Chapter 13
She was alone. Not a normal occurrence in such a full house and even then she was spending her alone time in the attic with that book. She shifted her fingers through the weltered pages hoping for sign or something to tell her that she was good. It was all Piper wanted, she wanted to be good. Lifting a page she held half the book up so that she could see the written words.
Piper read the weltered pages with a sad look of concentration on her face. She had never wanted this, had never wanted to be a witch and she still didn't know what it meant. She continued to read, pushing her dark hair behind her ear to stop it from getting into eyes, her fingers caressing another page.
She was so far into her reading that she was left unaware of the sounds of shoes against the attic steps just as her sister Phoebe stepped into the room dressed in her black dress pants and purple mid sleeved low cut top. Her hair curly against her features.
Phoebe Halliwell just as pretty as usual.
Phoebe looked to her sister with a small light smile on her features as she stepped into the attic. "Hey, what are you doing?" She asked swinging her hands about as she walked.
Piper looked up at her sister and gave her a light glance before she turned back to the book. She didn't really want to talk to anyone right now, not when her mind was raving at her over whether or not she was evil. She didn't think she was evil but then she didn't think that she was a witch either.
"Reading, thinking." Piper spoke morbidly as she continued to look at the book as she continued to flip her fingers through the age old pages. She paused as a thought came to mind. "Did Sam get to school alright? She asked, her fingers frozen on one of the page she'd left off on.
Phoebe nodded her head a little as she stepped further into the room looking to her sister with concern. "Yeah, Prue took him." She responded somewhat distractingly before she frowned at Piper. "About what?" She asked with complete concern in her tone as she glanced to her sister.
Piper closed the book with a thump before turning to look at the younger witch. "About how totally screwed we are now that we're witches." Piper spoke rather morbidly as she pulled her arms around the sacred book despite her grievance towards the object. She was scared but it wasn't the book's fault.
Phoebe's frown turned upside down at Piper's response. "Oh, that." She said as she moved one of the chairs around to sit on lifting her legs up to her chest.
Piper shook her head "You don't understand, you don't think we are and Sam isn't even a witch." Piper responded helplessly and truly that was how she felt.
Looking at Phoebe, it truly felt like that. Phoebe was the brave one, the street smart one. She wasn't a girl to be afraid of something like this and yet it was all Piper could think about and she was terrified. It just wasn't really fair.
Piper bit her lip a little. "You're never afraid of anything, I envy that about you. I always have." It was true. Piper had always felt envious of Phoebe and even Dean's abilities to just do whatever they wanted and never minding the consequences. Dean only seemed to fear for Sam and Phoebe never feared anything.
Phoebe blushed a little at her big sister's words. She had never thought that Piper could be envious of anything she did let alone her inability of fear. "Yeah, well don't, because it gets me into trouble sometimes."
The amount of time Phoebe had been given in to trouble for something that she just felt she had to do was ridiculous. She still remembered the time she got into trouble for skipping school when she was sixteen and then going to Sam's school pretending to be Prue just to take him to see some band thing he liked. She'd been grounded for a month and Sam was grounded for just as long.
Grams took no prisoners, and an eight year old Sam was included in that one.
Piper looked down as Phoebe gave out a small giggle. She remembered the kinds of trouble that Phoebe had gotten into growing up. Like the time she and her friends had shoplifted Phoebe's Christmas presents when she was eighteen.
With a sympathetic glance, she looked closer to her sister. "Piper, talk to me." Phoebe asked her feeling desperate to help the elder Halliwell.
Piper continued to look down, not wanting to look the youngster in the eyes. "I don't know, it's just our whole lives we've been like everyone else, rushing off to work, going out on bad dates, buying shoes and suddenly we wake up one day and everything is different." Piper responded with a shake of her head, feeling more than a little sorry for herself and wishing that she didn't feel like her world had just ended.
"We're witches now. I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing." Piper continued with a small huff and honestly she didn't know if it was a bad thing or a good thing because if she couldn't set foot in a church then that meant she was evil.
Piper didn't want to be evil.
Phoebe however seemed to disagree with Piper. "Are you kidding, it's a great thing." Phoebe claimed with a light tone to her voice.
Although she knew that Piper and she were two different people, she also knew that these powers, that being witches, could become very something very amazing for all of them. They could change things for the better.
Piper shook her head with apprehension. "You don't know that, we don't know anything about these powers. Why we have them, why Sam doesn't, what they mean, where they even come from?" It was fair questions, questions that Piper felt needed answered. She wanted to know why they out of everyone had powers and why their youngest had none.
Phoebe nodded her head in understanding. She could see that the questions meant a lot to Piper and she was asking some of them herself. Phoebe wanted to know how Sammy never had any powers and she wanted to know why they had them too.
"I mean how do we know it's not just… How do we know that it's not evil?" Piper continued oblivious to her sister's wonders. In all honestly it was the last question that Piper was actually struggling with and not so much the others.
"Piper, we've been through this, we are good witches." Phoebe told the elder with a begging tone, hoping she'd understand.
"How do we know? What about Jeremy? What about all the other warlocks he said would be coming after us? How do we know, that we're not just like them?" Piper argued.
