Memory Lane
I stared at the wall across from Piper and Phoebe as an image was projected through them. It was amazing that whatever spell this was had worked.
"You should really put that spell in the Book," I said but got shushed by my sisters. I returned my attention to the projection.
There was a knock on the front door and Prue walked out of the living room to answer it. She looked frazzled. She pulled the door open to reveal a guy about her age.
"Andy…what are you doing here?" Prue asked, looking surprised.
"Can I come in?" he answered, leaning on the door frame. She looked indecisive for a minute before nodding and allowing him to cross the threshold. He walked in and she shut the door. They didn't go very far.
"So why are you here?" she asked again.
"I'm sorry about earlier…with my ex-wife," he started.
"Just forget it. I shouldn't have freaked out like that," Prue muttered.
"That's not it, Prue. After you left she…maybe I should start at the beginning," he sighed. Prue led him into the living room.
"How do you know this happened?" I interjected, the projection pausing itself.
"Prue told it to u s and I guess the way the spell works, it just showed what happened," Phoebe answered. I nodded and the projection resumed.
"What are you talking about?" Prue questioned.
"Please don't freak out but…when I turned eighteen I privately adopted Brianna," he admitted. Prue's face paled and then in the blink of an eye she was furious.
"You did what!" she bellowed.
"I couldn't let her go, Prue. I know you'd made your choice. It's why we lost touch in college. I didn't want to bring it up," he mumbled. Prue stood up, starting to pace back and forth. She was trying not to blow up at him. But she wasn't very successful.
"Why couldn't you just let it go and move on? Why did you have to go and make things complicated?" she shouted at him. Andy opened his mouth to speak but she didn't give him the time.
"I told you that she was going to be adopted and that was it. Why did you have to be the one?" she continued, her voice cracking.
"Prue…she's my daughter. I couldn't just lose her," he finally got in.
"I raised her for the last ten years, Prue. She is an amazing little girl," he told her.
"So what does any of this have to do with your ex-wife?' she spat, fighting tears.
"She got custody of Brianna. I don't know how but she did. And she told me…she had started doing strange things," Andy answered.
"She's coming into her powers," Prue muttered.
"I know you didn't want to hear this, Prue…I am sorry but I wanted you to know…that she was well loved," he mumbled and stood up. Prue turned her back on him, the tears starting to fall as he left.
Suddenly the image changed and Piper and Phoebe were in the projection, sitting next to each other on the couch. Andy was there.
"Whatever you said to her set her off. She won't come out of her room," Piper was telling him.
"I just wanted to apologize for upsetting her. I don't know why I even told her now. I should have known she'd freak out. Though I can't figure out why," he sighed. Piper and Phoebe shared a look and Phoebe stretched her legs out in front of her.
"You didn't know this all those years ago but the whole pregnancy thing…it wasn't a good time for Prue," Phoebe began.
"Well yeah…I mean she was seventeen and having a baby. I wouldn't be entirely happy about it either…" Andy tried to interject.
"No…Andy…she never told you this…but…Brianna…isn't your daughter," Phoebe interrupted.
"Phoebe!" Piper hissed.
"Is that a joke?" Andy gasped.
"No…she…was raped. She doesn't know who Brianna's biological father is," Phoebe admitted. Just then there were loud footsteps on the stairs and Prue appeared; eyes red and puffy from crying.
"Phoebe…you have no right telling him that. It was none of your business," she spat.
"Prue, he deserved to know the truth," Phoebe retorted.
"That was my decision. Not yours," Prue ground out.
"It's true?" Andy asked. Prue looked away and that was all the proof he needed. He stood once again and stormed out of the house, leaving the sisters to glare at each other.
I looked at Phoebe and Piper as the image disappeared. I couldn't believe what Id' just seen. They'd known that Andy had raised Brianna. They'd known a hell of a lot more than they'd let on.
"I can't believe you did that to her," was all I could think of to say.
