She stood staring at the figure on the other side of the glass. It was almost reminiscent of a perfect picture; the teenager with a sapphire gown draped all the way down to her midnight black heels, which barely showed. Her sun-streaked auburn hair had been straightened to the equivalent of a pin and the color almost matched her chestnut brown eyes, which glimmered in reflection of the sun. From the girl's neck hung a double-drop star pendent off of a silver chain. Completing her formal attire was the traditional matching sapphire cap with the golden tassel dangling over the side. Yes, this looked like a picture perfect moment.

Perfect, right, fifteen-year-oldPatricia Halliwell thought to herself, attempting to prop a counterfeit smile on her face, and make the girl in the mirror appear more believably happy. But it was no use, and the grin faded as instantly as it had emerged. Removing the graduation cap from her head and tossing it onto the dresser adjacent to her, Pattie plopped herself on her bed and sighed.

"That would be a miracle."

A light summer breeze entered Pattie's bedroom through the window, but even that coinciding with the shining sun and the sweet tune of the birds wasn't enough to make Pattie give an honest smile.

For her entire life, Pattie Halliwell had been living in the shadow of one of the most powerful witches who had ever existed. Even when the shadow had vanished seven years ago, she'd still felt like her purpose in life was to make her mother proud, because in some way she knew Prue was always watching her, taking too much pride in the little girl she'd raised to do anything else. Pattie had talked to spirits; she knew they could keep an eye on loved ones after they passed, and if anyone would be monitoring her, she knew it'd be Prue.

She turned around, noting the date on the calendar, circled three times in red ink, May 17.

"I love how my life is just one ironic coincidence after another," she mumbled angrily.

Seven years ago a demon had claimed her mother's life on this date. Now, as her ninth grade graduation into high school approached, she felt unstable and ready to shatter.

"They couldn't have picked a better day to celebrate life and growing up," Pattie sighed, a single tear creating a river down her cheek. Before it could settle and stain her skin she wiped it away. As one of the only schools in California that started high school in tenth grade, rather than ninth, she'd waited long enough for her chance to start high school, to be taken as a more mature person. Her aunts loved her, but that didn't always mean they would listen to her when it came to demon vanquishes, even though half the time Pattie found herself right anyway. She knew that when she entered high school, and eventually college, she would be seen as more than a child, because they couldn't fight the fact that she was growing up.

Now that the chance was here, she wasn't going to let it slip away. Looking to her right Pattie saw a purple frame adorned with plastic jewels and buttons that she'd made Prue made as a Mother's Day gift when she was in preschool. Inside the frame was a picture from a family picnic. The tears welled up in her eyes as she stared into those of the little girl with curly chestnut hair clinging to her mother and smiling. It was true; they were one in the same, as if they came in the same package, as if they couldn't be separated.

"And yet somehow, that happened anyway," she spoke aloud.

Then, suddenly, she heard the voice of Prue play back in her head, telling her to stop sitting around and waiting, to go out and live, look for a chance at something. She felt a hauntingly real presence fill the room.

"You always did know just what to say to make me feel better, didn't you?" Pattie asked, glancing around the room, and then heading downstairs to look for her family.

As her heels made a clamor against the oak staircase, she listened for the sounds of her family buzzing about the household. Pattie figured of all places to find Piper, the kitchen was probably top choice. After all, who else but the top chef of the family would be fixing a perfect meal for her graduation party?

Her suspicions were confirmed; walking discreetly into the kitchen, Pattie hung out by the door while Piper chopped up olives, tomatoes and cucumbers to add to one of her most delectable dishes, a taco salad. As she finished the salad and set it off to the side, moving on to whatever else she has stored for tonight, Pattie saw her chance to sneak a taste.

Piper, still unaware of Pattie's presence, continued with her cooking, while she snatched a tortilla chip from a china bowl and cautious slip across the room to the salad. Just as she was about to send the chip plunging into it, Pattie felt her place her hands on her own shoulders and a whisper came in Pattie's ear, "do it and I'll blow you up."

"You wouldn't," she gasped, turning around.

"Try me."

Suddenly Pattie's appetite disappeared. It's strange how persuasive she can be sometimes, she thought slyly. "But it looks so good…that salad is just begging me to eat it! Can't you hear it calling me?"

Piper wipes her hands on a dishtowel and secures plastic wrap over the container before Pattie can manage to grab some of the salad. "Yeah well, tell it to leave a message."

"You're mean."

Piper couldn't help but watch Pattie as she went to the refrigerator and retrieved a drink from it. It was hard to believe the little girl who she'd sent off to kindergarten, done elementary school science projects with, and then taken to her first school dance was going to enter high school in only a matter of months.

It scared her, in so many ways, to see Pattie grow up.

Pattie caught Piper's eyes, "What?"

"You just…" she trailed off, looking for the right words.

"Look so much like my mom?" she replied.

Piper stifled her laughter. "Always," she agreed, pulling her niece close to her, knowing that all of Pattie's thoughts were lying on Prue today, there was no way to tiptoe around that. "You've just grown up so quickly I guess," Piper decided. Then, she added, "You know she'd be proud of you, right?"

Pattie nodded, trying to avoid becoming emotional again.

When Piper returned to her cooking, Pattie wandered out of the kitchen and into the living room where her little cousins were spread out on the floor, engrossed in their own separate activities. Baby Penny, the youngest of Piper's children, gurgled from her rocker. Chris, nearly four was coloring a picture near the backyard doors, and Wyatt, at six, had two action figures busy in some sort of brawl. She watched them, picking out traits from each that resembled Piper's.

Pattie wondered how much she looked like Prue at a year, four years, even six. She struggled to remember, had her own mother used to say that they were one in the same?

Why is it so hard to keep my mind off of mom? Today's supposed to be easy, fun, she told herself.

The door slammed, and Phoebe's voice echoed from somewhere else in the manor. As Pattie left in search of Phoebe, she wished again for Prue, knowing that she didn't have a chance at that coming true.

But that's the thing with wishes and magic, somehow they all have ways of coming true.

Hope everyone enjoyed this. Not much action yet, that starts next chapter, I just wanted to set everything up here. More reviews equal more chapters!