Author's Note: Sorry for the late update. I actually planned to have this chapter posted a couple days ago but on top of everything else going on, I came down with bronchitis. So being sick this week delayed finishing it. But I really hope you enjoy this next chapter so without further ado: read on, lol.
And of course, thanks again, to my faithful reviewers: IDontBreakHeartsJustBones, 1treehillcharmed and Queen of Gabb 488.
IDontBreakHeartsJustBones: I'm happy you liked the Phoebe/Billie interaction. For some reason, I always thought they related to each other best on the show. So I try to live up to that perception in my writing.
1treehillcharmed: lol, yeah, I was trying hard not to make the Prue/Sam connection too obvious. I thought that I might of given it away during the flashback where Patty dies. But I'm glad it came as a surprise for you.
Queen of Gabb: lol, wow. That bad? I think we'll dedicate this chapter to you then.
Chapter 20: Halliwell Family Secrets Pt. 2
Prue and Victor pulled apart. The rest of the room was left in anticipation. Nobody was quite sure which way this would go.
Prue, stepping back, gave him a quick smile. "Hey," she hesitated, then acknowledged him. "Dad."
Victor couldn't help it; he kept staring. "So," he sighed, finally getting it out but not quite sure what to say. It had been so long; it felt like he was looking at a ghost. "How are you?" his voice broke, gazing upon his daughter. Such an insignificant thing to ask, he thought, as if she hadn't been gone for five years and presumed dead by the rest of them.
"Good," Prue answered in a distracted manner, putting her daughter back down. "Yeah, good," she nodded, looking back at Victor, but then quickly averting her gaze. She didn't know what else to say to him.
Sitting on the couch, Piper exchanged an uncomfortable look with Phoebe.
Prue noticed everyone else was just staring. Clearing her throat, she shifted. She was becoming uneasy under all the scrutiny.
"Hey, Dad," Piper threw on her best smile, trying to break the moment up. "Sure you don't want something to eat or anything? Sandwiches for everyone, I'm making," she stood up. "You can come join me in the kitchen."
"I'm good, Piper," Victor threw up a hand, declining the offer. "Really."
"Or not," Piper slipped through her teeth, slowly sitting back down. A part of her had been secretly hoping Prue might stay away longer.
"Oka-yyy," Phoebe drew out, ready to take a different approach. "So much for food breakers then, huh," she cracked in regard to breaking the ice for everyone. "Darryl," she jumped up, plastering on a smile. "Come, take a seat," she invited, waving him over.
Darryl, standing behind Prue and Victor, went to move around them. "Sure, excuse me," he accepted, straightening his tie. "Thanks," he nodded at Phoebe, while sitting down.
Phoebe smiled back.
"Come play over here," Molly tugged on Prue's hand, taking the opportunity to drag her mother along with her. Prue was led to an area on the floor where the kids had been playing.
Prue knelt down beside her daughter, next to where the boys still were.
An awkward silence took up space between everyone.
"So," Darryl, attempting to break the ice first this time around, rubbed his hands together. "How's business been Victor?" he asked, trying to get a conversation flowing. The silence was too stifling even for him.
Victor, now sitting across from Piper, turned to the police Captain. "Slow," came his one-worded response.
Everyone waited for more but nothing else came.
Darryl nodded. "Okay," he muttered. The former inspector knew it had been some time since he had stepped foot in the Manor or had any engagement with the sisters, but it hadn't been that long. He considered high tailing it out of there before the energy in the room suffocated him.
Phoebe, picking up on Darryl's failed attempt to lighten up the mood and get people talking, decided to give it another try. "I think I need some coffee," she got up from the armchair of the loveseat. "Badly. Anybody else?" her gaze passing to each face in the room. "We've got tea too."
Prue spoke up. "Yeah, I'll have some. Just make sure ..." she began.
"It's leaded," both Piper and Phoebe finished for her.
"Yeah, we know," Phoebe laughed.
Prue bit down against her lip, contemplating how it was still strange that they knew things about her even she couldn't fully remember yet. "Great."
"Dad, Darryl?" Phoebe looked at the men.
"Yeah, sure, honey," Victor gave in. "A cup of coffee would be great," he smiled at her.
"None for me, thanks," Darryl declined the offer. "In fact, I really ought to be going," he said, getting up. "I have an early flight tomorrow morning. I just came by to see how things were and to make sure Prue was okay," he nodded over at her.
Piper got back up again. "It's been great to see you again, Darryl," she told him. "Sorry it couldn't be under better circumstances."
"Yeah, no kidding," he agreed. "Not really anything new around here though, is it?"
"Nope," Phoebe answered quickly. "Really sorry, Darryl," she apologized. "We never meant to get you involved in any of this again."
"Phoebe, forget it," Darryl shook his head. "I'm over all that. I know what I know. But you can just imagine how odd it is remembering things the rest of the world seems to have forgotten. Now I have to go back home and play it off."
"And don't I know it," Victor nodded, empathizing with the other man's plight. He was well of aware of the effects and consequences the magical community presented to mortals closely tied with it. After all, he had been married to a witch once, enduring his fair share of trials and tribulations in the union.
"I just hope everything works out here for you guys," Darryl offered. "I really do."
"Thank you," Phoebe accepted. "We do too."
Darryl turned to Prue. "And my offer always stands," he reminded her. "Keep in touch."
Prue smiled back, appreciative of the support. "I will," she nodded. "Thanks for everything, Darryl. Have a safe trip back."
Darryl nodded at her. "Stay safe," he told Prue. "You too, kiddo," he pointed at her daughter.
"Bye!" Molly flashed a big smile, waving, and then returned her attention to playing with her teacup set. It had been a gift from Phoebe.
Piper and Phoebe followed to see Darryl out.