Phoebe gave a soft sigh of frustration at those questions. She wished that Piper understood that she was not evil. How could Piper Halliwell be evil? It was just something that was not at all possible. Piper Halliwell was no more evil than Phoebe was blonde.
Piper shook her head with a fear filled look. "That is what scares me. We don't know."
It was true. None of them knew what was going to happen. None of them knew the answers to the questions, not even Prue knew those answers.
"I just… I just wanna be normal again. Like Sam. As messed up as that is. Is that too much to ask for?" Piper replied with tears in her eyes and a sob in her throat.
"Piper, listen to me." Phoebe told the older brunette with a tone of determination wanting her sister to listen closely to her words. You are the sweetest most caring person, I have ever met." She continued with complete honesty because it was true.
Piper looked down with a blush of disbelief in her eyes, not believing Phoebe for a second.
"No, I mean that, you are. You are always there to help anybody, even strangers; you've been doing it your whole life. Something you taught Sam. So there's no way you've been given this…" Phoebe continued to say with a smile in her voice, and knowledge in her heart.
Phoebe could still remember the time when Piper had to call Dean to pick her up because she'd given her money for the bus to a poor old woman in town. Still remembered when she'd given up a day of work to care for Sam after he broke his leg five years ago and still remembered the story she'd heard of Piper giving a half a dozen people more time for their loans at the bank.
Piper was a good person and Phoebe didn't even think it was possible for her to be evil as she thought of something to say about their powers.
"…this gift. If it wasn't to do good things with it. To protect the innocent. Just like the Book of Shadows says." She responded with a small sigh to her words because she knew in her heart that it was true and she didn't need to be psychic to know that one. "Besides if anyone should be concerned with being bad, it's me and Dean Right?" Phoebe then continued with a small giggle to her tone as she looked around the room with an obvious look.
Piper laughed at that one because how could she not.
Phoebe joined in on the laugh as she watched her sister give a small sniffle. "You've got nothing to be afraid of." She responded with a light tone to her voice.
It was something the younger witch truly believed.
Whilst they were talking neither of the sisters had noticed that they were no longer alone as Dean had stepped into the room with cautious green eyes as he looked between the two women.
Dean had walked in half way through the conversation and felt a small fear arise in him for Piper. He had never thought to think that his big sister could be so scared of who and what they were. Personally he thought that being a witch was awesome but he was still a teenager so a lot of things were awesome to him.
"Hey, everything alright up here." Dean voiced.
Both sisters turned around to face their blonde headed brother with surprise none of them having expected him to be home this morning.
Phoebe turned to look at Piper with a curious gaze as the older Halliwell gave a nod. Phoebe turned back to look at their brother with a Cheshire grin on her face as she stood up from her seat. "Yeah, I gotta run. I am gonna get my picture taken." The young Halliwell woman voiced as she gave a pose causing her siblings to laugh.
Phoebe then walked out of the room as Dean moved towards his middle sister after hearing some of the conversation about some of Piper's fears which hurt. He stepped into the room and over to the trunk that Phoebe had been sitting in previous as he stared at the brunette with his usual judging eyes. "Piper, are you alright, sis?" Dean asked wearily.
"Yeah, I am now. Phoebe helped." Piper responded soothingly.
"God, the world must be coming to an end," Dean responded with a chuckle. Phoebe wasn't usually the kind of person you went to for advice. But hey she helped Piper. "Well maybe she could help Sammy next." He continued with a wondered gaze. He was worried about his brother and he was going to talk to him about it this morning before Prue stole him.
It was a common fact in the Halliwell household that Sam and Dean were Sam and Dean. They were the closest of the five siblings and it wasn't as if he hadn't noticed the missing photo and the glass on the floor.
When he asked Prue about it she just told him that she would talk to Sam in the morning. She would talk to Sam. Not that he was jealous but he always helped Sam but this time he didn't understand how so maybe their sisters could help them.
Piper's head perked up at that. She had spoken to Sam the other day and despite her sour mood had noted that something was wrong with the kid. "Why? Is he alright?" She asked her brother with concern. Sam was the youngest and as the youngest it was their duty to protect him, but right now something is wrong so as his elder siblings they had to find out what and help him deal with it.
Dean sighed as he sat down on one of the trunks and ran a hand over his face with agitation. "I don't even know, he's had constant nightmares, and he seems terrified that something's gonna happen." He responded with frustration. His little brother was worrying him. "He's been getting these pains in his stomach, his head." He continued with a flustered tone. He wanted to help his brother and the kid seemed ill. He hoped, no begged, that nothing would happen to their brother.
Piper listened to her brother with a placid expression. "Maybe he's sick or it's just him grieving for Grams." She said. It was well known that Sam was close with Grams, and he was probably one of the only males that Grams did like. Not that she hated Dean, but Sam was Sam.
"Yeah, maybe, but the low self-esteem…" Dean said with a frown circling his features. "That's nothing to do with Grams." Dean questioned. He wasn't sure but he couldn't see how this could be about Grams. Yeah, he was sad whenever Grams was mentioned but this seemed different. It seemed dark and sad.
