Author's Note: Hi. I just wanted to let all my readers know that this is going to be the last update until the end of July or sometime in early August. I'm going on vacation with my family, and I'll be gone for a couple of weeks. I plan on taking the rest of my time before then to pack and relax. But no worries. I plan on following through with this story until it's finished. Also, I realize that I've been updating pretty regularly so I don't want you guys/gals to think I gave up on the story when you don't see an update for a while. So, I hope you enjoy this chapter and I'll be back after some leisure time and fun in the sun, lol.
Disclaimer: Dialogue is borrowed from the season 3 episode, PreWitched. No infringement intended.
Once again, thanks to my loyal reviewers: Jedi Alanna, and Queen of Gabb 488. I'm glad that each of you enjoyed the reunion because I was debating back and forth on how I wanted to do it. However, I finally did decide on the writing direction from the last chapter.
Queen of Gabb 488: Wow. My story is your favorite? Thank you, I'm truly honored. At first, I honestly wasn't sure whether or not I was going to write it. But I had these ideas floating around in my head since season 8 ended and figured that I might as well get them out there, lol. At least now I know my efforts were well worth it.
Jedi Alanna: Yeah, soap operas are drama based too. Actually, some of the stories wouldn't be half bad if all the love triangles didn't get in the way, lol. Anyway, be prepared because the content of this story will continue to carry a lot of drama especially because some things haven't been revealed yet. Thus, the point of the title, lol.
And about Piper? Don't worry, she'll come around, I promise. It's just that when you combine her own temperament with how Prue's death affected her in season 4, I feel it's more realistic for her character to come to terms with it slowly, but she won't hold a grudge forever. Phoebe's kind of taking the other approach.
Now, on with the show, lol
Chapter 16: Deja Vu, You're Gone Again?
Billie exited her dorm room feeling completely disoriented and disorganized. It was almost noon time and not only was she feeling the strain from the past couple days, but she hadn't gotten much sleep either. In fact, her head hadn't hit the pillow until around seven in the morning. She had only gotten a total of four hours sleep.
"Damn," she cursed under her breath while attempting to stuff the rest of her books into her backpack.
The door to her room slammed shut behind her.
The zipper on the bag was stuck and Billie felt the rest of her books slide from underneath her arm. After the books made contact with the floor, an echo traveled down the hallway. After picking up the books, Billie realized she had forgotten to grab her cell phone on the way out. However, when she reached into her pocket for her keys, she discovered she had left those inside the room too.
"Okay, this is so not my day!" she exclaimed, throwing her hands up in the air. She started banging on the door to grab the attention of her sleeping roommate.
"Jasmine!" Billie yelled. "Jasmine, can you open the door? I forgot my keys!"
However, her pleas went unanswered.
"Hello?" she tried one last time before giving up. "Great," she muttered to herself, resting her forehead against the door. "It's Saturday afternoon and I get to study for an exam while she gets to sleep off a hangover."
Billie still had a lot on her mind. Things she needed to sort through and make sense of; however, last night, Jasmine had other plans for the both of them. After Leo dropped her back on campus, she had intended to use the personal space to relax but Jasmine had managed to pressure Billie into attending one of the frat parties going on that night. A party that had lingered on through the wee hours of the morning.
Loosen up, Jasmine had insisted. Easy for her to say.
Billie knew her roommate had good intentions in trying to include her, but drinking her worries away through the night just wasn't the solution she was looking for. Ultimately, she decided it was at least a distraction, so she went, but drinking and demon fighting didn't sound like the best mix, especially when your life depended on your ability to focus your magical powers. Jasmine didn't have to worry about that nor the existence of demons around the clock. However, Billie decided to stay most of the night to keep tabs on her friend. Her roommate had been doing a lot of drinking and she wanted to make sure Jasmine had gotten back to the dorm room safely.
"I'll try again later," she relented as she finished shoving her books into her bag. Finally, she had successfully maneuvered the zipper out of place.
Billie left the dormitory heading in the direction of the library. She had midterm exams the following week which meant she was stuck studying for them until something more pressing came up. After exiting the building and stepping outside under the hot sun, Billie bumped into a young man who seemed to be very much in a hurry. He didn't even stop to apologize, and Billie thought it was extremely rude.
"Hey, watch it!" she exclaimed, turning around on the walkway. "The path is big enough for the both of us, you know?" she added.
The walkway was usually bustling with other students but because it was the weekend, it was pretty much empty. Billie and the young man were the only two people in sight. However, after the young man turned around to face Billie, she received the shock of her life when she saw who was staring back at her.
"Oh my god, JD?" she exclaimed, seeking his confirmation. "What are you doing here? I thought you were dead."
X
"Gideon?" Phoebe had exclaimed. "Are you kidding me?"
"That slime-ball!" Paige reiterated, with a shake of her head. "And to think we sent Wyatt into that school and straight into his grimy clutches," she added for emphasis.
All four sisters were gathered in the living room of the Halliwell Manor. Piper had finished explaining the concept of the Ultimate Power to them, what it meant for everyone in the room, and how Gideon's involvement included faking Prue's death in order to prevent the power from ever existing. Everyone was left speechless.
"Yeah, you heard me right," confirmed Piper. "Gideon. Apparently, Wyatt was his second stop on his journey to the dark side." She rolled her eyes. "He started with us, but we just never had any idea," she finished.
"Well, how could we have known?" Paige shrugged, attempting to argue what seemed to be a logical point. "He was supposed to be one of the good guys," she stressed.
Then after glancing in Prue's direction, Piper responded to Paige's rhetorical question. "Well, we could have known. If someone had handled something differently," came the dig.
"Piper?" Phoebe pleaded after catching the glare she threw at Prue. The last thing she wanted was another confrontation that would lead to Prue walking out the door. They needed to start moving past everything together and the sooner the better as far as she was concerned.
"What?" Piper declared in a higher tone than normal. Then she lowered her voice back down. "It's just the truth, okay? I'm not shouting or calling anybody names but I'll be damned if I'm going to pretend that I'm alright with what she did because I'm not."
