A/N: Hey everyone! Wow. I haven't updated in eight years, and I'm sure everyone has forgotten me! Haha. I do want to apologize. I lost track of my log in information and just recently got it back. I'm going to attempt to finish any uncompleted stories before I start posting new ones, since if you ARE still following me, you've waited 8 years for a new chapter!
Just be patient. I'm attempting to read through the uncompleted stories to see where I am and try to remember where I planned on taking it from where I left off.
Even though it's been 8 years, there are some comments in the reviews I'd like to address:
alexywill22: I have no clue on the room situation! Lol. I have not, at all, considered it. So.. let's go with, magical house extension? Yes, that works. Lol. Husbands – Piper and Leo. Phoebe and Cole, but they had to vanquish him. Prue and Andy (he's alive in this universe). Paige is divorced and the ex is no longer in the picture. As for powers, they have them but their powers aren't going to be prominent right now. Not the focus. You'll learn what they are as they are needed. Prue was not killed so she could have a daughter before I killed her this time around. Make sense?
PurpleJade: A lot of your ideas factor into this chapter, so thanks! Especially since I've been away from it for 8 years, some of your suggestions are really great!
Rini08: 5 months became 8 years! Oh no :( Hope you're still around!
RIP GG AND VM: A year became 8 years! Sorry! Hope you're still awaiting an update!
Greathe: That's the plan! I recently finished the last of the major stories I was working on, so now this one and maybe one new one will have my full attention.
*I do not own Charmed and only the made-up characters (Corinne, Rebecca, etc) are mine.
IMPORTANT: Andy is alive in this universe. He was married to Prue and is Corinne's father. ALSO, I'm going to speed through Prue's funeral a little because it's basically exactly as it was in the show, but Paige speaks to Piper, not Phoebe (So no demon vision) and no demons attack at the end because Cole (Phoebe's ex and Katelyn's father) has been vanquished.
And here it is.. Chapter 2 of Surrender to Fate!
...
Rebecca twirled her hair between her fingers. She didn't understand French, and she didn't bother trying. In front of her, Melinda Halliwell sat, taking notes with such fury, she looked ready to keel over. She was so good in French. Why couldn't Rebecca be that good in school?
On Melinda's left sat Corrine Halliwell, and on her right sat Katelyn Halliwell. Foreign language classes didn't go by grade, they went by the level of the language you were in – though this wasn't always an accurate measure, and some of the students were far more advanced. Corrine and Katelyn weren't as good at French as Melinda, but they were still better than Rebecca. She didn't hate them for it, but she was definitely jealous of their tight bond (they were cousins, yet seemed as close as sisters), smarts, and good looks. They weren't the most popular, but enough people liked them.
There was a knock at the door.
Madame Curwood went to the door, opened it, and spoke with the person on the other side in soft whispers. Everyone in the room stared curiously.
"Corrine, Melinda, Katelyn, gather your things, please. You're needed in the principal's office."
The whole class began to whisper now. The three Halliwell Girls – in trouble? Never had that happened!
The cousins glanced at each other, each wondering what they had done. But they stood, anyway, and gathered their things, then left the room with a quick "Bonjour," to Madame Curwood, who stared sadly after them.
Rebecca frowned. She immediately raised her hand for a bathroom pass. Once given permission, she left, making her way to the Principal's office so she could eavesdrop. She didn't know why she cared so much, but something was making her go.
She hid outside the principal's office, where the three Halliwell Cousins stood, staring at Phoebe Halliwell, Kat's mom, speak softly to the principal before moving to address the girls.
The glass was thin, and the door open, so Rebecca heard every word.
"Girls, something happened today – to Prue." Phoebe paused, trying not to cry.
"Is my mom okay?" Corinne asked immediately.
"Sweetie," Phoebe said, addressing Corinne more than the others now. "Your mom was in a car accident. A drunk driver ran a red light and-and he hit her car."
"But she's okay," Corinne said firmly, tears forming in her eyes but her jaw set.
Phoebe shook her head. "I'm- She didn't make it."
Rebecca couldn't stand it anymore. She ran from her hiding spot and to the bathroom, heart pounding as she remembered Corinne's sudden break down at those four words. It broke Rebecca's heart, too.
….
Rebecca burst through the front door of her house at nine that night. She was just getting home.
"Rebecca Hope Matthews!" Paige cried, half angry and half relieved. "Where the hell have you been? I was worried sick! I was ready to call the cops!"
Rebecca, despite herself, found tears crawling into her eyes. She flung her arms around her mom and hugged her tight.
Startled, Paige returned the hug, then lead her daughter to the living room couch. They sat.