Piper frowned at this revelation not sure what to make of Sam's low self-esteem
"Low self-esteem? What do you mean?" Piper asked. She didn't know what was wrong with Sam but this sounded as if this had something to do with their conversation about witchcraft yesterday, or their Grams or even something at school. It was plausible since the kid used to be bullied which caused the hilt of emotion. Sam was always the one that had often struggled with his emotions as a child.
Dean shrugged his shoulders towards his sister. "I don't know I just know that he's not the same kid he was before we became witches." Dean explained to his sister. "It's like he's the odd one out. Like... I don't know." He shrugged with confusion. He wanted to do everything in his power to help his brother but he just didn't know how to. "I'm worried about him." Dean finished.
Piper nodded her head in understanding; she knew that her brother was worried about Sam as was Prue. It wasn't hard to realise that Prue had taken Sam to school because she wanted to talk to him.
"It's called being a big brother. I feel it too." Piper told her brother with a small smile. Ever since Phoebe had been born she had felt protective over her siblings and knew that Dean had to feel the same way too. "Like we need to protect him from the world, but there are some things that we can't protect him from. Like school or being witches. We just need to be there." But the problem was that sometimes they needed to do things themselves. Sadly that was just a fact.
Dean nodded his head as Piper put the book down and stretched towards her brother and put her hand on his knee. It was hard being an older sibling sometimes, especially when they were in trouble.
"I wish somebody would have told me that sixteen years ago, I would have told Mom to forget having a fifth kid." Dean said with humour as he choked out laughter. She returned the laugh with one of her own. Sometimes Piper wished her mother had stopped after her too.
Sobering up Piper turned to look at her brother, moving closer to him as she squeezed his knee. "Then we'd all be worried about you, Sammy shifts the concern to him." Piper told the younger man with her face yet again breaking out into a smile as she spoke to Dean.
Dean's face creased in disgust at the idea. The very thought of him ever being the youngest terrified him. There was four years between him and Phoebe and it had probably been the worst four years of his life due to being the only son and the baby of the family until along came Sammy to save the day and take up the position as the youngest of the Halliwell family.
"Then he can keep it." Dean laughed out to his sister, more than happy with Sam being the youngest. "Come on, I've got the day off and I'll help you out with Quake." He offered hoping that he could help his sister out since she herself had helped him, and he was owed the week off anyway for things to get fixed at the garage so why not help his sister.
"And Piper thanks. I really needed that pep talk." Dean told his sister with a small smile on his face, he was happier knowing that he had managed to help Piper by her helping with Sam. He just hoped that both his brother and his sister could survive whatever turmoil they were going through at the moment.
Standing up Piper dropped her hand from his knee and he left the attic in order to get ready for the day ahead. He just hoped that things would get to normal soon or as normal as a witch's life could be.
Still sitting on the trunk, Piper pulled the book back up to look at it with wonder. She wondered if her siblings were right, that this could be a good thing. She didn't want to believe that what had happened could be bad but she was still scared though if her siblings were right, then she didn't need to be scared. Taking a deep breath, Piper relaxed and put the book down again before following her brother out the door.
* *P *D * P*S * P* *
The Castagnolas was a small restaurant down by the harbour and it had been Prue's number one choice for her date with Andy. It was a mutual setting with no little brothers or sisters anywhere nearby to harass or annoy them both which was just what Prue needed and wanted.
This conversation was going to be hard enough without her siblings getting involved.
The two sat in awkward silence as the waitress put a couple of coffees before the couple as Prue and Andy both said their thanks and all too soon the waitress was gone leaving the two to the dreaded conversation.
"Uh, Andy…" Prue began just as Andy stared. "Prue…"
Both stopped the moment that the words came out of the others mouth, and then smiled when they noticed that they'd both stopped.
"You go first." Prue told him as Andy stared again. "No, I…" Both of them seeming to be so in touch with one another that they were speaking at the very same time as the other.
After a couple of seconds of awkward silence, Andy decided to begin the very and winded conversation. "I'm not sorry it happened, Prue." He said and honestly he wasn't sorry because it had been a long time since coming. He was still very much in love with Prue and he'd been able to keep in touch with the help of little Sam.
The kid was a godsend for Prue information; telling him everything from her last relationship with Roger to what she was doing for a job nowadays.
Prue however gave a soft sigh. "Well, I have to be honest with you Andy, I am." She retorted and it wasn't for anything really other than the fact that now she was a witch she had to be careful. Not to mention she had Sam to care for and a hundred other things Andy didn't even know about.
"I mean not because I didn't enjoy it. I did, especially when you um…" Prue mumbled a little as she felt herself beginning to get a bit hot under the collar. She did live with Dean and Phoebe so it should be expected.
Andy nodded his head a smile on his face in complete agreement. "Yeah, that was great."
"Yeah, and of course there was the…" Prue voiced with a small bout of laughter in her words as she tried to control herself a little. Which was actually hard to do when the sex was just so totally awesome.
"That was nice too." Andy replied with a lift of his eyebrows.
The eyebrow lift reminded Prue innocently over her brother and she found herself no longer wallowing in sex but now very much in touch with reality. "Yeah, but, no that's not the point. It's… I haven't seen you in almost seven years and… to start right back we're we left off is..." Prue began pausing at some of her words as she was unable to describe what she meant. This was hard but Phoebe and Dean she wasn't and she also couldn't afford to do anything that would come back to haunt her siblings or her.