Prue, who had been scanning the photo album from the small coffee table, reacted by looking up at Piper. She had remained quiet through most of the discussion, listening to the details regarding the past. Honestly, she had no memory of the events relating to her situation. Those same events that Piper had just relayed to the small group, and she wasn't so sure that she wanted to remember. After hearing the details, it sounded like she had led a dangerous and lonely life during that time. A life consumed by working and fighting demons. She had been a Charmed witch by day while working as a photographer. However, a lonely woman in all other respects. No friendships. No relationships. Sure, it sounded like she fought like hell to protect a lot of innocents and the welfare of two younger sisters she didn't even remember having but for all the good that did. Because all she heard here was Piper giving her the third degree for trying to keep her alive or, at least, that's what it sounded like she had tried to do.
"Look, what exactly do you want from me?" Prue demanded outright, slamming the album shut. She threw it back down on top of the table. "An apology? Because at this point, I'd be willing to say or do anything just to get you off my back!"
Piper stared back at her. "Well, for starters ... " she began but was interrupted by Prue.
"I'm not finished yet! Do you want me to apologize for trying to save your life or for not being dead?" she demanded of Piper, who only stared back at her. When Piper didn't respond, she smirked. "Yeah, that's what I thought. Do you even know why you're mad at me?"
Piper didn't answer.
Prue looked to each sister. "Well, I'm sorry!" she spit out, getting up from her seated position on the reclining chair. "Does that make everything better for all of you?" came her sarcasm and final say on the matter. She was preparing to leave.
Phoebe immediately stood to her feet. It was exactly what she didn't want to happen. "Guys, c'mon! Can we please not have another fight?" she interrupted, feeling her irritation grow while looking between both of her sisters.
Prue halted. Piper stood with her arms crossed while Paige sat silently on the couch feeling completely out of place in the discussion. This was unfamiliar territory for her because she had no idea how Prue and Piper's relationship had worked in the past before coming into the picture. What possible advice would she be able to offer? Her best option was to sit there quietly and listen.
"We already have enough problems to deal with as it is!" Phoebe continued. "It's obvious that our personal issues aren't going to be resolved overnight but can we at least pull together so we can stop the Triad? Because they're going to come after us whether we're ready for it or not!" she argued.
Everyone remained silent and then looked away from Phoebe to each other.
"Fine!" Prue was the first to relent, looking briefly at Piper. Then she turned her attention back towards the other two sisters. "I'll do what I have to in order to help you stop this Triad. But that's it. After that, I'm done. I'll be going back home when it's over. That way you can go back to your lives, and I can go back to mine. Got it?" she concluded with finality.
Everyone fell silent and had no idea how to respond to Prue's pre-determined course of action. Phoebe was tempted to argue against her sister's position but stopped herself from doing it. After all, the point she had made was that they all needed to work together to stop their enemy and Prue had conceded to do that. That was the most important step. There would be time later to try and change her mind about leaving.
Piper, on the other hand, decided to respond to her sister's bold proclamation. "Whatever," came her simple reply. "It's your life."
"Yeah, you got that right!" Prue threw back.
Piper shook her head and rolled her eyes. She knew she was being stubborn about everything, but she wasn't going to give into the nagging sensations or her conscience. A part of her had cringed at her sister's decision to leave and the thought of never seeing Prue did bother her. These mixed-up feelings were driving her insane.
"Do you think the Triad even knows we're the Ultimate Power?" inquired Paige, turning the conversation away from the tension felt between all of them and towards a practical problem that could distract them. She was feeling extremely uncomfortable. At first, Paige felt relieved that the Power of Three, and which sisters would operate within it, would no longer be an issue because now all the sisters created a newer more complete unit. A more powerful unit. Or at least it would be if Prue stuck around long enough.
"Probably," speculated Phoebe. "My guess would be that's why they went after Prue. But I am left wondering how they even found out you were still alive?" she turned, addressing her oldest sister. "I mean, if only the Elders knew about you. They had to find out recently too because about six months ago they believed that Billie was the power."
"I need some air," came Prue's unexpected response. "It's getting stuffy in here." And with that said, she walked out of the living room. "And please don't follow me, I'll be back!" were the words she threw over her shoulder as she left.
The front door could be heard shutting behind her.
X
Andy sat at the kitchen table with Molly on his lap.
The other two children had been put down for an afternoon nap, but Molly had wanted to stay awake, likely the result of having been reunited with her parents a short while ago. It was fine by Andy though. He was still anxious about letting her out of his sight for too long and preferred taking the time to get to know her again. In a way, this all still felt a bit unreal. The truth was he honestly believed in his heart that he would never see her again. The whole situation almost seemed like a dream to him. It definitely wasn't ordinary by any means.
Molly, on the other hand, was distracted and engaged in her coloring. When she finished her second picture, she proudly displayed both drawings to her father. "This is for mommy," she exclaimed happily, as she turned around and picked up the first picture to show him the colorful scribble covering the page. Then she lifted her second drawing in the air. "And this one is for you, daddy," she added while ripping it from the coloring book and handing it to him.
Andy smiled, kissing her forehead. "Great job, firefly," he complimented, using the name he had made up for her some time ago, and accepting the drawing from her. Would she even remember that?
"Now I have to make this many more," she explained to her father, while holding up her hands. "One for Phoebe and Paige and Piper and Leo," she exclaimed, trying to pronounce their names the best she could.
When she reached for her box of crayons and dumped the contents of the small box onto the table, some of the crayons rolled off the table and onto the kitchen floor. "Uh-oh!" she exclaimed.
Andy was about to let her down to retrieve the lost crayons when Molly suddenly held out her hand.
"Blue!" she called out. "Red one," she repeated for the next. She knew the colors.
Andy watched as the small objects disappeared into a swirl of blue and white and then reappeared in the palm of Molly's hand.
"Look what I can do, daddy!" she exclaimed excitedly, awaiting his approval.
