"All this hammering is driving me totally crazy" Phoebe said in an irritated tone.
Prue laughed and nodded in agreement.
"Well true, but it actually really good that they could get started so quickly. I mean we actually are really lucky that we were able to draw up the plans and get started in just over a week. And Paige's house is on the market, so things are moving along" Piper said.
"Ya, and I managed to get another job at 415, which is fabulous, so things are looking good for the Halliwell's." Prue said "My one problem is, well I can't figure out what to do about a dark room. So then I got to thinking, and thought that maybe I could use the other back room at P3… what do you think?" Prue asked.
"Well…" Piper paused to think "Ya, I mean I think that could work, its not like I keep a lot back there, so ya."
"Great! Thank you so much. Can I start moving some things in today?" Prue asked, clearly in a hurry.
"Well sure, just put the stuff you find in there in my office" Piper said.
"Fantastic, well I better go call Cole" Prue said.
"Why call Cole?" Phoebe asked.
"Oh, he agreed to help me move all my photography stuff to wherever I needed. I was complaining about not having a guy around to do the heavy lifting and he offered" Prue told her.
"Oh, you two seem to be getting to be good friends" Phoebe stated, and not necessarily in a happy tone.
"Oh ya, he's great. I guess I'm finally seeing what you always told me I'd see, about time eh?" Prue said.
"Ya…" Phoebe trailed off clearly not knowing what to say. "Well look, just be careful about him. I'm kinda with Paige on this one, he's dangerous."
"Oh lay off Phoebe, just because you are no longer in love with him doesn't mean he's suddenly a bad person" Prue snapped.
"Actually it does, if he were a good person I'd still be in love with him now wouldn't I" Phoebe stated.
"No, you don't know anything about love. He gave you the world and gave up his world and that still was not enough for you, clearly love means nothing to you" Prue snapped.
Phoebe looked shocked and said "well ya he gave me the world, the entire underworld, not really what I was looking for with love."
"You don't know what you are looking for, you didn't deserve him. Oddly his is the pure soul with the pure love and you, you, you're selfish Phoebe, you won't take a risk and that's why you'll never have love. You did not even want to take the risk of Piper having Leo, you are afraid of love and that's the real reason you pushed away Cole and vanquished him. It was not that he was evil it was that you actually were starting to love him and that terrified you, the idea of someone loving you and of having to give something of yourself to someone else frightened you to death, and you ran. He deserved better, no one could ask for more than what he gave you and if that was not enough, then you don't have it in you to love another person" Prue told her.
Phoebe looked shocked, and hurt and near to tears. And finally said "How can you say that? You weren't even here, I tried and tried to make it work, it just was not meant to be."
"You just tell yourself that, if it makes you feel better to pretend that you never loved him and that you did not choose to push away your soul mate, then go ahead and lie to yourself" Prue stated .
"He is not my soul mate" Phoebe snapped.
"Yes, he is. I'm the angel, I can see things like this. And he felt you, and came to you down in the underworld. How could he do that if you did not have that connection?" Prue asked.
"It's irrelevant, it's over" Phoebe stated.
"Yes that's for sure, he's finally healing, and free of you. It's just a pity that you damn him to a life alone when you do yourself, it's hardly fair. But then again considering what you put him through anytime your with him, being alone is probably less painful" Prue told her.
"Alright, that's enough. Prue, stop it. What Phoebe chooses to do concerning her love life is her choice, and it's already done, so let it be" Piper said.
"Ya, sorry. Phoebe, you're right, it's all irrelevant, it's over and you both have moved on, I'm sorry for getting on your case like that" Prue said.
"Ya… its ok" Phoebe said looking away.
"No, its not. I hurt you, and I'm sorry. I just get frustrated when I see how lost he is sometimes. But you have the right to choose to do what you want, and I'm sorry I bitched you out like that. I love you and I want you to be happy, so I'll support your decisions and not criticize then from now on. I really am sorry, I know you do know how to love, I've seen you with your children. I don't know why I said that, I really am sorry" Prue said, and actually found she was sorry for hurting her baby sister.
"It's ok. The whole Cole situation is just a bad one, one of many bad choices and mistakes and its best left in the past. And I know that I know how to love, because I love you, to death, so it's alright. I know you did not mean it" Phoebe said, actually meaning it.
"Thanks" Prue said and hugged Phoebe. Then she said "I couldn't stand to have you upset with me. Everything is still just so new and uncertain, I don't know what the future holds, so I don't want to ever leave things with one of you mad at me, just in case."
'Ya, I understand. And don't worry, you're totally forgiven" Phoebe said.
