Author's Note: Thanks to Jedi Alanna and Shadow Wren for reviewing. I very much appreciate it and it helps me to know that people are still interested in reading the story.
Jedi Alanna: What I was trying to go for was drama, lol. Also, about the Triad? My educated guess would be that if all four sisters were still alive any combination of them could work in the Power of Three. Think of the Triad in the same light. There can be certain multi-members in the collective, but they operate in pairs of three and can interchange their partners.
Chapter 15: Charmed To See You!
Phoebe raced upstairs to find out what was taking her sister so long.
Honestly, it had been a very strange twenty-four hours. Within this time frame, they had discovered a niece, escaped the Underworld, recovered a dead sister, fought amongst themselves, and now their sister's former lover, who was supposed to be dead too, was sitting in their living room anxiously awaiting their return. Although, just like Prue, Andy appeared to have no memory regarding his real or former identity. He was going by the name of Michael.
Yeah, strange didn't even begin to cover it, corrected Phoebe.
However, if her sister's recent behavior was any indication, Phoebe was beginning to suspect Piper knew more than she was saying to the rest of them. Phoebe just wished she would spill it already because whatever she was keeping inside, it was making her sister uptight and short-tempered. Which in turn, was making everyone else around her miserable.
Piper had listened intently alongside her sister to the story Darryl and Andy told but had remained completely silent and Phoebe could read her sister's body language. She knew there was something on Piper's mind that she wanted to share but didn't. The good news in it all was that Darryl had handled the tough part. He had already taken the initiative to inform Andy of their past, who they all were, and why Prue had been taken. After all, what else could Darryl have done? Andy had witnessed demons using their powers and abducting Prue. Luckily, they hadn't been put in a position to prove to him that magic existed, considering the last thing they needed was another freak out session.
Thank god, Phoebe praised.
Throughout the discussion, Andy hadn't said much. He appeared mostly relieved when he finally receiving the news that Prue was safe because they had found her. Now, Piper and Phoebe were the ones left hoping that Paige could say the same thing especially after they had just made it a point to reassure Andy. As for Phoebe, the tale that Darryl and Andy shared left her feeling lost and even more confused. Apparently, Prue and Andy were married the past five years, but under the guise of Michael and Marie Holloway. She didn't understand how any of it was even possible. How were they alive, were they ever really dead? Who gave them their new identities? The Elders? That seemed like the most plausible explanation to explain it but why. Perhaps they found out Prue was still alive and rescued her from the Underworld but that wouldn't explain Andy though. Why keep it a secret?
After checking the second floor and finding no sign of Piper anywhere, Phoebe decided to look in the attic. It was the last logical conclusion to draw after finding empty bedrooms and bathrooms. As Phoebe made her way there, she thought she heard her cell phone go off. Pulling it out, she discovered she had voicemail. During the talk downstairs, she had placed it on vibrate so they wouldn't be disturbed.
Maybe Paige was letting her know everything's okay?
She stopped in her tracks to listen:
"Hey, Pheebs? Paige here. Everything's fine so you can relax, okay? Prue's safe, she's with me but she's going to spend the night at my place. I told her she could have the couch. Oh, and I bumped into Darryl on the way out so call me later and let me know what that was all about. So tired, so I'll catch you later. Bye."
When the message ended, Phoebe pushed delete. She was relieved because that was one less problem they had to worry about for the rest of the night. She resumed her walk back in the direction of the attic and when she finally entered, she saw Piper on the floor. Boxes were surrounding her. Whenever she pulled out items that were not relevant to her search, they were discarded and shoved to the side.
"That was Paige," Phoebe gently informed her from behind. "Prue's with her at the apartment."
"Uh huh. Okay," Piper muttered, completely preoccupied with her search. She didn't even bother to turn around nor acknowledge her sister.
"O -kay," Phoebe uttered to herself. Well, at least she wasn't shouting, so that was an improvement, she thought. Bringing herself down next to Piper, she sat on the floor. "What 'cha looking for?" she asked, picking up one of the boxes and looking inside, moving stuff around. A lot of it was just some antique items collected from over the generations, mixed in with remnants of their own past.
"I already looked in that one," Piper replied firmly after she saw Phoebe looking through it. "Here, try this one!" she instructed, leaning to the other side of her and reaching for a different box.
"Oh, I see," said Phoebe, accepting the box. "So, what are we looking for?" she corrected with a light laugh.
"Memorabilia," Piper answered back. "You know, the usual. Photo albums, diaries, letters. Anything to help Andy or Prue remember something," she encouraged.
Phoebe nodded slowly. "Right. But, honey, I think Darryl already supplied Andy with more than enough proof to show him who they really are, and he still doesn't remember. So, I'm not so sure we're going to have much more luck."
"Haha! Here we go!" Piper exclaimed, pulling a giant leather-covered album from a box. Phoebe's statement went completely ignored.
Phoebe moved in a little closer as Piper opened the photo album and began looking through it. They passed over many pictures, pictures that included Grams and their mom as a child, as a teenager, and finally pictures with them. Some of the pictures featured all three sisters growing up, while others captured them alone. Piper and Phoebe momentarily became entrenched within the bittersweet memories from their past.
"Hey, I remember this one!" exclaimed Piper while she pointed to a picture that featured her own tenth birthday party celebration.
Phoebe looked over and smiled. "Oh, yeah!" she laughed. "The cake fight. Whoa, Grams must have had a heart attack cleaning up that mess."
Piper smiled along with her.
The picture featured Prue, Piper, and Phoebe all drenched in birthday cake. Their young faces and hands plastered with the cake while the three young sisters made funny faces together. Piper smiled at the memory. How had they gone from this to where they were right now, she wondered. She continued to flip through the pages of the album until she came upon a picture, she thought might be useful.
"Here's a picture of Prue with Andy at the spring dance," she announced to Phoebe.
Phoebe scanned the photograph with her eyes. "The spring dance?" she questioned her sister.
"Yeah, it was Andy's senior year just before going off to college. Prue was a junior," Piper recollected. "I think they broke up when school ended that year."
Both sisters grew quiet and reflective as they thought about this particular time period.
Phoebe was the first one to speak. "Yeah, I don't really remember too much about their relationship, but he's got to be Billie's father, right?"
Piper sighed. "I think so. Prue only had that one serious relationship in high school."
"Wonder why they broke up?" Phoebe got curious.
Piper shook her head. "She was arguing with Grams a lot around the time I think she made Prue stop seeing him."
"Grams did it?"
"And now we probably know why," Piper gave Phoebe the look. "I don't think Prue even dated again until the end of senior year."
"Oh, you mean, Mr. ... 'I don't know how to keep my hands to myself?' Phoebe shot her sister a wide smile, flashing teeth. "That, guy? Yeah, he was a delight," she rolled her eyes, recalling how their Grams went ballistic after finding out what he did to Prue. "Never understood how Prue went from liking a guy like Andy to someone with homicidal anger issues. I could tell there was something creepy about him and I was twelve."
"Almost thirteen," Piper corrected, flashing an amused grin. "But agreed, creepy," her eyes widened, demonstrating her distaste. Prue had taken a temporary detour into liking the bad boy type after Andy. Piper now wondered if the attraction was maybe due to a backfire from the spell Grams had cast to make Prue forget. The new guy had definitely been the complete opposite of Andy and it all came to a screeching halt the night Prue's new beau lost control during a heated argument and then choked her.
"Well, whatever. You get the point," Phoebe waved her hand dismissively.
Then it went silent again.
"So, Andy doesn't know," surmised Phoebe.
"No, probably not," Piper assumed the obvious. "Grams cast her spell. She kept it hidden from all of us and had Prue looking after us because of our Charmed destiny hanging on the line," she sighed. "Pretty sure Prue eloping at seventeen because of a baby was not in the cards for Grams and she made sure of it."
"Which brings us to the next question, how do we break the news to either one of them?" Phoebe thought of Prue and Andy.
"I don't think we do," Piper decided on. "We let it play out for now. Until Billie's ready. As for the rest, we'll just deal with it as it comes."
"I guess," Phoebe relented, thinking about all the secrets and the position it put them in. The growing anxiety felt like a pitfall. "We should get back downstairs," she suggested, standing back up.