"She was pretty mad at me for a while but eventually she just forgot it. Or at least she didn't' let on that she thought about it," Phoebe assured me. None of us had noticed that Brianna had walked in.
"What's going on?" she asked, making us all jump.
"We were just showing Paige something that she needed to see," Phoebe answered.
"It affects her too. We can tell her," Piper muttered.
"You're parents had a little falling out shortly before your dad died," Piper continued.
"It was about me wasn't it," Brianna questioned.
"Yes," my older sister sighed.
"Some of the emotions your Mom was carrying around were very strong still," Phoebe tried to lessen the blow.
"She didn't tell Dad what happened to her, did she," Bree murmured.
"No…and she never wanted to. She didn't want to hurt him," Piper answered.
"Then how did he know?"
"We told him. We shouldn't have but we did. We thought he should know," Phoebe explained. Brianna looked a little put off at this. I couldn't help but feel like all of this was making Brianna feel less wanted by everyone involved. Maybe it was just my own feelings surfacing. I couldn't be sure.
"He never knew that she put me in the system. He wouldn't have liked that," she admitted.
"Your Dad was a great guy. Even if he wasn't your real biological father I bet he was pretty great," Phoebe consoled. I suddenly remembered I had offered to get her a glass of water. I headed towards the sink, grabbing a glass and filling it up. I handed it to her and she took a big swig.
"I think I'm going to go upstairs," she said quietly and headed towards the stairs. Piper started after her but I stopped her.
"She needs to be alone. Believe me. I know how she feels," I said.
"I hope you don't feel like Mom didn't want you," Piper told me.
"I know why she had to do it…but it doesn't mean I have to like it just yet," I answered.
"Life gets complicated in this family…really fast," Phoebe grumbled just as Cole shimmered in. He had horrible timing.
"Why so glum?" he asked of all of us.
"None of your business," I shot.
"Paige…it's ok," Phoebe tried to tell me but I wasn't buying it.
"No Phoebe it's not ok. She is too vulnerable right now. I don't want him anywhere near her," I spat.
"What's go you all moody?" Cole snickered.
"It's family stuff, sweetie. It's kind of touchy," Phoebe whispered.
"You know, Pheebs. I agree with Paige on this one. I mean, Cole…you're great but….this is something we don't want accidentally getting tortured out of you," Piper told him.
"I think I feel insulted," he said, feigning hurt.
"I guess you're right, Piper. But he is going to find out anyways," Phoebe said, making Piper groan.
"Paige…it's you're call. She's still technically your innocent," Piper directed at me.
"Fine, tell him but nothing too private," I said with resignation.
"Brianna…our innocent….she's Prue's daughter," Phoebe explained.
"Prue had a daughter? That's news to me," Cole smirked.
"Well don't go telling the entire Underworld," I muttered.
"Don't worry, Paige. I won't tell a soul," he answered.
"Cole…please. You have to promise you won't tell anyone. We can't risk the Source going after her to get to us," Phoebe begged.
"I promise I won't tell anyone who she is, Phoebe. Come on, I'm taking you to lunch," I told her.
"Honey, it's only ten fifteen," she retorted.
"So we'll make it brunch. Come on," he insisted and they shimmered out.
"I still don't like him knowing," I mumbled.
"I know. But he's part of the family," Piper sighed.
"They're not married so he's not family," I spat darkly. He always had a way of putting me in a bad mood; lousy half demon jerk. Just then Leo orbed in and must have noticed my unease.
"What did I miss?" he asked.
"Oh…well Bree is really Brianna…Prue's daughter and our niece. And Phoebe and I showed Paige the huge fight Prue and Andy had a few years ago about Brianna. And Cole knows we have a niece. So nothing out of the ordinary," Piper answered.
"Eventful morning. So is Brianna doing ok?" he asked.
"I think she's a little overwhelmed and feeling a little unwanted," I interjected.
"Did Phoebe get that from her?' he wanted to know.
"No. I did and I know how she feels because I've felt it too," I murmured.