There was just too much at stake these days.
"I know. I know, believe me. I just wanna no why you left is all." Andy questioned.
With his love of Prue, Andy had been at least a little upset and even irritated that the young woman for having left him in the night. He had spent the last seven years pretty much in love with Prue and it had bruised his ego a little for to have left him.
However he knew that there was something else to it. Prue had been sheepish ever since they'd seen one another again and that was so unlike the eldest Halliwell.
"Why can't you tell me? What's the big secret?" Andy asked.
Prue gave a small sigh, wishing she could tell him everything and yet it wasn't just her secret to tell. Not to mention the repercussions. She would never be able to live with herself if something were to happen to her brothers and sisters all because she couldn't keep a secret.
"Believe me, you don't want to know." Prue explained hoping it would end.
"Try me." Andy countered.
Prue looked down on herself wondering what she could tell him without it coming back to haunt her. Biting her lip, Prue took the plunge. "Well, my life, it's gotten a little complicated and I just don't think that I should get involved with anything right now." Prue explained.
It broke her heart a little to say those things, to lose someone she knew she could love but she loved her siblings more and they meant more to her than anything in the world. If that meant sacrificing her own happiness then she would do it in a heartbeat.
"Prue, we had sex, doesn't mean we have to elope." Andy replied sheepishly.
Andy and Prue both gave a small smirk to that one because they didn't need to make a big song and dance about it. "Okay, how about this? Why don't we just pretend it didn't happen?" Andy asked the brunette with a curious tone trying to think of a way to make everything better between Prue and him mostly because he didn't want to lose her.
Prue spied him with a curious eye. It seemed so unlike Andy to come up with something like that Prue had to lean in closer.
"Do you want me to send you over a life saver now or just let you sink on your own?" She asked with a wondering gaze as Andy gave out a soft chuckle.
"Oh, no I'm serious. We'll just count that one as part of our old relationship. We'll slow down and start over." Andy continued to say making it seem like something that was all too possible and god did Prue want to make it possible. She wouldn't admit it but she adored Andy and if things hadn't been for the witch thing then this wouldn't be so hard.
Seeing that he was beginning to weigh on the oldest Halliwell, Andy decided to take that final push and tell her what he wanted. "Prue, we've been given a second chance here. I don't wanna blow it this time." He proclaimed.
Despite herself Prue felt her defences lag. It all seemed like such a dream. The chance to be with Andy again and for a second chance with him. High school seemed so far away and in that time they had had a separate history filled with mystery at least for anyone other than Sam.
Prue really needed to speak to that kid about things with Andy.
Before the young Halliwell could say anything in replay a ringing began to go off as both adults searched their things to see what was making such racket.
"Dating in the nineties." Andy proclaimed as he got his beeper out of his pocket and looked at it with curiosity. It was from the precinct.
Prue also searched her bag for her cell phone with slight regret. Whoever was on the other line better have a good excuse for messing up this date.
Answering the phone, Prue began the phone conversation with a steady pace. "Excuse me. Hello… eh, yeah, absolutely, I'm sure that I can make that… okay thanks." Prue said as she hung up the phone with a look of pure surprise on her features watching as Andy put his beeper away and quickly she moved to put her cell away as she looked to Andy. "I don't believe it that was the auction house; they want me to come back in for a second interview." She spoke to the other with a huff of relief. She had thought that she would have lost that job and was seconds away from going all meltdown on the family.
Andy sat back in a huff at the information wishing he had an answer before Prue went all super girl on him. He had wanted to now desperately if they still had a chance.
"I've gotta go. Eh, just give me a little time to think things through, okay." Prue begged as she stood up in a rush grabbing her things before she turned to glance to her ex-boyfriend. She did need time to think but she also needed the job and it would be the most perfect excuse.
Andy gave out a small sigh relenting to the whims of a woman that he had once completely adored more than anything in this world. Sitting there at the table, Andy watched as Prue walked away from him. Hoping beyond hope that she would chose him.
* *P *D * P*S * P* *
Dean stepped into the kitchen of his home with the hope of splurging himself with the apple pie his sister had cooked the previous day, the benefits of having a chef for a sister, and boy did he love those benefits especially since he isn't much of a cook. Rubbing his hands together as he walked, he felt himself get excited about the lovely apple pie. Yum.
Prue and Sam usually rolled their eyes at his rather childish behaviour towards his favourite treat but luck behold Prue was out with her friend (with benefits) and Sam was sitting at the table in the sunroom probably doing homework. The geek.
Childishly his excitement grew bigger and bigger the closer he got to the kitchen fridge as he opened the fridge door and gawked out at the nothingness of the place in which the glorious pie once sat. It was gone. Dean's excitement dropped like a sack of potatoes as he pouted towards the space in which his pie had once sat.
It wasn't like he could get more pie. In their family Piper cooked and when she failed then Sam took up the cooking duties. But his evil little brother had to study for an exam, assessment, test or something for class.
Sighing he drifted against the bar before grabbing a bag of peanut M&Ms and returning back to the old Western movie he was watching in the sitting room. Sitting down he got comfortable on the couch, taking the TV off pause as he got settled to watch the movie again.
