Phoebe walked along the shore as she thought of what Piper had said to her. Wondering how her sister, after everything she had gone through, could she ask her now to move on.
She had left the Manor almost right after her shower that morning despite her desire to stay at home and be with Prue. The feelings of loss, pain and anguish that she had felt four months ago were once again running rampant through her body. She knew that Prue wouldn't be staying no matter how much she wished she could. So she did what she could. Try to spend as little time with her to avoid the hurt all over again.
She had walk for hours going to every place that could ever remember going to with her sisters. The pier, the park, the mall, and finally she found herself at the beach. She sat on the sand slowly running her hand over and through the fine, yet course white powder. Her mind drifting in and out of that fateful day four months ago.
She was brought out of her thoughts by the voice behind her. She was only partially startled as she had half expected him to come to her. For he was only one of two people that knew what happened that day.
"Phoebe. You have to tell them what happened Phoebe."
"I can't." She whispered softly still gazing out to the ocean.
"You have to. They don't know what happened before Prue was killed. They don't remember what happened the first time. Before you re-set time. They also don't know what happened to you. You have to help them understand."
"How? I can't tell them. Especially Piper. How would she feel knowing that I had the Source turn back time, saving her, yet in doing so it cost Prue her life? And on top of that how could I tell her what happened to me? It's bad enough that we have to live with the loss of our sister, let alone for us to live with that."
There was silence on the beach. The only sound to be heard was the light crashing sound of the waved as they broke the surf and gently rolled into shore. Every now and then the screeching cry of a seagull passing over head could also be heard.
He sat down beside her placing his arm over her shoulder, protecting her as he always had. She rested her head on his shoulder relishing in the love that was there.
"I'll be there if you like Phoebe. But I think this is something that you need to do on your own. They deserve to know."
She didn't take her eyes off the distant horizon as she thought about what he said.
"You know something Leo."
"What?"
"I hate it when you're right."
Smiling at her words, "Yeah. So do I." He acknowledged, "So, you want a ride home?"
"No, I'm gonna walk. I need some time to figure out what I'm going to say."
"Ok." He said as he pulled Phoebe into a hug." I love you little Sis. Don't ever forget that."
"I won't. And Leo. Thank you."
"You're welcome." He replied as he stood and orbed back to the Manor
They sat around the kitchen table in silence, no one knowing what to say. Paige felt some what alienated between her two sisters. Piper unsure of what to tell Paige or Prue. And Prue. Well she was trying to be strong as she always was. To fix what was wrong with her sisters.
"Piper. What did Phoebe mean when she said she saved you and yet I died?" Prue finally broke the silence.
Piper looked up at her big sister, "I don't know. I thought you would. That maybe they would have told you."
Prue just shook her head. "They never said anything. And Mum and Grams never said anything either."
So again they sat wondering what their little sister had meant. Wondering what she had endured.
"Why not ask Cole? Wasn't she with him?" Paige broke the deafening silence that hung in the air again.
"It's not that simple Paige. Phoebe has always been more like me then she would like to admit. Therefore she tends to keep things to herself." Prue explained
"Well between the two of you, you should be able to get her to open up. I've seen her with you Piper, over the past four months. She looks to you for guidance, and she loves you more then I have ever witnessed love in siblings. And Prue, I saw you and her last night. She loves you with ever part of her being. If you two talk to her, she will tell you. You just have to have faith in her. I can tell she is hiding something. And I have a feeling it's big. And if she doesn't talk soon it's going to rip her apart. I just found my sisters and my family. I don't want to lose one of you now." She spoke with confidence and words beyond her knowledge of sisterhood. But she had made her point, she could tell, as she stood up and left her two oldest sisters to ponder what she had said.
Phoebe looked up at the large Victorian Manor that she had shared with sisters for as long as she could remember. Then she thought at the losses that that same Manor held. First it was her Mother, and then years later it was her Grams. And now the biggest loss of all, was that of Prue. She wasn't sure even after she told them what happened, if she could go on without here sister. Taking a deep breath she closed her eyes, then slowly made her way up the steps to the front door. Pausing briefly as she rested her hand on the door handle, she opened the door only somewhat prepared as to what would come.
As she walked into the Manor she could hear her sisters in the kitchen. As she slowly made her way to the back of the Manor she spotted Paige exiting the same room that held her sisters. Smiling briefly at her new baby sister Phoebe continued her trek to the kitchen, only to have Paige stop her. Taking her hand she gently gave her support to her big sister, who gave her a reassuring smile, before she headed in to face her own big sisters.
As she stepped into the kitchen she watched her sisters as they looked at each other. Almost lost in an unspoken language. Clearing her throat she quickly had their attention. "Umm. Can I talk to you two for a second?" Phoebe asked hesitating slightly.
Piper looked up at her sister and could see the inner battle that she was fighting, "Sure honey." She answered as she reached her hand towards her little sister.
Phoebe took the gesture in her own hand. "Can we go to the living room?"