Piper stood up as well. "Yeah, let's go," she agreed, looking over the mess she had made. She held the photo album in her arms. "I say the book can clean this up tomorrow," she cracked. "I think we've earned the right to some personal gain and if they don't like it, they can just stick it," she nodded towards the ceiling, referencing the Elders.
Phoebe laughed as they left the attic.
X
Andy sat in the living room of the Halliwell Manor feeling extremely anxious. The two sisters who had spoken with them listened to the story they had to tell and then made it a point to reassure him that his wife was safe. However, he much preferred to see that for himself.
The sooner the better.
Darryl, who was seated next to him, leaned across and whispered to him. "You know, you shouldn't have left out the part about your missing daughter. They might be able to help," he insisted quite eagerly to his former partner.
"Yeah, well, I'm not so sure about anything right now," Andy shook his head, shifting uncomfortably in his seat before getting up. The tension was coursing through his entire body, and he just needed to move, so he started pacing the room. "And let me tell you, the more I find out, the less I want to know. Am I Michael? Or am I Andy? Do I call my wife Prue or Marie?" he snorted. "C'mon! Demons and witches and god knows what else."
The grandfather clock chimed.
Darryl sympathized with his friend's dilemma. "Look, buddy, I get this is rough. It's a lot to deal with but you'll get through it. And whether they feel like it to you or not, they're family and they're not going to turn their backs. They'll want to help, trust me," he tried to be reassuring. "But in order for that to happen, you've got to be honest about everything."
"Maybe," Andy slightly relented. "But the truth can wait until later. I'm beat and it's already after two," he glanced at the grandfather clock.
"Yeah," Darryl sighed, agreeing.
"Besides, I've had enough chit chat for one evening."
Piper and Phoebe came back down the stairs.
Phoebe held a pillow and blanket in hand as both sisters made their way back into the living room. "Okay," she announced, placing the blanket and pillow on the loveseat. "One of you can take the couch for the night and Billie's spending the night at her dorm so that frees up a bed ..." but she was cut off by Darryl.
"I'm good, Phoebe, I've already rented out a room," he declined, putting up a hand. "But thanks anyway."
Phoebe nodded then turned to look at Andy. "I take it you're still staying?" she questioned. However, on further thought, she wasn't quite sure how she should even address the man she hadn't seen in years. "Hey, is Andy too weird for you? Should I call you Michael?" The truth was he only knew the life he was currently living. She didn't want to be insensitive.
Andy gave a smile. "Well," he hesitated, "I guess at this point it really doesn't matter, does it," he sighed. "If Andy is more comfortable for you, knock yourself out." He reached out to accept the blanket and pillow from the seat. "Thanks," he lifted it, offering his gratitude.
"Alrighty then," Piper interjected. "It's been a long day; I think we're all a little weirded out by the day's events," she widened her eyes at Phoebe. "I, uh, dug this out of storage, so you're free to take a look at it whenever you'd like," she offered, placing the photo album on the coffee table. "Maybe something in it will help jog your memory," she suggested. "You never know."
Andy sighed. "Yeah, maybe," he muttered, glancing at it.
"Leo's already sleeping so I'm off to bed," Piper pointed over her shoulder. "But, uh, it's really good to see you again, Andy." It felt strange being in the same room with him again after so much time had passed. "See you both in the morning," she said, heading in the direction of the stairs.
"Night," Andy said as he waved back.
"Goodnight," Phoebe called out. "Or morning," she glanced at the clock.
"Yeah, I'll be heading out too," Darryl announced, turning to look at Andy. "Let me know how everything works out," he patted his friend on the back on the way out.
"Will do," Andy nodded.
"Yeah, and I got a call from Paige and Prue's definitely with her so please don't worry," Phoebe stressed one last time. "All of us can meet up later after we get some sleep. Night," she smiled, feeling somewhat uncomfortable in the whole situation. After some hesitation, she broke the spell and went to Andy, offering him a hug. He accepted. "It's good to have you back," she pulled away. Then she left to go upstairs and get some much-needed rest.
Andy was left alone with his own thoughts. Sleep was also the furthest thing from his mind. After sitting down on the couch, his curiosity got the better of him. He pulled the album towards him and opened it. Drifting through the pages, he stopped upon some photographs taken at a dance. The boyish grin looked familiar, very much like his own and to his side, stood a younger version of his wife with a gentle smile. She looked very pretty in her ivory gown, her beautiful long locks of raven hair flowing down her sides, complimenting the dress. Andy knew it had to be a high school dance. They were teenagers. Then he came to a more recent photo resembling his wife.
Andy yawned.
He realized that getting some sleep was probably a good idea. As he went to turn the lights off, he left the photo album wide open on the table with the picture of his wife on the page. Bathed in darkness, he drifted off to sleep, the only visible light was the glow cast off by the moon shining through the window shades.
X
Prue woke to the sound of chirping birds and the early morning rays making their way through the small window behind the couch. It was so quiet that the humming coming from the old refrigerator in the kitchen could be heard. Slowly, she sat up, stretching before looking around.
Small but cozy, she thought, nodding in approval. She actually probably preferred it to her apartment in New York.
Prue left the couch in search of the bathroom. While wearing an over-sized button-down shirt on loan from Paige from last night, she investigated down a small slender hallway connected to the dining room. It had to be around there somewhere and then she came into contact with a small, closed door. Either a bathroom or a closet space, she presumed, but just as she was about to reach for the door and find out, the door bolted open, startling her.
"Hey Paige, we're outta' ... whoa!" the man shouted, instantly startled and jumping back at the sight of the strange woman standing in front of him. He had a toothbrush jammed inside his mouth and toothpaste foaming at the mouth. He was barely audible as he reached behind him, grabbing for an aerosol product. "Stay back!" he yelled, aiming the spray deodorant in her direction.
"No, wait!" Prue reacted instinctively, bringing her arms and hands up to protect her face against the onslaught of aerosol. Without meaning to do it, she sent the deodorant can flying out of his hand and crashing through the small bathroom window located directly behind him.
Paige, hearing the commotion, jumped up out of bed realizing that Henry probably just encountered their overnight guest. She opened the door as fast as she could and came running out into the dining room. She entered the small hallway just in time to halt the impending freak out.
Henry looked at his empty hand and back towards the window in shock. "What the ... " he began to protest, pulling the toothbrush from his mouth and noticing Paige come flying around the corner at the same time. He pointed in Prue's direction intent on warning his wife. "Demon!" he hollered in her direction. "Do something quick!"
"Henry, no, stop!" Paige urged, reaching him. She took a deep breath, relaxing herself. "She's not a demon."
"She's not?" Henry asked in disbelief.
"No, I'm not a demon!" Prue protested, bringing her hand to her chest. She groaned. "But you're lucky it wasn't you flying out that window instead," she waved at it, glancing over at the broken glass. "It's not exactly like I have this thing under control," she lifted her hands, turning them over.
Henry swallowed nervously, sending his wife a look. "Uh, Paige?"
"Sorry I didn't get the chance to tell you last night but t it was late, and you were already asleep when I got home. Everything's alright, she's just a guest. I let her stay last night," Paige rambled quickly.
"You let a perfect stranger spend the night?" he interrogated.
"Well, I wouldn't exactly call her a stranger," Paige defended, knowing full well that Henry wouldn't get the hidden meaning behind her statement. "I know her. In a way," she concluded. She left it at that for now.
"Oh," Henry muttered, slowly letting his defenses down. He turned back in Prue's direction, shrugging it off. "Sorry about that," he tried apologizing.
"Not a problem," Prue closed her eyes. "Natural reflexes," she cracked.
"So, then that happens a lot, huh," he crossed his arms, looking over his shoulder.
Prue and Paige joined Henry in looking at the shattered glass.
"No!" Paige immediately denied on her behalf. "Of course not."
"Yeah, of course not. Just on people I don't like," Prue threw back at him.
"Haha, funny," Henry cracked.
"No, believe me, it's not," Prue sighed, bringing her hands up against her temples to rub. Headache time. She found herself dreading what other 'surprises' the day might have in store for her.
