Hi, so here is another chapter and after doing some work in a new planning book I can confirm this story will take us to end of Season 3 and will now be twenty five chapters.

Disclaimer-Nothing is mine.

Please Read and Review.

Let There Be Light

Chapter 10-Were Gonna Hold On

The Halliwell sisters, especially Paige must deal with the emotions that come with time travelling to a time where their mother is still alive.

Nobody knew the cost of what it would take the four of them to see their Mom again. They wouldn't even tell each other. Patty Halliwell had been a thing in their lives, a presence of overwhelming emotion that ranged so wild through them that it was pointless to talk to the other about it. Maybe they should do. Maybe one day the four of them would crack open a bottle of wine and go to town and talk about the woman but it was a hard subject.

For Prue it was anger, anger at the world for taking their Mom away, anger at the water, the dark water that had swept the bright light of their home away. Anger at her father for letting it happen—as if he was in a position to stop him. Anger at everything. For Prue (and she would be the first to admit it) their mother was that source of anger. The tragic heroine thrown down by no fault of her own. The woman who had left her daughters. Love. Anger. Love. Pain. Prue. The Halliwell with the most memories.

For Piper it was sadness, pure sadness, she had been younger, had been aware that something was going on, had, had to be told that her mother was dead and not coming back. Had curled up next to her Grams sharing the same bed for months waiting for the footsteps that would never come. She had managed to put it into a box, tried to find ways to move forwards and had found them in the kitchen. Prue was the photographer, Piper the cook. Phoebe the writer when she wanted to be, Paige the artist. Piper had been the one who had cried the most. She'd been the one who'd been sobbing nine times out of ten on mothers day.

Phoebe…Phoebe was indifference. It was always hard for Phoebe. The eternal child, the one who caused trouble. Phoebe who didn't think about life or death but thought about enjoying the moment. Her spirit was indomitable, her outlook on life strong enough for her to survive no matter what. She was Phoebe. She was carefree and independent and beautiful and spirited. She was the worst of their mother—their Grams had always said. She had once said that Prue was the sugar, Phoebe the spice and Piper the everything nice.

And then that left Paige. When she had been born her grandmother had stopped staying that out loud and instead had tried to read her youngest granddaughter in the same easy way she had read the other three. Their Mom had done the same.

Maybe it was because Paige's birth was a completely mystery. Maybe it was because her creation was almost unthinkable. To their mother it was clear…witches and whitelighters didn't have children but Paige had always been the exception to the rule. She was also the exception to the memories. Prue had said once very quietly she was not even sure if there was a picture of her mother and Paige. It was as if their mother did not want to broadcast the child she'd had…not even celebrate when her heart was in pieces and the world was being ruled by beings in white robes who handed down judgements and who could take it all away at a moments notice.

(The Charmed Ones did not know then and there about the Cleaners. Had they known…had they really known what the Elders had threatened their mother with had she found Sam…had she…well…their reaction would have not been kind)

But for Paige her mother had not been much more than the same mother that her sisters had. There were no happy memories, no happiness and warmth and sunshine and daisy memories. Her first word had not been Momma, she had not asked where her mother was nor cried herself to sleep at night wanting to see her so bad. For Paige her mother in the flesh was decidedly less painful to her than her sisters. She did not know what to make of it or if that made her good or bad or profane or lovely or even just human. But she was twenty and seeing her mother on the sidewalk looking at her the only thing that she could comprehend was that they had the same eyes…and she did not know what to do with that little revelation.

Paige had figured all of this out before she had seen her mother standing there on the street.

But they were the Halliwell sisters and they had been raised proud and strong and by a ball buster who nine times out of ten had told that to cry was a weakness. After losing her daughter Penny had not been one for tears. Instead she had dedicated herself to her grandchildren and that had been the end of that. Had they suspected her heart was breaking? Maybe but she had never let it show. She had done for them what she had done for her own child and had never let the tears fall in public or the bone deep exhaustion show.

Penny Halliwell had carried herself like the Queen of England.

In fact it would not surprise Paige if they traced the two woman back through some ancient bloodline.

But travelling back in time to the seventies, seeing her sisters as children, seeing Andy and a world where they practised powers was a novel thing…seeing Grams was a blow to the gut…seeing their Mom…

Well…it brought back things for each of them.

Sugar, spice, everything nice and the little oddball that was Paige.

Wow. Ironic.

It was easy to let Prue do the talking, Piper with her answers and Phoebe with her charm. Only once did her Grams eyes slide to her and then she looked her up and down in a way that Paige reminded she had once done with her prom dress and then…

"And who are you?"

"Paige"

"No I got that, but how did the Power of Three become the Power of Four. You four are clearly the Charmed Ones but I don't understand—"

"The Elders are not infallible"

"No" her Grams said with a twist of a smirk that Paige knew meant that she thought something was funny despite it being not funny. "No I didn't think that they were. But what I don't understand is how…no offence to your father but your powers…there were three and yet—"

"My father is not Victor Halliwell"

Her Mom hissed out a breath. Prue nudged her hard with her elbow and her Grams looked at her sharply. She looked from Paige to her mother and then back again and then her brow furrowed. She was trying to put it together but then before she could, before she could see what her mother had clearly seen Paige interrupted.