"Anyway" Piper said "I actually meant to mention to you, Prue, I looked into the family therapy thing for you and Paige, and I made an appointment for you two on Wednesday at noon" Piper said.
Prue made a face and said "But I don't' want to work out my issues with her, I'm perfectly okay with those issues, really, I like disliking her."
"That's just the problem, you both seem like you are perfectly happy to keep on arguing and disliking each other and seemed disinclined to work it out on your own, and so now its going to be taken out of your hands" Piper said.
"Fine, fine, if it makes you happy. But somehow I just don't see us becoming buddy buddy anytime soon" Prue said "Where is the little monster anyway?"
"She's at work, where she always is this time of day. I've told you before she works down at social services she's a social worker" Piper said.
"Oh ya, I guess you did tell me, I just try to put all thoughts of her out of my head, or else it puts me in a bad mood" Prue said
"You need to stop being so closed minded about her" Piper said
"Me? She's the one close minded" Prue defended.
"You both are" Phoebe said.
"Oh now you're joining in this pick on Prue game?" Prue said
"Prue, we are not picking on you. We just want you to get along with Paige, you are both our sisters and we love you both and it upset us to see you fight so much. You need to see what a good person she is, you both are just so stuck on your preconceived notions that you don't even see each other at all" Phoebe said.
"Ya, whatever" Prue said.
"So Piper, you said that today I could finally see your restaurant, what's it called again?" Prue asked.
"It's called The Warren" Piper said proudly.
"Ya, I like the name, and I can't wait to see it" Prue said.
"Yep, it's my pride and joy. Although running it and the club is such a nightmare" Piper said.
"Well, if you need any help, let me know" Prue said "I'd be happy to help with one of them, I mean my job at 415 doesn't take much time and well neither does my white lighter duties, so I have the time, so if you need some help let me know."
"Ya, thanks, I may just take you up on that" Piper said.
"Alright, great. And tomorrow Phoebe you have to show me your office. I'm so proud of you Phoebe, you've clearly been really successful in your job" Prue said.
"Ya, I bet you never saw that coming" Phoebe said.
"Oh I knew you'd find your place someday, I did not know what you would excel at but I knew you'd find something, I'm just glad it makes you so happy" Prue said.
"Ya, I love my job" Phoebe said.
Just then Paige orbed in looking slightly disveiled and said "Alright, we have situation, there was a demon in magic school, Leo called me. We got him, but he had a companion that got away."
"What!" Prue said "I was told demons couldn't get into magic school."
"Well that was what we were told and believed too, apparently not" Piper said getting up.
"Alright, Phoebe and Paige go to the book and id the demon. Prue go check on Leo and the kids. And I will start a basic vanquish potion that we can add the extra specifics too once you figure out who we are after."
"Okay" Paige said and rushed up the stairs.
"Dammit, it just seems like these days it's a vanquish a day, or more, its non stop, we have to do something, we can't keep up this pace" Phoebe said.
"I know, but right now lets handle this, we'll discuss that kind of thing later" Piper said turned toward the kitchen.
Phoebe turned toward the stairs when out of the corner of her eye she saw movement and instinct made her instantly levitate, and not a moment too soon as an energy ball crashed right where she had been.
"Piper! Demon!" Phoebe yelled.
Hearing her, Piper ran into the room and threw up her hands to blow up the demon, but he did not blow up he just winced at the impact.
"Oh crap" Piper said.
"Paige get down here! Demon!" Phoebe yelled.
Paige instantly orbed in next to her and jumped to the side as she narrowly missed being hit with another energy ball. Piper threw her hands up again, this time to freeze the demon, which luckily worked.
"Ok, Paige is this the same demon?" Piper asked.
"Nope" Paige said.
"Great, that's wonderful" Piper muttered sarcastically.
"Prue!" Phoebe yelled out.
Prue orbed in looking annoyed and said "Yes?"
Phoebe pointed at the frozen demon and Prue made a face "Not another one" she said.
"Yep, and it's a different one too" Piper said
"Go figure" Prue said.
"Ok, how long is it going to stay frozen ya think?" Paige asked.
"Um probably not much longer" Piper said and just as she said that the demon begun to unfreeze.
"Attic!" Phoebe said and all four girls rushed up the stairs and threw shut the attic door. They rushed to the book and began frantically flipping pages.
"Found him!" Phoebe said "Mathax."
"Is there a vanquish?" Piper asked.
"Yep, power of three spell" Phoebe said.
Seconds later the demon crashed through the door, literally through the door leaving a whole in his shape in what was left of the door.
"Dammit and we just fixed that" Piper snapped.
"Um Piper ya wanna come say this spell with us?" Paige asked.
"Ya, sorry" Piper said and went and stood behind the book with Paige and Phoebe, Prue stood off to the side looking faintly jealous.
