nails dug into her skin and his foot crushed hard on her throat. The life was escaping her with each second.
She jumped and sat boltright up in her bed. She gasped shakily while she pressed her fingers to her temple. Her heartbeat was pounding way too fast for her liking. She wiped her tears away, pushed her hair back from her dampened face, and fell back onto her pillow. She couldn't have such scary dreams like these anymore; she didn't want to wake up her sisters or make the kids cry with her screaming.
She only had one more nightmare after that-one where Whitaker had thrown her down the stairs so she rolled over and over again- and she awoke with a loud and painful thump. She opened her eyes abruptly and checked her surroundings. She found herself on the floor with the sheets tangled around her limbs and when Piper and Phoebe ran in with alarmed expressions on their faces, she blushed from embarrassment.
"Fell out of bed...tossing and turning too much, I guess," she muttered. "I'm okay."
The women helped her up immediately and got her back into bed. She groaned as her ears rung from the bang her body had made on her hardwood floor. She was a bit dizzy, and her girls must have noticed because they were holding up two fingers and asking her how many fingers they were showing her. She said the correct amount, and they were pleased to know she really was okay. They bid her another goodnight and then all was quiet.
Prue crawled out of bed and rubbed her eyes from tiredness. She turned on her lamp and all of a sudden, she was in an exploring mood. She pushed open her closet door and dug through a pile of clothes that were in a box. This was her childhood bedroom, so she knew there would be things here that would remind her of happy occasions. She wanted to go to sleep with positive thoughts.
She sifted through the box that was marked Andy and Prue with a few pink hearts drawn around their names, and she began to cry, because she found all sorts of things from their relationship, such as flowers he'd given her, love notes from when they went away for vacations with their families, and a Giants sweatshirt he'd given her that she used to wear to bed when it was freezing and too late to call him. She also found one of his old green shirts he'd left behind with her, on purpose, presumably, for warm nights.
"Hey Prue, let's go to a Giants game. My parents got tickets for us and your sisters."
"That sounds fun! Hey, Piper, Phoebe, you guys wanna go to a Giants game?" she called out, and they responded with a chorus of yeses and cheers. She laughed and said, "Count all three of us in."
"Sounds perfect, we'll get you Saturday at five. The game starts at seven."
Andy noticed Prue was cold later in the game, so he offered her his sweatshirt and let her keep it. She was fourteen, but she still knew this was true love, and she was experiencing it right here, right now.
Prue hugged his sweatshirt and shirt close to her body and inhaled. His scent was there and the feeling of him was there. She quickly changed out of her nightdress and into his clothes. They came down to her thighs, halfway to her knees, and she had never remembered feeling so protected in her whole life. She whispered a thanks to the heavens and shuffled back to bed. She tucked her legs under her layers of his clothing and had a peaceful sleep, at last.
The next day started out like the previous two. Prue wasn't the first one up like she used to be. Even the little children were up before her, and she heard lively conversation outside her door. She'd missed out on giving everyone breakfast yesterday, so she knew she would have to do that today. She sat up with a stretch followed by a yawn. Sunlight poured into the room and she saw that it was already ten in the morning. After putting on her sweatpants, she stumbled to the bathroom, barely awake, and washed her face. She did her business without looking, scrubbed her hands with soap and water, and then wiped her wet hands on a towel.
The entire family was at the table, eating their breakfasts, and little Melinda toddled over to her. She put her hands on her hips and grinned mischievously. "Mornin', sleepyhead. That's what Mama calls Daddy when he won't wake up when he's 'apposed to at six-o-clock. You a sleepyhead like my daddy and my Unca Coop, but you slept for longer than them."
Prue chuckled and bent down. "Sorry, tiny girl. Will you forgive me for being tired?"
Melinda tapped her chin and scrunched her eyebrows together. "What's the magic word, Auntie?"
"Will you please forgive me for being tired? I had a bad dream."