"He's still as much as a deadbeat, I was raised by you" she said not stating which one because you know…that was a conversation they didn't have time to go through…

She was aware that Phoebe had opened her mouth but her Grams interrupted her.

"I don't think we need to trapse through this family's issues with men" she said in that tone that still even now meant that her word was law. Paige relaxed against the couch. Her father was a topic she didn't know how she felt about. She was not sure weather or not she ever would.

Victor's words still rang in her ears.

"Do you know who my Dad is?"

If he looked surprised by her question he didn't show it.

"Yes" he said opening the car door.

"I don't mean to offend—"

"You're not kiddo" he said smiling. "Your Mom asked me and I said yes and I will never regret that, whatever bullshit you are told in the future never think that you were the cause of the breakup of our marriage, it was shambolic from start to finish if I am being honest and your mother would agree."

Paige had not really thought of that though she supposed that it was nice to hear confirmation that it was not her fault. Just what every little girl longs to hear.

"Do you know—"

"Paige I love you kiddo but you don't want to go down that road. And I know I am in no position to judge on deadbeat Dads but…your biological father is dangerous, was dangerous, he's not worth trying to track down."

She frowned.

"Why?" and then because this was a question she had to ask now she could move objects with orbs just by saying them.

"What was he? A demon?"

"No" Victor said finally. "Not a demon. But if your asking my honest opinion Paige…I think he's the reason why your mother is dead and I will never not believe that"

And with that he got into his car and drove off.

Even now she still remembered the conversation word for word.

She looked down at her hands.

She could feel her mother's eyes on her.

"Paige?"

She turned to stare at her and Patty sucked in a breathe.

God she looked so much like Sam.

The second she had seen Paige she had wondered…Victor while always doating on their daughters did not want another one after the baby that she had been carrying was born…Phoebe…had been explicit in it and to be honest her marriage was not going to survive much longer. The tensions between her husband and the world that his daughters lived in was getting more and more fraught by the day and Patty knew that she would not take his side when it came to binding the girls powers. Wanting them to have a childhood was one thing. Wanting them dead was quite another.

And now she had proof.

Sort of.

Sam and her had been…dancing around this delicious flirtation and she knew it, Phoebe had come at an inopportune time sure but Sam had been the first to congratulate her and more than once she'd wished that he was the father of her child. He was kind and caring and sweet and he looked at her as if she was special and she wanted that…no she needed that.

Nicholas had been her first real boyfriend since her marriage had failed. They called it temporary separation and Victor was away so often it didn't really effect the girls but she knew from what Paige had said that the separation had become entrenched.

She had to fix that. Patty had grown up without a father…she was not going to let it happen to her girls.

But the fact that this baby…this baby that she had, that had changed the curse of magical destiny forever was here was living proof that she had been with the man that she loved.

And now looking at her she could finally admit it.

She loved him.

She loved Sam.

And she'd had his baby.

Granted there were things missing she was sure but now was not the time to probe Paige about it. She thought maybe that there was something…odd about the way she looked at her. As if they were strangers.

"Mom"

"I…I love you so much my darling" she said and then she was pulling this miracle girl into her arms. Paige was stiff as a board but then she patted her on the back and there was something there that she did not understand but she knew she did not like, some kind of disconnect and then…

"I love you too…Mom…"

There were questions that should be asked and answers but then the door opened and in came her other girls and Patty knew that just as soon as she had found them…it was time to say goodbye.

Phoebe knocked on the door and Paige answered her hair wet down her back.

"You okay?"

"Wanted to give you something"

She'd done it on a whim. Paige had been stood next to her Mom, baby Prue and Piper's hands on the belly that protected Phoebe and she'd snapped it.

Paige took the photo and stared at it and then…

"Oh"

"Good photo"

"Yeah. There's isn't…any of me and…it's like I had to be a secret because…"

"I know" she said quietly. She had not told Paige or Piper or Prue about Leo but she had suspicions. Leo had been adamant that the rules had to be followed which led one to think…

She shook her head as her baby sister bit down on her lip her eyes welling with tears.

Phoebe wrapped an arm around her and then.

"I think it's the best one of me I've ever taken don't you think?"

Paige didn't reply. Phoebe didn't expect her to. For both of them their trip to the past had gained them something that they had lost again, there was no shame in mourning it. She turned and buried her shoulder into Phoebe's neck and Phoebe kissed Paige's dark hair.

The laugh was watery.

But it was a start.

And yeah, hope you enjoyed this one.

Next Chapter-The last of Season 1!-Andy contemplates his life, his career and what he believes to be real and/or not real and Prue...always Prue as he makes the decision to go after her when she and her sisters take on Rodriguez and a Time Lord-And things...well they do not always go as planned.