Chapter 3

The morning came fast for Phoebe as she sat outside the front porch with a cup of coffee in hand as she watched the outside world with a look of pure glee on her face. She turned when she heard the door open to find it was Piper. And she had clothes in her hands.

"You're up early." Piper commented in surprise to her baby sister as soon as she noticed Phoebe sitting on the stairs outside the house. Phoebe had never been an early raiser. Even back when they were kids. Piper closed the door as Phoebe smiled.

"I never went to sleep." Phoebe told her big sister with a bright smile as she sipped on her third cup of coffee as she thought about everything that she had read through last night. At hearing this a slight fear ran through Piper but she put it to the back of her mind and searched for the funny side. Not that there was much to choose from.

"Don't tell me you put on a black conical hat and spent the night flying around the neighborhood on a broomstick?" Piper asked her little sister with humor as she walked down the stairs and sat beside her little sister with a small smile on her face. Phoebe smiled back at her big sister as she ignored the mocking in the humor.

"The only broom I've ever had was kept in a closet beside a mop." Phoebe told Piper as she used her own form of humor before taking a sip from her coffee with a small smile of content. Piper let a small laugh escape at her younger sister's words. Despite often bringing trouble Phoebe was quite funny.

"So what were you doing?" Piper asked the younger girl with slight curiosity that she wished that she didn't have after everything that had happened last night. Phoebe looked to Piper slightly surprised. She didn't think that Piper would want to know about what she was doing after last night.

"Reading. Are the other still around?" Phoebe asked her big sister with her own form of curiosity as to the whereabouts of her big sister and younger brothers. She hadn't seen them this morning despite staying up all night. Piper glanced at her baby sister.

"Prue went to work early. And Dean's dropping Sam off at school. Reading aloud?" Piper asked her little sister with just as much curiosity as before. Phoebe smiled at her big sister when she heard the humor as well as the curiosity in her sister's tone. Piper smiled back to her baby sister lightly after seeing the smile.

"No. But according to the Book of Shadows, one of our ancestors was a witch named Melinda Warren." Phoebe told her sister with conviction as a small smile lit up her face at telling Piper what she had found. Piper raised her eyebrows at her younger sister's statement. And the look she gave her let her know that the other girl didn't believe her.

"And we have a cousin who's a drunk, an aunt who's manic and a father who's invisible." Piper responded to her sister humorlessly as she saw only the humor in Phoebe's statement and not the factual and believing tone that Phoebe held within her tone. Phoebe rolled her eyes at her sister's statement. She knew that Piper wouldn't believe her.

"I'm serious. She practiced powers. Three powers. She could move object with her mind, see the future and stop time." Phoebe told her sister with a small smile as Piper stood up and walked away. Phoebe followed after her big sister as they made their way towards Piper's car. Piper strained to listen to Phoebe mostly because she didn't want to hear it.

"Before Melinda was burned at the Stake she vowed that each Generation of Warren witches would become stronger and stronger culminating on the arrival of five siblings." Phoebe told her sister with excitement as they began walking down the bottom set of stairs as Phoebe followed her sister to her car. Piper rolled her eyes at some of the words her sister was saying. However all of it concerned her as to how Phoebe was.

"Now these siblings would be the most powerful witches the world has ever known. They are good witches and I think we're those siblings." Phoebe explained to her sister with even more excitement than before as Piper opened her car door to put her things into it before she turned to look at her sister with slight hesitation and concern for the younger girl.

"Look I know what happened last night was weird and unexplainable but we are not witches. And we do not have special powers. Besides Grams wasn't a witch and as far as we no neither was Mom. So take that Nancy Drew." Piper reasoned with her little sister as she gave her a small kiss to the forehead with a smile on her face before getting into the car herself. Phoebe smiled at her sister's words despite herself. It sucked that Piper didn't believe her but it wasn't as if she could make Piper or the others to believe her.

"We are the Protectors of the innocents. We're known as the Charmed Ones!" Phoebe called out to her sister with a humors glee as she smiled at her sister happily while Piper continued to ignore the younger girl with a smile on her face as she drove off. Phoebe just smiled at the car before walking back towards her house.

* *P *D * P*S * P* *

Sam watched as he and Dean arrived at the high school with a grim look on his face. He turned to look at his elder brother with tired hazel eyes. He hadn't gotten much sleep last night what with everything that had happened. And it showed as Dean sighed at his baby brother.

"Come on Sammy, I told you about a million times, Phoebe was playing a joke on us. And judging by the shadows under your eyes I can see that you fell for it. Too bad it wasn't April's fool's day." Dean explained to his younger brother with a small smile on his face as he turned to look at his younger brother. He could see that Sam was still scared from yesterday's events. And he knew that Piper was probably acting the same.

"Dean, I saw that pointer move. And that door was locked. I tried to get into the attic the day before yesterday." Sam replied with just as much confidence and fear as he had last night. Something he hoped beyond hope that Dean would believe. Dean had always been the more laid back member of the family and so if anyone was going to believe him then it should be Dean. Dean shook his head.