"Should I be keeping a six feet distance, or would it be safer at twelve ..." he nodded at her.
"Well, that depends, how do you feel about flying furniture," Prue retorted.
Henry rolled his eyes. Then noticing the woman's attire, he added to his retort. "And isn't that MY shirt?" He looked between Prue and his wife.
Prue looked to Paige, who in turn, went in for the quick introductions.
"Forget the shirt. Henry, this is Marie," Paige settled on until she and her sisters had the opportunity to discuss the entire situation over with her. "Marie, this is my husband. Henry," she nodded.
"Is she one of your charges or something?" Henry shrugged, shaking his head.
"No," Prue and Paige blurted out at the same time.
Paige made a face. "Well, define charge," she joked, thinking about Prue sort of being temporarily under her care until they could meet back up with Piper and Phoebe.
"What's a charge?" Prue asked.
Henry extended his hand to her. "Apparently not you," he offered cautiously. He still felt a bit on guard around the woman. "Nice to meet you, not charge," he called her.
Paige rolled her eyes.
"Likewise," Prue reciprocated, taking his hand. "Although, more and more people are opting to call me Prue these days and I think I prefer that to whatever you just conjured up," she snorted.
"Prue?" he questioned looking at Prue and then back to his wife.
"Yeah," Prue nodded.
Paige looked from Prue back to her husband.
Henry crinkled his brows in confusion. Now that he thought about it, she did resemble his wife. More than the two sisters did. "You mean as in ..." but he was cut off by Paige almost immediately.
Paige quickly shook her head before Prue could see. "Uh, later," her eyes widened, sending a very pointed message to her husband. "K?"
Looking down, Henry let it go. Paige had told him the backstory on she had been reunited with her sisters. It had resulted from the death of another sister she had never met. The name sounded familiar. He was pretty sure that was the same name since it was pretty uncommon to begin with.
Paige was just relieved he understood and hadn't opened up that can of worms on her. That way she didn't have to reveal anything she didn't want to until she and her other sisters were ready to. Besides, it wasn't information she was comfortable dishing out on her own.
Prue cleared her throat, suddenly feeling uncomfortable and out of place.
"So. Anybody for breakfast?" Paige offered, immediately changing the subject.
It was awkward for everybody standing there; however, they both accepted, following Paige into the kitchen.
X
It was Saturday.
Phoebe woke up, prepared to take the kids to the park after breakfast. She had already run the idea by Piper before finally getting to sleep last night and had gotten her approval. Therefore, as promised, it was her duty to get the kids up and ready this morning. Anyway, at the very least, she figured it would do the kids some good to just get out, to be able to play, and get away from all the heavy drama that had landed in their laps over the past couple days.
Phoebe finished getting dressed and walked out into the hallway. She could smell the sweet aroma of food traveling up the stairs as she walked to Wyatt and Chris's room. It made her stomach rumble.
Yup, Piper was most definitely up.
"Food time," she sang as she opened the bedroom door. Staring in, she spotted two kids by the edge of Chris's baby crib. Little Chris was going to need a bed soon, it dawned on her. He was getting too big for the crib and with the new baby coming soon, his parents could probably use it again. Wyatt and Molly appeared to be playing with him, as Chris peered through the rails.
"Hey, you guys," Phoebe smiled wide, walking inside.
Dragging her feet over to her, Molly asked, "Can I have juice?"
"Of course, sweetie, get dressed first, okay," she placed a hand on Molly's head, turning to the dresser. "Wyatt, c'mon, kiddo," she pulled his clothes out, handing them over to him. "Wakey time," she cooed, watching him rub at his eyes.
Wyatt took the clothes and ran to his bed, jumping on it. He began dressing himself.
Phoebe reached over to Molly next. "Here."
"It's a boy shirt," she folded her arms, making a face.
Holding up the shirt, Phoebe examined it closely. "Hey, little missy, I'll have you know that the Abercrombie crew look is very in and quite chic for us ladies too," she did her best voice over to persuade Molly to borrow Wyatt's shirt.
Molly was confused. "What is sh ... chick?" she tried pronouncing.
"It means very very cool," Phoebe gave a dramatic nod.
Molly gave in and took the shirt.
"And good morning to you, mister," Phoebe approached the crib to pick Chris up out of it. She planted a light kiss on the top of his head.
Hopefully, today would be a better day.
X
Downstairs in the kitchen, Leo was sitting at the kitchen table reading the newspaper. Andy was sitting across from him and every now and then, he would look over at him. After dropping Billie back on campus last night, he had returned home to find Darryl and the other man standing in the living room. They were briefly introduced, and it had dawned on Leo exactly why the man looked so familiar to him. He had actually already met him once a long time ago shortly after the sisters rediscovered they were witches. He had been dating Prue at the time while Leo had been posing as their handyman. Leo was also aware that the man had passed away some time ago.
Piper turned around with a cup of coffee. "There you go, Andy," she offered gently. "Be careful, it's really hot," she advised.
"Yeah, thanks," Andy smiled, carefully taking his first sip.
Leo felt bad for the other man. Piper had briefly shared with him this morning the back story leading to his sudden reappearance and much like Prue, he retained no memory of his former life. However, that wasn't what currently concerned him. Their memories could be recovered, especially since the Elders were responsible for erasing them in the first place and held the power to restore them. No, the problem for Leo was that after listening to what Piper witnessed through Emeritus and the time flashes, it sounded like Gideon made Andy's resurrection conditional. Which meant, he was brought back to life for the sole purpose of providing Prue with a new one. What would it mean for Andy now that Prue was back with her sisters, and they would need her to complete the Ultimate Power. After all, Prue never really died but Andy had been killed.
"So, huh, Andy," Leo started conversation, placing the paper down on the table. "How are you dealing with all of this?" he asked, sympathy edged into his words. "It's got to be a lot to take in so suddenly."
"Dealing?" Andy repeated, laughing with a bit of unease. "Yeah," he sighed, placing the cup down on the table. "Guess you can say that. Dealing as best I can."
"Well, you know you're welcome to stay here as long as you need," offered Leo. "Phoebe and Paige are living on their own so we have some extra space in the manor. At least for a little while anyway," he said, looking at his wife and smiling, acknowledging the fact that the baby would be here soon.
She smiled back.
"Yeah, uh, thanks," Andy felt the uncertainty of the entire situation still weighing down on him. "And look," he began to voice his doubts. "Not that I don't appreciate it, but I don't even know you people," he looked between Piper and Leo. "I don't know what to think. About any of this."
Piper's smile dropped. She did feel bad for him. This all had to be quite overwhelming considering what he had seen and dealt with recently.
"I know," Leo nodded in understanding.
"Do you?" Andy countered.
Leo didn't say anything else.
"We'll get the answers you need, don't worry," Piper reassured him, turning around to retrieve two plates of food from the countertop. There's not going to be any more games, that's for sure, she thought. They would summon those Elders back down here and make them give back those damn memories if it was the last thing they did. Otherwise, they could screw off with their notions of ultimate powers and charmed destinies. Let them take out the Triad on their own.
"Right, and I think that's what worries me the most," Andy acknowledged, weary of what he was walking into. Did he even want to remember?
"Breakfast?" Piper smiled, changing the subject. She walked over with the plates in hand.
Leo moved the paper so his wife could place one of the plates down in front of him. As she did, Andy got himself up from the table.
"Thanks, but uh ... I think I'm just going to go check in with Darryl," he pulled his cell phone from his pocket, moving to leave the kitchen.
Piper and Leo watched him go. They turned to share a look.
X
Phoebe walked down the stairs with Chris in her arms. Molly and Wyatt were in front of her, engaging in a race down the steps.
"Walk don't run!" she instructed.
The last thing they needed was social services at Phoebe's door whisking Molly away to a new foster home over an accident, not when this little girl's life depended on the sisters being able to keep her safe. They were still clueless about any parents; Paige said there were so many missing children in the database, however, little did Phoebe realize, things were about to come full circle. Wyatt decided to cheat and suddenly orbed himself from the stairs into the foyer. Andy rounded the corner from the dining room at the same exact time blue and white orbs rematerialized. Momentarily startled by the open display of magic, he jumped back.
