A/N: Hey guys, new update!
Some of you were wondered about the question Prue asked in the last chap and there is an explanation of sort in this chap...but it may still be confusing. If it is, let me know, as things tend to make more sense in my own head. You know how it is, lol. Oh and also the demon that used Prue as a 'discus' was the big, friendly demon Earl from like chapter 5, lol.
Anyway on with the show.
12. Significant Marks
Piper sat at the kitchen table with a stack of paper work haphazardly strewn around her, while a cold cup of coffee sat untouched nearby. Usually she would complete this work at P3 but at her resolve not to leave Prue alone, she had decided to bring it home.
Only now it seemed more a chaotic than it had originally appeared. Added to the fact they had found out nothing on the demon after spending nights going through the Book of Shadows, her mind was wanting to implode.
"I don't need baby sitting, you know?"
Piper's head shot up in surprise, as she found Prue stood in the doorway of the kitchen. The younger sister noted, how Prue had a sudden ability to appear and still remain completely quiet until she felt the need to announce her presence. Something that was vastly becoming creepy.
"I'm not baby sitting, I just thought I'd enjoy some time at home." Piper lied in response, although she was certain her sister didn't by her excuse.
Prue raised her eyebrows and moved towards the table, pulling out a chair for herself. "I could think of a much better way to enjoy my time at home."
Piper laughed and glanced at the mound of paper in front of her. "Yeah, so could I but it needs to be done."
"I guess, I mean the house pretty much rests on that income." Prue commented.
"Well Pheebs has her job at the paper."
"Mmm, well it took her long enough." Prue quipped, while fiddling with a few of the sheets of paper from Piper's stack.
Piper scoffed softly before smiling. "She's doing really well Prue. You should be proud of her."
Prue's attention returned to Piper at that moment, her sister's choice in words grating on her nerves. "Should I?"
Piper's expression changed to mild shock as she looked at Prue. "I would say so. After you….disappeared, Phoebe really grew up. I mean she changed when we became witches but…"
"Well I'm glad something positive came out of my time in the Underworld." Prue spat, cutting Piper off mid-sentence.
"Prue, I didn't mean…"
"Safe it, Piper. I get the message, you all moved on your merry little way. I held you back…"
The younger sister grabbed the paper's from Prue's hand and slammed them back down on the pile they had been on previously. "Stop it!" she yelled, causing Prue to glare at her. "We didn't move on our merry little way, Prue. Far from it." she spat. "Phoebe grew up to make you proud."
"No, guilt made her grow up." Prue retorted.
Piper sighed heavily and ran a hand over her face, now wishing she had stayed at the office. "We all have guilt. Phoebe's made her more proactive."
"I'm glad I could be of use." the eldest Halliwell sneered.
"Prue, please…"
"What do you expect me to say Piper? I was left in the Underworld. You all moved on. I was dead and buried to you guys. You even had someone fill the gap I left in the Power of Three."
"I never wanted this to happen." Piper replied, her eyes welling at the words that flooded out of her sister's mouth.
Prue stood up and rested her palms on the table, leaning forward at Piper. "Do you know what it feels like to be replaceable? Not only did the Elders abandon me but my family as well. In the eyes of your family, you should never appear replaceable and yet here I am."
As her final sentence wrapped around Piper's neck like a noose, Prue left her stunned sister alone.
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Anger was once again the common feeling Prue had after her argument with Piper. However more and more she found her anger was directed at herself than the witch in the kitchen.
She had never wanted the words to leave her head, let alone her mouth but they had and now there was nothing she could do to change it.
Prue moved up the stairs, berating herself the entire way. Although instead of heading for her own room, she found herself in Paige's, where she stared at the still blank canvas.
"Well she obviously thought too hard." Prue muttered, referring to her encounter with Paige almost two days ago.
She walked into the room and stood in front of the white paper, similar to how her youngest sister had previously.
Prue picked the dry brush up from the pot it rested in and ran her thumb over the bristled end, while she contemplated her predicament. Something, she found she was doing increasingly more recently.
Not really paying much attention to her actions, Prue delicately began to spread the paint evenly on the brush and then slowly guided it along the canvas, leaving a dark shaded area. Prue continued with no sense of direction, just merely letting the paintbrush move with no real thought.
"Oh sorry." Paige announced, walking into the room, shocked to find Prue there…painting.
"Why are you apologising? I'm the one intruding in your room." Prue replied, not removing her eyes from her hand and the paintbrush.
Paige grew thoughtful at her sister's response. Why did I apologise? she thought, noticing how Prue made no move to leave her room. "Don't think I'm being rude but why are you here?"
"Don't really know." Prue laughed, more to herself, while she continued her painting. "Just saw the blankness and I thought I would fill it."
Paige edged closer and gazed over Prue's shoulder, taking a look at the forming picture. She instantly noticed the amount of darkness that emanated.
"What's it supposed to be?" she asked quietly.
"That I have yet to decide." Prue answered.
"So your neither frightened you might ruin a master piece with one mark or if you'll reveal too much of yourself." Paige stated, still in a quiet voice. She had yet to find confidence around her eldest sister.
Prue once again laughed softly, before whirling the paintbrush in the water. Slowly she turned to Paige, who awaited her response.
"I'm not easily frightened and a master piece is only a master piece in the eye of the beholder. Some people will mask over the faults and still view it as a master piece. Other's shall use it to ridicule you but the question really is, why is that mark singled out as the mistake? Why isn't the rest of the picture at fault and that mark the significant piece?" Prue replied.