Darryl delivered his parting sentiments to the two sisters. "You know, just one last thing," he turned around to look at them at the front door. "For crying out loud, next time can somebody at least remember to pick up the phone around here?!" he cracked. "And return messages." He was only partially kidding. Darryl couldn't help but wonder that if the sisters had answered or responded back to his urgent calls, they might have been able to avoid Prue's kidnapping. And maybe, just maybe, Andy would still be around too.
"I swear, if we had gotten any messages we would have gotten back to you," Phoebe insisted.
"Yeah, there weren't any messages, Darryl," Piper confirmed. "Then again, if someone really wanted to get to Prue that badly and make sure nobody was there to stop it," she concluded, thinking about the Triad.
Darryl put up his hand. "Yeah, I think I get it. No further explanations needed."
"Same 'ole same 'ole," Phoebe sighed. "But don't worry. It's not something you need to be concerned with anymore. Go," she smiled. "Go enjoy the life you deserve to have. With your family. Your career. Your friends."
Darryl considered her words. "Hey, you guys will always be family. That hasn't changed."
Piper smiled, appreciating the sentiment. "Thanks, Darryl."
"Yeah," he sighed, "and like I said, good luck. Sounds like you're going to need it!" Darryl reached for the knob and opened the door. "Give Paige my best," he asked, before exiting the Manor.
"We will," Piper nodded.
"Bye, Darryl," Phoebe smiled, closing the door. She turned back around face to face with Piper who was standing behind her. Walking past her, she headed in the direction of the kitchen. "Better get that coffee."
"I'll help you with that," Piper turned to trail behind her.
X
Paige orbed back into the attic of the Manor, quietly and undetected.
A million questions were racing through her mind, and she reached the conclusion there was only one other person who could help her with the answers. On second thought, she reconsidered it. Make that two people. Grams didn't strike Paige as the type to be kept in the dark about anything, especially when it came to her granddaughters.
After closing the attic door so she wouldn't alert anyone to her presence and be disturbed, she locked it. She needed to do this alone. At least for now. Her next step was to gather some candles that were on the table and position them on the floor to form a circle. Since her father had decided to err on the side of caution by being vague, and not as forthcoming as Paige would have liked, this was her last resort option to probe further. Paige wanted the truth but there was also no point in riling everyone else up without knowing anything for sure.
The Book of Shadows was opened to the page with the summoning spell. Paige took a moment, released a quick breath, and prepared to read. "Here goes nothing," she remarked. She mused how this particular spell seemed to be getting a lot of use as of late. "Hear these words, hear my cry; Spirit from the other side; Come to me, I summon thee; Cross now the great Divide."
A flurry of white orbs began to materialize.
Paige felt the butterflies in her stomach intensify and before she knew it, the form of Patty Halliwell was standing before her. The two women locked stares.
"Paige!" Patty smiled, happy to see her daughter. Quickly, her transparent form materialized into a corporeal one and she stepped out of the circle intent on embracing Paige.
Paige smiled, walking forward to accept it. "Mom." They closed their eyes as they hugged.
Pulling back, Patty observed their surroundings to see they were alone. "Is it just us? Your sisters didn't want to be here," she inquired. "Not that I'm disappointed it's just you," she threw up her hands, reassuring her youngest daughter.
Paige laughed, "No, it's ok." She wasn't offended at all. "It's just me because this was something I needed to do," she explained in somewhat of a solemn manner.
Patty detected the change. "Paige, is something the matter?" she reached out for her daughter's hands and held them within her own.
"Eh," Paige was feeling a bit stupid now. What if she was completely off the mark? "Kind' a," she squinted her eyes. "But I don't really know where to begin."
Patty took a closer look at her daughter. Paige would always be her baby even if her daughter didn't see it that way. After all, she deeply regretted having to give her away when she hadn't really wanted to. In spite of the fact that she was grateful her daughter had been blessed with two wonderful parents and a good life, Patty still felt the guilt of having to walk away without her daughter even knowing the full truth behind it. She felt bad that she had been forced to keep her youngest daughter separated from her sisters while growing up. It tore at her heart, felt like abandonment, on that fateful day she and Sam brought Paige to the church and to Sister Agnus. However, it had been necessary, and she and Sam had been over and over it. It was for Paige's own good. Knowing that didn't lessen the heartache that had come with it, though.
"Mom?" Paige pressed, when she didn't get a response back right away.
Upon observing her daughter carefully, Patty caught the questioning look in Paige's eyes. She nodded in acceptance. "Here, why don't we go sit down and start from there," she suggested in a soft motherly fashion, taking her daughter by one hand in an attempt to lead them over to the couch. "I take it this isn't just a social call. You summoned me for something important," she concluded, as both women sat down. "I know that you and I have never had any real time to talk alone. Our meetings together have been brief or accompanied by some crisis," she smirked slightly.
"Yeah, tell me about it," Paige smirked back before turning serious again. "And it's not that I don't appreciate the bonding sentiment and all, but this is actually kind of serious," she treaded gently.
"Okay," Patty nodded, "I'm listening."
Paige nodded in return. Now that she had her mother's full attention, she found she was having trouble finding the words.
"Paige?"
"Okay," Paige breathed out, closing her eyes. "First off, let me just stress that I am in no way trying to judge you, or the past, or on anything that may or may not have happened for that matter," she reopened her eyes, looking Patty straight in hers. "But I really need for you to be honest with me right now. It's important because I'm pretty sure someone's life depends on. Maybe even more than one," she thought about Billie or Molly.
"What is it?" Patty asked, concern laced in her voice. "Are you or your sisters in some kind of trouble?"
"Um, when are we not?" Paige attempted to joke.
Patty tilted her head, trying to understand where Paige was taking this discussion.
"No, but that's not it," Paige denied. "One sister might potentially be in some serious trouble though if we don't get the truth."
Patty held a puzzled expression. "Paige, I don't think I'm understanding ... " she began, shaking her head, before her daughter cut in.