"Whoa there," Andy reacted, taking in the sight. When he looked down, a small blond-haired boy was looking at him with curious eyes.
"I won!" Wyatt announced to the strange man he had never seen before.
Andy relaxed. "Did you now?" he decided to play along. "High five, buddy," he smiled, offering his hand to the child.
Wyatt smiled back, high fiving Andy.
Andy knelt down in front of the boy. "And who might you be?"
"Wyatt," Phoebe's voice rang out, "what have we told you about being careful when using magic in the house," she gently scolded. Wyatt looked back at her. "Hey, Andy," she greeted the man next.
Andy stood back up, his eyes darting from the woman with the other small boy in her arms over to another child dragging her feet, arms folded and a pout on her face as she came to lean in at Phoebe's side. He blinked once. It couldn't be. For a moment, he thought his eyes had to be playing tricks on him.
Phoebe wrapped an arm around Molly. "Kids," she laughed, suddenly catching Andy's change in demeanor. Her smile dropped.
He took a few steps backwards. She was a tad taller than he remembered. Her hair was longer, flowing past her shoulders but when her eyes moved to meet his, there was no mistaking it.
"Andy, what's the matter?" Phoebe was becoming concerned. She could tell he was regarding her suspiciously.
Andy brought up his finger, pointing at Phoebe in an accusatory manner.
"What's wrong?"
Molly regarded the man for a moment before a light went on in her eyes. "Daddy!" she squealed, leaving Phoebe's side and running straight into Andy's arms.
Phoebe was taken aback; it all happened so fast.
Andy scooped her up into his arms, holding onto her tightly. His face was a mask full of emotion. "Molly," he muttered.
Phoebe's mouth dropped open. She was speechless.
X
Prue flicked the bathroom light off after changing back into her own clothes. Paige had been kind enough to throw them into the washer for her before they had gone to bed last night. She was appreciative; they had needed it. Now, the aroma of food was wafting by as she moved to make her way into the kitchen.
Henry was already seated at the table. A bowl of fruit sat as the center piece.
Reaching over, Prue grabbed for an apple.
Paige rushed over, a pan in hand. "Bacon?" she inquired, grinning wide.
Prue's eyes darted to the stove and then back to Paige. "Uh," she stuttered for a moment. "Eggs are fine," she settled on.
"Right, eggs," Paige nodded with determination.
Prue smiled at her.
Turning around, Paige returned to the stove to retrieve the scrambled eggs. It all felt a little awkward and somewhat insignificant, but finding out what her big sister liked to eat for breakfast was a small start in getting to know something about her. She returned with another frying pan and spatula in hand.
Prue watched as Paige served. Before the kidnapping, she hadn't had much of an appetite but this morning, she was feeling hungrier. Of course, being held in captivity with nothing to eat or drink for days didn't do her any favors. "Thanks," she told her.
Paige sat down to join them. "You are welcome."
Several moments passed and an eerie silence crept in. Prue observed the couple, shuffling around the food on her plate with a fork. Henry was avoiding her all together and dove straight into eating his eggs. Could she blame him? Probably not. I'd probably avoid me too, she thought. At one point, his beeper went off and he went to check it quickly, replacing it back into his pocket when he was done.
"I take it duty calls?" Paige inquired, looking at her husband while sipping her orange juice.
"I've got time," he shook his head, smiling at her.
Prue grabbed for her glass. "I need some water," she got up, feeling awkward and out of place.
"Oh, I'll get that for ya," Paige jumped up, reaching for the glass.
"No, really, it's fine, I've got it," Prue tried telling her.
"Don't be silly," Paige waved her off. "You're a guest," she took the glass and retrieved the pitcher of iced water from the fridge.
"Sure," Prue sat back down in her chair slowly.
Paige knew her insistence on retrieving a simple glass of water would seem insignificant to most, but for her, it demonstrated to a sister who knew nothing about her that she was just as capable of handling anything that came up like Piper or Phoebe. When Prue remembered everything, Paige wanted her to know she was responsible and took her job as a Charmed One quite seriously. Silly, maybe, but since when were feelings rational, and it certainly felt like a better place to be instead of feeling replaced, not needed, or left out.
It was strange. Prue wasn't exactly sure how or when she became so attuned with what others were feeling, but she was sensing a lot of insecurity coming from the other young woman. "So," Prue began. "How long have you guys been married?"
"Not too long," Paige answered, returning to the table. "A little over six months."
"Ah, so you're newlyweds," Prue smirked. "Enjoy the honeymoon period while it lasts," she joked, taking a bite of food.
"Oh, personal experience?" Henry cut in. "Please do bestow on us your ancient wisdom," he threw a grape in his mouth. "How long have you been married?" he stressed, turning the question back around.
Prue dropped her fork on the plate.
Paige kicked his shin underneath the table.
Henry made a face at his wife, mouthing 'what' at her.
She sent him another look.
"Sorry," Henry told Prue. "Not trying to come off as an ass or anything. Apparently, I woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning. Or it could have been the bathroom, who knows," he threw up his hands.
Paige rolled her eyes. "And was that dig necessary with that apology?" she playfully chided. "You don't have to answer if it's too personal."
"No, not at all," Prue shook her head, gazing down at her wedding band. "Five years," she answered, fiddling with the ring on her finger. It had completely slipped her mind, but Michael had to be worried sick. Considering the last thing he probably saw in that alleyway; she had no idea what she was even going to say but he needed to know she was safe. "Speaking of which, can I please use your phone?"
"Sure," Paige nodded.
The cordless phone was on the wall behind Henry. Prue went to get up and he reacted. "I'll get it," he stood up quickly.
"I can get it," Prue objected, slightly annoyed, not wanting to be coddled. She didn't need people catering to her.
"No, I insist," Henry grabbed for the phone, handing it to her. He had been around Paige and the others long enough to understand the implications of magic, but he couldn't help it. This woman's ability made him nervous. She hadn't looked to be in control of it earlier.
Prue sat back down.
When he saw his wife give him another glare, he quickly jumped to his own defense. "Hey, I happen to like my head, okay?" Henry nodded at Paige. "And I want to keep it. The last thing I need is for any flying furniture to take it off," he cracked.
"Oh, Henry, be quiet! Your head isn't going anywhere," Paige mused, rolling her eyes at him.
"Hey, you call for things and then they move. She moves things and they go KABOOM!" he used his hands to demonstrate. "And by the way, just so you know? Now we're outta' mouthwash and deodorant." While saying this, he purposely turned back to Prue giving her a pointed look.
Prue was going to retort when suddenly a feeling of nausea hit her. "Uh oh." She dropped the phone, covered her mouth, and raced for the bathroom.
Paige and Henry were left stunned.
"Uh oh, what?" Paige watched Prue run.
"Was it something I said?" Henry asked, trying to be funny.
Paige snatched the phone and got up to head in the direction of the bathroom with Henry following behind her. Gently, she knocked on the door. She could hear the familiar sounds of vomiting coming from the other side.
Henry made a face of disgust at the retching sounds.
"Marie? Are you alright?" Paige felt concerned.
"Hope you didn't give her food poisoning," Henry teased. "Great, we'll be sued for cooking without a license," he joked, leaning against the door frame.
His reward was a playful smack on his chest. "I did not give her food poisoning," she hissed back in a whisper. "I'm no Piper in the cooking department but I can certainly scramble an egg."
"Ouch! Just joking, take it easy," he exclaimed.
Paige knocked again when she received no answer the first time. "Marie?" she called again. This time the sounds of throwing up had stopped, and she heard the water faucet going on.
"Yeah, I'm fine, I'll be out in a minute," came the hoarse reply from the other side of the door.
The phone rang, startling both Henry and Paige.
"Hello?" answered Paige.
X
Andy felt panic settle in as logic went straight out the window. Grasping on tightly to his daughter, he immediately confronted the woman standing before him. "What the hell are you doing with MY daughter?" he demanded to know, trying to piece together how his missing child ended up here with these people. His mind was quickly racing to the worst-case scenario: they were the abductors.
"Excuse me?" Phoebe blurted; a look of shock registered on her face.