Andy was uncomfortable but ultimately played along for his daughter's sake. He didn't know how to feel about what he had just witnessed but it concerned him. How were they going to be able to hide something like that? Molly was practically school age. Not to mention, if that didn't confirm that the sisters were telling the truth, Andy reasoned, aside from the demons of course, he didn't know what else could. A part of him was still hoping that this was all some crazy made-up story.
"That's good but how about we keep that our little secret," he tried suggesting, hoping that it would work. "Which means, we're going to have to do things the same way everybody else does. So why don't you try picking up the other ones and bringing them back to the table," he advised, referring to the few scattered crayons remaining on the floor. He gently lifted her off his lap and onto the floor.
"Okay," she mumbled lightly not understanding whether or not she had done something wrong.
Andy felt bad when he saw her disappointment.
She walked over and bent down to pick up the remaining crayons. However, at that precise moment, Leo orbed into the kitchen in search of the sisters. Instead, he was greeted by the sight of Molly kneeling close by and Andy standing by the table. Molly was comfortable with the open display of magic, but her father wasn't. She laughed and pointed at the blue and white swirls that materialized into Leo.
"Leo!" she exclaimed, clapping her hands together before resuming her task of retrieving the crayons.
"Great," Andy remarked. "So much for teaching my daughter the normal way of doing things." He pushed his chair back under the table and walked over to Molly.
Leo furrowed his brows in confusion but quickly regained his composure. He was here for a reason and unfortunately it involved the man standing before him. He needed to warn them. While everyone had met at the park, Leo had taken the liberty to do some snooping around of his own but didn't like what he had found out. "Hey, Andy. The sisters are here, right?" he asked, his voice filled with concern.
Andy's facial expression dropped, turning serious. He had picked up on the other man's tone right away and hoped it didn't mean trouble for his wife or daughter. "Yeah, they're all in the living room talking," he confirmed, giving a slight nod of his head in the direction. "Why? Is everything okay?" He felt compelled to ask and, in the process, picked up his daughter.
"I'm not sure," Leo replied vaguely as he looked between Andy and Molly. Then he turned around heading for the living room and the sisters.
X
After Prue exited the Manor, Phoebe swiftly turned back around to address Piper.
"Okay, Piper you really need to give it a rest," she replied sternly. "I get that you're pissed but this isn't helping us get Prue back!" she added.
"I need to give it a rest?" Piper repeated. "C'mon, are you kidding me? Did you not hear a word that I said before? Prue left, willingly, Phoebe. She wasn't forced to. She made the choice to abandon us without even a second thought as to how her decision would affect our lives. Why am I being turned into the bad guy here?" she demanded to know.
"This isn't about placing blame, Piper!" Phoebe insisted. "It's about moving on. Try to look at the bigger picture here. We spent five years without her, mourning a dead sister we thought we'd never see again. And now she's back with us. How many people get to say that? She's alive and I don't want to spend what precious time we may have being angry and not getting along with her. Haven't we learned by now not to take anything for granted?" she argued.
"You're really not upset with her?" Piper asked in disbelief. "Like, at all?"
Phoebe released a heavy sigh. "Have you not been listening to me?" she reiterated. "Of course, there's a part of me that doesn't understand how she left us behind, but I want my big sister back. I'm sorry but I do and maybe it's just the part of me that wants to make up for all the lost time Prue and I spent fighting but that's how I feel. And if you can't understand that, I don't know what else to say," she finished, shaking her head in frustration.
Piper turned to Paige. "Okay. Paige, what about you?" she decided to ask for her youngest sister's input. "I mean, I know you didn't know Prue before, but you must have some opinion," she reasoned.
Paige shrugged her shoulders, not really wanting to get stuck in the middle. Looking between both Piper and Phoebe, she considered the best approach. Sure, she had an opinion, but she wasn't expecting to be put on the spot and admit to what it was. And more importantly, she didn't want to be put in a position to take sides. While sitting on the arm of the couch, she lifted her hands from off her lap, a gesture intended to display her own uncertainty. "Uh," she stuttered before finally settling on what felt like a safe simple response. "Well, can't we just get to know her right now?" she suggested as gently as possible, shrugging and looking in Piper's direction.
"Piper, it sounds like Prue was just being Prue," added Phoebe. "And maybe she decided to leave but it sure sounded like Gideon pressured her into it with that damn ultimatum. I mean, the guy was an obvious quack."
"Yeah. Apparently so obvious we missed it," Paige cracked.
Phoebe smiled at her sister. "Seriously, though, who knows what he was capable of doing at the time had she not gone along with it. You know, like maybe we wouldn't have Paige today?" she suggested lightly, looking between both of them.
Paige sighed.
"And you said yourself that he knew about Paige and practically threw it in Prue's face," Phoebe pointed out.
Piper shook her head, clearly frustrated.
"We know Prue," Phoebe looked at her sister. "She's not going to let an innocent die. It was obviously set up to get her to do what he wanted," she shook her own head, feeling her frustration with the manipulation of it all.
Paige felt momentarily humbled by the notion that the big sister she had never gotten the chance to meet before now, the same sister she had felt inferior to for so long and magically competed against, was the same sister who had given up her own life so that Paige could keep hers. Prue had willingly vacated her place in the Power of Three and allowed Paige to step forward and take it and she did that for a sister she knew nothing about. They were strangers and Prue hadn't owed her a thing. She left on a whim when faced with the possibility of Paige's life being threatened. She held a new respect for her big sister.
Finally, the understanding was there. Why it was that her other two sisters revered her so much. Why they believed her to be the strongest and why they had looked to her to take the lead but, more importantly, why they had practically fallen apart after she had died. Prue was all too willing to sacrifice herself, to put her own life on the line, if it meant keeping one of her sisters safe. It was a strength Paige admired because she honestly didn't know if she was capable of doing the same thing to such an extent; however, it was her newfound appreciation that also led her to understand Piper's dilemma. Paige realized that Prue's strength was also her weakness and Gideon had fully exploited that, resulting in Piper's struggle to create a new life void of her older sister's influence. Piper had adjusted to her new role as the oldest sister and now Prue was back uprooting her sense of stability for a second time.