Just his luck, the moment he was settled something should disrupt it. "Dean, get the phone." He heard his kid brother yell out and he frowned. The phone hadn't even rung. The stupid kid was just trying to annoy him right now, acting like a typical kid brother.
Stretching up he turned his head into the direction of the stupid kid. "The phone hasn't even..." he growled out before being cut off by the sounds of the ringing phone. Dean froze, a frown covering his features. "What are you psychic now?" he yelled out as he turned to face the kid properly.
Sam glared at Dean petulantly. "No." He growled out. Mores the pity. He truly wished that he did have powers even if it meant that he wouldn't be normal anymore.
Dean rolled his eyes at his kid brother, the brat, although when the phone continued to ring, he, again looked up to see that Sam hadn't moved from his spot.
The kid hadn't moved a muscle.
With a reluctant huff Dean got up from the comforts of the couch and moved towards the ringing phone, dragging his feet as he went.
Answering the phone he gave out a reluctant sigh as his boss came on the other end giving up all sorts of stories about the safety checks and the all things nice. He was expected to turn up for work tomorrow bright and early.
Dean gave out a small sigh, knowing that probably nothing would be fixed when he got into work tomorrow. That stupid safety officer would still be telling them how to do their job and what was going to happen. The only plus side right now could be his meeting with Miss Braeden. Now she was more than hot.
Hanging up the phone Dean turned to gaze at his younger brother with curiosity wondering if he had just revealed a power he didn't even know he had.
The younger Halliwell noticed the look and rolled his eyes giving his big brother bitch face number five, the one where he was being obvious as Dean called it. "Come on Dean, the phone goes off like twenty times a day, that's not a power, that's just fact." He expressed with irritation and another roll of his hazel eyes.
Honestly he wished that that was his power but the truth was that he was no more powerful than Kit the cat.
Dean glanced back to the younger with a frown and his eyes clenched trying to notice anything suspicious with his brother's so called powers. He knew that the kid didn't think so but Dean knew that he was magical and that he had powers beyond his wildest of dreams and if the phone thing was anything to go by then he would be like Phoebe.
"I don't think I like Sammy facts." Dean teased when he noticed the childish look on Sam's face. It made him more than a little sad.
However at that comment Sam returned with another bitch face worse than the other. The stupid kid was going to be the death of him if he wasn't careful.
"You just don't like Sam intelligence." Sam rebutted with irritation for the use of the Sammy nickname yet again. If Kat kept hearing that name then she was gonna start calling him it again. It would end in tears and they would mostly be his.
Dean smirked at Sam's rebuttle, knowing that his kid brother hated being called "Sammy", he seemed to think it was a kids name while Dean thought it was a fun name. Well fun for him anyway. Not that Sammy's fun mattered when it came to his name.
"Oh, Sammy's got jokes." He called out with a cocky eye lift.
Getting up from his chair, Sam grabbed one of the cushions and threw it towards his brother's head. It missed but just by a couple of inches. "Sammy's gonna kick your ass if you call him "Sammy" again, Jerk." He responded in kind as he moved away from his school work to look his older brother in the eye.
Dean smirked at the last word his little brother came up with as he moved to sit on the arm of the chair next to his brother. "Bitch." He rebutted and Sam smiled.
It was funny because ever since Sm was about ten they had had this thing where they would call one another a name. Grams had yelled at him over it while Prue now ignored them knowing they wouldn't stop doing it.
Sammy being the tame one always kept things PG13 while he didn't care.
The looks they had gotten for that one and it was only now that he discovered he had the powers to stop time. He wished he'd have known earlier it would have been a lot funnier with Sam's bullies throughout school.
It was then that he turned to spare a glance to his little brother, wondering what powers his little brother could possibly get if any.
"So no, moving thing, stopping time or telling the future." Dean questioned with curiosity.
Inwardly Dean began to think about their powers because he knew that Sam had powers. He could imagine him being able to freeze time with a cheeky grin on his face or of him moving some things with his mind. Then again he could imagine Sam being able to tell the future.
On the other side of the room Sam found himself looking down on himself as he shrugged his shoulders in irritation. He wished he had powers because then he would at least be normal. "Bar the phone trick. No." he replied dejected.
Dean seeing the dejected look on his brother's face, he knew that he would need to say or do something to the kid.
"Good." Dean responded.
Sam tilted his head to the side a confused look on his face. "That's good?" he questioned cause Sam didn't think it was good. He thought it was very, very bad for him not to have powers when his brother and sisters did have powers.
"Hey don't knock it Merlin, I still remember your magic phase and I'm sure Pheebs and Kat still feel it." Dean replied with a chuckle as he thought of the days when an eleven year old Sam had decided that he wanted to be a magician.
At eleven Sam had decided to try a couple of knife and fire tricks, without Grams' knowledge of course and had ended up accidently cutting Phoebe and burning Kat. Poor Kat still had a burn on her inner left wrist from when Sam was trying to set the card on fire.
Although it wasn't until he had accidently broken Dad's watch when he quit.
God Dean had nearly killed the brat for that one. Grams had managed to get the watch fixed from a friend but he still didn't talk to Sam for at least two weeks which was hard when they shared a bedroom. He had been the same age as Sam was now.