Images from the past quickly flashed through Andy's mind. Molly riding her small bike with the training wheels on the driveway of their home while he watched. Andy carrying her on his back over to Prue, sitting on the bed, where he carefully dropped her next to her mother. Molly then handed her a small flower. It was her birthday. He remembered being with Prue and Molly by the small river in the woods near their home, the two of them carefully using the rocks as steppingstones. Prue smiled and pointed to the small fish swimming by. Then there were the games of chutes and ladders at the table, or the memories of Andy carefully lifting his daughter's sleeping form from the couch to bring her to her room after watching cartoons.
Chris began to fuss.
"I think you better explain yourself," Andy threatened, the anger in his voice clear and very evident. He was still trying to convince himself that what was happening was real. That his daughter was here. That she was alive and well and safe in his arms.
Phoebe still struggled to find her own words for this. "I ... uh ... " she stammered, before finally catching her bearings. "Wait, what do you mean YOUR daughter?" she demanded right back, still feeling somewhat shocked by what the revelation meant. The last thing she had expected to find out this morning was that the little girl she had decided to foster was actually the daughter of her not so dead sister. "You didn't say anything about a daughter last night!" she defended, raising her voice to match his level.
"That's because I didn't get around to it but that still doesn't explain what she's doing in YOUR house?" he countered back.
After overhearing the commotion from inside the kitchen, both Piper and Leo rushed into the dining room area to find out what the fuss was all about. Piper's eyes immediately landed on her sister.
"Hey, what's going on?" Leo demanded, his eyes shooting back and forth between Phoebe and Andy. He noticed Molly was hoisted up protectively in his arms.
Molly felt the tension grow and began to feel scared. Everybody was all happy and now they weren't. "Daddy, are you mad?"
Realizing for the first time that his sudden outburst had probably startled her, Andy apologized. "Sorry, baby, nothing's wrong. I didn't mean to shout. We're just going home, that's all," he soothed. "Right now!" he added for extra emphasis. Emphasis directed towards the other adults in the house.
"Daddy?" Piper repeated. Had she just heard right? She looked to Leo who shrugged back because he was just as in the dark. "Wait a minute here," she intervened, stepping forward. "Somebody want to fill us in on what's going on?"
Andy lifted his cell phone and began to dial. "Yeah, I'll tell you exactly what's going on here. I'm calling Darryl Morris and telling him to get over here right now. And if I don't like what I hear, you're all getting arrested for kidnapping!" he exclaimed.
"Well, wha ..." Phoebe was at a loss for words at the accusation being thrown their way. She turned to look at Piper for a rescue.
Leo, on the other hand, approached her and took Chris from her arms so that he could remove him and Wyatt away from the scene of the argument before it erupted into a blowout. He orbed out with his sons.
"Hold up, kidnapping?" Piper exclaimed, after Leo orbed out. "We didn't kidnap anybody, let alone Molly," she waved towards the child. "She was found here," she pointed, "in San Francisco. Wandering around on a damn bridge," her voice rose a notch.
Andy's eyes narrowed.
Piper took a moment to recollect herself. "How about telling us what happened?" she asked Andy point blank.
Andy took a deep breath, still holding onto his daughter. He feared losing her again if he let her go. He also realized that he probably overreacted without giving them a chance to explain. He was trying to calm down but lashing out seemed like the natural thing to do given the circumstances. What would any normal person assume if they had walked into some stranger's home and discovered their missing child on the premise?
Phoebe remained silent, looking back to Andy.
"What happened?" he repeated rhetorically. "My daughter went missing a year ago, that's what happened. And it's not something I like to talk about so excuse me for not bringing it up right away!" he vented. "We thought she was ..." he started but stopped as he considered his words more wisely with his daughter in his arms listening. Dead didn't seem appropriate. "Gone," he concluded.
"We?" Piper sought confirmation.
"My wife and I," he nodded.
Prue.
Piper had already known what he'd meant by it. It meant that he and Prue spent a year believing they had lost a daughter. Forever. It confirmed for everyone that Molly was, in fact, Prue's daughter. Well, one of them. There was still the revelation about Billie to contend with and considering Andy's reaction to this, that probably wasn't going to go any smoother.
Leo orbed back in. "The boys are upstairs playing; they should be fine," he let his wife know.
"Good," she told him. "Cause I think it's about to get a bit dicey in here."
"Piper!" Phoebe sighed, turning to address her sister.
"What?"
"You know what this means, right?" Phoebe nodded.
"Apparently that it was worse than we thought," Piper made a face, thinking about what the new revelation unveiled.
"The Triad had Molly all of that time. And that's why. They wanted her powers," Phoebe was concluding what was obvious at the moment, the pieces to the puzzle on the whole Ultimate Battle dilemma coming together and making more sense.
"Yeah, nothing like using our own family magic against us," Piper remembered how Billie and Christy were able to go up against the Charmed Ones and how evenly matched it almost was.
Andy stood there confused, glancing between the two sisters.
"And it almost worked," added Phoebe.
"Wait, how did the demons even find out she existed," Piper threw out, turning to her husband. "Nobody was supposed to know about Prue except a handful of Elders. Wasn't she stripped of her magic?" She looked to Leo, waiting for a response. He didn't respond right away. "Leo!"
Leo only shrugged. "Don't look at me," he defended. "Gideon and the others weren't apparently all that trust-worthy, who knows what they could have let slip to the Underworld. And just because they bound Prue doesn't mean her daughter wouldn't stand to inherit magic. She is still part of the next generation of Halliwell witches."
"Ugh," Piper closed her eyes, crossing her arms. "Like that wasn't going to lead to a whole bunch of bizarre and questionable events. Do these Elders not think anything through?" She was still disgusted by the whole arrangement and deception.
"Wait, what?" Phoebe was confused.
"I'll explain later," Piper sighed.
Phoebe nodded, "Okay, well, regardless of how they found out, let's give credit where it's due," she voiced. "It was kind of an ingenious plan. We knew nothing about Billie except what they lead us to believe and then Charmed power, our magic, was given to Christy to match up with Billie. That's how they thought they could take us out. And now it looks like they want her back," she thought of the Nauscas demon sent to find Molly, while sharing a solemn expression with Piper and Leo.
This time Andy interrupted the exchange. "Who wants who back?" he tightened his hold on his daughter.
"Don't worry, Andy, we're not going to let that happen," Phoebe rushed to offer him reassurance.
"Let what happen?" Andy's frustration was only growing. "Look. I don't know what the hell you people are talking about. I just want to find my wife, take my daughter, and go home. "
"Andy ... " Phoebe began to protest, shaking her head.
"No! Don't Andy me," he interrupted her. "Now, what does some Billie or Christy have to do with my daughter? And what are you trying to imply? That demons had my daughter this entire time?" he asked incredulously. "Why?"
Phoebe exchanged looks with Piper.
"Andy, we understand this is a lot to accept but taking it out on us isn't going to help your daughter," Piper shook her head. "Believe me."
"Just answer the question," he turned to Piper.
"Fine," Phoebe interjected. "You want to know why they took your daughter? Why they still want her? Probably for the same reason they want Prue ...," she tried to explain before Andy broke into laughter. "What's so funny?"
"Hold up!" Andy held a hand up in the air. He sighed. "You're not going to try and tell me that my daughter is a witch, are you?" he asked in disbelief. Granted, he had seen and heard a lot of strange things over the past few days, but he wasn't quite ready to go there yet.
Piper closed her eyes. She then shook her head, trying to shake it free from the cobwebs starting to tangle up there.
"Well, yeah, actually ..." Phoebe tried again but was cut off by Andy who headed straight for the door, Molly still in his arms.
"That's it! I'm out of here!" he declared.
"No, Andy, wait!" Phoebe shouted, blocking his path to the front door. "You can't leave. It's not safe!"
"Get out of my way!" he ordered.
"No, Andy, please think about this. You're upset, I get it, but I know you don't want to put Molly in any danger," Phoebe tried desperately to persuade him. "But if you leave, there's nothing to stop them from finding or taking her again. At least here, she's safe. We can help protect her!" she argued, hoping he would see reason.