"Well, I guess I'll have to respect how you guys feel but I'm going to need some more time with this," Piper understood Phoebe's point but still had to be honest about how she felt. "I'm sorry but that's all I'm willing to give right now."
She was the second sister that made her move to leave. However, Piper stopped when she was greeted by the presence of Leo making his way into the living room. Andy was following closely behind him, Molly hoisted up in his arms.
"Good!" Leo exclaimed. "You're all here. We don't have much time ..." but he trailed off when he noticed the absence of one sister. "Wait, where's Prue?" he inquired.
By this time, he had grabbed the attention of both Phoebe and Paige who were walking over to huddle close by.
"She went outside to get some air. Why, what's the matter?" Phoebe asked, clearly worried about what Leo had to share with them.
"I'll get her," Andy announced as he turned around for the front door.
Leo waited until he heard the front door close before opting to continue. However, he was already too late because right before them the familiar orbs of the Elders materialized into Emeritus and two other high-ranking Elders who sat upon their council. Dimitri was nowhere in sight.
"Damn it," Leo cursed under his breath.
Phoebe turned and stared. "Uh, I hope this is a good thing?" she announced in the direction of all three Elders. "Please tell me you're just visiting to make Prue remember and then you'll be on your merry Elder way?"
"That among other things," Emeritus responded.
"Okay, I don't like the sound of that," Phoebe resigned, turning her attention to the ground and then back to her brother-in-law. "Leo, why don't I like the sound of that?"
Leo huffed and glowered in the direction of the three men. "They're here for Andy!" he spit out through gritted teeth. "Because Prue's been given her old life back, they're taking him back!"
Piper, Phoebe, and Paige immediately glared back in the direction of the Elders.
X
Billie and JD walked down the pathway together, while she listened intently to the story he had to tell her.
Every once and awhile, they would throw in a small glance at the other before awkwardly turning away out of embarrassment. Each one was hoping that the other wouldn't catch it, but the truth was, they weren't really sure how to act around one another. The last time they had parted ways hadn't been under the most ideal circumstances.
"So, you're a whitelighter now?" she remarked. "That's awesome."
"Yeah, Sam's been great. He's had my back since the beginning of all this," JD replied. "But now I need your help," he admitted very cautiously.
"My help?" Billie questioned. "What for?"
"Well, the Elders sort of gave me my first assignment but then I sort of screwed up." He laughed nervously before continuing. "Now I've got someone on my back," he answered with a grin.
"What sort of someone?" Billie pressed, not liking where this was going.
"Um, I think he's called a darklighter?" JD contemplated; his brow furrowed. "Anyway, he carries around this funky crossbow and arrow like he belongs in a Wild West movie or something." He scoffed and looked back at her.
Billie threw him a questioning look.
He tried to piece together a better analogy for her. "You know, cowboys and Indians? That sort of thing?" he pressed on with his eyebrows raised. "No, you don't get it," he relented, with a shake of his head, the same facial expression in place. "Forget it."
Billie shook her head, a small smile breaking through. "Sorry," she offered in her own defense. "Older movies aren't really my thing. In my case, it's like trying to mix apples with peaches. Or is it oranges?" she gave it a second thought, waving her hand dismissively in the air. "Ah, it doesn't matter, you get my drift," she concluded.
JD was clearly getting lost in translation. "Drift?" he questioned.
Billie laughed, picking up that he had no idea what she was talking about. "You know what, forget it. There's clearly no way around the generation gap," she reasoned. "It's just another way of saying you understood me."
"Oh," remarked JD.
Billie and JD came to a stop when they reached the front of the library on the college campus. There were some trees around the building, and they offered some shade against the hot rays of the sun. They both stood for a few seconds, looking at each other silently, while a couple of students bypassed them on their way into the library. A small bench was located near some bushes at the far side of the entrance and Billie approached it to sit down. JD followed.
"So, you came looking for me here?" she finally asked, getting down to business. "How come you just didn't go to Sam for help if you were in trouble?"
"Well, that would put Sam in just as much danger as me," JD reasoned. "The darklighter's arrow can kill him too. What can he do for me, but I figured since you're a witch and all that maybe ..." he trailed off.
"I could vanquish his sorry ass for you?" Billie finished for him.
"Yeah," he gave her that adorable grin. "That." He looked away, clearing his throat. "What the Elders don't know, won't hurt, right?" he shrugged.
Billie smirked. "Ah, avoiding the Elder radar, now that I can actually relate to," she nodded.
JD smiled back. "Yeah, pretty much the anthesis to fun," he laughed.
"You mean, a bunch of mosaic fossils who give new meaning to killjoy," Billie shot out quickly. "No worries, you've come to the right girl," she smiled. "I'm practically a master at deflecting."
"Are you now?" he teased.
They broke the staring contest and looked down.
"You know, it kind of hurt that you didn't trust me enough to help you before," Billie revealed, fiddling with her fingers in her lap. "Maybe things could have been ... different," she settled on. She was met with silence. "JD?" she turned. However, when she did, she noticed he was staring off into space. "Um, hello, anybody home in there?" she waved a hand in front of his face.
It broke his concentration and he turned to her.
"Did you hear what I said?" she frowned.
"Um, yeah," he appeared a bit uncomfortable. "I heard you," he finally acknowledged. "Sorry but I couldn't let you get hurt because of me and I wasn't going to let you stop me. Sam needed my help," he nodded at her, adamant about his decision on that. "I knew the risks and they were mine to take. Not yours."
Billie's eyes teared up. "But your life was, is," she corrected, "worth the risk."
JD smiled, reaching out a hand to Billie's face. "Thank you."
"For what?"
"For caring," he nodded. "Not many people in my life have. I can count on my fingers maybe one, aside from Sam and my dad."
Billie reached up and took his hand from her face, holding it in her own.