"Sammy, it was a screwed up joke that Pheebs was playing on you because she knew that you would fall for it." Dean replied to his baby brother as he tried to get the kid to calm down a little. He knew that the kid had been freaked but he was still scared and what was worse was that Phoebe wasn't letting up on the whole this is a joke thing. Sam glared at his big brother.

"God, come on Dean. Even Phoebe isn't that good at jokes. In fact you and I are the best at practical jokes in the family. And even you wouldn't have done that." Sam responded to his big brother truthfully as he thought back to all the jokes and pranks that the family had played over the years. Prue and Piper never had anything to do with the whole thing but Dean, Phoebe and him and been brilliant at the jokes and pranks.

"We have come up with quite a lot of good jokes. I think Grams was going to blow a gasket when she found out I put Nair in you shampoo." Dean responded to his little brother without even thinking about it. Sam laughed back at his bother with a smile on his face. He might have had a hair problem but Dean had a problem for weeks. And not just with Grams but with Prue as well.

"You're just lucky that Grams, Phoebe or Prue never used that shampoo." Sam responded with a smile on his face as they both began laughing at the event until they realized with sadness that one of the people involved in what they were saying was now gone. Sam looked down onto his lap.

"Yeah, you are not kidding. Grams was quite a woman. I miss her." Dean responded with a sadness that Sam didn't know his big brother could feel. Dean hardly ever showed emotion. He had to be the strong member of the family. Sam looked up at his brother and nodded with agreement. He truly missed his Grams.

"Me too. And it wasn't a joke. Cause Piper fell for it too. And Piper doesn't do jokes." Sam responded with confidence that the whole thing was in fact not a joke. He knew that Phoebe was twisted but the girl was never that twisted. Not to mention Dean was ten times more twisted than their sister was any day of the week. Dean sighed at his brother.

"Sammy, it was just Phoebe being Phoebe. Now get going, your girlfriend's waiting for you." Dean replied with a small smirk on his face as he noticed Sam's best friend standing at the school gate waiting for Sam to hurry up and come over. Sam turned to see what his brother was looking at and found that Dean was looking at his best friend.

"She's not my girlfriend. She's just Kat. Goodbye Dean, get to work." Sam responded to his big brother with a playfulness and slightly annoyed tone. He was used to Dean's comments about him and Kat's relationship. It may have been screwed up but that's the way that it was. Dean smiled at his baby brother's comment.

"Shut it bitch." Dean called back to his baby brother affectionately as he shifted over to ruffle the kid's chocolate brown hair making the teen scowl and his elder brother. He hated when his brother did this kind of stuff. He hated being treated like a kid. Sam immediately went to fix his dark locks into a slightly less of a mess.

"Jerk." Sam quirked back to his big brother with a small smile on his face before getting out of the car before Dean annoyed him some more. Dean smirked as he watched his brother run over to his best friend. Sam ran over to his friend Kat Taylor with a big smile on his face as Kat's blonde hair waved in his face lightly.

"Hey, Sam, what you up too?" Kat asked her best friend with a brighter than bright smile on her face as she jumped on Sam's back. Sam groaned at her but got used to her wait despite his small height compared to most people in his class he was still able to hold Kat up. Kat let up and turned to look at her friend.

"Nothing much. Hey Phoebe's back. So we're back to being the five Halliwell siblings. How about you?" Sam responded with slight excitement about having his big sister back despite the events of last night. Kat smiled at her best friend knowing that he was going to be really excited about having his big sister back. But Kat felt the need to ruin the moment.

"Oh nothing, I'm just lusting after that big brother of yours. Dean is so hot." Kat spoke with lust filled eyes as she jumped Sam again with a smirk on her face at the disgusted look Sam was giving her. Sam shuddered at the very thought of his big brother being seen as hot. Especially when his big brother was Dean Halliwell.

"I can't possibly comment. But I do think that you need to see a doctor while I see a therapist. I'm sure I'll need one." Sam complained as he shuddered at the very thought of his best friend liking his big brother in a sexual way. He then shivered again at the events of last night. Kat noticed the slightly more fearful look in her friend's eyes.

"How come Sammy boy?" Kat asked her best friend playfully as she lightly punched him on the arm. Sam glared at his friend with a roll of his eyes. Only blood relatives could call him 'Sammy' and Kat was not in that category. Kat rolled her on eyes at seeing the look on Sam's face and knew what he was going to say.

"It's Sam. And something strange happened last night. Dean thinks Phoebe was just playing some sick joke as per. I dunno, I guess with all those murders, I'm a little freaked out." Sam told his best friend with a slightly agitated and nervous tone as he shivered when the thoughts of the psycho re-entered his mind. Kat nodded her head in total agreement with her friend. The murders had actually began freaking her out too.