"Andy?" Piper stepped forward, backing up her sister. "You can't leave with Molly," she continued. "Social Services will be looking for her and that puts Paige's job on the line after she risked it to help keep her safe. Do you really want Molly thrown back into the system once they find out who you are? Because that's exactly what's going to happen until they can sort out this whole kidnapping mess," she argued. "She'll be put into another foster home and then who's going to be able to protect her? Right now, she's safe with Phoebe. She's safe with us."
"It's true," Leo waited for Andy's reaction.
A deafening silence lapsed for a few moments as Piper and Phoebe watched how the power of Piper's reasoning would affect Andy. Of course, he knew it was true. Andy was a cop; he knew how the system worked. The police departments and agencies were all inter-connected and the last thing he wanted was his daughter to be taken away again. Sure, after a thorough enough investigation into what happened they would get Molly back, but at what price? After another one or two years in the foster care system as the wheels of justice turned slowly. Nope, it wasn't worth it especially if demons really were after his daughter because of a life her mother came from and didn't remember having. His wife had already been taken too and if they couldn't even defend themselves against it, how would they ever be able to protect Molly from it? Reluctantly, he acknowledged his best option appeared to be right where he was standing.
"Fine," Andy relented, slowly placing his daughter back down.
Piper and Phoebe were both relieved.
Molly looked between her father and the others. "For now!" he made that point very clear. "But I want to know what we're supposed to do?"
"Well, I think we should start by meeting up with Prue and Paige," Phoebe suggested immediately. "We need to get everything out in the open, there's no more waiting," she insisted. "I'll go give her a call," she announced, heading for the kitchen.
Piper and Andy were left standing with each other, a defeated look in his eyes.
X
Golden Gate Park
Phoebe and Andy waited by a nearby picnic table on the grassy knoll near the playground.
Under some of the taller trees offering shade, Phoebe kept a close watch on Wyatt and Molly playing in the park. They were having fun, running around, and heading for one of the slides. Phoebe smiled. She couldn't wait to have her own daughter one day. It was something she had been wanting for a long time but had experienced doubts that it would even happen. However, her faith had been restored with some help from Coop and now they were preparing to take that first step in the direction of making everything happen: their wedding.
Andy glanced down at his watch. What was taking so long?
"She's a really great, kid," Phoebe offered. "Brave too," she thought about Molly's escape from the Underworld on her own.
Andy looked over at Phoebe. "Yeah? Well, she shouldn't have to be. She's four."
"We won't let anything happen to her!" Phoebe asserted. "And believe me, we've had some pretty tough hurdles thrown at us over the years, but we've always managed to make it through."
Andy listened. "I hope so," he told her. "I really do." A part of him just wanted to take Molly and run. He was feeling sucked into something he really wasn't sure he wanted to be a part of. It wasn't his past dragging them into this; it was hers. Why couldn't they just have a normal life and more importantly, how were they going to get out of this mess.
"Trust me, the demons know who we are; they know it won't be that easy to make a move."
"Really, because that apparently didn't stop them the first time," Andy challenged her. "Didn't they already know who my wife was then?"
Phoebe turned away because she didn't really have an answer to that yet. How the demons found out about Molly or Prue was still a mystery to her.
"Exactly," Andy took that as confirmation. "And why does everyone believe I'm dead?" his voice rose in frustration. There were still so many unanswered questions. He saw the look Phoebe threw him. "Yeah, I saw the newspaper clippings," he nodded, referencing his own obituary.
"Andy, we'll get into all that, I promise, but first let's concentrate with getting Prue onboard," she tried talking around that particular subject as best she could for the time being.
"Onboard?"
"Caught up," Phoebe clarified.
"Guess I don't have much of a choice," Andy resigned himself to agreeing. He felt guilty that he was incapable of keeping his own daughter safe. He knew she could be facing real danger if they left and went back home. There would only be the three of them but at least here, and in spite of the fact that he still couldn't completely wrap his mind around it all, there was extended family who did care and had the ability to protect Molly.
"I'm sure they'll be here soon," Phoebe's eyes drifted in search of Prue and Paige's arrival.
Andy's eyes landed on the two women in the distance, recognizing one right away. "They are here," he began moving in their direction.
Both women were walking down the pathway. Paige was keeping pace with her sister when Prue's eyes suddenly locked with the man approaching them from the park.
"Michael," she called out for Andy.
X
Paige pulled her green buggy into the empty parking space the previous car vacated.
Unbuckling their seat belts, Prue and Paige both exited the car.
"Remind me again why we needed to meet here?" Prue was looking around, wondering why they weren't just going back to the big house they left from the other day. Granted, she wasn't crazy about going back there either, but she felt so exposed.
"It's safer," Paige settled on, figuring a demon attack would be less likely out in the open.
"If you say so," Prue shrugged, "but I was grabbed outside. In broad daylight," she informed her.
"Yeah, well, some of them sure do have a flare for the dramatics," Paige playfully rolled her eyes, thinking of the variety of demon attacks encountered over the years. "Normally, exposure is good enough deterrent though."
"And what's the big news for today?" Prue sighed.
"Aside from your husband?" Paige quipped.
"Besides the obvious, yes."
"They wouldn't say," Paige shrugged. Phoebe had filled Paige in briefly on the phone earlier. There had been more to tell, but Phoebe said she couldn't explain it all over the phone and to meet up at Golden Gate Park with Prue. She did hear the strange tale about Darryl, why he had traveled to San Francisco in the first place and found out the identity of the mystery man she had practically run over on her way out the door last night. Ironically, it was Prue's husband, who was supposed to be as dead as her sister. She had informed Prue her husband was already in San Francisco, looking for her.
"But there's more?" Prue pushed, feeling her nerves peak.
"Yes, there's more, and do you usually do that?" Paige nodded at her sister's hands. Prue was picking her cuticles.
"What?" Prue asked distractedly, throwing a confused look Paige's way.
Paige smirked. "The hand thing," she pointed out. "Relax! Reuniting with your husband is supposed to be a good thing!"
"Oh!" Prue replied, quickly dropping her hands to her sides. "Yeah, that. Sometimes, I guess. Nervous habit," she offered with a slight grin.
"Well, fear not, because I tend to ramble a lot," Paige offered. "That's my nervous habit. Nothing like a little gibberish to help take the edge off," she joked lightly. She earned a small smile back from Prue.
"I still don't know what I'm even supposed to say to him," she confessed.
Paige listened as they continued on their brisk walk.
"Maybe he shouldn't even be here," Prue voiced her concerns. "And what am I supposed to tell him exactly," she laughed. "That I can make objects fly and people jump? That our lives will never be the same because some evil freaks in dark robes want to kill me? Somehow, I don't think that's what he had in mind when we took our wedding vows and promised each other good times and bad."
"He loves you though, right," Paige offered up.
"It doesn't matter. He should leave, it's not safe to be near me," Prue concluded.
"Hey, it's going to be okay," Paige tried offering some reassurance. "Besides, I tried that with Henry already and it didn't work," she admitted, trying to relate her experience to her sister's. "I told him it wasn't safe. He refused to listen. But ... " she paused, trailing off.
"But what?" Prue pressed her.
"I came to the realization that he had made a pretty good point," Paige told her. "Which was, it was his decision to want to be there. My intentions were good, but I really had no right to make him leave unless he wanted to." She then paused before making light about it. "And if the possibility of death staring him right in the face wasn't enough to scare him away, I knew he had to love me."
Prue appeared to be taking everything Paige said into consideration. "Yeah, but despite the consequences?" she challenged Paige. "What if you lose him? Could you live with yourself? Because I don't know if I could ... " she stopped.
Prue and Paige both came to an abrupt halt.
"My advice?" offered Paige. "Have some faith. Faith in him, faith in yourself, and even some faith in the greater good. That it will let things work out. That's what I do!" she ended with a shrug of her shoulders. "Ha! I think we're here," she stated, pointing in the direction of the small playground.
Prue turned to look.
"Sure you're feeling okay to do this?" Paige showed some concern. Prue had been feeling sick and what if the Underworld had done something to her before they had found her? However, Prue had insisted there was nothing wrong.
"I'm sure," she moved, and Paige moved with her to keep pace.