"It's okay."
P.J.'s mouth went into an 'O' shape. "Oh no! There's monsters under your bed too? Daddy can get them out for you if you want. He and Unca Leo do that for me and Melinda all the time!"
"My mommy said to tell them that they weren't real and they didn't exist. She told me that you said that a long time ago," Melinda said.
Prue looked up from the kids and smiled at Piper and Phoebe. "Yes, I did say that. I should follow my own advice, huh?"
"Silly Auntie Prue!" Melinda giggled and ran back to Leo. "Daddy, make Auntie Prue's monsters under her bed go away forever and ever and ever! Please, pretty please, with sprinkles and whipped cream on top?"
The women's eyes glistened with unshed tears and Leo smiled sadly. He picked up his daughter and set her in his lap. "I'll try my best, Melly-belly."
"Yay! Hurry, do it now," the little girl demanded and P.J. nodded her head fervently in agreement and made her brown ringlets bob up and down.
"Melinda, sweetie, your aunt's monsters will take longer to leave this house, since she's a grownup. We all gotta be real patient. Can you please promise me that you will calmly wait for them to go away?" Piper asked her daughter.
"I pwomise." Melinda nodded and bounced in her father's lap.
"Yo, what about you, Christina?" Phoebe wondered aloud.
"Me too, I pinky swear!"
"Thank you," everyone responded in unison.
Phoebe continued to feed P.J. "You are such a good little niece, Melinda. You'll grow up to be as loving and caring as your mother and father."
"Of course, your aunts and uncles, too," Coop added and gave Phoebe a kiss on her cheek. Prue beamed at the interaction.
"What about me?" P.J. wanted to know.
"You got your moments," Phoebe said teasingly.
"Why?"
"You're good most of the time," Phoebe told her. "You know I'll always love you, though, no matter what."
P.J. beamed. "I love you too, Mommy."
Because Andy was on his break, he dialed Prue's number. She picked up on the third ring.
"Hello?" She sounded so tired, weak, and broken.
"Hey, Prue, it's Andy. You know I'm here for you if you wanna talk."
"I wish someone could stay home with me...I don't like being alone. Sometimes, I enjoy the peace and quiet, but I need company right now. I told everyone to go to work and not worry about me since they need to get paid...but I'm glad you called," Prue mumbled. "Don't get in any trouble, though."
"I won't, I'm on a break. I can come over there right after work if you'd like. I'll get you a cheeseburger and fries."
"Okay, thank you." She sniffled.
"What did you have for lunch?"
"Nothin'," Prue admitted sheepishly. "I woke up super late and ate cereal, yogurt, and fruit for breakfast just before you called. I didn't have the best sleep either, so...I was exhausted. I'm sorry…"
"Hey, you got nothin' to apologize for," Andy assured her. "If I'd been held hostage for five years straight, I'd be tossing and turning from nightmares and flashbacks, too. It's perfectly understandable that you didn't get very good rest. I'm just glad you had somethin' so you wouldn't faint from starvation. I know you gotta eat right when you wake up."
"You remembered from back then?" He could hear the surprise in her tone.
"Of course I did."
"Well, it's not so bad now...he didn't feed me much until I was passed out from hunger, so I'm used to it."
Andy felt so awful for what she'd endured. He wished he could hold her and comfort her, but he wouldn't until she was ready. When he'd rescued her and carried her out of the basement, that was different. He was doing his job. "I regret not asking your permission when I lifted you up in my arms. Even if I thought you couldn't speak, there's always nonverbal gestures."
"It's okay...I couldn't move, and I was happy to get out of that horrible room. You freed me from captivity, and I don't know how I can repay you for that, besides saying thank you."
"I'm a cop, it's what we do. You're welcome, though. You don't have to return the favor or anything."
"Really? You're sweet."
"Yeah, I mean that. Thanks!"