"Prue!" Paige finally blurted. "It's about Prue, mom."
Patty felt herself tense. "Prue," she repeated her eldest daughter's name, remaining calm. "What about her?" She considered where the conversation was most likely going. Had they found out about Prue? Suddenly, the guilt hit at her part in keeping the secret all those years back.
"Is it true?" Paige threw out.
Mother and daughter sat in an uncomfortable silence together.
X
Phoebe turned around with the coffee pot in hand ready to pour. Piper finished placing the cups on top of the counter as her sister began to fill them one by one.
"Piper, I think it was a little too soon for Dad to come, don't ya' think?" Phoebe voiced her opinion.
"Maybe, but what was I supposed to do?" Piper defended. "When I picked up the kids, he insisted. I couldn't very well tell him no. Besides, you're the one who told him," she laughed, reminding her sister. "Whatever issues he and Prue may still have; they'll have to work it out," she waved it off.
"Hmm," Phoebe squinted. "Don't you really mean whatever issues you may still have with Prue?"
"The point," Piper stressed, avoiding Phoebe's keen observations stemming from her empathic abilities, "we're not keeping anyone in this family in the dark anymore. There's been too much of that already and look how much has come back to bite us in the ass because of it."
"True but we've also gained a lot too," Phoebe tried seeing the upside.
"Splitting hairs," Piper countered, "give me that tray," she reached for the coffee ready to be served. "Walk, walk!" she nudged, instructing Phoebe to go in front of her.
"Okay, fine," Phoebe relented, moving to leave the kitchen. "But you can't deny that no matter how it happened, we have our sister back," she turned slightly, pointing at Piper. "And we need to start working with her so she can play catch up to the rest of us."
"Yeah, I got that," Piper sighed, keeping her focus on balancing the tray.
"She's been away from the whole witch thing for a while," Phoebe droned on.
"Obviously, Phoebe," Piper nodded, " but could we ... " She tried to interject but got cut off.
"Right now, using her powers is probably rusty at best."
"Okay, well, mine sure aren't," Piper retorted, hoping her sister would let up. "Would you like a demonstration?" she sniped, coming to a stop and placing the tray down on the dining room table.
"We need to pull together so we can finally defeat the Triad."
"Phoebe!"
"There are updated spells, updated information about demons, new potions," Phoebe continued rattling off.
"Hey, talking lady. Give it a rest already!" Piper yelled.
"What?" Phoebe finally stopped, turning around.
"You heard me, don't make me blow you up in front of Prue," she threatened in a joking manner, lowering her voice.
"Okay, Piper, no need for the magical scolding, alright, I was just saying," Phoebe laughed nervously, then her face turned serious again.
"And I'm just saying, you're rambling," Piper told her, laughing. "A lot," she stressed. "Isn't that supposed to be Paige's contribution to the family neurosis?" she cracked.
"Hey, give me a break, I've got a lot on my mind, okay," Phoebe countered playfully.
"And don't we all," Piper nodded at her. "Look. I agree with everything you're saying but what I was going to say is can we maybe just try to get through this first."
"Oh. Right," Phoebe glanced over her shoulder. "Family feud Halliwell Edition."
"Not if we can get this caffeine into people and then back out the door," Piper proposed regarding their father.
"Carry on," she waved Piper in front of her this time.
Piper picked up the tray and Phoebe followed.
X
Patty took a deep breath, gathering up whatever courage she had. "Paige," she began. "Do you and your sisters know the truth about Prue?" she finally asked.
Paige stayed silent, reconsidering once again if she was maybe reading into things.
Patty observed her daughter carefully. "You found out she's still alive," she added. "That's what this is all about."
"Actually," Paige gathered her bearings, "Prue's back with us," she revealed. Nodding, she added, "So, yeah, we know she was never really dead."
Patty nodded in return.
"And before we get into all the rest, yes, we know about the deal she made with the Elders, yes, we know it was over the Ultimate Power, and yes," Paige sighed, "we know you and Grams both went along with it."
Patty cast her eyes downward. "Right."
"Piper was actually the first to find out the truth," Paige shared next.
The mood turned a bit somber.
Patty closed her eyes. She knew how hard Prue's death had been on Piper all those years back. Piper had struggled to fill her older sister's shoes and to move on with the Charmed destiny. She thought back briefly to when they were children. When Prue and Piper were small, they had their moments of sibling rivalry reaching a peak, however, Patty also knew how much Piper had looked up to Prue and tried to follow in her footsteps. Piper had wanted to share the same toys, wanted the same clothes, and she even wanted to follow her big sister to school. Patty remembered how heartbroken the three-year old had been when she sat her down to explain that she would have to wait for her turn.
"How is she taking it?" Patty managed to ask. Although she really didn't need any confirmation.
"Well, honestly, not that well," Paige admitted to her mother. "She's angry but kind of ..." she searched for the right words.
"Lost," Patty filled in the blank for her.
Smiling sadly, Paige agreed. "Yeah. I'd say lost is a good word."
It would make sense. When they were kids, Piper felt uprooted when Phoebe had come along. She was once the baby who then transitioned into the middle child. For years, Piper felt overshadowed and had perfected her role as the peacemaker, the mediator for her oldest and youngest sister's quarrels. Patty understood how dependent both sisters had been on Prue while growing up in their mother's absence and during their years together as the Charmed Ones. Then, after Prue left, Piper had been thrust into the role of eldest sister. Now, Prue was back to uproot her all over again.
"To be honest, I tended to worry the most about Piper," Patty confessed to her youngest daughter. "Getting past it."
"I can see why," Paige laughed to make light of it but was also opening up and sharing her own vulnerability. "I don't think she was too thrilled to see me in the beginning after I first showed up on the scene." Shrugging, she stated the obvious. "She didn't want to replace Prue."
"Paige," Patty sympathized with her.
