"Grams were home." Prue called out
"I wonder where she is Prue?"
"Probably bailing Phoebe out of trouble somewhere." Prue said angrily
"Why do you always assume the worst with her Prue?"
"Because it's true. She's always getting into some kind of trouble. You know it's true Piper you just always stick up for her."
"I do not, but I don't automatically assume that because Grams isn't here that Phoebe is in trouble. Cut her some slack. She looks up to you and all you do is bring her down."
"She looks up to me? Yeah right Pipe. Look I don't want to discuss this I have to study seeing as I have to take the little rat to her basketball game tomorrow. There goes my Friday night." Prue stormed up the stairs leaving Piper behind just glaring at her.
"Oh those two. Will they ever learn to get along? Or am I going to be spending the rest of my life trying to get them together?" She headed to the kitchen looking for Grams.
--- ----
"Ok girls names quick. I have to go downstairs."
"Ok. I've always like Shannen." Prue said as she turned to her sisters
"Huh. Holly for me." Piper said. "It's my favorite bush that comes out at my favorite time of year."
"Phoebe?" Prue asked
"Umm. I don't know. I want something unique."
"Yeah well that would suit you." Piper laughed
"Hey." Phoebe smacked her sister lightly. "Ok how about Alyssa."
"That is unique. Ok so you are cousins from out of town, who stopped by unexpectedly to visit for a few days." Grams reminded them
"We know Grams." Piper replied
(From now on the present sisters will be listed as their new names. Otherwise I'll just get confused. Yeah i kwow I used thier real names.. helped me not be confused. LOL)
The five of them left the attic together with Grams and Tim leading the way, followed by the 'new' Halliwell sisters: Shannen, Holly and then Alyssa. They reached the stairs as Prue and Piper ended their argument about Phoebe. Unfortunately the older sisters had over heard all of it, especially Alyssa who stopped in her tracks. Shannen and Holly just starred at each other as each one remembered that argument as if it was yesterday. Holly recalled however the thoughts that she had after her sister stormed upstairs. I guess I didn't have to wait to long for them to get along afterall. Shannen turned to Alyssa and went to pull her into a hug but her sister pulled away from her. She could see the hurt on her baby sisters' face and in her eyes. And it hurt her more knowing that she was the cause of it.
"Looks like we might learn something on this little trip to the past, hey Shannen?" Alyssa asked her sister.
"Ph. Alyssa. You know that this is the past and that is not the case anymore. You also knew that you and I were going through a rough time with each other then. I still loved you."
"Sure. Let's just do this." She replied as she walked past her sisters and towards the stairs.
"Come on Pr. Augh. Shannen. She'll come around you'll see. She knows that you love her. And besides wait until you see the things she says about you." Holly added with a smile as she follwed after her sister down the stairs.
Shannen had to laugh, "I can just imagine." She said as she too turned and headed for the stairs catching up to their little sister. Passing a very confused looking Prue.
"Grams?"
"Hello my darling. How was school?"
"Good." She replied still staring at the three strange girls that were with her Grandmother. They could pass for older versions of Piper and me, she thought.
"Good. Now come back downstairs so I can introduce you and Piper to our guests."
"Grams where's Phoebe?" Prue asked as they headed downstairs. She was hoping that Grams would tell her that Phoebe had to stay after school so she could prove her point to Piper.
"She had a basketball practice before tomorrow nights big game. Remember?"
"Oh."
Alyssa gave Shannen a glare that did not get missed by Prue. Strange, she thought.
"Piper honey can you come her please?"
Walking out of the kitchen eating an apple Piper came into the living room where she found Grams, Prue, Grams friend: Tim was it, and three women that she didn't know. They kinda look like Prue and I, and that one could possibly pass for Phoebe.
"Yeah Grams?"
"I would like you two to meet your cousins from..."She looked at each giorl, "Canada. They'll be staying for a few days. This is Shannen, Holly and Alyssa. Ladies this is Prue and Piper."
"Hi." They all said.
"Canada hey. Cool." Prue said
"Depends where you live. Some parts aren't cool at all. Especially in the summer." Shannen added
Piper sat down beside Holly. "So what do you do and how long are you staying?"
"Piper!" Prue scolded her younger sister.