"Well, I've just never really known a man as good as you and Coop are...and Leo seems nice, too, but I haven't gotten the chance to talk to him much."
"Prue, I'm sorry about what I said last night-"
"Captain said time's up and back to work!" Rodriguez interrupted him loudly and then snickered. "Get off the phone, newbie." .
Andy held up a finger. "I apologize, my break is over. I'll talk to you later, okay?"
"Bye!" Prue hung up just before he did.
"Jesus, man, who made you hall monitor?" Andy muttered. He missed Prue so much already, and all he wanted to do now was keep making her feel better. "I'm well aware, I was about to finish the conversation."
"With Prue, right?" Rodriguez asked in a brisk tone.
"Yep," Andy said nonchalantly.
Rodriguez smirked. "The same woman who you saved just recently? We overheard you talking about that."
Andy nodded, but this time, he didn't verbally answer.
Rodriguez sneered. "Well, you know what they say about officers fucking victims."
"We're not even dating, and it's none of your business anyway."
"Hey, leave him alone!" Morris commanded them.
Rodriguez finally walked out and Andy sighed with relief as Morris sat down. "Thanks, buddy."
"Anytime, pal. Unfortunately, though, he's right...if you and that woman become anything more than friends, everyone's gonna look at you funny and the captain might come down harder on you."
Andy scoffed. "Who's gonna tell him about my personal life with Prue?"
"Not me!"
At about two that same Saturday afternoon, Andy took a trip to In and Out Burger, with thoughts of wanting to surprise Prue with lunch. His partner Darryl was with him.
"That for me?" he asked teasingly with a smirk. "Or is it for your Juliet?"
"I'm going to try to get her to give her statement soon. Prue and I go way back, so far back that I remember her usual when we used to get burgers." Andy set the bags in his lap. "Prue's house, go."
Morris started to drive. "You really care about this girl, don't you?"
"I do, man. I wanna personally put this guy on death row and then beat him to a pulp so that he wants to die." Andy gritted his teeth. "That bastard changed her. The other night, she looked scared out of her mind...she wouldn't even talk to me."
"Then what makes you think she'll accept lunch, never mind standing up in court and testifying against Berman?"
"Maybe when it's light outside and she's with her sisters, she'll feel better about talking to me."
"This case is personal for you, so I think I should take it. Look, Andy, I know that you wanna do everything in your power to help her, and you can, but at a personal level. I can tell her the hard facts about needing to testify and you can just listen. You're on a first name basis with the woman, and trust me, business and leisure don't mix. My wife doesn't call me Officer Morris, she calls me Darryl. If something happened to her, I would have you take the case, you know what I'm saying?"
"Yeah, if Prue called me Officer Trudeau, it would seem strange. Thanks for taking this one for me, buddy."
"Anytime," Darryl responded and pulled up to the house. They got out of the car and knocked on the door.
"Bitch, make something for dinner!" Whitaker shouted at Prue and kicked her in the side. She collapsed to the floor and held herself while trying not to sob. A glass broke over her and tiny shards rained down on her.
The smoke alarm went off as Prue shrieked through her panic. She had been making chicken for lunch, but since it was the first time she was cooking something bigger than breakfast since her life with him, she couldn't concentrate on the task at hand. "Ow!" The sparks from the flames were rising higher and higher until the whole frying pan was on fire. She waved her arms everywhere and sent a dish flying. When it hit the floor, it cracked into millions of pieces. The kids were screaming and their parents carried them away from the kitchen while she poured cupful after cupful of water into the pan. The hissing steam rose up to the ceiling. "Shit, fuck, every curse word in the dictionary!" she swore at herself. "Piper, Phoebe!" A second later, a small hole formed at the bottom of her sweatpants, no matter how many times her sisters tried to beat the flame with a dishrag.
Prue whimpered and placed her hand firmly over where the scorching area was. Piper turned off the stove and got some ice from the freezer. She held it to the red burn and instructed Prue to sit down.
