Prue – 6(almost 7)

Piper - 5

Phoebe – 1(almost 2)

            It was a quiet fall day at the Halliwell Manor in Foggy San Francisco.  Patty Halliwell was out running errands with her near 2-year-old Phoebe while Prue and Piper were at elementary school.  The leaves had just begun to change colors and it was almost Prue's birthday.  Patty pushed Phoebe down the street in her stroller, strapped down tightly, as they wandered around Fisherman's Wharf.  Little Phoebe was straining to get out of the stroller so she could toddle around and explore the new sights and smells.  She had been here many times before, but for Phoebe, each day was a new adventure, and today they were shopping for her big sister Prue, Phoebe's idol.

            "Have that?" Phoebe asked, pointing at a small sparkling crystal she saw in a shop.  Looking up at her mother she repeated herself, "Mama, Phee have that?"

            "No sweetie, today we're shopping for Prue.  Maybe when we go down to Ghiradelli Square Mama and Phoebe can have some Chocolate, would that be fun?" Patty glanced down to see Phoebe's large brown eyes glazed over with thoughts of chocolate.  She knew just what to say to make her daughter behave.  Phoebe sat quietly the rest of the trip, but as soon as she could smell the chocolate aromas drifting out of the Shop she became restless, struggling with the belt that held her down.

            "Tocklate!  Tocklate!" Phoebe cried out pulling harder and harder on the stroller safety belt.  "Mama Tocklate for Phee!"

            "Okay Phoebe, okay, calm down, Mama's going to get some chocolate for you." Patty laughed at how excited her daughter was, she had been a very good girl on this long shopping trip and deserved to be rewarded.  Pushing the stroller up to the front of the line, Patty was about to grab 2 chocolate squares (one for each of them) when she looked down and saw her small daughter eyeing a hot fudge sundae that had just been placed in front of a little boy.  Patty put three chocolate squares on the counter and Phoebe's face fell, she knew she wouldn't be getting the 'big yummy' today.  Looking through her purse Patty thought, 'why not' and ordered a 'World Famous Hot Fudge Sundae' with an extra spoon.  Giggling with joy Phoebe bounced up and down in her stroller impatiently.  Patty reached down and picked Phoebe up out of the stroller; setting her carefully on top of the chair before covering herself and the table with napkins and scooping Phoebe into her lap.  'This would have been a good day for a raincoat' Patty thought to herself as she started to get Phoebe's bib out.  The ice cream looked delicious, and Phoebe immediately reached out to grab a handful off the top.

            "Wait Phoebe!  No!  Let Mama give you some." Taken aback by this Phoebe looked up at Patty with a concerned look, then she obediently opened her mouth and waited for the treat to be spooned in.  Smiling with delight Phoebe was so excited she forgot her mother's instructions after a few bites and stuck her hand into the ¾ eaten sundae.  Smearing the ice cream into her mouth Phoebe patted her baby belly with her clean hand and licked the messy ice cream off her other hand and fingers, managing to get a huge chocolate mess all over her face.  Laughing Patty cleaned up her daughter as best she could before gathering their bags and sticking Phoebe back in the stroller.  Making her way over to the bus Patty looked down to see Phoebe lightly snoring with a grin on her face and chocolate all over her pink overalls.

            As soon as Patty got home she hid the presents they had purchased and left Phoebe sleeping in her stroller, she knew that her baby girl was very worn out after the adventure they'd had.  Hanging up her coat she was nearly run over by Prue and Piper as they ran into the house after long days at school.

            "Mommy!" Piper called out as she ran into the house.  Giving her mother the biggest hug she could muster she ran back to her backpack and pulled out a finger painting she'd done that day in kindergarten.  "Look what I made for you!"

            "Oh, Piper, it's beautiful sweetie.  I am so proud of you." Patty said with a kind smile across her face.  Taking Piper's hand she held onto the painting and walked into the kitchen with it.  "I think that this should go right here in the middle of the fridge, don't you?"

            Piper was just about to answer, beaming with pride when she heard loud stomping footsteps coming after them, it sounded like Prue, and she was mad.  "Mom how come you gave Phoebe chocolate and not us?"

            "Prue, dear, we were out shopping and I got her a little treat, I didn't forget about you two." Patty reassured as she pulled out the chocolate squares from her purse.  "Now, here is one for each of you and one for your Grams."

            "For me?" Piper asked as she took the wrapped chocolate into her hand to admire it.  "Can I give it to Grams?"

            "Of course sweetie, here you go," Patty said as she dropped the chocolate into Pipers outstretched hand.  "I think she's in the sunroom baby!"

            Prue stormed off towards the parlor where her baby sister was sleeping, unbuckling the belt that strapped her in Prue poked her until she could see Phoebe begin to wake up.  Sneering Prue held the chocolate out to Phoebe, waving it in front of her hands.  "Want the candy Phoebe?  Want it?  Do you want it Phoebe?"

            The candy being dangled just out of her reach mesmerized Phoebe.  "I have that?" she asked her big sister, unsure if she was just trying to trick her into doing something.

            "Of course you can Phoebe," Prue crooned, "It's all for you."

            "For Phee?" she asked again.

            Placing the chocolate square in her hand Prue smiled for a split second before screaming at the top of her lungs, "MOM PHOEBE STOLE MY CHOCOLATE!"