"Besides, it's not so bad," JD reasoned. "I think things worked out the way they were supposed to."
"Yeah, how so?" Billie shook off the sadness and smiled.
"Sam helped me and now I get to return the favor and help others," JD shrugged. "I just need to work on my approach."
Billie and JD shared a laugh before the conversation took a serious turn again.
"But confession time," JD opened up, rubbing his hands together. "I didn't just come here for your help."
"You didn't?" Billie's eyebrows shot up. "Do I even want to know the other reason?" she made light of it but what he did next took her completely by surprise.
"I wanted to see you," he replied as he reached out, placed his hand behind her neck, and pulled her in for a kiss.
Billie closed her eyes, allowing herself to become lost in the kiss for a few sweet seconds. However, reality quickly came crashing back. "Wait, not a good idea!" she suddenly protested, pulling back, and using the back of her hand to wipe against her mouth.
JD, feeling the automatic sting of rejection, attempted to cover up his embarrassment. "Sorry! Old habits die hard," he conjured up quickly.
Billie felt bad. She hadn't meant to brush him off so brusquely, but the current state of her life right now was confusing enough. The last thing she needed were anymore complications added to the mix. "JD, I'm sorry, it's just ... " she started.
"You have nothing to be sorry for," he cut her off. "Always liked the pretty ladies, even back in my time." There was an awkward smile and then a laugh. "Can't blame a guy for trying, right?"
Billie still felt the need to explain though. "I know this is going to sound really lame but it's really not you, it's me. I can't be bothered with that type of a relationship right now. Not with anybody. The relationships I do have are messed up at best and need some serious working out," she did her best to make him understand. "It wouldn't be fair. To me or to you," she told him honestly. "If I gave the wrong impression ... "
"Billie, you didn't do anything wrong," he reassured her. "Don't apologize; I'm the one who's sorry. It's just that after we kissed the last time I was here, I assumed that maybe," he paused, and then resigned himself. "It was wrong to assume," he settled on.
"I can't be any more than a friend right now." JD seemed like a great guy; he really did. He was good looking, charismatic, and Billie was definitely attracted to him the very first time Sam, Paige's whitelighter father, had brought him to the manor seeking magical protection.
"Friends sounds ... doable," he laughed, turning to look at her. "I can use a friend."
"Well, you've got one," she nodded.
"I really hope you work things out in your life, Billie. I get it. And, hey, when you do, don't forget about me, okay?" he joked with her.
Billie reached out and hugged him. "JD, I could never forget you," she offered sincerely. "So," she pulled back. "How about one friend helping another friend to kick some darklighter butt?"
JD smirked. He nodded. "Yeah."
Billie and JD both got up from the bench. Billie reached for her backpack, slinging one strap over her shoulder. Well, so much for studying, Billie concluded as they searched for a secluded spot so he could orb them back to the Manor and the Book of Shadows.
X
Prue felt a rush of heat hit from the hot mid-day sun after walking out the door.
Immediately bringing her hand up to cover her face, she let out a heavy sigh. It carried all the tension and feelings of frustration she had at the moment. Slowly, she walked down the steps and the small walkway leading to the house. After reaching the second set of steps, she sat down.
She had to get out of there. She didn't know how much more she could take.
Why was this happening to her? Of all the possible past lives to walk into, she had to walk into this one. What she really wanted to do was take her husband and her daughter and leave. To make up for the lost time the entire past year had created. Instead, she was sitting outside a strange house debating her own sanity. She had promised to stay and help but what if she couldn't handle it? The last thing she needed was to screw that up too. She wasn't exactly receiving the most warm and fuzzy feelings from this place. Although at least the younger two sisters were trying.
Prue turned her attention to the grass beside her and began picking at it. While carefully inspecting the neighborhood, a slow feeling of familiarity descended upon her. It was the strangest feeling, almost like Deja vu. Then, as she turned her head back to look at the front of the Manor, she felt a rippling sensation course through her until her mind opened up and the memory flooded in. A momentary ache hit with the flash, and she brought her hands up to the sides of her temples.
(Memory Flashback)
Prue could remember standing on the front steps to the house, next to the two other women. They were Piper and Phoebe. However, the other sister, Paige, was nowhere to be found. She could remember the voice of an older woman penetrating her senses. Grams? At least, that was the name her mind threw out to her.
"Uh, okay girls, if you could just move a little closer?" came the request of the older woman.
Prue could remember a camera in the woman's hand. She had wanted to take a picture, their picture, in front of the house. And Prue could also remember feeling like she really didn't want to pose for the picture.
"Uh uh, Phoebe, turn to me! I want to be able to get your good side," the older woman continued.
"Um, I don't think she has one today, Grams," came a crack from the sister named Piper. Prue remembered cracking a small smile of her own at the comment.
Phoebe, on the other hand, appeared plain annoyed. "Can we please get this over with?" she argued back.
"Why? You got plans?" Prue mocked her and was barely containing her own laughter.
"Uh, Prue, all I'm getting is shoulder," inserted the older woman called Grams.
"With anybody that I know?" Prue directed back at Phoebe.
"I'm sure lying beneath all that sarcasm, there is a point," argued Phoebe. "And if it has anything to do with Roger ..."
"Well, he said that you called him yesterday!" Prue put forth. Piper rolled her head back and sighed at the oncoming blow out about to erupt at any second.
"Yeah, looking for YOU!" Phoebe shot back. "Prue, I'm not going to defend myself when I haven't done anything wrong!"
"Really?" Prue mocked again.
"I'm just trying to be nice to the guy considering he's going to be part of this family soon. Which I'm not even sure I want to be part of this family," Phoebe stressed.
The older woman, Grams, appeared to be losing patience with them as her next comment broke ground. "The sun is shifting, could you move down a step, please?" she insisted.
After all three of the girls had moved down a step at their grandmother's request, Phoebe then turned her head around and threw her next comment back at Prue.
"And why would I waste my time on a whimp who's got mother issues?" she snidely remarked.