"I'll take care of it, don't worry."
"I've ruined lunch..." Pain and humiliation crossed over Prue's face.
"We can still have potatoes," Phoebe said as she tossed the black chicken into the sink and put it down the garbage disposal. She put on oven mitts and soaked the pan with hot water so the burnt bits could come off later when it cooled down. "We got more meat?"
The question went unanswered as the doorbell rang, and Leo went to get it. "Andy, and...?"
"Officer Morris, sir. I hope you're not too busy...is Prue home?"
"Somethin' burning?" Andy asked worriedly.
"The girls are taking care of it, please come in," Leo invited them.
"Oh no! Auntie Prue got an owie! Mommy, Mommy, it's Andy and another officer person!" Melinda announced as she ran into the kitchen. "They wanna see Auntie Prue!" She jumped up and down in place a few times.
Prue stood up from where she was sitting and limped over to Andy. The ice was left on the floor while she made her way towards him. He stopped himself in the middle of a sentence when he saw Prue. "I bought you cheeseburgers and fries...and I guess I came at just the right time."
"Uh, thanks, Andy, but I screwed up the chicken...I'm sorry."
"We all make mistakes; it's perfectly normal. Anyway, would you mind if my partner and I spoke to you for a minute, just you by yourself?"
Prue chewed on her lower lip, which was a habit she did when she was nervous. "Um, okay. That would be fine, sure. I-I mean, I haven't eaten or anything, but...but be back later," she stammered through her speech. She quickly followed Andy and his partner into a secluded room and they sat down at a table. "Are you sure nobody can hear us?"
"They can't if they don't listen in," Andy answered her. "You probably have an inkling of why we're here." He handed her a cheeseburger and a bag of fries. "We'll eat, he'll talk."
Prue took a bite and braced herself for what she was about to hear. They ate their food while the other officer introduced himself to her.
"My name is Darryl Morris, but you can call me Officer Morris, if that makes you feel more comfortable. I'm investigating the Whitaker Berman case, and Andy here tells me that you two knew each other quite a while ago, is that correct?"
She nodded. "Yes, sir."
"Would you like me to call you Prue or Miss Halliwell? Whatever you prefer."
"Prue's fine."
"Now, Prue, I know that you were Whitney Berman, and the world is asking where in God's name this woman is. How long were you living with this violent man?"
"Five years," she said tersely. She blew out a big breath and ate some more to calm herself down. She didn't want to cry while eating.
"Before I ask any more questions, I need to explain things a little better. Andy can't work on your case, since he knows you inside and out. It's too personal for him, and feelings would get in the way of information that needs to be known. He won't want to force you to say anything you don't want to say." Her heart sank and she was crestfallen. "I'm sorry, Prue. If it makes you feel any better, I know you can win this case against Berman. We all know that what he did was wrong and despicable. If Andy gets too involved in this, he won't be able to control his emotions, and it may get him fired or your case thrown out. He can't even hold this guy down in court-only I can. However, he can find out what happens to this guy and help you with your statement. He can stand with you as a witness."
"My statement? What, I gotta say somethin'?" She narrowed her eyes at the men. "I don't even wanna think about what happened, let alone talk about it. Do you know how upset that makes me? I mean, I haven't even told my sisters yet." Prue laughed humorlessly. "Why can't you just keep him in jail or shoot him yourself or somethin'? You're cops and you want to protect me, well then, don't involve the victim in this shit. I never wanna see that vicious animal again." She got up and tossed the rest of her fries at Andy. "Why didn't you say anything against his bull, huh? I thought you were on my side. You're lucky there wasn't any ketchup on those fries, or you would have had to throw away that goddamn fancy suit of yours because you can't wear stained clothes to work. Thanks a lot for ruining my day." Tears brimmed at her eyes as she stormed out the door angrily.