At hearing that Sam shrugged his shoulders. He was better at card tricks and the smaller sides of magic than he was at the harder ones.
"Grams liked it." He then said nonchalantly as he crossed his arms in a huff.
Dean smirked. The kid looked like a sullen five year old that had just been told he wasn't allowed ice cream.
"You were Grams' favourite." He rebutted and Sam probably was Grams' favourite because although the old woman despised men and had hit him over the head a couple of times she was more than close to Sam and had taught him nearly everything she knew.
The two rarely kept secrets, other than the witch thing, and Grams had been even more over- protective with him when he became ill with his headaches.
Sam shrugged his shoulders. "No that was Piper. I can't cook remember." He replied, not liking the thought of being Grams' favourite grandchild. In all honesty he preferred the feeling of not being a favourite especially after everything he'd found out.
Dean laughed at the kid's words. "Sam you're the second best cook in this house." It was true. Everyone in the house knew that Dean couldn't cook for shit and that was something that Prue and Phoebe both shared but while Piper was a natural Sam had worked hard.
The teenager gave a soft chuckle alongside his brother. "Not saying much when you and Phoebe are my competition." He rebutted.
"You cooked that Deci cake with Piper." Dean argued.
It was probably the hardest thing to cook and yet he remembered seeing his Grams cook it with Sam and Piper by her side. Sam would get the bowl afterwards too.
"Decadence cake, idiot." Sam corrected his brother.
Dean rolled his eyes, trust his brother to correct him when he misspelled one little word. It was just so typical of the young man. "Whatever Francis." He put out before he moved away from his brother and towards the stairs.
Sam watched him go with curiosity, "I'm going to the attic" he heard his brother call out and Sam shrugged again.
Turning away from his brother, Sam moved back to his chair and moved the dirty plate out from behind his books. Dean didn't need to know he had the last slice of pie. He though with a devious twinkle in his eyes as the teenager went back to homework and studying.
* *P *D * P*S * P* *
Sitting in her car again outside of the church, Piper stared at the building with silent wonder as the words from the pastor, her siblings and that evil history channel ran through her mind. She had left Dean at the restaurant as he did his best to play waiter and barman. Plus side was that if being a mechanic didn't work out he could totally be a barman.
Dean seemed to have a magic touch for selling drinks, although that could be done to the daily flirting that the boy does.
Shaking her head slightly of thoughts of Dean, Piper continued to stare at the church before she turned to look at the wheel in front of her with a determined gaze.
"I have nothing to be afraid of. I have nothing to be afraid of. Nothing, nothing to be afraid of, nothing." Piper spoke to herself, running those words throughout her head as she undid her seatbelt and stepped out the car.
Piper continued to whisper those words to herself as she stepped out of the car and made her way towards the church entrance going at a steady pace as her eyes continued to glare at the church door. Her thoughts racing.
She was going to do it today. She had to go to the church if only for Sammy cause if he was a witch then he would need to know that he could still belief in God.
As Piper got to the door she found herself looking around the church entrance searching for the on slot of lightening as she put her fingers through the door handle. Inwardly Piper sent herself a little prayer and hoped that she'd survive this.
Slowly Piper pulled the door open and nearly fell over by the force as the door flew open. With Piper using the door to stop herself from falling.
Looking around the church grounds Piper took a small step onto the church floor before taking a step back. Piper looked around again before she stepped fully into the church with a small smile on her face as she realised she was not evil. Not if she could step inside the church.
Looking around herself Piper stepped out of the church, her grin now Cheshire as she jumped in the air. "I'm good!" Piper yelled with glee. Laughing as she walked down the stairs with an all new happiness. She loved the feeling of being good and of knowing that Phoebe and Dean and Sam were right. She wasn't destined to be evil.
Jumping down the stairs with a giant smile on her face, Piper suddenly froze as an elderly woman walked by her in a daze.
Piper stared at the woman, looking her up and down with a steady gaze before she noticed the small angel tattoo. A tattoo that looked exactly like Brittany's tattoo.
The brunette's brown eyes flashed as she remembered Brittany showing Phoebe and her that tattoo last night before Dean came in. She remembered Phoebe saying that you couldn't get that kind of tattoo in the states and she frowned.
"Brittany?" Piper asked.
The elderly woman looked Piper in the eyes with a small gasp. "You know me? Is that my name?" Brittany asked with desperation.
Piper looked back with just as much shock in her own eyes as she stared at Brittany. She knew that that meant that something horrible had happened to her friend, something supernatural. As a witch and Charmed one, Piper knew she had to help her.
* *P *D * P*S * P* *
"Prue, thank you for coming back." Rex told the brunette witch as Prue walked up to meet him just outside of his office with a light smile covering her young features. The two shook hands and Prue gave out a small smile hoping she wouldn't ruin this interview like she had with the last one.
It was getting to the crunch time now and in order to look after her family, Prue knew that she would need to get this job because Piper could only do so much and Dean was already on a warning from his boss, not that it was his fault.
"Well, thanks for having me back although I must admit I didn't expect it." Prue thanked as she let go of her hopefully future boss' hand.
It wasn't a lie she had thought that after that interview that she would have no chance because who employed someone who talked back to the boss anyway. It was her own thought she knew but she still was thankful for the opportunity and truly did need the job.
