"So what do you think is wrong?" asked Phoebus.
Garrett, Phoebus' husband was up on a ladder trying to find out why the chandelier wasn't working properly. Their house was currently being aired out due to the recent paint job they had done. So both of them were crashing at the Halliwell manor, with two of Phoebus' older sisters, in one of the two empty guest bedrooms.
"I have no idea. The wiring is fine and it hasn't blown a fuse. This should be working..." Garrett told his husband as he climbed down the ladder.
"And the simple repairing spell I cast did nothing," Phoebus said with a frown. It had been the first thing he tried, but for some reason it didn't work.
"Ugh!" The front door slammed open and shut as Prue came storming in, in a huff. "Woah! Woah, calm down sis. What's wrong?" asked Phoebus as he got in front of his oldest sister thus risking her wrath.
Prue threw her purse on the side table. "It's Roger," she scoffed. "Remind me what I ever saw in him in the first place?"
"I don't know. I never liked him in the first place. What about him though," inquired Phoebus. Garrett was back from having put the ladder and toolbox back in the basement. "I saw him talking with one of the board members about one of the exhibits that I have been in charge of since the very beginning." Prue said.
"You think he might try and take it away from you?" Garrett questioned.
"I think there's a very good possibility that he might," sighed Prue. "Anyway, any luck with the lights Garrett?"
"Sorry. Everything looks fine and nothing seems wrong. But it just doesn't want to work apparently," said Garrett apologetically.
"Well thanks. Oh, also Piper got a package. It was on the porch so I brought it in."
"That reminds me Phoebus, can I talk to you in the living room?" Garrett asked his husband nervously.
"Sure," said Phoebus. The two of them walked into the next room and left Prue to her business.
Phoebus looked at his husband and saw a guilty look in his eyes. "What did you need to say to me?" Garrett glanced down before looking back at Phoebus. "I just got a new hit and I might have to leave town for a little bit," Garrett informed, "Tonight in fact."
See, Garret was a part-time bounty hunter. But unlike what Phoebus' sisters thought, all of Garrett's hits were magical. Meaning that they were usually demons or warlocks. He then either killed or stripped them of their powers and incarcerated them. The rest of the time he ran and owned his own gym.
"But I don't know if I can go," said Garrett, "I mean will you be okay?" He asked. Phoebus knew his husband meant if he'd be safe with a person on a witch hunt in San Francisco. "Garrett, I am capable of taking care of myself." replied Phoebus. "I know, but it doesn't stop me from worrying about you," Garrett told him. Phoebus pulled his husband down into a sweet, reassuring kiss, which he responded in kind by pushing all the love and lust he had for his husband into the kiss. Before things could get any more heated they were interrupted, "Prue?" Piper called out as she entered the house.
"In here," responded Prue from the dining area.
"I better get going now if I want to get back sooner," whispered Garrett remorsefully. The married couple made their way to the door and Garrett put on his overcoat and picked up the already packed suitcase that Phoebus hadn't even noticed when he came home. Swooping down and stealing one last kiss from his husband Garrett then left the house.
Phoebus sadly made his way into the were his sisters were currently talking.
"I just didn't realise how long I was in Chinatown. Did Jeremy call?" asked Piper as she shed her jacket and threw it over the back of one of the chairs.
"No, but he had some roses and a package delivered." Prue answered her.
"What were you doing in Chinatown?" questioned Phoebus, "I thought that you had an interview in North Beach."
"I did," Piper stated, "But then I went to the Young Lee market after my interview to get the ingredients for my audition recipe tomorrow."
"So, that wolfgang-puck knock-off didn't hire you then?" Prue asked. Piper was busy prying open the wooden shipping container that had been in the package delivered to her.
"No, but this just may get me the job," Piper said as she lifted up a bottle of port.
Phoebus looked at his second oldest sister with a raised eyebrow. "Jeremy sent you port?"