Paige waved it off. "We got through it. And on the bright side, I think she is coming around a little. It's a big improvement compared to like a week ago."
"Yet she didn't want to be here for this discussion," Patty questioned. "And neither did Phoebe."
"Uh, yeah, that," Paige cast her eyes to the side. "They don't know I'm doing this," she explained. "Like I told you, this was something I needed to do for myself and see, there's a lot that's been going on around here."
"What do you mean?" Patty inquired.
"Well, a lot," Paige stressed, "but the first thing I want to talk about is Prue," she brought the conversation back to where she wanted it to go. "I went to see Sam today before I came back here to summon you. And there's something that's kind of bothering me and it's not going to quit bugging me until i just come out and ask." Paige paused, considering how to best say what was on her mind. "Prue got shot by a darklighter's arrow. She could have died, and I need to know why that is. Witches aren't supposed to be affected by the poison like that and when I asked dad about it, I got this very funny vibe. Now I think I may know why but I really need you to confirm it for me. Please?" she pressed.
Patty felt herself involuntarily tighten up.
"Mom," Paige pressed some more.
"She got shot," Patty brought her hand up to her chest at the mention of Prue almost being killed. That was not what she had intended when she agreed to go along with the Elders plan of giving Prue a magic free life. At the time, it had felt like the only option available to keep all four of her girls alive. After all, it wasn't fair that they should have to pay for her mistakes. However, that didn't appear to be the case any longer. They weren't safe and were enduring the consequences of a past finally catching up to them.
Paige sighed. "Yes, but she's okay now, promise. And it's not just about her. Prue brought a daughter back with her. And there's Billie too," she added on.
"A daughter," Patty smiled, "and who's Billie?" that part confused her.
"Another daughter," Paige revealed. "Prue's also pregnant right now and the baby had the same reaction to the poison. So, the point I'm getting at here, it's not just Prue's life on the line."
"I'm really sorry to hear all that," Patty offered. "If there's anything I'm coming to learn, it's that secrets have a tendency to backfire somehow or someway," she sighed.
"Yeah, and they've been backfiring quite a bit," Paige snorted. "We didn't even know Molly existed before the Underworld got its hands on her and Grams apparently thought it was a good idea to give Prue a memory wipe and Billie 'a better life,'" she made air quotes with her fingers. "For all the good it did," she rolled her eyes. "Things didn't exactly turn out as planned, kind of like me," she tried joking but there was some hurt behind her words.
Patty felt bad. "Paige, that's not it," she refuted.
"Hey, I was sort of kidding," Paige was feeling a bit uncomfortable. "But it's kind of true, right, I mean, you can hardly say I was planned. And it's just that Billie and I share some eerie similarities. Both adopted, both of us had sisters we never got the chance to know, we both grew up as an only child, and we both had this magical destiny thing kind of shoved in our faces. Not to mention, our adoptive parents are gone. I was in my teens too when I lost mine, so, I can really kind of relate to what she's going through right now."
"Well, then I'm glad you've found and have each other," Patty nodded.
"Yeah, speaking of finding things," Paige steered it back to her question. "Despite the fact that our lives have virtually evolved into a living soap opera the past week or so, I really want to know the truth."
Patty saw the pleading look in her daughter's eyes.
"Is Prue," she stammered out slowly. "Like me?"
Patty sighed, closing her eyes. "Yes."
"Whoa," Paige shot up from her seat, a bit shocked her suspicions had been right. "So, does this mean that ..." she began pacing in light of the revelation.
"Yes, Paige. It means that Sam is Prue's father too," she confirmed.
"Wait," Paige stopped pacing, turning to face her mother. "I don't understand. Did the Elders know about her because if they did, how did ... " but she cut herself off when thinking about her own past. How were her birth parents able to keep Prue around with them but couldn't provide her with the same protection and opportunity? Why did she have to be given away? Suddenly, she felt some hurt begin to unravel from within the more she thought and re-evaluated the circumstances surrounding her birth.
Patty stood on her feet as well and approached her daughter slowly. She immediately sensed what her daughter had to be thinking. How could she have kept Prue but given her away? This revelation quite obviously meant that Prue was the first one to be born out of a forbidden union, yet she hadn't been hidden or kept a secret. "Oh, Paige," she sighed and closed her eyes briefly. She reached out and pulled her in for another hug. "I wish so much that I would have done things differently. Please know that," she pleaded with her youngest daughter.
"So then, the Elders did know about Prue?" Paige asked her mother again. "Why not me?" she inquired.
Patty pulled back, intent on offering her daughter reassurance that this truth in no way impacted how they had felt about her. "Paige," she grabbed ahold of her daughter's hands. "We did what we did to protect you! I need you to believe that because this was never about choosing Prue over you," she spoke with intensity. "I'm lucky I didn't lose Prue when I had her because we almost did and that's the only reason why I went along with faking Prue's death. I didn't want to lose either of you," she desperately tried explaining.
Paige felt torn. "Still," she countered. "You were able to keep her. How?"
Patty returned to the couch, sitting down, to continue recounting the story. "The Elders didn't find out about you until later on because I cast a protection spell over you before you were born. It continued to shield you even after your birth, but we had to make absolute certain that they couldn't find you. So, we did the only thing we could think to do. We left you with Sister Agnus and we trusted her to find you a good home. A home where you would be loved, allowed to live your life, and somewhere you'd be kept safe. "But," she paused. "Gideon eventually stumbled upon the truth and made it very clear that one of you would be taken out of the equation. He was very clear that the existence of a fourth sister violated the conditions set forth within the Charmed Prophecy."
"So, the Elders did know about me?" Paige was under the impression they had only found out about her after Prue died.
"Yes, some of them," Patty nodded. "Not all."
"Okay," Paige slowly approached the couch to sit by her mother again. She was listening intently to the story Patty was telling her. "But that still doesn't explain how you got to keep Prue but not me."