"What? I'm just curious."
"Don't mind her, she's usually the shy one" Grams said as she looked at Holly who laughed a little at her younger self. The only way she would sit beside a stranger, let alone talk to them, were if she knew she could trust them.
"It's ok really, I don't mind. How long we're staying we don't know yet. What do I do? We own a night club."
"Now that is cool." Prue replied with excitement.
"Well actually it's Holly's baby, we're just silent partners." Shannen added.
"So what about you Shannen?" Prue asked her older self
"I'm a photographer." As soon as she said it she regretted it. It was a soft spot with the Prue and Grams at that particular point in time. She noticed Prue looking up to Grams as if to say I told you so. "But I just started to get into it. I've spent the last 5 yrs as a curator to a museum. It was great. And now if my photography doesn't work out, I still have something to fall back on." Hoping that would save a lecture from Grams about the whole photography thing. She knew in the end Grams would still get her way. But maybe know I'll understand it a bit better too.
"Yeah, whatever."
"So did I hear Grams say that you have another sister?" Holly asked to change the subject
"Yeah our baby sister Phoebe." Piper answered her.
"Yeah that's her." Alyssa piped in. turning to glare at Shannen, "What was that about a basketball practice?"
"Her team has a big game tomorrow night. So they called a practice for today after school." Grams explained.
"Oh I see." Alyssa commented still glaring at Shannen.
"Practice hey?" Piper said as she to glared at her oldest sister.
Shannen caught the look that Piper was giving Prue, Ok why is everyone picking on me all of a sudden? She thought.
They sat around and just chatted about everything and nothing. Alyssa was a little quiet, as she was still a bit upset at Shannen.
After a few hours Phoebe came bouncing in through the door, slamming it closed behind her.
"Phoebe how many times have I told you not to slam the door." Prue yelled out to her.
"Whatever Prue."
"Prue not now." Piper said as she eyed to their company. "Hey Pheebs how was practice?"
"Great. I think were going kick the shit out of them tomorrow." She called from the hallway.
"Phoebe watch you mouth." Prue yelled at her
Phoebe came around the corner ready for another round with Prue until she saw they had company. Looking at them. "Oops sorry."
"That's ok. I used to do that all the time." Alyssa told her with a smile. That Phoebe happily returned
"Pheebs these are our cousins from Canada. They'll be staying with us for a few days." Piper introduced her.
"Cool are you coming to my game tomorrow?"
"Wouldn't miss it." Shannen said.
"Yeah we'll be your personal sheering section." Alyssa told her. Knowing full well that they would never make it the game.
"Cool." As she ran out of the room to find something to eat.
Dinner came and Holly and Piper made dinner for them all. Tim had gone to talk to them to see what further information they might have.
"You're a great cook Holly. Who taught you?"
Holly was somewhat on the spot she couldn't exactly say that Grams had taught her. "It's something that I've always loved and so I went to school to learn even more. Don't tell anyone, but I'm a qualified chef."
"Hey that's cool. So tell me something? You three are sisters right?"
"How did you know?"
"You look alike. You're the middle one too right?"
Laughing at the question Piper was asking herself she knew what was coming next. "Yeah I am. Just like you."
"Yeah. So do you have to break up fights between Alyssa and Shannen all the time?" She asked almost embarrassed to ask a complete stranger about something so personal.
Holly looked down at the teenager in front of her. "I used to all the time Piper. But after the past three years those two are almost inseparable. We all get along great now. I won't lie and tell you they don't anymore or that even I don't. But it's nothing compared to when we were your age."
"So you mean there is hope for Prue and Phoebe?" she asked with new hope.
"I would say definitely. You know Prue loves her, its just she's probably feels she has to look out for you two. I know that was how Shannen felt all the time."
"Yeah I guess. I'm just glad to hear that it will eventually all work out. I had in-visioned my life, playing buffer for the two of them the rest of my life."
Holly laughed at that. "Yeah well, sometimes it's the middle sister that will end up with the last I told you so. Come on lets finish this. I'm starving."
After dinner Phoebe insisted on showing Alyssa her room. Alyssa was a little shocked at what she saw. She remembered her room that she had once shared with Piper. But now it some how just looked different. Then she spotted it, there on the night stand. She walked over and picked up the picture frame. She could feel the tears building behind her eye waiting to escape.