Their eyes scanned the layout until Prue's locked with a man approaching them.
"Michael?" Prue had called out for him.
X
Piper stood behind Chris, pushing him in the baby swing.
She was hoping for the distraction to keep her mind at ease but every now and then, she still glanced in the direction of the pathway to see if Prue or Paige had arrived yet. After the showdown in the manor last night, everybody agreed that this would be the most neutral place to meet. Be that as it may, it still didn't alleviate the growing anxiety in the pit of Piper's stomach. The feelings kept hitting in waves and as hard as she tried, she couldn't make it go away. She had been so angry, confused, and hurt that it had caused her to lash out.
Would today be any different, she wondered.
While removing Chris from the swing, Molly ran up to her.
"Piper?" she called out excitedly. "I get to see my mommy today. My daddy said so."
"I know," Piper put on a smile for show. "She's going to be so happy to see you." The thought of seeing Prue again made Piper involuntarily tense up. She knew she had to keep appearances up for Molly's sake. After all, they already had one confrontation with her father, and they didn't need a repeat performance in front of her mother too. Children were too impressionable. They tended to shoulder the blame for the troubles surrounding them. Grievances that were usually created by the adults in their lives. She had firsthand experience on that with Wyatt.
Wyatt ran up to join them. Chris was placed down next to his brother.
"Did she forget me?" Molly blurted out. The excitement was gone.
"What?" Piper's heart sank for the little girl. "No, sweetie, no, of course not," she bent down, coming to eye-level with her. "Mommies never forget," she tried reassuring her. "Why would you think that?"
"The mean girl said so," Molly told her. "She said mommies are bad people."
Piper sighed, saddened to hear about some of the trauma her niece had experienced in the Underworld. "Molly, I think the mean girl was just trying to scare you," she explained to her. "And you know what. You were so brave all by yourself."
Molly listened.
"Your mommy never stopped looking for you. She loves you and I know she's going to be very happy to see you, okay?"
Molly nodded.
"Okay then, what do you say, big hug," Piper put out her arms and Molly went into them. "And you know what else mommies really like?" she smiled, pulling back.
"What?"
"Lots and lots of kisses," Piper went in for tickling her tummy.
Molly laughed. "You're funny. I will give her this many," she threw up her fingers.
"Mommy, mommy," Wyatt began tugging on his mother's shirt. "Look!" he was pointing. "Auntie Paige."
Piper looked up, catching sight of the two sisters they had been waiting on. Phoebe and Andy had already reacted to their arrival. Swallowing her pride, Piper went for Chris, who was playing in the grass. "Hey, Molly, look who's here?" she was leading the children back to the area with the picnic table.
Molly ran as Piper watched her go.
X
While gently brushing some strands of hair aside, Prue picked up the pace. Andy met her half-way, relief covering his face. A few more steps and then they could go home and try to forget the nightmare their recent life together had morphed into.
Closing her eyes, Prue ran into his arms, holding onto him tightly.
"You're okay. Thank god," he mumbled into her hair.
"I'm okay," Prue reassured him. "Don't know if I can say the same for my sanity though." The events of the past few days were taking their toll. "We need to get out of here," she told him, not wanting anymore encounters with the supernatural.
They broke apart and Andy began shaking his head at her.
"No, what do you mean no," she asked incredulously. "You don't get it; these people are a magnet for some very strange stuff."
"We can't," he cupped her face, kissing her gently on the lips. He pulled back. "There's more ..." he started to tell her, his eyes tearing up.
Paige stood in the background watching. A happy reunion for a change, she thought, a smile appearing on her face.
"What's wrong?" Prue stepped back. Andy's body language was throwing her off and she didn't think she could handle any more bad news.
"No, nothing's wrong," he pulled her back, considering the best way to break the news.
"Then why ..." a look of confusion spread across her face.
"It's Molly," he injected quickly, his voice breaking, full emotion on display.
Prue was shaking her head, confused. "What about her ... " suddenly she jumped to the worst conclusion. "No," she began to panic, backing away. They found her. She was dead. "No, she's not," Prue brought her hands up to her face, covering nose and mouth. She was shaking her head in denial.
Realizing she misread his reaction, Andy cut in to reassure her. "No, that's not it," he pulled her hands into his. "She's here," he looked her straight in the eyes.
"What?"
Andy sighed, looking away. A part of him felt bad, guilty even. She had been the one to hold on, never wanting to give up, constantly insisting that their daughter was still alive, and she had been right the whole time. He had been the one to reject the idea, not her, and he'd given her a lot of flak over not moving on. It had caused a rift in their marriage at times.
"Molly is here?" Prue repeated, shaking her head, not quite sure whether to believe it or not. "Where?" she demanded to know, beginning a frantic search with her eyes all around them. She didn't have to search very long. Suddenly, she heard a familiar voice calling out.
"Mommy!"
Prue looked over Andy's shoulder. Molly was running towards them. She froze, in shock, but as Molly got closer, she could tell it was her. Slowly, her hand slipped from Andy's, their interlocked fingers releasing. Prue began moving towards her daughter. It started out as a walk and then erupted into a full-blown run as Molly threw herself into her mother's arms.
Andy turned around to watch.
"Oh my god, hey, baby!" Prue cried; her eyes shut tightly with tears slipping down her cheeks.
Molly held on tightly.
Pulling back, Prue smiled at her. "I've missed you so much," she told her, carefully examining every inch of the daughter she hadn't laid eyes on for over a year.
"I missed you," the child told her mother.
Molly squinted against the rays of the sun, moving her arm to block it. "I want to go home."
Prue reached out and affectionately tucked some of her daughter's hair behind her ear. "Me too," she told her. "You've gotten so big," she smiled through her tears.
There were feelings of joy, disbelief, and relief all at once.
"Are you sad?" Molly saw the tears.
Prue quickly used her sleeve to wipe at her eyes. "No. No, baby, of course not," she shook her head, plastering on another huge smile for the benefit of her daughter. "I'm just very happy to see you."
Molly smiled but then she frowned. "Don't go away again."
Reaching out, Prue gently glided her hands down the sides of her daughter's face. She felt guilty for failing to protect her. "Never. I am so sorry," her voice broke again, staring into the blue eyes she hadn't seen in so long. Prue tried to cover it up by continuing to smile, as the emotional onslaught threatened to take over. "I promise I'm not going anywhere. Ever! Okay?"
Molly nodded.
Prue pulled her in for another hug. "Tight squeeze," she told her, and Molly squeezed back. She remembered.
One of Prue's deepest fears was too much time passing. She worried that if they were ever to be reunited, Molly would have forgotten them. Her parents could have become strangers to her. As the initial shock wore off, Prue started to question some things. Mainly, where had her daughter been and how had she ended up here? She was confused.
"You look taller," Prue laughed, continuing to engage. She reeled in her emotions and tried to engage her daughter in some more idle chit chat. There was no need to frighten her; there'd be time to find out the answers later, but her puffy eyes were still visible and so were the tear streaks on her cheeks. "And your hair is longer too," she ran her fingers through Molly's strands.
Well, at least she appeared relatively unharmed, Prue concluded with some relief.
Molly watched her mother wipe away the remaining tears. The little girl reached into her pocket and pulled out a small, crushed flower. "Here," she handed it to her mother. "I got it over there," she pointed in the direction of grass and trees. "They make you happy not sad."
Prue gave a faint smile. "Thank you, baby," she muttered.
Prue took the flower and slid it behind her own ear. She looked over towards Andy who stood by waiting patiently, observing the interaction from afar, letting them have their moment. When he looked back up, their eyes met.
"Let's go over and see daddy, okay," Prue reached for her daughter's hand. They held hands and walked over together.
When she was close enough, Andy reached out an arm and swung it behind Prue. Bending down, he placed a kiss on her lips.
Paige watched as Prue picked up her daughter and held her close. This was a touching scene for any observer, but also a reunion filled with its share of heartache and pain.
At least, it was about to turn into that in the very near future.
X
Piper, Phoebe, and Paige watched quietly from the sidelines. Paige was blown away by the revelation. Piper was lost in her own thoughts, while Phoebe was getting emotional.