Rex nodded his head at the woman's disbelief.
"I told you I was interested and I am. But first of all I would just like to test you're expertise, if you don't mind. See how good, you really are." Rex explained as he directed Prue outside of his office waiting room and further into the building.
They walked into a part of the building that looked like it was being renovated and Prue kept up with Mr Buckland while keeping an eye on the ground.
"Be careful watch your step." Rex warned as they wormed there way through this part of the building both watching their steps as not to step in or fall on something that would require at least two dry cleaning bills, embarrassment and at least five showers.
Prue watched as they moved further into the room and her eyes caught onto a young woman with permed red hair that was pulled up and a crisp black suit. She was wearing spectacles and looking very professional as Prue watched her.
"This is Hannah Webster, she is our assistant specialist. This is Prue Halliwell." Rex introduced the two as Prue smiled to the woman.
"Hi, it's nice to meet you." Prue smiled as she shook hands with the almost perfect red head.
This woman could very well be her boss and although she looked like some fun could probably kill her, Prue kept the bravado up and a small smile on her face as she glanced between Rex and Hannah with curiosity.
"Please, tell us about this piece." Rex inquired as he pointed to the painting Hannah had been standing next to with curiosity.
Prue moved to look at the picture with her own curiosity. It was of the Virgin Mary and baby Jesus Christ. It was a great piece. She had always found it quit fascinating even when she was studying. It was from a point of view she couldn't even begin to talk over and it was probably around four million dollars and more on the black market.
Taking a step closer Prue looked all over the painting and to the back of the painting before she gave her answer.
"Well, it's Madonna of the Meadow, Giovanni Balini, 16th century, fabulous piece. Worth three or four million dollars easily if it wasn't a copy." Prue explained with all her knowledge of the painting and all her studying trying her hardest to seem acceptable and capable to do this job.
Prue just hoped that this wasn't a trick question even though she knew the painting to be a fake. She had already sort of insulted the boss already and with the way that woman was looking at her she wouldn't be surprised by her trickster nature and Prue lived with two tricksters.
Both Rex and Hannah gave her a small glance after her words and Prue felt the need to take a deep breath as Hannah gave her a snide look.
"What makes you think that it's a copy?" Hannah bit out as she glared at the witch.
Prue returned the gaze with a look of pure determination. She knew the answer to that question immediately and anyone worth something in this business should be able to tell a fake Balini from a real Balini even on their worst day.
"Too well preserved, not enough yellowing; besides the frame support is in pine and Italian painters used palter back then." Prue responded to the question with great knowledge and expertise of the painting and of the time.
Thank god for Sam and his check cards back in college.
Hannah and Rex seemed to consider her words, Rex with appreciation and Hannah with a roll of her eyes.
How unprofessional.
"Um, what about this one?" Rex asked as all three of them moved over to a sculpture beside the Balini fake.
It was a sculpture that got a smile out of Prue as it was one she had done a lot of research on. She had actually spent the other night looking over her old notes and this sculpture was just one of the many artefacts she was looking at.
At first glance the sculpture was hideous and not exactly something you'd want in your house. It would have probably been great fun for Dean and little fun for Sam but to her it was still amazing.
"Dega, actually this was the only sculpture he exhibited himself." Prue expressed with common knowledge of Dega. He was a fantastic artist and this sculpture just expressed just that.
Hannah gave the witch another glare, the know it all, before she twisted a finger in her glasses. With a small smile she hit her side against the ladder. A bucket of paint to lighten Ms Halliwell up.
"Watch out!" Rex yelled out.
Prue raised her arms as she saw the paint coming and watched with amazement and some thankfulness as the paint moved passed her. Her powers redirecting the paint as it splashed across the ground with a splat.
The sound of Hannah's gasp caused her to glance to the woman to see the specks of white paint on her cute black shoes. She winced. That would be a nightmare and it would be hard if not impossible to get the paint out of the shoes.
"Are you okay?" Rex asked as he moved over to Prue, putting a hand on her arm as Hannah hid behind the sculpture.
Prue took a minute to come to terms what she was going to say because she couldn't exactly say "oh my powers saved me" it would get her locked up. "Ah, eh, yeah, yeah, I'm okay." Prue breathed out with a stutter although anyone would put that one down to the accident and not down to Prue just being Prue.
"But you're sure. I'm sorry, I can't believe that happened." Rex apologised as he looked around to see how the accident could have occurred.
Prue felt guilt sweep her up as she crossed her arms looking to the ground. "Yeah, it's okay." She replied biting her lip. God she was never going to get this job now. She'd be lucky if they don't come up with some stupid nickname for her before she was out of the building.
Why me?
"Well, I… I really don't know what to say; except your hired, if you still want the job." Rex told the witch as he looked around looking more than a little guilty for the accident.
At hearing those words however, Prue's green eyes opened wide with surprise. Was she hearing him right? "Are you serious?" Prue questioned in disbelief.
"Can you start Monday?" Rex returned.
"Yeah, absolutely." Prue told the man with a smile on her face because seriously the worst interview on the planet and yet she had got the job. Perhaps this witch thing wasn't so bad after all if it made her lucky like this.