"What happened, sweetie?" Paige asked gently.
Chocking back tears, Rebecca explained to her mom what had happened, what she had overheard. With each minute that passed, Paige felt her heart sink more and more. Prue Halliwell... She must have been the cause for the police barricade and detour this morning. Now she truly felt awful for her impatience.
"It just... scared me," Rebecca finished, licking her lips. "It made me realize..."
"What, honey?" Paige asked, smoothing her hand over her daughter's hair.
Rebecca looked Paige in the eye. "It made me realize that I could lose you. That drunk driver could have hit you. And I was so awful to you this morning."
At this, Paige began to choke up. It reminded her so much of her parents' accident, so many years ago. She had been horrible to them, had screamed at them and rebelled against them. And then, in an instant, they were gone. Death had claimed them, and she still wondered to this day if her parents knew how much she had loved them.
"Oh, sweetie," Paige hugged her daughter tight. "No matter what happens, I'll always love you, and I know you love me. No amount of fighting will ever change that. I'm so sorry that I've been working late, and not spending enough time with you. Things are going to change around here, okay? I promise. If that's what it takes."
It took nearly twenty minutes for Paige to calm Rebecca down. After that, Rebecca fell asleep with her head in Paige's lap, leaving Paige to her own wandering thoughts.
...
It was two in the morning. Phoebe awoke, staring blankly at the ceiling. She felt groggy, but she felt as if she was being lured to the attic. Confused, she got up and made her way upstairs.
Piper was sitting at the table in the attic looking exhausted. She had tried every spell she knew, and yet Prue still had not returned to her.
"I don't understand," she croaked upon hearing Phoebe call her name, "why we can't bring her back. It just doesn't make sense."
"Sweetie, it's two in the morning," Phoebe murmured, taking Piper's hand. "We lost our sister. That will never make sense. But you need to get some sleep. Prue will kill us if we look horrible at her funeral tomorrow."
Piper chuckled, then caught herself, quickly wiping the smile off her face.
Phoebe sighed. "Piper, we have three girls who are dependent on us. And one who is especially hurting right now. We need to hold ourselves together. For their sake."
Piper sniffled, swiping her tears away. "I know. I know."
Finally, Phoebe managed to shuffle Piper back downstairs and back to bed.
But then, sleep became evasive for her, as well.
...
Prue's funeral was a blur, for everyone involved. Melinda and Katelyn did their best to comfort their cousin, while Piper and Phoebe mourned in their own way. Leo comforted his wife, while Victor mourned the loss of his daughter. Andy was inconsolable.
In the back, Paige sat with Rebecca. Rebecca had insisted they attend, and Paige had agreed. Secretly, she had planned on attending, anyway.
At the end of the funeral, Paige and Rebecca joined the line of mourners waiting to speak to the Halliwell's.
"I'm so sorry for your loss," Paige said softly to Piper.
Piper nodded her thanks, shaking Paige's hand. "H-have we met?"
Paige shook her head. "No, no I don't think so."
"How did you know Prue? From work?" Piper inquired.
"No," Paige shrugged, "just from around. You know."
Rebecca walked tentatively up to the grieving cousins. She wondered if they remembered who she was. She didn't really socialize with them at school; she mostly kept to herself.
"Corrine?" Rebecca spoke softly. "I'm really sorry for your loss."
Corrine hiccupped, brushing tears away with an already soaked tissue. "Thank you. Do I know you?" Though it sounded harsh, it wasn't meant to be. Corrine was drowning in her grief, and when she spoke, it was in a monotone. It was not intentional.
Rebecca's heart sank a little. She had hoped they would know her, even though they had never acknowledged her before. "Rebecca Matthews. I'm in a couple of your classes. French, for one."
"Oh, I remember you," Katelyn nodded. "You sit kinda behind us usually."
Rebecca nodded. "Right. I'm sorry for your loss. I- uhm, I should go." She turned and walked quickly down the aisle and towards the exit.
Paige frowned, watching her daughter make a quick exit.
"I'm a social worker at South Bay Social Services," Paige explained to Piper and Phoebe. "If you ever need... help, or something..." She passed her card to Phoebe, muttered another 'sorry for your loss,' then followed Rebecca out the door.
...
Later that night, Piper and Phoebe sat on the couch, exhausted. Corinne was upstairs, refusing to eat or speak to anyone. Melinda and Katelyn had retreated to the attic; looking at the Book of Shadows was a nice distraction for them.
"What about her stuff?" Piper lamented. "And her car..."
"We'll figure that out in the morning," Phoebe replied. "For now, we should get some rest. We'll figure out everything else in the morning."
With that, they retreated to bed.