"Unfortunately, I didn't get the same chance with Prue because the Elders detected her before she was born," Patty reflected sadly. "I was wiser the second time around with you," she shared. "Much like Piper with Leo, we were warned about the consequences and where it would lead if our relationship progressed any further from what it already was, but we just didn't care," came the justification. "I loved him and we took that risk."
"Oh, so you were with Sam first. Before Victor?" Paige felt kind of stunned by that news.
"Your father and I had become close before Victor ever came into the picture, yes," Patty nodded to confirm it.
"So what happened?" Paige was intrigued.
"Then," Patty paused, "I became pregnant. With Prue. They found out and threatened to take her when she was born."
Paige flinched. "Take her? Take her where?"
Patty shrugged. "Her birth violated an essential clause that prohibited the union between whitelighters and their charges. Sam and I basically pled with them to reconsider but they refused. In the end, it wasn't until I renounced my witch status and Sam threatened to cut his wings that they gave in and allowed the exception to stand. At the time, I didn't understand why but essentially if I had given up being a witch, it would have prevented the Charmed Prophecy from coming to pass. So, an arrangement was reached."
"An arrangement? Let me guess," Paige didn't have to think long or hard. "You and dad were never supposed to see each other again. Am I right?"
Patty nodded, a sad expression covering her face. "Which we reluctantly agreed to. Sam and I were to part ways and told never to have contact again. I would be assigned a new Whitelighter and any Whitelighter abilities Prue stood to inherit, would be stripped away for good," she finished.
"Were they?" Paige asked. "Molly has them but Billie doesn't. How, if Prue was blocked from ever becoming a Whitelighter," she hoped to get some more clarification on that.
Patty shook her head. "The stripping never needed to take place because Prue never developed any whitelighter powers," she explained. "She only took on the first power from the Charmed Prophecy."
"Telekinesis," Paige acknowledged.
Patty felt conflicted. Why hadn't the Elders let her know about Prue's return? Why did they allow her to be reunited with her sisters? Not to mention, they had promised that Prue's new life would be safe. That the Underworld would be unable to find her. However, now, she was hearing about a granddaughter she had never known about being kidnapped by demons. How had they let this happen? Suddenly, she found herself wishing she had taken a different course of action. Perhaps telling the truth from the beginning would have been better for everyone in the long run. Sure, it would have been shocking and hurtful to those kept in the dark but maybe all of this could have been avoided. At least the Elders never would have been able to use the truth as a bargaining chip. Or, at the very least, that despicable Gideon. He clearly had been the ringleader.
Please forgive me, Patty pled out into the universe.
"Prue only developed as a witch," Patty elaborated. "Although any magic or magical destiny can skip generations so of course it's possible for Prue's children to have whitelighter capabilities."
Paige shook her head. "But Prue can still have a reaction to the poison ..." she trailed off.
"It's still in the blood, Paige," Patty quickly acknowledged it. "Active powers or not. Prue and her children can be vulnerable, so they should be careful when coming into contact with any darklighters. So please be very careful. I don't want anything to happen to any of you."
Paige smirked. "Ah, biology was never my thing," she joked, waving her hand. "Then again, neither was home ec," she shrugged. "I can't really bake, just so you know. Interestingly enough, I did find my inner artist later on though."
Patty and Paige shared a laugh.
Then it got quiet again.
"Paige, what is it?" Patty asked, reading her daughter's expression.
Paige felt nervous. "Nothing, but it's just, how am I supposed to break the news about this?" she asked, in reference to Prue, Piper and Phoebe. "So much has happened recently, and all these secrets have been taking their toll on everyone, especially Piper. I don't want to hurt any of them with the truth, but we can't keep secrets."
Where were they all supposed to go from here. Keeping the pregnancy news to herself was one thing because Prue would eventually find out herself if she didn't know already. However, this was different, she and Prue barely knew each other. She couldn't break a secret this big. What would she even say, hey, guess what, you and I are closer than anyone could have imagined. Welcome to the Whitelighter-Witch club, pull up a chair and take an orb with me? Not to mention, the impact this revelation would have on Piper and Phoebe. It felt rather ironic that for such a long time she envied Prue for sharing something with their other two sisters that she never could. But now, she actually shared something with Prue that Piper and Phoebe never would, which was both parents and two magical lines. A comforting feeling began to settle over her because suddenly she didn't feel so alone anymore. She loved Piper and Phoebe but sometimes they just couldn't relate to her dilemma when it came to being both a whitelighter and a witch. Now, with one of her sisters being like her, maybe some of the pressure would lighten up but there was still the issue of how her sisters would take the news. Would Prue accept it? After all, she herself had rejected it for a while. Then, there was Piper and Phoebe. Would they resent her because of the truth?
"You don't," Patty answered quickly, with a shake of her head. "I do," she firmly concluded. "Sam and I will do it together. This isn't your burden to carry, Paige, or your secret to tell. We created the consequences that set everything spiraling out of control so it's about time you girls stopped paying the price for it. I'll go and see your father, but I do have to go because I've been away longer than I should have," she concluded, standing back up. Paige stood up with her and Patty quickly reached out to hug her daughter one last time.
"I love you," Patty muttered. "Be safe."
Paige watched as her mother stepped back inside the circle and transformed into spirit form. She smiled at her daughter and waited as white orbs engulfed her, taking her back into the afterlife.
X
Billie lay sprawled out on her bed in the dorm, staring at the ceiling.
In her hand, she held onto a small plastic stress ball. Every now and again, she would throw it up against the ceiling. "One," she caught it as it came back down. "Two," she repeated the pattern. "Three ..."
"Okay, enough!" her roommate interrupted, swatting against her leg.
Billie swung her legs over the side of the bed, sitting upright. "You know, these things actually kind of work," she nodded with approval, squashing the ball in her hand. "See?" she smiled, looking over at Jasmine.