Their grandmother brought the camera back down, almost ready to give up on taking the picture as she continued to listen to the girls' quarrel.
"I don't know, but why should I believe anything that you say?" Prue shot back at her. "You don't know the difference between what belongs to you and what belongs to, I don't know, let's say, MACEY'S!"
"Alrighty, then," interrupted Piper, swaying back and forth with her arms crossed. "Are we done?"
Then, suddenly, all three girls noticed that their grandmother grabbed for her chest, and they stepped forward. All three of them called out for her as Piper instructed her on what to do.
"Okay, take shallow breaths," she insisted.
"Should we call the doctor?" Prue asked with concern.
"No doctor," their grandmother willfully declined. "Just a picture. Is it too much for an old lady to ask her granddaughters to retract their claws, stand still, and look at me long enough to take one lousy picture?!" she exclaimed.
At her words, all three of them silently retreated to the lawn, in front of the large window on the house, posing long enough for the picture to be taken.
(Memory Flashback Ends)
After the memory faded, Prue was startled by the sound of the front door opening and closing. When she turned around again, she realized that it was only her husband and her daughter. She relaxed. Then, she got up and headed back up the small walkway leading to the house. After Molly was placed down on the ground, she ran down the steps in her mother's direction.
"Mommy!" her voice rang out as she hugged her mother. "Look what I made for you?" she replied while smiling, handing Prue the drawing.
Prue stopped, took the piece of paper, and smiled.
"Wow, it's pretty!" she exclaimed, taking her daughter's hand and resuming the small walk back to the front door. "Is everything okay?" she asked Andy when she caught the look on his face. She walked up the steps and stopped in front of him, Molly still by her side looking between her parents.
Andy sighed. "Yeah, fine. It's just I think they need you back in there," he announced. "How are you doing?" he asked with some concern. He knew there had to be a reason she came out here to be by herself.
He didn't want to tell her earlier, but he started having this impending sense of doom settling into the pit of his stomach ever since they had found out about everything. He didn't know why he felt it, but he didn't like it. At first, he chalked it up to the strangeness of the past few days and all the weird details like witches, demons, and magical powers. Now he believed it was something more. It was as if he were waiting for some bigger revelation to drop at their feet and if the expression on Leo's face moments ago was any indication, that alone spoke volumes. This wasn't in his head. His only wish was whatever it was would come already so he didn't have to keep feeling on edge.
"It could be better," she tried to make light of it. Then she turned serious again. "Honestly, I'm more confused than anything. Confused about what all this means. What it's going to mean for us and the future. I did promise to stay and help them but ..." she tried explaining to him.
"But what?" he pushed.
"I feel completely out of place here," Prue finished.
Andy flashed her a sympathetic smile before bringing his hand up to the side of her face in a comforting gesture.
Prue smiled back at him.
"You'll be fine," he tried to reassure her. Then he pulled her into his arms for a hug before turning somber. Prue couldn't see the expression on his face because of the embrace they were sharing. "Do me a favor?" he treaded carefully.
"What?" Prue's eyebrows furrowed.
"Promise me that no matter what happens, you'll do everything you can to keep yourself and Molly safe," he sought the reassurance. In light of everything, he had no idea what to expect but he was recently feeling detached from this new life he had been dragged into. Was he even meant to be part of it?
Prue pulled back a little and met with his eyes. "I don't understand what ... " she was perplexed by the turn this conversation took.
"I just need you to promise me," he reiterated again. "This life," he shook his head in uncertainty, "do whatever you need to stay safe. Even if remembering things brings back painful memories. And even if ... " he drifted off before continuing. "Even if I can't be there."
At his words, Prue quickly pulled herself out of his embrace, a look of concern gracing her face. Andy broke eye contact with her. "And why wouldn't you be there?" she asked in a firm tone.
"Prue, it's just ... a figure of speech; it means nothing," Andy tried to backtrack, to reassure her. "It doesn't hurt to be prepared," he reasoned. "We don't know what's coming down the road with all this." But he knew he wasn't being completely honest with her. There was something different, he was feeling a shift, or rather a slow change. He just felt things he couldn't quite explain. On reflection, he took note that he had even called his wife Prue without even so much as a second thought. What was happening to him?
"That wasn't any figure of speech; it didn't mean nothing!" Prue countered. "Why would you say something like that? Are you leaving?" A part of her dreaded the answer to that question because it would only bring validation to her own nagging feelings she had been having about losing him one day. It couldn't be a coincidence that they were both having the same thoughts.
Andy let out a heavy sigh. "No, I'm not leaving!" he firmly denied. "Look, can we talk about this later?" he suggested, nodding in the direction of their daughter, who was standing beside them and listening to every word they spoke.
Prue turned her head to the side and smiled down at Molly, understanding exactly what her husband meant.
"Besides, I think they're waiting," he concluded.
The three of them turned to enter the Manor.
X
"Andy? You can't take Andy back? Isn't that like murder or something?" Phoebe protested in a high-pitched tone, while looking between Leo and the senior Elders.
"Andrew Trudeau has been dead a long time," Emeritus proclaimed in a calm voice. "And Michael Holloway no longer exists," he finished.
Paige stepped forward, a feeling of disgust welling up inside of her. "What is THAT supposed to mean?" she challenged. "You gave Andy his life back, so I don't care what freaking name you concocted for him later on. And if you take him back now, that's murder in my book!" she declared strongly.
Piper stepped forward to stand with her two sisters. "There's no way we're letting you take him!" she announced. She thought back to almost a year ago when she had been placed in the same position with Leo. It was heartbreaking for her and the kids when they had lost him and she suddenly felt her heart go out for Prue and Molly. It was a feeling she wouldn't wish on her worst enemy let alone her own sister.
"You really don't have a choice," replied the Elder flanking to the left of Emeritus. "What's done is done."
At that moment, everyone's attention was drawn to the sound of the door shutting and the sight of Prue, Andy and Molly entering the living room area. Molly was back in Andy's arms while Prue followed behind them. When they noticed the concerned somber looks of everyone else in the room, Prue and Andy looked to each other.
