Prue heard the laughter from downstairs as if it was right outside her room. She smiled at the site she knew would greet her downstairs in the living room. Tossing off the covers she grabbed her robe and ran down the stairs to find her baby sister and Piper sitting at the tree, the contents of Phoebes stocking all over the floor.
"What is going on down here?" she laughed as Phoebe looked up at her. The smile that was on her face was enough to melt the coldest of hearts.
"Pwue!" she cried out as she ran over to her sister.
"Hey." Prue scoped her up and held her for a moment above her head.
Phoebe hugged Prue tight and gave her a big slobbery kiss as Prue held her in her arms. "Starting without me?"
"No just the sock. Good idea you had when we got back to get her some kid stuff." Piper laughed, as Phoebe squirmed out of Prue's arms and sat in Pipers lap on the floor.
"Yeah well I couldn't exactly give her the stuff I bought her originally. I don't think that dress would fit her." Prue laughed as she tickled Phoebe.
It wasn't long before there was wrapping paper, ribbons and bows spread all over the living room with Phoebe sitting right in the middle playing with the doll that Prue had found up in the attic.
Piper sat leaning against the couch at Prue's feet watching Phoebe delve into her own world of make believe.
"Good thing we know where she hides her presents every year." Prue said as she looked over at Phoebe.
"Yeah." Piper said quietly though her thoughts were on something else entirely.
Prue leaned forward and looked at Piper. "Piper she can't stay like that."
"I know. But she just reminds me of how much I want kids of my own one day."
"Well as long as they aren't like their Aunt Phoebe you can have as many as you want." Prue said as she leaned down and hugged Piper.
Piper stood at the kitchen sink peeling the last few potatoes when she felt the arms wrap around her waist and the soft kisses on her neck.
"Oh don't start that now. I'll never get this done." She smiled as she felt the kisses make there way forward.
Tilting her head back she felt herself wanting the kisses more as she turned and the two melted into a passionate kiss.
"Hmm. I love it when you do that."
"What you say we take this somewhere more private?" He whispered in her ear. Placing kisses down the front of her neck and back up again
"Hey you two, knock it off. In case you forgot there is a toddler running around the Manor. And I don't wanna see it either." Prue scolded them both as she got a glass of juice from the fridge.
Leo smiled at Prue, "Well I wanted to take it upstairs."
"Hmm I would love to honey but I need to finish this. And Prue is right. We have to be careful now with Phoebe so. Well innocent." She laughed.
"Yeah for once." Prue added as she laughed leaving the two of them in the kitchen once again, as she headed up stairs to read Phoebe her bedtime story.
Prue sat on the edge of the bed as Phoebe snuggled up against her as she listened to each word Prue read from the book. Thought it wasn't long before her eyes closed and she was sleeping sound.
Prue saw Piper and Leo sitting on the couch and sat on the chair across from them, "So did they have any ideas?"
"None. They said when you vanquished him Phoebe should have returned back to normal."
"So maybe we didn't vanquish him?" Piper said now with new worry.
"No you vanquished him. That they are certain of." He said
"Well until we can figure this out maybe we should get her some more clothes." Prue suggested. "Only this time you take her." Prue said as Piper stuck her tongue out.
She awoke as the sun broke through the closed curtain. Looking up she looked through the safety bar on her bed. Closing her eyes she rolled back over and starred into the eyes of the doll beside her. Wiping the sleep from her eyes she climbed over the bar, dragging the doll behind her.
She saw Prue sitting on the couch and sat in beside her. "Can you please tell me why my old safety bar is on my bed and why I'm sleeping with your old doll in the middle of the day?"
Prue looked at Phoebe and pulled her into a hug, "Phoebe!'
"Yeah that's me. Now spill. What's going on?"
Prue pulled her sister close, "You don't remember?"
"If I did I wouldn't be asking."
Piper ran in from the kitchen when she heard Prue cry out. And was soon on the couch with her sisters hugging Phoebe tight.
Though as they explained, Phoebe looked on in shock as they both told her what had happened. "So why did it take so long/"
"That we don't know." Leo said as he sat on the arm of the chair. "Could be because of his level of power. Maybe it had to wear off. Who knows with dark magic."
Piper hugged Phoebe again, "It doesn't matter. You are back and I don't have to go through the growing pains of Phoebe again."
"Herehere." Prue agreed.
Phoebe looked at them and smiled, "I wasn't that bad you guys." she looked at each sister hesitant, "Was I?"
They all just laughed leaving Phoebe to wonder just how bad she was.
That night they sat in the living room recovering from the feast that Piper had prepared for Christmas dinner.
"Well Piper now you have a bunch of clothes and stuff for when you and Leo have kids."
"Yes I do." She said as she walked in the living room with a plate full of cookies.
Passing the plate around she placed it down and waited. Though she didn't wait long as both Prue and Phoebe scrunched up their noses.
"Piper what the hell?" Phoebe looked from her sister to her cookie before bringing it to her nose and smelling it. "What the hell did you put on these?"
"Not me. You." She laughed, as Prue also smelled her cookie.
"Is that. She didn't?" Prue said as she ran from the living room to the kitchen.
"What?" Phoebe looked as Prue ran and heard her spitting out the cookie.
"You my dear sweet baby sister. Decided it would be a good idea to use Kits cat food to make the gingerbread man with."
"Eeeewww." Phoebe jumped from the couch and followed after Prue. Leaving Piper laughing in stitches on the couch.
The fire crackled as Piper leaned against Leo on the couch and Phoebe leaned against Prue on the floor.
"So another Christmas." Piper said breaking the silence in the room
"Yup. And an interesting one to say the least." Prue agreed as she tightened her hug around Phoebe.
"Yeah just like the good old days." Phoebe said relishing the love in her sisters' arms.
Piper stood up and bent down giving each sister a kiss, "I'm off to bed. Love you both."
"You too sweetie." Both Prue and Phoebe said back to her as Piper and Leo disappeared upstairs.
"Prue?"
"Yeah?"
"Was I really that bad?" Phoebe asked
Prue hugged her sister tight, "No more so then the first time Phoebs. But I'm not going shopping with you for a while and I think it will be some time before Piper lets you help in the kitchen."
They sat there a bit longer before Phoebe got up and kissed her sister, "Night big sis."
"Night baby."
Prue walked up the stairs after locking everything up and shutting off the lights.
Checking in on her youngest sister she caught the warm brown eyes looking back at her. Walking up to the bed she reached own and kissed her on the cheek.
"I thought you'd be asleep."
"No. Just thinking." She said.
"Oh. I brought something if you don't think you are to old now." Prue held the book in her hands.
"Never." Phoebe said moving over to make room for Prue on the bed.
Opening the book Prue held it so Phoebe could see.
"Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house." She started
"Prue, it was a good Christmas wasn't it?" Phoebe interrupted.
Prue didn't say anything as she recalled the look on little Phoebes face as she opened each gift earlier that day. "One of the best honey. One of the best."
Closing the book when she was done, she gave a sleeping Phoebe a kiss and turned out the light.
"Merry Christmas Beebee."
"Merry Christmas Pwue." Phoebe said through her sleepy state.