Phoebe saw what she had picked up, "That's my mom." She said rather sad. "Prue always tells me that that was the last picture of the two of us together. She died soon after that."
Alyssa just looked at the picture then sat down on the edge of the bed, the last few days coming back to her. Her tearful reunion and then the emotional seperation. "She's beautiful."
Phoebe came and sat down beside Alyssa. Looking up at her face she could see the tears welling in the older girls eyes.
"She was. Is your mother beautiful too?"
Alyssa didn't answer at first. She just nodded her head. "She was."
Phoebe understood the meaning, Alyssa lost her mother too. "Did you get to know her?"
"I have a few precious memories. We lost her just recently." That wasn't a total lie.
"I'm sorry." Phoebe said as she wrapped her tiny arm around Alyssa's back. "I bet she loved you a lot."
"She did. But she told me before she left to keep her in my heart and she would always be there for me. You should try that."
"Yeah, but I don't have any memories. Prue and Grams are really the only ones. Piper as some, but she says they can be fuzzy at times. And Prue never talks about her. If you mention her she shuts down or yells at me."
"It's probably just hard for her. She was very young when it happened."
"I know." Phoebe said sadly.
"So." Alyssa said as she whipped away her tears. "Should we go and see what our sisters are up to?"
"Yeah, just help keep Prue away from me. We haven't been exactly getting along lately."
"You know she loves you right?"
"Sometimes I wonder. She's always sticking her nose in my business or yelling at me for something stupid."
"It's just because she cares about you Phoebe. Trust me I had the same problem with Shannen."
"Really?"
"Yep. For a while there it was not pretty. But know I understand why she was that way with me. I was reckless, and a free spirit. I didn't think anything could hurt me, but it did and she was always there to pick up the pieces. She loved me then and she loves me now and that is all that matters. I think you'll find over time that that is the same with you and Prue."
"I guess so. I mean we do have our moments."
"There you go. Hang on to those. But remember, that she is that way because she loves you."
They got up to head back downstairs. Heading out of the room Phoebe spotted Shannen heading towards the bathroom.
"Hi Shannen." She hollered down the hall
Turning and looking at the younger version of her sister.
"Hey there Pheebs."
Alyssa spotted Shannen as well but a few seconds earlier. Looking at her big sister she suddenly turned for the stairs.
"Alyssa, can I talk to you for a second?"
Phoebe saw a look that was shared between the two sisters. She reached out and grabbed Alyssa's hand squeezing it lightly. "Remember what you told me. I'll go down stairs. You guys can use my room if you like."
"Thanx Phoebe." Alyssa said
With that Phoebe was running down the stairs turning back for a quick glance at her new friend and her big sister. Noticing that neither one had moved. Those two are just like me and Prue, she thought.
Shannen and Alyssa just starred at each other for another couple of seconds before Alyssa broke the silence. "How much did you hear?"
"Enough." Shannen answered her as she stepped forward and pulled her baby sister into the room closing the door behind them. She looked Alyssa in the eyes and could see that she had been crying. "What's wrong?" She asked softly.
"I was just remembering Mum from earlier today. I was talking to the younger me and it all came flooding back. It's not fair Prue." Dropping their alias' for a moment as she felt the embrace from her big sister, letting her tears flow again.
Pulling her sister in for a hug. "I know Pheebs but you have to know and believe what she said. As long as you keep what memories you do have in your heart she will always be her with you. And I think what you just told the younger you will help you get through it as well. Now you know sooner then later."
She hugged her sister just letting her let the tears flow.
"It doesn't make it hurt any less."
"I know sweetie. I know." Shannen was just about to ask her sister about the other chat that she had with her younger self when there was a quiet knock on the door.
Opening the door slowly Holly popped her head in the doorway. "So can anyone join that hug or is this a private moment." She asked. Phoebe had told her about Alyssa being upset about losing their Mum and that Shannen was upstairs with her. She had actually been the one to suggest that maybe Holly could go too. That it seemed like a sister moment
Not letting go of her big sister Alyssa reached her arm out to gesture that Holly should join.