Piper looked over at Prue who just nodded right before she stood, taking Phoebes other hand in hers, as the three original Charmed Ones headed to the living room that had been the conversation of many family discussions in their lives.
Siting on the couch between her two sister, as she had many time in the past, Phoebe took in a deep breath before starting her story.
She explained to them how she had gone underground to save Cole and that while she was gone Piper had been shot and died. She then stood and went to window as she started to tell them how she had made the deal with the Source to turn back time so she could save Piper. Not realizing the consequences of those very words.
"Phoebe the Source set you up. He knew that you would do anything to save Piper let alone anyone with of us." Prue told her.
"So that makes it ok some how?" Phoebe retaliated the only way she knew how: in anger.
"No it doesn't Phoebe. But that does not make my death your fault. It make it his." Prue replied calmly
"But I made him turn back time."
"Phoebe you didn't know he would go back to that moment. You said yourself that you asked Cole to come here and tell us what happened. He never did. Have you ever asked your self why? What happened after Cole asked the Source to reverse time Phoebe? What aren't you telling us?" Prue stood and asked her sister gently, as she placed a loving hand on her shoulder. "What happened when time was reset?"
Phoebe couldn't look at her sisters. She starred out the window hoping that some how the rain falling would reveal her answer. But deep inside she knew that it would not.
Piper sat on the couch watching her sister battle her inner demons. Standing up she too joined her sisters by the window. "Honey. Please tell us."
Phoebe remained still as she fought back the tears. "Cole left to agree to the deal. I would stay in the underworld if the Source set time back. I had to save you." Phoebe paused a moment, "When he returned he said everything was taking care of, and that he would go up top as soon as time started again. Then suddenly all these demons burst through the entranceway and they grabbed him. Preventing him from leaving to warn you. I tried to free him but they pulled me away. The last thing I saw in the cavern was Leo orbing out."
Prue and Piper listened intently as their baby sister spoke of what she went through. The beatings, the torture. She had endured so much only to come back to more sadness.
"Cole was finally able to free himself and he brought me back here." She turned to Piper, "you were sleeping when we came back, but Leo was awake. He healed my injuries. When he told me what happened I felt as if my whole heart just crumbled. How could I go on without my big sister? I made him promise that he would never tell you what I had gone through. It was too much all at once." Phoebe had finally told them. Had told Piper what happened. "I should have never made that deal." She whispered quietly. "I should have known that he would double cross me. Never make a deal with evil Leo once said. I did and it cost me my sister. 1/3 of my being, 1/3 of my soul."
Not knowing what to say Piper reached forward and took Phoebe into her arms, as her little sister cried. She cried for the first time in months for a loss instead of the blame.
"Phoebe this was never your fault. All the Source has done since the day we received our powers was to kill us, in anyway possible. He took advantage of our love for each other. For your love for us." Prue said as she gently ran her hand over Phoebes back.
Phoebe let her hurt and pain release itself as she cried on Pipers shoulder. Everything she had been holding in for so long. All her grief came rushing to the surface.
Piper had finally sat on the floor with Phoebe in her arms as she felt her sisters cries eventually turn to soft sobs, and then there was silence as she felt her sister go limp in her arms having finally succumbed to sleep.
She looked at him definitely as he hit her again.
"Your sisters are dead. It's your fault. You had the Source turn back time. Why can't you witches ever learn? You can not beat him." He emphasized with another blow to her stomach.
She glared at him with pure hate as he continued to beat her, trying everything to break her spirit.
"When will you demons ever learn that we will not be beaten. You can not break the bond that we share." She spit at him spraying blood from her mouth on his face.
As he was about to strike again he fell back against the far wall as she looked up into her loves eyes, as he took her down from her shackles and in a instant they were in the Manor.
She looked again and she saw the love and concern in the eyes of her brother-in-law. "Leo?"
"Sshhh it ok now Phoebe. Relax." He soothed her mind as she healed her body.
"Leo what happened?"
Leo looked at Phoebe with a sadness that he had never hoped he would feel.
"Leo. You're scaring me."
"Phoebe. I'm sorry. I couldn't get back in time. The fight in the underworld was all the time that was needed. I'm sorry."
"Leo. No. She's.." Phoebe saw the pain in his eyes but there was something that was different then when he had told her about Piper in the cavern. There was pain but it was a different kind of pain. Then she realized what he was about to say.
"Phoebe, Prue. Oh god. She's gone Phoebe. I'm sorry." He said as new tears streamed from his eyes.
Phoebe looked at him and just starred. Not even really taking in what he had said. Turning away her eyes caught the site of the clock. The reading she knew she would never forget. 3:00AM.
"No. No it's not true. She can't be. I love her she cant be dead. Noooo!" she cried out in anguish as her heart fell apart.
Prue and Piper watched, as their sister seemed tormented by a nightmare. Giving her the comfort that they could before she woke screaming in pain, sorrow and loss.