Prue looked back to the others. "What?" she questioned, wanting to know why everyone was staring at her in such a way. The looks on their faces made her feel very uneasy. Then she noticed the three strange men clad in white robes.
"Ah good! Just in time," remarked Emeritus. "You'll be coming back with us, Andrew," he announced.
Prue felt herself grow angry. "Like hell!" she declared, protectively stepping in front of him and using herself as a shield between her husband and the three men threatening to tear her life apart.
"Prue, don't!" Andy tried to warn, grabbing for her arm but she unconsciously shoved him away from her as she addressed the Elders standing in front of them.
"What more do you want? I already said that I'd stay and help so why can't you just leave us alone?" she demanded to know. Quickly, Prue had figured out these men to be the Elders that Piper had told her about earlier. The same ones she had apparently struck a deal with to keep she and her sisters alive, all-in exchange for her non-magical life.
"This isn't personal, Prudence!" declared Emeritus. "It's about keeping the grand design in balance."
"Are you, like, serious right now?" Paige jumped in for Prue. "Of course, it's personal for her. You're threatening to take away her husband. And Molly's father. Do you really expect her to just be okay with that?" she exclaimed in disbelief.
Piper snorted. She couldn't contain it. "Really, the grand design? That's a joke, right? Now where have I heard that nonsense spewed before? Oh, yeah. When you took Leo from ME!" she mocked. "Sorry, but we're not buying that load of crap this time!" she declared with determination.
"That was different!" defended one of the Elders.
"Yeah, well, excuse us," Phoebe shot back, "but where the hell was your concern for the grand design five years ago? You completely meddled with it back then." She felt pissed.
"Let me guess? It was different?" Paige mocked.
"We did no such thing!" one of the Elders firmly denied.
"Are you kidding? You can honestly stand there and look us in the eyes and say that with a straight face," Phoebe laughed, but not because she found this exchange funny. "You took our sister away to prevent The Ultimate Power. How is that not interfering with this grand design you people are always going on about? You promised Prue a new life and then resurrected her husband," she waved towards her sister and family. "And now you have the audacity to show up here and use the grand design to excuse what you're about to do?" she passionately argued. "I don't think so."
"Sounds about right to me," Piper backed her sister up.
Prue listened. She was grateful that the women she discovered to be her sisters stood up with her against these men; however, some of their admissions concerned her. What did Phoebe mean by a resurrection? She made it sound as if her husband had already been dead before they had been given their new lives and the Elders must have been reading her thoughts because it was that very concern they addressed next.
"Andrew was dead long before you agreed to your former arrangement, Prue," supplied Emeritus. "Destiny already decided his fate and his rightful place is in the afterlife. We are only correcting that mistake and bringing order back to the universe in doing so," he boldly affirmed.
Denial started to set deeply into the core of her being and she tried very hard to suppress the sudden urge to cry but felt her eyes tear up anyway.
Andy closed his eyes. "Prue?" he tried to reach her.
"You're lying!" Prue accused.
"No, we are not!" declared another Elder to back Emeritus up. "The veil that once shielded your memory has already been lifted. Your memories should begin to break through the barrier and resurface in the days to come. And then you will remember the truth."
"What that's it?" Phoebe mocked. "No more magical dust, no magical wand to wave them back?" she finished with a quick roll of her eyes.
"No, the memory shield has been lifted from our end," an Elder verified.
"Gee, thanks," Piper remarked with heavy sarcasm.
Emeritus shot his attention to Piper. "And we are sorry your sister didn't take the liberty to share that particular news about Andrew with you," he offered while staring her down. Then his attention fell back on Prue.
Prue caught Piper glancing at her.
Piper closed her eyes and sighed. She hadn't kept that piece of information a secret to be spiteful, she had just secretly hoped that Andy wouldn't become an issue. However, looking back at their history, she decided she probably should have known better. "You people are unbelievable," she scolded the Elders.
Prue jumped back in. "Look, I still don't care. Whether it's true or not, you're not taking him. We need him here!"
"The Cleaners have already handled the situation. We corrected the problem and as far as the outside world is concerned, you relocated five years ago and got married, Prudence," began Emeritus. "You never died and when your husband recently lost his life in the line of duty, you were widowed and decided to move back home with your daughter."
"What?" Prue declared in disbelief. How could they just go and do that?
"Well, would you look at that," Phoebe shared a look with Paige and then shook her head at the Elders. "So much for too much time passing being an issue when it comes to what the Cleaners can actually fix, huh?" she accused. "Hey, by the way, I never asked before but where the hell were they when we got exposed and Prue died?" She raised her fingers to demonstrate quotations when talking about the fake death.
"I'd actually like the answer to that myself," Piper added. "It would have solved a lot of problems."
"We certainly could have kept Tempus and the Source out of it," Leo interjected. "That's for sure."
"I guess when it's convenient for them," Paige narrowed her eyes, in agreement with her sisters. "Right fellas?" she addressed the Elders snidely. She remembered that time excuse being given when she had asked the Elders for the Cleaners help after faking their deaths.
"Enough!" Emeritus declared. "We are not under interrogation and none of this changes what has already been done. Andy is coming with us."
"Wait!" Paige interrupted. "Does this mean that Molly is at least safe? From the system, I mean?" she added for clarification.
Prue and Andy looked at Paige, then back to the Elders.
"All of that history has been erased and replaced by the new one," confirmed Emeritus. "As of now, the child was never in the social service system," he concluded.
"Thank god," Paige closed her eyes and sighed in relief. As bad as things were, at least that was one problem off their backs, but turning to look at her sister revealed she looked on the verge of breaking down.
Prue took a deep breath. She appeared to be staying strong on the surface but the look in her eyes told a different story.
Paige felt bad.