Jasmine lifted her brows.
"What?" Billie shook her head at her.
"Uh," her roommate laughed, face contorting. "What gives?"
"What do you mean?" Billie asked.
"I mean, you've been practically moping since you got back," Jasmine pulled out a chair from her desk and sat down.
"No, I haven't!" Billie denied outright.
Jasmine's eyes went wide.
"I mean, yes I have," Billie corrected, giving in. "Kind of," she settled on.
Jasmine shook her head. "Billie, are you like depressed or something?"
"I don't know," she cracked, making a face. "Get back to me by the end of next week." She grabbed for her pillow and threw her face into it.
Jasmine got up from her chair. "Why, what was wrong with this week?"
Lifting her head, Billie didn't say anything. She threw the pillow back against the headboard.
"Were your other living arrangements that bad," Jasmine grinned, nodding in the direction of Billie's two unpacked boxes.
"Oh! That," Billie rolled her eyes. "Trial run, and it didn't quite work out," she rushed out an explanation. "So slight change of plans. Looks like I'll be spending the rest of the school term here in the dorm after all. Hope you don't mind."
"Hey, it's your room too," Jasmine shrugged, moving to grab for a book and her backpack hanging on the bedpost. "Why should I mind?"
Billie got up from the bed. "Oh, well, in that case, I moved some of your stuff from my half of the closet a few hours ago and put it top shelf," she smiled, clapping her hands together. "And cute crop tops by the way," she nodded her approval.
Jasmine rolled her eyes, smirking. "Okay, Billie, I got a' go, but we can talk later," she threw her book in her bag. "Just wanted to make sure everything's cool, so, is it?" the bag was swung over her shoulder.
"Everything is cool, like beyond cool," Billie got dramatic. It was a lie.
Turning to the mirror one last time to check her appearance, Jasmine's smile got brighter. "Good," her tone turned conspiratorial, fixing some strands of hair back into place. "Alpha house party tonight at nine. You can come with," she invited.
"What, again?" Billie made a face. "No way, forget it," she threw up her hands. "I'm still having cringe flashbacks from the last one you dragged me to. I'll pass this time. Besides, there's nothing there but a bunch of horny keg guys who can barely hold their liquor and embarrass themselves trying to solicit every girl who walks through that front door into getting laid."
"And?" her roommate turned back around. "You look like you can use it."
Billie glared. "Gross." She walked over to her desk and pulled out one of the drawers. Inside were the pair of sunglasses and wig she had used to slay demons before meeting the sisters. A part of her felt like going undercover right now, again, to get some and let off some steam. While holding the wig in her hand, the dark hair suddenly reminded her of the very woman she was trying to forget. Forget that idea, Billie rolled her eyes. "Because the last thing I need, is to end up following in her footsteps," she spat, slamming the drawer shut.
"Huh?" Jasmine was confused.
"Nothing," Billie crossed her arms, turning around. "Forget it."
Jasmine could read how serious she was being. "Billie, you can chill, okay? I was only kidding. You don't have to go if you don't want to," she relented. "I get that you've been going through a rough time with your parents being gone and all, but it has been over six months. They would want you still have a life, ya know?" She stopped to process what she wanted to say next. "And I get it, I do. I lost my mom when I was barely fourteen," she shared.
A mask of sympathy fell over Billie's face. "Wow, Jasmine, I'm so sorry."
"It's okay," Jasmine shook her head, not looking to be pitied. "She got really sick and ... well, the rest is kind of a blur."
"Yeah, I can relate," was all Billie could say.
"Anyway," Jasmine tucked some hair behind her ear, "I just wanted to say that I actually had months to spend time with her and to prepare for the inevitable," she explained, "but it didn't make the loss any less painful or make it any easier to move on."
Billie nodded.
"There is no right time, or right way, to lose the people we love."
"Definitely not," Billie agreed. "It virtually sucks."
"I made a promise that I would live and let live," Jasmine shared her approach to life. "It was the best way to honor my mom's memory. So," she allowed a smile to return to her face. "My advice to you is the same. And, if you're really that worried about all those horny keg guys pawing at you, you can always take the new hot guy you've been sporting around campus," she sang.
Billie was taken off guard. "JD?"
"Ah," Jasmine nodded, 'the mystery man has a name. I'm sure he'd be more than willing to play white knight for the evening," she teased.
"Okay, whatever," Billie closed her eyes, "we're just friends."
Jasmine heard her words saying one thing but read her body language saying another. "Friends? Right," she laughed. "A couple girls from this dorm saw you two, ahem, kissing outside in front of the library a few days ago," she informed her. "It's been the hot topic of conversation over by the vending machines in the student lounge."
"Awesome," Billie closed her eyes, feeling a migraine coming on. "We are really just friends."
"Whatever you say,' Jasmine grinned, but it was clear to Billie she wasn't buying it.
"I need to lie down," Billie plopped back down on the bed, feeling complete exhaustion suddenly overtaking her.
"Well, I need to go, running late," Jasmine announced, heading for the door. "But if you change your mind, you know where to find me," she left the offer open.
"I won't change my mind," Billie muttered, closing her eyes and letting her head hit the pillow.
"Lights off?" her roommate asked before exiting.
Billie nodded, "Yes."
With the light switch flicked off and the sound of the door shutting, Billie tried to get more comfortable by turning on her side with her back facing to the door. She was bordering on the precipice of sleep. Night had fallen so darkness covered the entire layout of the room. About fifteen minutes had passed before a light draft could be felt and a slight creaking sound heard. Naturally, Billie assumed Jasmine had returned to torture her with one final attempt at getting her to go to that party. Only the creaking hadn't been the door.
"Jasmine, forget it," Billie mumbled. "I said I'm not going."