She ran to the kitchen and began to clean up. She swept the pieces of the broken dish into a dustpan and threw them in the garbage. She scrubbed the pan and then looked down at the largest slab of the cracked dish which represented her current state of mind. Prue turned on her heel and went to go upstairs but her sisters stopped her. She tried to get away, but they wouldn't let her.
Darryl looked at Andy with a defeated expression. "What the hell do we do now?"
"I'm going to make her feel better about this whole situation."
"Prue, what's wrong?" they heard someone outside ask.
He left the room to find her sitting on the bottom of the staircase with her sisters on either side of her, comforting her. She had her head in her hands and her elbows atop her knees.
"Andy's stupid partner is trying to force me to testify in court in front of thousands of people I don't know, half of them are his family and friends, and I just can't deal with that kind of pressure!" she explained meekly. "He said Andy couldn't just slit W-uh, the criminal's, throat. I mean, what the fuck? How is that fair? How hard is it to just throw someone in jail? We don't even have money for a lawyer! I mean, we do, but I don't need one because the crime was committed against me, for fuck's sake!"
"Honey, let Andy help you. He'll be a witness since he actually saw what kind of environment you were living in. It will be too emotional for you guys if he takes your case." Piper leaned on Prue's shoulder.
Phoebe looped her arm through Prue's. "He'll be a witness and Piper and I will both be holding your hands through it all."
Andy walked toward them. "Just go away," Prue mumbled thickly.
"I know you're scared, Prue, I can see it in your eyes. I also know that you're mad at the world and I'm so sorry-"
Prue snapped her head up and gave him the most menacing glare, but he didn't back down.
"Stop it, just stop it...you were trying to guilt me into doing things for you...trying to bribe me with fast food! Why did this have to happen to me, why the fuck me? Ugh!" she exploded. Angry tears slid down her cheeks. "You couldn't just take the case for me, huh? You're supposed to be my friend, but then you sic Morris on me? What kind of friend is that? God, you just feel sorry for me! I'm that poor woman who got abused by her kidnapper for nine years and a mother who was ripped away from her daughter for that same amount of time, that's all I am to you, so shut the fuck up with your stupid apologies," she said darkly. Her blue eyes had never looked so fierce before, but Andy could see all the hurt behind them. He couldn't help but feel like a failure. Luckily, Phoebe spoke next before he could say anything else that would stab Prue in the heart.
"Ella Madriz is a lawyer and with all of our money combined, especially Leo's, we could hire her for you, Prue. Tell your story and ignore that bastard and his cronies. Stare at somethin' above everyone's heads and just talk. All you gotta do is act like you're in English class and you don't want people staring at you."
"Oh, stop making everything sound easier than it is, Phoebe! You always do that, you're a pro at it! Oh, I'm the great and rebellious Phoebe, I just got out of a goddamn shopping mall with billion dollar bracelets around my wrist, wow I love the five finger discount!"
"Prue," Piper interrupted her gently.
"You actually hurt my feelings, Prue, I'm not that way anymore. Don't bring that up, I'm not proud of how I was!" Phoebe was visibly upset.
"Your feelings," Prue sneered. "You completely ignored mine. Don't try to tell me how I feel."
"I'm trying to help you, and you're being such a bitch!" Phoebe burst out.
"Try calling me a bitch again, and this time, add the words 'cunt-ass whore' because it sounds so cute to my ears!" Prue yelled. She would have hit Phoebe, if Andy hadn't restrained her arms.
"Let go of me! She needs a good, hard slap!"
"No, you don't wanna hurt those who love you."
"She's gone off the deep end, Piper, just kill her," Prue snapped.
"Hey! Alright, you two, enough!" Piper cut in. Andy wondered when she would intervene, and he slowly removed his hands from Prue's arms. "Prue, Phoebe has a point. As for you, Phoebe, don't tell Prue how to feel, you've never had to stand up in court and explain to a room full of people how you were hit and kicked while you were down for five consecutive years in a row."