Andy stood silently listening to the debate passing back and forth. Sometime during that period, the floodgates had completely opened, and it all had come rushing back. He held onto his daughter tightly, closing his eyes, as it began to sink in that this would probably be the last time he saw her, let alone, got the chance to hold her. The sad realization hit that he wouldn't be there to see her grow up. He remembered. He could remember that fateful day like it was yesterday. He entered this very house only to encounter his end. His only concerns had been for Prue's safety when he had rushed through that door and the last thing he remembered was being thrown through the air before everything went completely black. The three men before them had been telling the truth when they had said he didn't belong here anymore. However, he couldn't bring himself to tell Prue what it was he intended to do. He would go with the Elders and leave without putting up a fight because in the end at least he knew Molly was safe again and Prue needed to reconnect with her sisters. It was vital to her, their daughter, and everyone else that it be done but with him here; he would only serve as a distraction.
Prue crossed her arms. "Great. So, I don't even have a home to go back to now? Thanks a lot!" she mocked before turning around to face her husband.
"This is your home, Prudence!" declared Emeritus. "And we would appreciate Andrew's cooperation on this matter," he added.
"Well, that's one thing you won't be getting!" Prue declared back. "Because we're leaving!" she announced. "C'mon," she addressed Andy, pulling on his shirt sleeve, an indication that she wanted him to follow her.
Only he didn't move.
"Prue, you don't have anywhere else to go," Leo argued logically. "We'll find another way!"
Prue looked to him and then to her husband, who still wouldn't budge out of place. Her eyes were pleading with his until she finally spoke up.
"Andy, aren't you coming?" she asked him.
"No, Prue," he slowly shook his head. He couldn't stop his eyes from watering. "Here, take her!" his voice cracked with emotion as he handed Molly back over to her.
"What are you doing?" Prue demanded as Molly was thrust into her arms.
Suddenly, it dawned on her that calling him by that name seemed natural but, more importantly, she realized what he intended to do. He was going to let them take him and she wasn't about to allow that to happen. "Andy, no!" she pleaded.
As she shook her head refusing to accept his decision, Andy brought his hand up behind her head and pulled her in for a long kiss on the lips.
The others looked away until they slowly broke apart.
"I have to. I love you and just remember what I told you before," Andy insisted. Then he kissed the top of Molly's head. "I love you baby, be good," he whispered to his daughter.
"But I don't want you to go, daddy," came the little girl's plea.
It was an emotional scene and Leo shot dagger eyes in the Elders direction while Phoebe shook her head and closed her eyes. She began pacing the length of the living room floor, desperately trying to think of a solution, any solution. Paige stood there with her arms crossed, looking between her entire family and the men threatening to tear it apart.
Piper opted to speak out. She had enough and didn't like the idea of Andy just giving in. He deserved to be with his family just as much as Leo did. "Andy, you don't have to do this!" she exclaimed. "You can stay. We'll make sure we find a way to keep you safe. There's spells and potions and who knows what else," she offered before Emeritus interrupted her.
Prue looked between Piper and her husband. She was silently begging him to take the offer with her eyes.
"If you insist on making it more difficult for yourselves so be it!" the Elder announced sternly. "However, let me stress that this time there will be no way to outmaneuver the Angel of Death?" He made it a point to look directly at Piper when he made his last declaration, a comment referencing their prior arrangement involving Leo.
"Thanks, Piper, but I really think it's better for everyone if I just leave right now," Andy announced, refusing to look his wife in the eyes.
He knew his decision was going to make her angry, but he would rather leave, and they be safe than for him to stay behind and they all die because she couldn't come to terms with her past and what she needed to do. So, Andy slowly approached the Elders as Prue latched onto his sleeve refusing to let go until finally, she had no choice. She dropped her head against her daughter's and silently began sobbing. He knew he couldn't turn back and look otherwise he might lose the courage to do this.
"We'll find a way to make this right," Leo told Andy, while the other man made his way to stand by the Elders. He was determined to make sure they found a way to give Andy his life back.
Andy gave a small smile in return, a smile meant to display his appreciation for the offer but one also expressing that he wasn't counting on it happening.
"Don't do this!" came Prue's angry plea.
Andy turned to the Elders. "Let's do this and get it over with!" he exclaimed. Then he turned to look at his wife one last time and caught some of the fallen tears behind the angry mask. He mouthed one last I love you before finally fading away into an array of white orbs, leaving everyone else in the room looking on.
Prue stood completely still, unable to move. A look of shock registered on her face as she stared at the spot once occupied by her husband, a spot now empty.
Molly's arms were wrapped securely around her mother's neck, while searching the room with her eyes for her father but finding no sign of him anywhere. "Will he come back?" she asked out loud.
No one could bring themselves to answer her question. Suddenly, Prue broke down and the sobbing could be heard by everyone in the room. Gently, she put Molly back down and immediately went over to the couch to sit. She was having a panic attack.
Phoebe and Paige looked at each other before approaching her.
Molly stood there confused.
"Honey, I am so sorry," Phoebe sat to one side of her and reached over to pull her sister into an embrace. Prue didn't really fight against it, instead she leaned into it and continued to sob. Paige sat on the opposite side and rubbed her back then looked to Piper.
Molly's lips began to tremble.
Piper sighed, shaking her head. What a way to end the day. She went over to Molly and picked her up, giving her some comfort before walking over to the small huddle. "Come on, sweetie," she lifted her up. "You're okay; Mommy will be fine," she tried to reassure her.
She hoped.
Piper still had issues to work through with her sister but stopped in front of Prue to offer some show of support. She reached out for her hand and gave a comforting squeeze.
Prue brought her head down to rest on Phoebe's shoulder.
She was numb.
It was the start of a new beginning, whether she wanted it or not.
To Be Continued: Sorry to leave you on a cliffhanger like that but I'll guarantee insurance to any Prue/Andy fans that Andy will be back and with a little help from Leo.
Oh, and for anybody who was confused about JD, he's the guy that appeared in the season 8 episode, The Last Picture Show. He's the guy that Billie was looking after, one of Sam's charges who disappeared in 1955. Just thought I'd clear that up. I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and I should be back by August. Until then, happy reading.