"Terrific, it's done then. We can sort out the details when you come in, in the meantime welcome aboard." Rex explained to the brunette as he shook her head to welcome her into the company with a smile.
Prue returned the handshake with her own, her other hand gripping her back and a Cheshire grin stretching her face. She had a job. "Thanks, thanks a lot. Bye." She expressed before she walked away hoping not to ruin it before she got out the building.
As soon as Prue was gone, Rex turned to Hannah with a curious gaze. "Well, what do you think?" he asked.
Hannah turned to look back at Rex with a look of arrogance and hatred for their newest employee. The woman would so be on her hit list as she gazed into Rex's eyes. "I think that she's either the luckiest woman alive or she's a witch." She replied with a devilish look.
Rex returned the look with a huge smile on his features happy enough that the little witch had fallen into their trap even if she was good for the job. This should be interesting.
* *P *D * P*S * P* *
Prue stepped into the house with a huge smile on her face as she put her bag and keys down so that she could shrug of her cardigan. She couldn't wait to tell her brothers and sisters about her new job. And the plus side was that they didn't need to hope that Dean would keep his job.
"Piper! Phoebe! Dean! Guess what?" Prue yelled out with excitement in her voice as she walked further into the parlour, noticing the books and papers on the table that told her Sam was home as well and probably burying himself into his homework.
It was funny how much Sam was into his homework when every other one of the Halliwells were just getting by with their homework and Prue was sure he'd get a full ride.
Just as she had gotten to the stairs as elderly woman had just walked out in front of her. "What?" The woman said as Prue frowned at her.
Behind the woman was Sam who was looking to her with concern, his homework abandoned in favour of helping the aged woman.
At that moment Piper joined the group with a thankful smile at seeing her big sister. "Prue, thank god you're home." She said as she stormed over to the woman and her siblings just as Prue took of her cardigan.
"Yeah, who, eh," Prue asked in confusion.
"Am, here you go Brittany, why don't you go sit at the table with Sam okay. There you go." Piper told the woman as she passed her a bowl of soup and moved her towards the table with Sam following on at a steady pace, his hand on her back.
Prue looked between her brother and sister in confusion as she frowned at the name. Brittany seemed a little bit too modern for someone of this woman's age.
"Em, sorry Brittany?" Prue asked as she put her cardigan on the table.
Piper and Prue followed the other two towards the dining room as Piper thought of what to say to her big sister. "You're not gonna believe this, I'm not sure I do. I think, no I know, this woman is Brittany Reynolds." Piper told the older witch as she stopped her before they could get into the dining room not wanting to cause Brittany any concern.
"Yeah right, Piper, and I'm Rosie O'Donnell." Prue replied with sarcasm. She couldn't believe what her sister was trying to pull.
"Thanks for the imagery Prue." Sam called out from his place beside Brittany.
Prue turned to glance at him as the kid helped out the old woman with the bowl. Like Piper he seemed to believe it was Brittany by the way he was acting.
"No, I mean it. Brittany has a tattoo right? An angel on her right hand remember." Piper argued as she pointed towards the tattoo as Brittany continued to eat the food oblivious to the arguing sisters in the other room.
"It can't be." Prue whispered as she spied the tattoo.
Prue had known Brittany for a number of years now, having known one another since their college years and she'd seen the tattoo a week or so ago once she'd come back from Tahiti.
"That's what I thought at first, but then I started asking her some questions, things only Brittany would know. She may be senile, but it was enough to convince me." Piper replied with a look of concern in her eyes because she knew that that elderly woman was Brittany Reynolds.
"Dean's upstairs looking for something, anything." Piper explained to her sister.
Glancing towards the elderly woman and their brother they knew that they had to fix this at least for Brittany. They had to do something.
* *P *D * P*S * P* *
On the other side of town Phoebe had just arrived at the warehouse, putting Piper's van in neutral before parking it up. She was more than excited about this gig, the chance to be famous. The very thought made Piper bite her lip in anticipation.
Grabbing her bag and her dress, Phoebe got out the cab of the van and walked around towards the door with a happy smile on her face.
She knocked the door to a small jingle as she thought of how jealous her brother would be over her chance to get all the boys while he got none of the girls. "Stefan, it's me, Phoebe." She yelled out as she waited for the man to get the door.
Phoebe waited another couple of seconds before she put her hand to the door knob to see if it opened. As her fingers touched the knob she felt that now familiar feeling of something weird at the back off her mind.
Phoebe was lying across a table, her hands bound and candles surrounding her. She looked up to see a man in the darkness. His skin was aged, older than she had ever seen before in her life. He scared her. Staring at the man she watched as his eyes lit up and she screamed. She was going to die.
Phoebe gasped as she waved the image out of her head and her mind began to panic.
Freaking out, Phoebe ran as fast as she could towards the van throwing her dress to the ground as she ran to the driver's side of the van. Her legs going faster as she pulled the door open with adrenaline and began searching her pockets for the keys.
Phoebe was so freaked she never noticed the man behind her as like in a horror movie a hand grabbed a hold of Phoebe's mouth from behind. She screamed.
AU:/ Finally got a chapter 13 up and loaded and I've currently got a couple of thousand words of chapter 14 done. For all the wonderers things are about to get interesting for Sam and Dean xx