"The ultimate ingredient for my recipe," Piper praised, as she gently set the port down on the kitchen counter. Prue just rolled her eyes and left the kitchen. Piper and Phoebus trailed after her and all three were in the conservatory when Piper noticed something, "Oh my God, I don't believe it. Tell me that's not our old spirit board?" asked Piper in disbelief.
"Yeah, Garrett found it in the basement when he was testing the circuit tester," Phoebus explained.
"Where is Garrett?" asked Prue, as she looked over towards the living room.
"He had a new assignment and said that he had to head out immediately and that he might be gone for a couple of days."
Piper picked it up and started reading the inscription on the back, 'To my beautiful children. May this give you the light to find the shadows. The power of three will set you free. Love, Mom.' We never did figure out what this inscription meant." lamented Piper.
"Well, maybe we should send it to Phoebe," Prue snarked. "That girl is so in the dark, maybe a little light will help."
"You were always so hard on her," Phoebus commented, "Not that you didn't have your reasons why, but still."
"Phoebus, Phoebe may be your twin but that girl has no vision, no sense of the future." argued Prue.
"I really think Phoebe's coming around," Piper weakly added.
"Well, as long as she doesn't come around here I guess that's good news," said Prue as she left the room.
Phoebus turned to Piper who was trying to make a sneaky getaway back into the kitchen. "You didn't tell her!" Phoebus hissed.
"I was going to, but in my defense you didn't either." Piper pointed out.
"That's because you said you would handle it," huffed Phoebus as he walked off up the stairs to his room.
######################
"I don't get it," Prue hissed in frustration. She just came up from the basement where she had been fiddling with the circuit tester. "I know Garrett said there was nothing wrong with the chandelier. It has to be otherwise it should be working."
Piper walked over to her sister as she hesitated trying to think of a way to tell her the news she had avoided telling her for about a week.
"You know how we've been talking about what to do with the spare room? I think you're right, we do need a roommate." said Piper, slowly. In fact she almost chickens out again until she sees Phoebus who looks at her and mouths, 'Tell her.'
"Well it may be a little hard with four people already living here, but I guess we could rent the room at a reduced rate in exchange for some help around the house." Pondered Prue as she rummaged through one of the clutter drawers in the kitchen.
"Phoebe's good with a wrench," stated Piper as she dropped a hint but was still afraid to tell Prue the full truth.
"Phoebe lives in New York." Prue said slightly, bitter. Phoebus was tired of all of Piper's evasiveness. So he decided to take matters into his own hands.
"Not anymore." Phoebus told Prue.
"What?" Prue asked sharply as she turned around to face her younger siblings.
"Phoebe left New York. She's moving back in with us." He said. Phoebus was kind of scared at the ticked off look on Prue's face that was directed at him though.
"You have got to be kidding," said Prue in disbelief, sounding angry and annoyed.
"Well, I could hardly say no. It's her house too. Grams left it to all of us." Piper defended. Prue stormed out into the dining room with Piper on her trail. Phoebus on the other hand headed over to the front door knowing his twin sister would be here any minute.
Phoebus felt bad for thinking this but he hoped that with Grams dead now that his sisters' powers would be unbound tonight. All the factors seem to be in place: Garrett finding the spirit board, the full moon tonight, the chandelier not working and being resistant to magic, and the catalyst for it all is Phoebe's return. Which means that for the first time since Grams' death we will all be in the house at the same time, the four of us.
"Yeah, months ago and we haven't seen or spoken to her since." Prue said as the barely suppressed anger in her voice was almost tangible.
"Well...you haven't spoken to her. Phoebus and I have." Said Piper, meek and exhausted from hiding the truth from her big sister.
"No, I haven't!" Prue snapped. "Look, maybe you and Phoebus have forgotten why I'm still mad at her." Piper was never a very confrontational person so she immediately shrank back and was beginning to feel guilty.
"No, of course not but she had nowhere else to go." Piper just about pleaded for Prue to understand. "She lost her job and she's in debt."