"Okay, what is going on?" Paige walked over to join her other sisters who were standing together. "Are my eyes deceiving me," she glanced over at the reunited family, "or are Prue and Andy the missing parents?" her eyes went wide.
"Yup.," Piper sighed. "I don't think any of us saw that one coming."
Phoebe wiped at her eyes. "At least they're back together. And safe."
"Safe, for how long?" Piper lifted her brows at her sister.
"Well, the upside," Paige shifted gears, "we're gaining and not losing. Our family has just increased by four," she shrugged over at them. "I mean, I started out the week with two nephews, whom I love and adore by the way, but now I have two nieces to boot. Who would have thought."
"Yeah, there seems to be a big sale on those this week," Piper joked in stride. Slowly, she turned around to face her sister, her tone turning serious. "Paige, look, about last night?" she began.
"It's alright, Piper, forget about it!" Paige interjected. She wanted to avoid another confrontation.
"Actually, no, it's not!" Piper objected. "Listen, you've done nothing wrong, and you didn't deserve to be treated like that. It's not you, it's me, I just have some issues I'm going to need to work through so try and bear with me." She glanced at Prue while saying this and both Phoebe and Paige picked up on it. "So, I'm sorry."
The apology was sincere.
Since Piper had just provided her the opening, Paige decided to vent how she really felt. She took a deep breath and then admitted what she really needed to say. "Honestly, Piper, it did bother me. Somewhere deep inside, it's bothered me for a while. I'm sorry but I can't help it. Sometimes, I just feel like second best around here. And I know you guys don't mean to do it on purpose but ..." she trailed off as Piper jumped back in.
"Paige, please don't ever feel like you don't matter because you do. You're a part of this family and you always will be. No one can ever replace you. No one!" Piper stressed to her.
"Yeah, we depend on you more than you know, sweetie," added Phoebe in a soft manner. She gave Paige a gentle squeeze on the arm as a small show of affection.
Paige smiled at her two sisters. "Thanks. I think I just really needed to hear that," she admitted. "But I accept your apology," she added. She and Piper smiled back at each other. Paige sighed, then turned her attention back in Prue and Andy's direction. "Okay, so now what?" she inquired.
"Now comes the hard part," replied Phoebe. She sighed and focused her attention back on Prue.
"Yep, the truth. The whole truth. I just hope she's ready to hear it," Piper stared at Prue from the distance.
All three sisters proceeded to walk in the direction of their oldest sister.
X
"Ow," Molly protested. "It squishes," she complained.
In light of their daughter's protest, Prue and Andy broke apart.
At the same time, three other familiar faces were approaching them with serious and solemn expressions. Andy picked up on it and assumed this probably meant that they were ready to have the discussion they needed to with his wife regarding the situation. He attempted to reach over to take Molly from her mother's arms. Prue, however, didn't want to let go and swayed with her daughter to the other side.
"What?" she tensed, looking between her husband and the other three women.
"Look, we get the timing couldn't be any worse," Phoebe, standing in the middle, attempted to break in. "But we have something really important to discuss with you and it can't wait any longer," she instructed in a firm voice.
"Hey," Andy insisted, "I'm just going to take her so you can talk," he reached out for Molly a second time. "We won't go far, we'll be over there by the swings," he nodded in the direction of the playground, trying to reassure her.
Noticing the woman from the other night, Prue resisted the urge to roll her eyes. She had been rude, obnoxious, and she wasn't looking forward to round two with her. "Well, maybe I don't want to talk," she argued. "Maybe I just want to get the hell out of here and go home."
"Honey, look," Andy sighed. "I really think you need to at least hear what they have to say," he tried again to persuade her of the necessity behind it.
"Believe me, I've already heard plenty," her stubborn streak wouldn't break.
"It's important; It involves Molly too."
"This has nothing to do with Molly!" Prue protested, her protective grasp on her daughter growing stronger.
Paige decided to try and intervene. "Look, Prue ..." but she didn't get more than those two words out because she was abruptly cut off by her older sister.
"Prue?" she repeated, throwing the name out with contempt, and giving Paige a look. "Since when did you decide to start calling me Prue?" Out of all three women, Paige didn't address her that way.
"I ... " Paige didn't know what to say but luckily Piper managed to come to her defense.
"Because that's who you are and you better start dealing with it!" Piper interjected coldly, but firmly, through clenched teeth. "Otherwise, we're all dead." She was really trying to keep her cool, but it was getting harder and harder.
Prue just glared back at Piper.
Folding her arms, Paige looked down. She felt bad, like she had been misleading Prue the whole time.
This time when Andy reached out for Molly, Prue loosened her grip on her daughter. Reluctantly, she watched as Andy and Molly headed in the direction of the small playground with the other two children in tow after he had offered to take them along.
"Prue," Phoebe opened up.
"Stop calling me that!" she countered firmly.
"We can't discuss all the details in public, but we can at least begin by telling you who you are. Who we are," Phoebe continued.
Feeling defensive, Prue crossed her arms. "Oh really? And who might that be?" she mocked.
Phoebe took a few small tentative steps forward and a deep breath before answering. "Our sister," she revealed, a touch of sadness laced between those two simple words. "We're your sisters."
An eerie silence took up the space between them.
"Right," Prue finally laughed, breaking it. "Your sister? I don't think so," her denial erupted.
Phoebe shook her head, "Listen, I understand that you can't remember right now, but we are telling the truth."
"Prue, it's true," Paige gently backed Phoebe up. "And I'm sorry I didn't say anything right away, but I didn't know how to," she shrugged.
Prue shot her eyes to Paige. "And you telling me that, what, makes it all make sense now," she mocked.
"No," Paige shook her head.
"I would remember having sisters," Prue insisted.
"Well," Paige hesitated, "we never actually met before, so ..."
Prue gave her a strange look, feeling even more confused.
"You are our sister, though," Phoebe jumped back in. They could get into more of the other details later. "That's all you need to know right now; that's all that matters."
"No, no, I'm not," but Prue didn't sound as sure this time.
She still wasn't taking the admission seriously, but the sisters could tell she was at least wavering a bit.
"Well, you're right, if we're talking the past five years," Piper threw at her.
"Piper?" Phoebe scolded.
Piper threw up her hands. "Hey! If this is about being honest, I'm not holding back."
"You are joking?" Prue looked to each sister. Piper was refusing to look directly at her. Phoebe had tears shining around the brims of her eyes and Paige's face was still masking a lot of sympathy. "You're not joking," she said to herself, looking away.
They really believed this.
"Prue ... " Paige tried to take a step forward but Prue backed away.
Prue felt punched in the gut. Suddenly, she was also feeling claustrophobic in their presence. She needed to get away, didn't want to give any of them the satisfaction of seeing her cry because that's what she felt like doing. It was all too much. "I have to go!" she declared in a shaky voice.
The others watched her head off in the direction of her husband and daughter.
"Well, that went well," Paige rolled her eyes.
"Actually, that wasn't too bad," Phoebe offered in light of Prue's reaction. "She's strong, she'll come around," she nodded.
"Well, she better come around fast," Piper spat. "Otherwise, we're screwed."
"The hardest part is waiting for us down in the Underworld, guys," Phoebe looked between both her sisters.
"Which reminds me, we need to get back to the Manor and make the Elders give her those memories back," Piper concluded. "We're running out of time."
Phoebe and Paige turned to Piper with questioning looks on their faces.
"The Elders?" Phoebe questioned. "What do they have to do with it?"
Suddenly realizing her other two sisters were still in the dark about the other details due to all the chaos erupting every minute, Piper spoke up. "Oh, right, you two don't know everything yet. Don't worry, I'll fill you in on the way back," she made her move to leave. "C'mon."
The three sisters turned and saw Prue talking with Andy in the playground area. They watched her wipe at her face, a clear indicator that she was probably crying. It had been an emotionally overwhelming day for her, and for all of them, but they had to tell her, there was no other way to start moving on from this. They needed to unite together in order to defeat their biggest threat. A threat that was just around the corner.
The Triad.
To Be Continued: Well, the truth is out there, and it hurts, lol, well, most of it anyway. Anyways, thanks for reading and like I always say, don't forget to review. I'll be back with another update soon.