"Piper, you're siding against me too?" Prue demanded. "How dare you!"
"Prue, please, please, just consider what we're telling you," Andy calmly persuaded her. "I know you like to argue to win, and if you testify in court, this guy will definitely be put away for the rest of his life. He will lose, and you will automatically win. If you keep it bottled up inside you forever, you will never heal properly. You'll constantly have nightmares and panic attacks."
"Yeah, after Leo's friend Daisy suffered through domestic violence, ever since she spoke up in court, she had never felt so free and alive in her entire life," Piper added. "When she found out that creature Alec was behind bars with a life sentence, she prepared to spread her wings. Prue, don't you wanna feel like that?"
"I want to fly," she said after a long period of silence.
"So does this mean you'll do it? You'll testify?" Phoebe asked hopefully.
"Yeah, it'll be like a ton of bricks lifting off my chest. Phoebe, you were right. I'm sorry for what I said earlier."
"Sisters again?"
"Sisters," Prue agreed and hugged Phoebe.
"I'm glad you guys have made up," Andy said.
"Yeah, we all need each other," Piper chimed in. They shared a group hug and included Andy. Darryl came in on the scene.
"Is she okay?"
"She's gonna speak against him in court, if that's what you mean," Andy reported.
"You guys are miracle workers. This guy is going down. Trudeau, we've got more business to attend to."
"Right behind you, partner. Bye, girls. Prue, thank you for going through all this. I know it's hard for you, but you are incredibly strong. You survived against all odds. Take comfort in the fact that your sisters and I are backing you up."
"You won this time, because it was three against one...at least he'll be in the slammer for life."
Andy gave each of them a hug and left the house with Darryl.
Seeing the kids running around the house day after day struck a memory in Prue just then at breakfast. She had babysat for a little boy named Max when she was a teenager.
"I miss my mommy," the child cried.
"I know how you feel," she sympathized with Max. "I lost mine when I was a baby. I barely remember her. You know what, though?"
"What?"
"Our mommies are in Heaven and watching over us. They're like angels."
"Angels?"
"Yes, angels." She gave the small boy a hug. "Ready to go to beddy-bye now?"
Max hugged Prue and grabbed his teddy bear. "Night night."
"Don't let the bed bugs bite," she told Max and kissed his forehead.
"Prue!" he called for her as she was about to leave the room. She turned around and smiled at Max.
"Hm?"
"I wish you were my mommy."
"I can take the children to nursery school," Prue blurted out confidently. "Just had a flashback of when I took care of that kid Max Franklin. I guess I did pretty well, because he said he wished I were his mom. I don't know if I'd make a great mom, but I must be a fantastic babysitter."
"That's a step in the right direction, we are so proud of you," Piper congratulated her, and Phoebe nodded in agreement. They squeezed Prue's hands and she beamed down at her plate.
Piper's words cheered her up. "Okay, you're right! Take me to where P.J. and Melinda go to daycare!"
She directed Prue there and then after handing the kids to Prue, the two women hugged. Melinda reached for Piper and wailed a little, which made P.J. start crying, too.
"You'll see Mommy soon, but now you get to be with Auntie Prue, okay, baby? I love you!" Piper rained kisses on Melinda's face and then P.J.'s.
"Love, love, love," Melinda sang.
"Oh, thank you," Prue said gratefully.
"Hi, babies!" a dark-skinned woman called out. "Piper, is this your sister? Prue Halliwell? It's very nice to meet you, dear, I'm Sheila, Darryl's wife. You know him as Officer Morris."
"Well, ain't it a small world!" Prue responded and shook Sheila's hand. "It's nice to meet you."
"You too. Bye, Piper!"
"Bye, Sheila, bye Prue," Piper said and gave them both hugs.