Prue did care what Piper had to say; she was still furious that they kept this from her. "And this is news? How long have you known about this anyway?"
Piper thought about how to answer that for a moment. "A couple of days, maybe a week-or two."
Prue couldn't believe how long they had known that Phoebe was coming home."Thanks for sharing." Prue deadpanned. "When does she arrive?"
Before Piper could answer, the front door opened behind the two sisters and in rushed Phoebe, soaked from the rain. "SURPRISE! I found the hide-a-key.'' Her voice rang through the parlor.
''Phoebe, welcome home.'' Phoebus said, as he went over and hugged his third oldest sister and twin.
"Hello, Phoebus." Greeted Phoebe as she hugged her twin back.
"It's so good to see you," Piper said to her younger sister, not taking her eyes off her older one. "Isn't it, Prue?"
''I'm speechless.'' Prue replied dryly, not even bothering to fake a smile, obviously still annoyed.
A car horn beeps from outside, "Oops! I forgot about the cab," Phoebe remembers.
''I'll get it!" Phoebus offered, grabbing his rain jacket from the coat rack, before rushing out the door.
"I'll go help him!" shouted Piper as she ran after her brother. The door shuts leaving another tense silence in its wake.
"Hey Prue… it's good to be back!" Cheered Phoebe, trying to break the silence.
Prue looked down at her one suitcase in Phoebe's hands. ''Is that all that you brought?'' Asked Prue. Phoebe followed her line of sight and glanced down at her bag as well.
"That's all that I own. Plus a bike." Phoebe answered.
Another tense moment of silence passed between the two sisters. "Look, I know that you don't want me here-" Phoebe stated but was interrupted by Prue.
"We're not selling Grams' house." Prue spoke with finality. Pinning her youngest sister with a harsh glare.
Disbelief flashed across Phoebe's face. She knew that she upset Prue when she left, but her assumption on why she came back hurt. The least she felt Prue could have given her was the benefit of the doubt. "Is that why you think I came back?"
"The only reason Piper and I gave up our apartment to move back here is because this house has been in our family for generations."
''No history lesson needed. I grew up here too." Phoebe argued, upset that Her oldest sister could even think so low of her, "So can we talk about what's really bothering you?"
''No, I'm still furious with you.'' Prue replied, trying not to blow her top.
"So you'd rather have a tense reunion filled with boring chit chat and unimportant small talk?" asked Phoebe, sarcastically.
"No, but otherwise we won't have anything to talk about."
''I never touched Roger.'' Phoebe stated, trying to charge her point across. "I'm not talking about him, I'm talking about how Grams wasn't even dead for a week and you went running off to New York!" Prue screamed angrily.
''Really, 'cause you sure acted like you were. I know you might think so because that's what the Armani-wearing, Chardonnay-slugging, trust-funder told you… '' said Phoebe, heated. Both Phoebus and Piper came back into the house, soaking wet from the rain. Phoebus went over to the closet to hang up his jacket, while Piper made her way to the tense and angry forms of their sisters.
''Hey, I got a great idea. Why don't I make a fabulous reunion dinner?'' Piper said, hoping to solve the argument the two must've just had, only for the two sisters to glare at each other one more time.
''I'm not hungry. '' Prue said shortly as she walked off.
''I ate on the bus.'' Replied Phoebe as she threw her bag over her shoulder and walked off in the opposite direction of Prue.
''Okay. We'll try the group hug later. '' Piper said to herself, feeling uncomfortable. Phoebus walked up to her and pulled her into a one armed hug. "You can't force this Piper, they're going to have to make up on their own." Comforted Phoebus, Piper sighed in acknowledgement.
######################
Up in Phoebe's room. Phoebe sat on her bed as she dried her hair in front of the mirror. The TV was on and the news was playing on mute. When suddenly Piper knocked on the door.
"Who is it?" Phoebe called out.
"It's me and Piper. We come bearing food." Answered Phoebus.