Then, seconds later, a gloved hand clasped itself tightly over her mouth cutting off most of her air supply. Billie's eyes bolted open in shock as she squirmed, moaned, and grabbed for the hand that was held firmly in place. His body weight put her at a disadvantage, immobilizing and preventing her from using her telekinesis to move him away.
"Hello there, witch," the voice sneered. "How about leading me to that boyfriend of yours?" Billie managed to turn her head around just enough to get a look at the man hovering above her. Then, he smirked. "What was that?" he mocked in response to her muffled sounds and squirming gestures. "Uh, yes. Well, actually, I couldn't agree more." He released an evil laugh. "Why don't we let him come to you."
Then, in a quick flurry of black, the darklighter orbed away with Billie.
X
Paige hustled down the stairs.
Patty had promised to break the news, but Paige was left feeling on edge. The more she gave it consideration, the more she thought it was better to at least prepare her sisters that something big was coming. Somehow, it didn't seem fair to let them be taken completely by surprise. Yet, at the same time, it also wasn't her fault that she had accidentally stumbled upon the truth on her own.
As she turned into the living room, she was momentarily startled to see Victor there. "Oh, company," she nodded, feeling a bit caught off guard. Instantly, she picked up on the uneasy energy already in the room. "Hey, I can come back later," she attempted backing out before being stopped.
"No, don't be silly," Piper objected. "Come," she waved her sister over. "Join us."
Letting out an uneasy laugh, Paige said, "That's okay, I really don't want to intrude or anything." Scanning the room, she caught sight of Prue keeping to herself, distracting herself with the children on the floor.
"Oh no, trust me, you're not," Piper flashed her a fake smile, clearly sending a message with her eyes.
"Paige, you don't have to go anywhere," Victor insisted. "You're practically family too."
Paige smiled, nodding slowly. "Well, that's sweet, but still, the four of you could probably use the time alone together," she tried getting out of it.
"Attempting a quick getaway, are we?" Phoebe joked, although she wasn't entirely joking.
Paige narrowed her eyes. "Not at all, but if you insist," she went to turn and leave.
"Wait, Paige," Phoebe called. "We can really use some of that special insight only you know how to provide," she delivered in a fake sugary tone of voice.
"Is that so," Paige made a face at her. Ugh. Clearly, her sisters were trying to fake their way through this and wanted her to endure this misery with them. "Fine," she rolled her eyes, relenting, and moving to take a seat between her two sisters. "Move it or lose it," she ordered, as the other two parted to make room for her.
"Thanks, we appreciate the distraction, I mean, the interaction," Phoebe quickly corrected her slip of the tongue. "Did I say distraction?" she laughed.
"Phoebe," Piper clenched her teeth, giving a slight head shake.
"Victor," Paige jumped in, "great to see you," she greeted as pleasantly as possible. Considering what she just found out though, this was bound to get pretty awkward. She also took note that Prue wasn't bothering to engage at all. Instead, she sat curled up on the chair, sipping on something.
"You too," he smiled.
It went dead quiet.
"Well, this has been quite a shock for everyone," Paige killed the silence, looking at all of them. "I know that I'm still adjusting." More of that to come too, she thought.
"Yes, very insightful," Piper mocked. "Got any more of that special insight."
Paige shot Piper a look, ready to retort, but Phoebe jumped in, laughing to cover it up. "Yep, definitely still adjusting. Need time," she stressed. "Lots and lots of time."
Phoebe was all for reconciliation, but this was getting to be too much even for her. Her power of empathy was going on the fritz. She could feel it all. Prue was closed off and had barely said a word, Piper still had her issues so there wasn't much conversation to be had between her and Prue, and Victor felt completely lost on what he was supposed to say or do. She loved her father but her first assessment had been correct. This reunion had come too soon. The last thing she wanted was to practically kick her father out the door, but they needed to end this charade.
"Right, and would you look at the time," Paige moved to stand up.
Rolling her eyes, Phoebe pointed over her shoulder. "And, uh, Paige. Didn't we have to go do that thing with the thing at ..."
"The thing," Paige cut in, finishing for her.
Phoebe and Paige nodded dramatically at each other.
"Exactly," Phoebe grinned.
Prue looked up for the first time.
Piper quickly got up from the couch. "And I have to go check on that, thing," she pointed to the ceiling, taking her own cue to break free from this impromptu visit. "Sorry, Dad."
"Yeah, maybe we can do this another time?" Phoebe suggested, looking between Victor and Prue.
Victor, catching on, smirked. "Right, sure. I have a thing," he stressed, "or two waiting for me back at the office. "Call me?" he gave his daughters a pointed look.
"Of course," Phoebe smiled, going over to Victor as he got up, giving him a hug. "Love you, daddy."
"Love you two, honey. Hopefully, the next time we meet up, things will have settled a bit," he looked over to Prue.
Getting up from the chair, Prue agreed with the consensus. "Sounds good to me," she nodded, eager to be done with this herself. "Actually, I'm feeling pretty beat, so I think I'll just head upstairs," she told them, but while moving to leave, a slight wave of dizziness overtook her. Immediately, she went to sit back down. Closing her eyes, she took a few deep breaths.
"Honey, you okay?" Victor inquired, witnessing this.
"Fine," Prue shook her head, shrugging off the concern. "I need sleep. Real sleep," she stressed. "A lot of good this coffee did me," she made a face, peaking at the remains inside. "If it's even possible, I think I feel worse."
"Hey, give me that," Paige leapt to her feet and grabbed for the cup. "No caffeine, it's not good for the baby," she instructed. By the time she realized her mistake, it was too late. She looked from Prue, to Piper, to Victor, and finally to Phoebe.
All of them sent her questioning stares.
"Wait, what?" Phoebe jumped on it.
"Baby?" Victor repeated, looking at Prue and back to Paige. "What baby?"
"Oops," Paige uttered, a guilty expression covering her face. "Did I say that?" she closed her eyes, returning to her seat. "Can you say embarrassing."