"I guess people like to blame one thing rather than the entirety." Paige commented.
"Exactly. Everybody needs an escape goat."
"Like Piper blamed me for you not being here." Paige supplied, thinking back to when she had first met her sisters.
Prue gazed at Paige for a long moment. "I guess you were the significant mark."
"..on a master piece." Paige finished her sister's sentence, although Prue had no intention of continuing her statement. "I mean, I ruined the family dynamics and life she had loved."
Prue returned her attention back to the paintbrush and stared at the tarnished canvas. "The only thing you did was extinguish her hope. The family had already been ruined." she commented her eyes firmly set on the painting.
Suddenly she turned to Paige and handed her the paintbrush. "Here, I'm better with a camera anyway."
Paige watched as Prue began to leave her room. "What about revealing too much of yourself?"
The eldest Halliwell turned back to face the youngest. "The truth will always come out, might as well not prolong it."
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Phoebe smiled brightly at the stranger, who strode past her on the street. She glanced at the houses along Prescott Street, before she came into view of the manor.
She couldn't help but feel happy. She had her job, her boyfriend and most importantly her eldest sister was back, completing the family unit they had developed. All in all, Phoebe felt content.
However, stepping into the Halliwell manor, Phoebe felt a chill but could not fathom why. I bet Paige has been messing with the AC again, she thought.
Phoebe placed her bag down on the floor and moved to the kitchen, finding Piper slumped over a pile of paper work.
"Piper, honey?" Phoebe prodded her sister gently, which caused Piper to jump in shock.
"Jeez, Pheebs, you scared me." the older sister remarked, placing a hand over her heart.
"Sorry." the younger of the two sheepishly grinned. "What's up anyway? I swear that coffee was sat there when I left this morning and usually your paper work is done by now."
"I've found it hard to concentrate." Piper replied shortly, not really wanting to discuss the matter further.
A mischievous grin spread graced Phoebe's face, while she raised an eyebrow towards her sister. "Leo been around then?"
"No, Phoebe, he has not and if you had taken the time to notice, it's not all red and rosy around this place lately as it may appear in Phoebeville." Piper snapped, as she began to collect all the clubs books, having had enough for today.
"Hey, don't take this out on me if you've had an argument with him." Phoebe remarked hurt, wondering if Piper's frustration was from the lack of answers they had on the demon who attacked Prue. Piper lately just seemed on edge about...everything.
Piper slammed the books back on the table and glared at her younger sister. "I haven't argued with Leo! This has jack to do with Leo!"
"Why the hell are you yelling at me?" Phoebe returned.
"It's always about you, isn't it?"
"What? Have you been infected by some demon anger crap again or something?"
"Oh grow up, not everything revolves around magic either." Piper spat, while gathering the books in her arms and moving into the living room.
"Funny enough, Piper, for the last four years our lives have." Phoebe retorted as she followed behind. "Now are you going to return my head that you so unwelcomingly bit off?"
Piper turned to face her sister, after placing the books on top of another table, allowing her to cross her arms. "Why did you go to the Underworld that day?"
Phoebe was taken a back by the sudden question and unwillingly tears brimmed in her eyes. "You know why?" she replied in a small voice.
Silence settled between them for a moment. "Do you still blame me for what happened?" Phoebe asked barely above a whisper.
"I blame everyone." Piper finally answered, dropping heavily onto the sofa, not wanting to ever get up. "I blame Prue for being so stupid, I blame you for being down there, I blame Leo for not orbing everyone out, I blame Cole because he was the reason you went in the first place, I blame the Elders for giving up…" she listed and sighed. "..and I blame myself because I couldn't stop any of it."
Phoebe sat down beside Piper and took her hand. "You weren't meant to. If these things had changed, we would have never found Paige."
"Paige could have been found without Prue having to be tortured." Piper returned heatedly.
"Tortured?"
"Well they didn't exactly have tea parties down there Phoebe." Piper quipped.
Silence once again fell between the two.
However, Piper soon stood from her seat. "I need to start dinner. You wanna help?"
"Yeah, sure." Phoebe replied distractedly, never questioning why Piper asked her, as the middle Halliwell sister generally preferred to be undisturbed while cooking. Her mind was elsewhere as she contemplated the seriousness of what Piper had just told her and her sister's sudden need of a distraction.
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Jaden shimmered into Prue's bedroom, just as the owner closed the door when she entered.
"Oh great." she muttered, trying her best to ignore his presence but found it impossible. "Have you come to yell at me some more?"
"No." he answered, perching himself on the side of her bed, while Prue moved around her room.
"Then what do I owe the pleasure of your company?"
"I…um, just came to worn you the Source is growing impatient." Jaden replied, keeping his voice low so the Charmed Ones did not hear.
Prue glanced up at him finally and smiled slightly. "And what? He's sent you to ruffle my feathers, so to speak?"
Jaden shock his head. "No, I just thought I would worn you."
As quickly as he came, the warlock shimmered out again, leaving Prue to stare at the area he had occupied.
A/N: Okay, I'm not entirely sure if the whole painting thing made sense to you guys, lol.
Also I have the next chap pretty much already to go, so if I get time during the week I'll post it earlier than have been.
ultimategilmoregirl; Thanks for the review and I'm glad you like my little fic. There was some more Prue/Paige in there for ya and I'm sorry if evil Prue makes you sad, I strangely find it funny. Anyway thanks again. :o)
Thanks to all reviewers, it's greatly appreciated.