"Come on in." Shouted Phoebe. Phoebus opens the door and moves aside as Piper comes in carrying a tray with drinks and food on it. "Thank God. I am starving." Phoebe exaggerated as she accepted the offered tray and started to eat.
"Figured." Piper chuckles.
"So what did I miss? Did anything new or important happen while I was away?"
"Aside from Piper's sketchy boyfriend Jeremy trying to scam his way into the house, Garrett and I bought the old manor at the end of the street." Phoebus informed his twin.
"Hey! Jeremy is a perfect gentleman!" said Piper, defending her choice in dating partners. She then sees Jeremy on the news on Phoebe's tv. "Hey, look there's Jeremy. What happened?"
"Some woman got whacked." Phoebe said in between bites. Phoebus looked at the tv and noticed the location. "Oh God," Phoebus whispered. He looked over at Phoebe, "Is that the Talmadge?" Phoebus asked, dread pooling in his stomach.
"Yeah it is. Why?" asked Piper. Phoebus looked at his older sister with sadness in his eyes. "Sarah, one of my customers lives there," he told her.
Both his sisters took one of his hands. "Oh, don't worry Phoe, I'm sure she's just fine." Piper tried to reassure her brother.
"I doubt it Piper." whispered Phoebus, as he gently squeezed her hand. "Did you know that Andy is back in town?"
"No, I didn't," said Piper. "How did you find out?"
"Andy's back?" asked Prue. The three siblings on the bed looked over at the open doorway where Prue stood in the doorway, timidly holding blankets in her hands. She nodded towards Phoebe. "Hey this was always the coldest room in the house."
"Thanks." Phoebe said with a soft smile on her face.
"So yeah, Andy came into the shop before I closed up asking about an athame." Phoebus continued explaining. "Someone has recently started killing my customers with one and I think that Sarah just became the latest victim."
"How did you even start talking about this?" Asked Prue as she did her best to shift the conversation away to something more pleasant.
"We were talking about how much I dislike and distrust Piper's current boyfriend, Jeremy." Stated Phoebus with an unhappy expression on his face.
"Oh come on Phoebus what do you not like about Piper's boyfriend, Jeremy?" asked Phoebe.
"Well why don't you tell us how you met Jeremy, Piper?" Phoebus requested.
"Alright." she said, "It was about six months ago - right before Grams died. We met in the hospital cafeteria the day Grams was admitted. He was covering a story and I was bawling over a bagel. So, he handed me a napkin."
"How romantic." Phoebe cooed.
"As a matter of fact it was. The napkin had his phone number on it." said Piper.
"Exactly my point." Phoebus exclaimed. "What normal person approaches a girl who is ugly crying over the possible death of her grandmother and basically asks her out? No good scum that's who."
######################
After Phoebus stormed out of the bedroom earlier Piper and Phoebe went down stairs and were sitting at the table in the conservatory playing with the spirit board.
"Why didn't you tell Prue I was coming back?" asked Phoebe as she and Piper sat and talked and played around with their old spirit board.
"And risk her changing the locks?" Piper asked Phoebe rhetorically with a raised eyebrow. "I don't think so and besides, I think you should have been the one to tell her, not me."
"Good point, Chicken Little." Phoebe teased. "It's just so hard for me to talk to her. She's always been more like a mother." confessed Phoebe.
Piper looked at her little sister with sympathy. "That's not her fault. She practically had to sacrifice …"
"Her own childhood to raise us." They both said the last part together.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah." Phoebe said like it was something she had heard all her life (and it was).
"And we're lucky she was so responsible. The three of us had it easy, all we had to do was be there," Piper said softly.
Phoebe looked up at her sister across from her. "Yeah, well, I don't need a mum anymore, you know, I need a sister."
Piper looked down at her hands when she felt something move and saw what Phoebe was doing. "Stop pushing the pointer," Piper complained as Phoebe laughed.
Phoebe refuted that, "I'm not touching it."
"You used to always push the pointer." Piper stated as she stood up from her seat and headed for the kitchen. "More popcorn?"
