Wake Up Call

Grams stood there, just staring at me. I watched her very closely, knowing her heart wasn't as good as it used to be. She seemed to be holding her breath.

"Grams, breathe," I begged, taking a step towards her but she held up her hand, stopping me.

"Is this some sort of joke?" she finally managed to get out.

"Wh-what? No…this isn't a joke," I answered, stumbling over my words.

"Prudence, how could you be so irresponsible?" Grams bellowed. I cringed. I had to take several breaths to keep from blowing up at her.

"I can only handle one granddaughter incapacitated right now," she spat.

"You think I want this happening right now?" I shot back.

"I didn't ask for any of this to happen, ok," I added heatedly. I tried to calm down, not wanting to force Mom to interfere again.

"You are just a child, you shouldn't even be having sex," she retorted.

"I'm almost eighteen and that makes me an adult," I ground out.

"Well you're not there yet," she countered.

"I can't believe Mom would say you'd handle this," I grumbled.

"You told your Mother?" Grams asked.

"More like she already knew. She watches over us," I answered.

"Prue, you just…you can't have a baby," Grams decreed.

"That's not your decision to make," I shot back. How dare she tell me what I could and could not do with my body. I started to walk away, suddenly feeling a bout of nausea overwhelm me.

"We are not done with this conversation," Grams shouted. I would have replied but I was focused on getting to the bathroom before I vomited all over the kitchen floor. Just as was walking out of the bathroom, having regurgitated dinner, Grams caught me.

"We still have more to discuss," she told me, her voice like ice.

"Fine, but I'm not going to abort it," I answered.

"Do you even know who the father is?" she blurted. Did she just call me a slut? I had only slept with one person, willingly that is. But I couldn't tell her that I didn't know who the father was, even if it was the truth.

"Yes," I answered. It was a complete and total lie but I just couldn't tell her the whole truth. She gave me a look, asking 'who?'

"It's Andy's," I continued to lie. I hope he wouldn't hate me for doing this to him.

"I will have to have a talk with his parents," she grumbled, more to herself than to me.

"You can't….he doesn't know yet. I just found out," I blurted. That was part was at least true. Grams looked like she was ready to send back some pithy retort but she stopped.

"Well I suppose I should take note of the fact that you came to me first," Grams muttered.

"God, why can't you just be there for me, Grams?" I shouted at her, all of our reconciliation from before flying out the window.

"It's like every little thing I do you just have to scrutinize under a microscope," I continued to rant.

"Prue, you have sisters that look up to you," she tried to interject.

"I know that! It's not like I'm going to tell them…oh yeah go have a baby," I hissed.

"I know I'm a role model for them," I added.

"And I try really hard to be a good one for them but it's hard. I can't be everything to everyone all at once…what's left for me?" I muttered, my tone losing some of the intensity. Grams let out a breath. I knew she wasn't happy. Part of me couldn't blame her. Another part, however, wanted to just tell her everything and crawl into her arms.

"It's never easy being the oldest, is it?" she sighed and I shook my head 'no'.

"I just wish sometimes you would be on my side rather than trying to punish me," I tried to explain as calmly as I could.

"I'm not a bad kid. I'm just having some issues right now," I muttered.

"I know you're not. It's just hard trying to raise three girls all by myself," Grams sighed.

"I guess I never thought about it that way," I admitted. So now that Grams knew, what was I going to do? I knew I needed to tell Andy. I suddenly felt very tired.

"Are we done, now? I'm really tired," I told her. She nodded and I headed upstairs and just crashed. What was the point of getting under the covers anyways? It just meant I'd have to make it in the morning. The next thing I knew I felt someone shaking me. I sat up to see Grams sitting on the edge of my bed.

"What?" I asked through a yawn.

"It's time for school," she told me. I groaned. Why did I have to go to school? All I wanted to do was sleep.

"Come on, get up," she prodded. I grumbled but got up, heading for the bathroom. I couldn't pay attention today at all during classes. I knew I had to tell Andy that I was pregnant but for some bizarre reason I felt like my sisters should know first. It seemed really stupid but I couldn't let it go. But I wanted to tell them both together, when Piper was awake. So I didn't say anything that afternoon as we visited her. It felt like ages since the demon had attacked. But it was only a few days.

"Come on Piper, you have to wake up. We need you," I breathed, squeezing her hand. Just then the doctor walked in.

"Miss Halliwell. I'd like to speak with out for a moment," the doctor addressed Grams. She nodded and walked out.

"Piper…we vanquished the demon that hurt you," Phoebe informed our sister. I just watched Piper breath. I closed my eyes, wishing with all my heart that she would wake up and be alright.

I tried to listen to what the doctor was telling Grams but he was speaking too softly. Before I could even think of a spell to cast to listen in, Grams returned, looking pale.

"What's wrong?" I asked her.

"We should go….they need to run some tests," Grams said softly. I pulled Phoebe away from the bed and we headed back home.

I tried to get Grams to talk to me that night but she refused. I finally gave up, heading to bed. I lay there, thinking that this had to be one of the hardest things Grams had been through since Mom died. That thought led to Mom….maybe I should summon her…get her to talk to Grams. But that probably wouldn't work. When Grams didn't want to talk, she was insanely tight lipped.

A week passed by and we didn't visit Piper. Grams just said it was best if we didn't. I couldn't for the life of me figure out how that logic worked. I had considered trying to sneak in to see her again but I didn't want to piss of Grams again.

It was a Saturday and I was sitting in the living room, catching up on missed homework. Andy had been nice enough to bring it all over. I really hated make up work but I figured I needed to get my grades out of the toilet or else I'd be a senior again next year. And Grams would most definitely kill me if that happened. I sighed, shutting my math book. At least all of that was done. I looked at the other books piled on the table in front of me. I bit my lip, trying to figure out what I should do next. I picked up my history book and scanned the page of assignments. It seemed pretty easy. Just as I started to read the first chapter, the phone blared loudly. I looked up but did not move. When it rang a second time and no one picked it up I heaved a sigh and closed my eyes. I astral projected into the kitchen and picked it up.

"Halliwell residence," I spoke into the receiver.

"This is Doctor Michelson, Piper's doctor," the doctor answered.

"Can I help you? I'm her sister, Prue," I explained.

"Well could you give your grandmother a message?" he asked.

"Sure," I sighed, looking for a pen and piece of paper.

"You can tell her that Piper woke up this morning and she is doing just fine," the doctor expounded. I nearly dropped the phone.

"Piper's awake? Why didn't you call sooner? Can we see her?" I babbled. Finally Grams walked in.

"Who is on the phone?" she asked.

"Piper's awake!" my astral self squealed. Grams heaved a sigh of relief, taking the phone.

"This is Penny Halliwell. May we come in and see her?" she spoke. She smiled and hung up.

"Go get your sister, we're going to see Piper," Grams told me. I reopened my eyes in the living room and sprinted up the stairs, bursting into Phoebe's room without even knocking.

"Pheebs, Come on, Piper's awake," I practically shouted at her. Phoebe's eyes widened in shock but got up and followed me downstairs. The ride to the hospital was silent but the air was electric. We rushed in, not evening stopping for visitor's tags. Both Phoebe and I burst into Piper's room. She was sitting up and had a tired smile on her lips.

"What'd I miss?" she asked with a small laugh.