            Baffled by what had just happened Phoebe held tightly to the candy that Prue had given her and toddled as quickly as she could out of the parlor and into the sunroom to hide.  Seeing Piper and Grams enjoying their chocolates Phoebe pressed her finger to her lips and said, "Shh I hide."

            Grams and Piper repeated the gesture and laughed at the near two year old trying to hide in plain sight.  Grams had nearly finished her square and Piper was still nibbling around the edges with great care, this was a special treat and she didn't want to waste any of the flavor.

            Leading Patty into the parlor Prue pouted, and pointed at the empty stroller, "See Mom!  I told you she stole it!"

            "Prue, I'm sure she didn't take it on purpose, she's a baby, she probably thought it was for her.  Now, why don't you help me find her, and we'll get your chocolate back for you, alright?" Patty said calmly.  She had the feeling that Phoebe hadn't woken up and unbuckled herself from the stroller, but she didn't want to say anything to make the situation worse before she found her baby girl.  Patty searched the parlor and dining room and sent Prue upstairs to search the bedrooms.  When they both came back empty handed they headed towards the sound of giggling coming from the sunroom.  Spying two little legs covered in pink, plainly showing themselves from behind a plant Patty wondered aloud, "I wonder where Phoebe could be?"

            "I hide Mama!" Phoebe called out to Patty from behind the plant, she didn't want her mother to give up on the game so soon.  Piper looked over at her little sister, giggling hopelessly the whole time, while Grams couldn't help laughing out loud at her littlest granddaughter.

            Reaching around the plant Patty grabbed Phoebe and tickled her, "I got you baby!"  Phoebe giggled uncontrollably, forgetting the reason she'd hid in the first place.  As she was being put back down the chocolate fell out of her front pocket and onto the floor; Prue raced over to it and picked it up.

            "See Mom!  Do you see?  She took it!  It was in her pocket!" Prue exclaimed, angry that Phoebe was getting all of the attention.  She couldn't help giggling at first, but right now, Prue wanted her little sister to be punished, and in a jealous rage she smacked her sister across the face and ran out the open door.  Grams and Patty exchanged looks of shock before Patty raced out the door after Prue.  Phoebe stood silently for a moment, stunned by the sudden hard smack she'd received across the face, letting her jaw drop Phoebe's eyebrows furrowed and she let out an ear piercing wail as she dropped to a sitting position on the ground.

            Piper rushed over to Phoebe and gave her a hug, hoping that it would quiet her down to a reasonable octave at the very least.  Still holding onto her baby sister Piper was rapidly running out of patience, pulling Phoebe over to Grams she stated flatly, "How do we make it stop?"

            "It's okay Piper, she's going to be fine, leave it to me." Grams chuckled and cooed at Phoebe, pulling the small figure into her lap and rocking her back and forth, back and forth, for a little while until Phoebe quieted down.  As Phoebe settled herself on Grams' lap looking quite content, Piper began nibbling away at her chocolate again.  She didn't like being stuck in the middle all the time, there were always people fighting, and she didn't want to have anything to do with it. 

            Catching up to Prue easily Patty grabbed her daughter by the arm and picked her up.  She kicked and screamed at her mother to let her go, but Patty held tightly to Prue until she felt that the tantrum was over.  She knew that the past year had been very difficult for Prue, but hitting was not acceptable and Prue knew that.

            "Prudence Halliwell, would you mind explaining what you think you were doing back there?" Patty inquired angrily.  She didn't like to be the "bad cop" of the house, but sometimes she had to lay down the law; she knew that now was one of those times.  Prue and Phoebe needed to get along, but the eldest and the baby hardly ever did, at least not in real life.  Pausing for an answer from her irate daughter, Patty folded her arms and tapped her foot, "Well?"

            "It's not fair Mom!  She got treats and you totally forgot about me and Piper!" Prue finally exclaimed.  Looking up at her Mother's concerned face Prue knew that excuses weren't going to get her out of this situation.  Thinking back on what she'd done to her baby sister Prue started to feel mass amounts of guilt build up in her soul.  "What if I say I'm sorry and promise never to do it again?"

            "I think that's a good start, but I also think that you aren't going to be able to play with your friends for a couple of days." Patty could see that the girl was truly sorry for what she did, but still, guilt wasn't enough of a punishment for violence.  Victor, the girl's father wasn't around anymore and Patty knew that this meant raising them was almost entirely up to her.  She didn't want the girls to be a burden to her mother; however helpful she may be.  "Okay Prudence?"

            "Okay I guess." Prue relented.  Taking her Mother's hand the pair walked back into the house and into the sunroom where Piper had finally finished her chocolate and Phoebe was resting comfortably on Grams' lap.  Reaching down to pick up the chocolate from the ground Prue gingerly tucked it into Phoebe's front pocket, it would be a little surprise for when she woke up later.  Giving both of her sisters kisses and hugs, Prue started up the stairs of the old Victorian manor and headed straight for the room she shared with her sisters.  The young girl flopped down on the bed and held 'Biglet' her large stuffed pig tightly to her chest.  She needed comfort and felt that her pig might have missed her throughout the busy day.  Pulling the covers over her head Prue snuggled into her pillow, still tightly gripping her stuffed pig, and began to drift off to a peaceful slumber.