Piper walked through the swinging door that led into the kitchen when she stopped short at the sight of Phoebus sitting at the counter slumped over a half-eaten bowl of ice cream. "Hey Phoebus, whatcha doing?" Piper asked as she took the seat next to him. "Eating mint chocolate chip ice cream," Phoebus stated bored.
"I can see that," Piper said. "But you only eat that when you're really upset."
"It's nothing just," he paused as he sighed, "Things have just been really bad for a while. My customers are being targeted by some deranged killer, Garrett is busy with work, and we can't even seem to get a moment of privacy as our house is airing out."
"Okay that might be true right now but I'm sure things will get better." Piper said as she sat down beside her little brother. "Anyway, didn't you say that you'll be able to move back into your house soon?"
"Yeah," Phoebus said as he sat up straighter and pushed his half melted ice cream away. Piper playfully bumped his shoulder. "Well see things aren't so bad and soon you and Garrett will have all the privacy you could ask for."
"Thanks Piper that's really–" Phoebus was cut off from what he was saying by a shout from Phoebe.
"Piper! Piper, get in here!"
Piper and Phoebus rushed into the conservatory, arriving to see Phoebe staring down at the Spirit Board with wide, fearful eyes. "What?" "What's wrong?!"
"What did you guys do, now?" Prue asked in an accusing tone of voice. She had rush in when she heard Phoebe shouting.
Piper turned her head towards Prue with a petulant look, responding, "Me? I didn't do anything."
Then Prue turned to look at Phoebus who shook his head and raised his hands in surrender before saying, "Don't look at me. I was in the kitchen eating ice cream."
They all turned back to look at Phoebe, who was shaking as she pointed down to the Spirit Board. "The pointer on the Spirit Board… it moved on its own." Piper and Prue looked at her with expressions of disbelief while Phoebus' face was blank of any emotion, Phoebe didn't like that. "I'm serious!" She argued, "It spelled 'A' 'T'!"
"Well, did you push it?" Piper asked.
"No!" Phoebe was unmoving in her belief.
"You always used to push the pointer, well if you didn't Phoebus did." Prue replied, shooting a glance at their brother who was being oddly quiet all of a sudden. Usually he was the first to jump on this kind of bandwagon since opening his store at the mall.
Phoebe huffed in frustration. No one ever listened to her. "My fingers were barely touching it. Look," Phoebe leaned over in front of the Spirit Board, putting her fingers back on the pointer. And, as would normally be expected, nothing happens. Her siblings shoot her doubtful glances, both Prue and Piper turn to walk off to get back to what they were previously doing. Phoebus hung back though and stared down at the spirit board. He watched with Phoebe as the pointer moved down and then back up to the letter 'T'.
"Ah! It did it again! It moved!" Phoebe screamed. Her eyes nearly popped out of her skull.
Hearing her shout for the second time, both Prue and Piper turned back around to look at Phoebe and the board. Unamused frowns adorned their faces again. When they saw the pointer was still on the letter T. "It's still on the letter T," Pure said dryly.
"I swear it moved!" Phoebe pleaded. Something was definitely going on.
Prue rolled her eyes, before turning back around and leaving the room. She didn't have time to play Phoebe's games any longer.
Piper didn't move, though. Standing next to Phoebus as she watched after Prue leaving the room, only for the pointer on the Spirit Board moves once again, gliding across the board. When it happened Phoebe stood up pushing her chair back getting Piper's attention, Piper gasped, tensing up. Phoebe noticed instantly. "Look! You saw that, right?!"
Slowly moving towards her sister, "I think so… yeah," Piper managed to stammer out. She couldn't believe any of this. It was absolutely crazy! Like something out of the Twilight Zone or Phoebus' shop.
Phoebus however was no longer paying attention but silently spelling out the word in his head. A.T.T.I.C. "Attic." The moment he spoke the word there was a loud clap of thunder and the power immediately went out.
To Be Continued…