Then Paige, Phoebe and Piper together quickly recited the spell
"Demon of Pain and Fear,
Now you find your end here
And thus by the power of three
We bring about the end of thee"
And the demon went up in flames screaming bloody murder; all four girls looked away as the explosion went off.
"Well, he cleaned up nicely" Piper said.
Phoebe laughed and said "well we still actually have another demon to find and vanquish, so we better get on that. Actually I have a feeling this was the easy vanquish. Any demon that can get into magic school may be serious trouble and most likely is upper level."
"Maybe we should just ask Cole who it is?" Prue suggested.
"Let's check the book first, if we don't find him there, then we'll ask Cole" Piper said.
"Okay, whatever you want" Prue said.
"Alright, you guys look in the book, I'm gonna get back to the potion making" Piper said.
"I'll come with you" Prue said.
"Alright, lets get moving guys" Piper said and headed down the stairs with Prue following her.
"Ya, we better find this sucker before he does anymore harm" Phoebe said and began flipping through the book again with Paige peering over her shoulder.
ppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppp
The four girls threw themselves down on the couch with weariness.
"Well that was a nice vanquish" Prue said.
"Yes, spectacular fireworks" Phoebe said.
Piper laughed "Oh you two, stop being silly, they all go up in flames or explode like that."
"True, true, but this was a huge explosion!" Phoebe said.
"Ya, and I better go tell the elders that we got him" Prue said and orbed out.
"So Paige I was telling Prue earlier, and I should probably tell you too. I set up an appointment with a family therapist for you and Prue" Piper said.
"Oh what great news!" Paige said sarcastically.
"I also set up an individual appointment for you a few days later" Piper said.
Paige's head jerked up and she snapped "Why?"
"Why?" Piper said "You've got to be kidding me. You just lost your husband, but you have shown no grief, no tears. You act like it did not happen at all. If that's not a sign that therapy is seriously needed than I don't know what is."
"I'm staying strong for the kids" Paige replied.
"No, you're in denial and are seriously repressing you're feelings, and in this family that's dangerous" Piper said.
"Oh, so what do you want me to do, break down in tears every few seconds" Paige asked.
"If that's what you need to do to deal with it and accept it, then yes" Piper said.
"Accept it, accept what. That my husbands dead, that I let him get killed" Paige said and turned away from her sisters as the first few tears started down her face "Accept that in anger I left him alone even though I knew demons attacked the house regularly, that I left him to die, that I came here to just bitch about him while he was dieing, that I abandoned him!" Paige was freely sobbing now, to the shock of her sisters.
Finally Phoebe got up and sat down beside Paige and pulled her into a hug and said "Honey, none of that was your fault. You can't be expected to stay with him and protect him all the time."
"Yes, I should have. I brought him into this world, where he couldn't fight for himself, and it was my responsibility to protect him" Paige sobbed.
"Paige, you did not do anything wrong" Piper said also getting up and sitting down on Paige's other side. She put her arm around her and said "You didn't know that anything was going to happen, you couldn't stay with him all the time, he wouldn't have liked that, if I recall he wanted you to leave him with the children, you were just doing what he asked."
"I should have been more careful, I knew what kind of threat was out there" Paige said.
"Paige, you can't be expected to just know everything, and I was sent my premonition too late. I much as I hate saying it, well, everything happens for a reason. I was sent my premonition after he was too far gone to be saved, and that means that as horrible as it is, it was his time. No one can fight death, we've learned that the hard way" Phoebe said.
"But it wouldn't have been his time if he was not with me" Paige sobbed.
"You don't know that, he was cop, he lived a dangerous life even before he met you, it was just his time, it had nothing to do with you. You need to stop feeling so guilty" Piper said.
"How can I not feel guilty, I killed my husband" Paige said.
"Paige, do remember, you felt the same way about your parents, in fact you said the exact same thing. But you found out that there was a reason for their deaths and that you couldn't have stopped it. And this is the same thing, there is a reason and nothing you could have done would have changed that, it was his time, you need to accept this" Phoebe said.
"I don't want to accept it, because that means he's really gone and won't come back" Paige said.
"Paige, I know how you feel. I felt the same way when Prue died, trying every way known to bring her back and not even wanting to go to the funeral because that would mean she was truly gone. But that did not help all it did was lead to rage and denial, and did not end my pain. You have to grieve, allow yourself to grieve." Piper said.
And with that Paige broke completely down sobbing. Piper and Phoebe exchanged and sad but content look that their baby sister was finally grieving.
Please review and let me know what you think! I already have the next chapter ready and waiting and I will post it once I get some reviews, so if you want another chapter, review!