Sheila showed Prue around the place, which was cozy and colorful. Her first job was singing a song to the children and rolling balls to babies. While Sheila was changing one of the babies' diapers, Prue noticed a small blonde boy sitting in a corner all by herself. He had a black eye and Prue frowned. She suspected some monster gave her that, but she didn't want to be right.
"Hey, sweetie, what's your name?"
"Ramón."
"Ramón, why don't you go play with all the other kids? You look lost and lonely." Like how she used to be.
"I'm a bad boy, nobody likes me. They said I look weird because I hurt myself all over. See?" He lifted up his shirt.
Prue gasped and covered her mouth in horror when she saw Ramón's fresh wounds. She held her hand out towards Ramón's, but he crawled away from Prue quickly. "No!" he hollered and started to throw a tantrum.
"I'm not going to hurt you, I swear-"
"What happened, Prue?" Sheila asked.
"I don't know! I tried to help this kid out and he just freaked when I came near him!"
"I've never seen him before, he must be just starting here. I didn't see her caretaker this morning."
"That's it, I'm calling Child Protective Services." Sheila gave her the number, and Prue rang them immediately.
"New York City Department of Social Services, how may I help you?" a woman on the other line answered.
"Yes, hi, I'd like to report child abuse. My name is Prue Halliwell and I'm volunteering at Parson's Preschool. There's a little girl here, she's about two years old, and she's got bruises and red marks on her torso. It looks like someone beats her with a whip or a belt since she doesn't seem to like being touched, and she's awfully withdrawn, but I don't want to make any accusations."
"Did you see anyone come in with her?"
"I think she's new. Sheila Morris, the head teacher, told me she's never seen Ramón's parents before and she was just dropped off here by herself."
"We have to question her parents, what's her name?"
"Ramón Harding."
"Someone will be dispatched immediately."
"Okay, thank you. Good bye," Prue said and hung up the phone. She saw that Sheila had effectively soothed Ramón and he was now trying to play with Melinda. They had P.J. in a toy stroller.
"I'm the mommy. You the daddy. P.J. the baby. She my cousin."
"You can't tell me what to do, you're just a dumb girl!"
Melinda blew raspberries at him. "You're a meanie mo!"
"You are!" Ramón fired back.
Sheila was busy changing yet another diaper, so Prue went to settle the dispute, but there was a knock at the door. She opened it and a woman with long curly reddish-brown hair walked in. "Hi...Paige Matthews from South Bay Social Services," she introduces herself. "Are you Prue Halliwell?"
"Yes, it's nice to meet you, Ms. Matthews."
"Thank you so much for reporting...we've seen Ramón with his methhead dad and mom. I had an inkling, but now you've confirmed my suspicions. Kristina lets her husband Anton deal with him because she thinks women should take care of only girls and men should only care for boys. Kristina Larsen, the wife, is probably the one who takes her there. I'll pick Ramón up now, okay? He'll go into foster care-"
"And I'll report the Larsens to Andy and-I mean, Officer Trudeau and Officer Morris," Prue finished.
"Do you know one of them personally?"
"Yeah, Andy...I should call him."
Melinda put his hands on his hips. "No, wrong!"
"Our mommies said we play with everybody! Right, Auntie Prue?" P.J. asked.
"That's correct, baby one. Ramón, there's a lady from Child Protective Services here to see you. Hi, Ms. Matthews."
"Ms. Halliwell-"
"Prue."
"Call me Paige. Are you related to Phoebe Halliwell?"
"Paige. Sorry, and yes, I'm her sister."
"Wow, she and I are best friends from college!" They smiled at each other.
"Really? I hope to see you under better circumstances next time."
"Yeah, I can't fathom why people would do this to their children. Or anyone really." Paige approached Ramón and kneeled down next to him. She said something to the boy and ten minutes later, everyone watched on as Nadezhda waved goodbye at Prue and carried Ramón to her green Volkswagen Beetle. The toddler was kicking and screaming all the way while the woman attempted to assure Ramón that he would be okay and she would find him a loving family.