"Yeah I know what you mean. A nurse was killed last night. I mean my mom is a nurse. It's scary." Kat told her friend with a slightly agitated tone over how if her mother was younger then she two could have been a victim of this psycho that was running about. Sam shivered at the very thought of anything like that happening to his elder sisters. Both teens were interrupted when someone cleared their throat to get the teens' attention.

"Mr. Halliwell. Miss Taylor, I think that you two should be getting to class right about now." The teacher spoke to the fifteen year olds with an annoyed expression on his face. Sam was the goody two shoes out of the pair and an A+ student while Kat was a C grade delinquent that preferred to do everything in her power to find problems in school. The two then walked towards the school unaware of Dean's watchful eyes. As he stared at the two teens.

"This is the Halliwell's we're not in right now but phone back soon." The Halliwell answering machine spoke down the phone. Dean looked down sadly when he noted that it was his Grams voice that was answering the phone. They really needed to change that. He sighed now with both annoyance and sadness.

"Phoebe, its Dean. Listen whatever happened last night does not happen again. Sammy was up all night. He's terrified. So quit it." Dean yelled down the phone in anger to his big sister for what she had done last night that had terrified his brother so much. The girl was just acting a lot more badly than he was used too and it was scaring Sam. He kept watch as Sam and the girl walked into the school. Dean smiled as he put his cell down and started up the car and left for work.

* *P *D * P*S * P* *

Prue walked around the museum along with her ex-fiancé with a slight uneasiness especially when Phoebe had just came back to town. They walked together through the museum. Prue looked around herself with agitation. Roger smiled at the woman's obvious annoyance with him.

"There's been a change of plans." Roger spoke to the annoyed brown haired woman with a secretive and illusive tone of voice as he tried to set the right mood for the conversation that he was going to have with the young woman before him. Prue inwardly took a deep breathe.

"A change of plans? Regarding the Beals exhibition?" Prue asked her ex-fiancé with confusion over what he meant and what it would mean for her and her team. She also thought about what it would do to the museum and her future. Roger smiled to the woman sweetly when he noticed she started to act more in a calm and relaxed manor.

"The extra money that you raise through private donations has sparked significant corporate interest. The Beals artefacts will now become part of our permanent collection." Roger explained to the young woman with a small smile on his face especially when he noted the happy smile on Prue's face. Prue smiled at the very thought of what she had done and how it had had such an effect on the museum and its corporate interest.

"Well, that's terrific." Prue beamed with a small smile on her face as she thought about how much she had put into the collection that had sprouted such success for the museum in the recent months. Roger smiled back to the woman with a smugness as he thought of how he was going to rip the cocky happiness right out of the brunette.

"Which is why the board wants someone a little more qualified to handle the collection from now on. You look surprised." Roger spoke to the young brunette with a small smug smile as he thought of what Prue's reaction to his news would be like. He needed to get one up on the young witch after everything that she had done. Prue looked pointedly to the man in front of her with anger filled eyes.

"I don't know why, I'm furious. Not only have I been on this project since its inception, but I'm the curator who secured the entire exhibition." Prue yelled out in anger at the very thought of someone else taking over the work that she had already put her heart and soul into making the exhibit a success only for it to be taken away. Then the light bulbs flashed in her head.

"You're the person more qualified, aren't you?" Prue pointed out with a knowing look to the man before her with an angered glare to the older man that she now hated more than anything. Roger knew how much Prue wanted this job. And now he was screwing it all up for her. Roger smiled at the glares he was receiving.

"I could hardly say no to the entire board of directors, could I? But I know you'll be happy for me. After all, what's good for me is definitely good for you. Right Miss Halliwell?" Roger told Prue with a very smug expression on his face as he pointed to Prue using his fountain pen. He smiled smugly as he put the pen in his front pocket. Prue's eye widened in surprise at hearing him call her by her last name since the two had been in a relationship a few months back.

"Miss Halliwell?" Since when were we stop being on a first name basis. When we stopped sleeping with together or when I returned your engagement ring, Roger?" Prue sneered at the man in front of her with a snarky tone as she inwardly growled at the way he had taken such a job from her when she was the one that had actually done all the work. Roger glared at Prue as he thought of her words and their ex-relationship.

"I didn't realize the two were mutually exclusive. Although I certainly enjoyed one more than the other." Roger sneered to the young woman with a slightly pissed off tone at what the woman had said. He despised that she had ended their relationship the way that she had. Prue's dark brown eyes darkened with anger at hearing what Roger had said.

"Bastard." Prue growled out to the man in front of her with an angered hatred towards him as she thought back to what her and her youngest sister had fought about. It was even worse to her now that both her brothers and Piper had all agreed with Phoebe. Roger groaned inwardly to himself.

"Prue, wait. I think I should day something. If only to avoid a lawsuit." Roger explained to the woman in front of him. Prue sighed with an agitated groan to the older man wishing his pen would burst right in his face before walking away from her ex. Roger noticed the wet sensation of blue ink on his shirt. He then took the pen out to expect it when the ink went all over his face. He gasped in shock. While Prue walked away unaware.