All color drained from Prue's face. "Yeah, what baby?" she laughed nervously.
"Yours," Paige confirmed, her face contorting. It was too late; the cat was already out of the bag. "The same one who needed healing when you got hit in the attic."
"I'm not pregnant, Paige," Prue refuted it. However, the more she thought about it, the more the possibility began growing to life. She had been hit with feeling sick a lot lately. Just great, she thought. It was not the time for this.
Paige turned to address Piper and Phoebe. "Dimitri explained to me earlier that I was having trouble healing Prue because the baby was affected too. He picked up on it while healing her and that's how I found out," she explained, turning back to Prue.
Prue got quiet, considering what everything meant.
Victor was stunned into silence.
"Oh," Piper shared a glance with Phoebe, "well, that's probably our answer, Paige. Prue was affected by the poison because the baby was having a reaction."
"And why would the baby have a reaction?" Phoebe thought to question.
"Eh," Paige made a face. "Well ... " This wasn't good. The can of worms was opening up.
"Um, guys," Prue interjected. "Maybe we can rewind back to the part where we all agreed we'd do this at another time. I've already had enough surprises to deal with for one day, and I don't think I can handle another one right now," she rested a hand against her forehead, sounding dejected.
"Did I mention how sorry I am?" Paige reiterated.
Piper took a quick glance at Prue, immediately picking up on the unease and worry. "Prue, it's okay if you are," she tried offering reassurance.
"Really, how so?" Prue shot her head back up, challenging it. "I'm practically single, unemployed, no income flow to support the daughter I already have," she listed off on her fingers. "Oh, and I'm a witch. This isn't okay; it's a disaster!"
"Hey, listen, I've already done the whole witch thing with two pregnancies under my belt," Piper countered. "I've dealt with a failing club and a husband who was pulled away from me when I had my sons. Believe me, I get it," she stressed strongly, "but I wasn't alone during any of it," she looked to her sisters.
Phoebe and Paige smiled at each other.
"And neither are you," Piper concluded.
Paige felt bad. "I didn't know if you already knew or not."
Prue looked over to Paige. "Well, so much for home pregnancy tests," she cracked, rolling her eyes.
"Prue, you can still take a test to be sure," Piper spoke up in a light of the new revelation. "Then you can take it from there," she advised gently. "I'll even call my doctor's office in the morning. You can have my next appointment," she offered.
Prue gave her a look.
"Yeah," Piper nodded to confirm it. "I'm on number three."
"Don't you need it?"
"I can make another one," Piper waved off her concern. "It might be a couple months out, but it'll be fine." The doctor had asked her to schedule another follow-up appointment to check in about her blood pressure. With all the stress Prue was under, Piper figured she could probably use checking up on hers too.
Prue felt a bit hesitant. A twinge of guilt hit her. All this extra stress tied to her return probably wasn't good for Piper or her baby.
"You're taking it," Piper ordered, reading Prue before she could object. "The end."
"It's pointless to argue with her," Phoebe advised.
"Yeah, just go with it," Paige nodded.
"Fine," Prue shut her eyes, relenting. "Thank you."
"Of course," Piper nodded. "We need to stay on top of keeping the next generation of Halliwells' healthy and safe."
Prue got up. Phoebe stepped over to give her sister a hug. "Listen, sweetie, if you are, I think it's great. And we're here to help with anything you need," she offered her support.
Prue accepted the hug and the support. "Yeah, thanks." She still felt weary regarding the timing. Andy wasn't even there.
"Everything will work out, listen to Phoebe, Prue," Piper knew Prue was still worried. It was going to take more than a few feel-good speeches to get Prue to relax. "You don't always have to do everything on your own," she told her. "We were put together for a reason which means we fight our battles together."
"We're stronger that way," Phoebe added, smiling at Prue.
Prue listened to their words. "Right. Although, I don't know if I would necessarily call giving birth in nine months a battle," she negated.
"Ha, just you wait!" Piper laughed, thinking back to Victor's demon wife during the birth of Wyatt and then the alternate reality that nearly got her killed with Chris. She bit her tongue though. There was no need to add fuel to the fire.
Suddenly, Paige's voice broke in from the background. "So," she cautiously interjected. "Should I take this as a sign you're not mad at me for my unbelievably bad timing?" she bit down against her lip.
Prue, Piper, and Phoebe all broke out with smiles.
"You're forgiven," Prue told her.
Victor offered Prue a final hug and his congratulations at the news. He explained that he needed to be going but to keep him updated with any news. Piper followed in her father's footsteps, reaching out to hug and congratulate her sister. Piper and Phoebe stood huddled close to Prue while he offered up his good-byes to all of them.
Then he left.
The four sisters were by themselves.
X
He treaded lightly over the grass in the darkness of night and under the dimly lit moon. The tall trees and their leaves were responsible for their part in helping to shield the moonlight and its magnificent glow up high in the sky. The only sound heard anywhere near him, or in the distance, were the night crickets. Hidden with the plant life, and invisible to the naked eye, they remained.
When he reached his destination, he stopped.
Coop knelt down in front of the small grave marker carrying the name of the one person he had loved and cherished but failed to protect during his entire lifetime as a mortal. He had lost her. They had allowed their petty differences to separate them, they had drifted apart, and in the end, it had cost them their lives. So much time had passed, and he had convinced himself this part of his life was put to rest but, after today, that didn't seem to be the case. Reappearing before the Afterlife Council had dredged it all back up.
Slowly, he glanced between her marker and the smaller one directly next to hers. It was supposed to be the resting place belonging to the baby girl he had never gotten the opportunity to see grow. He had imagined the worst possible scenarios.
Now, he stood contemplating the possibility that she was still out there somewhere.
To Be Continued: Hehe. Lol, seriously, stay tuned for the next chapter and don't forget to review.