NOTE: Part 16 of 23, in the Chronicle Series.
DISCLAIMER: As usual, none of these characters who appeared on the series are mine. This story is written for the enjoyment of the Internet reader. Print it out if you like, but please don't reproduce it or post it on your site without notifying me first.
"And the skin is made of the finest new synthetic skin." said Dr. Westman. "The casting is the exact reverse of your left foot. Every hair is reproduced exactly. No one can tell the different from five feet which is the distance that most people see your feet."
"It is lovely craftsmanship. And it bends to my mental commands." said Pipa.
"That's Right, Miss Freeby. The electronic trigger is connected directly to your nervous system. There's only one piece of metal in it. A titanium rod for support. The rest is made of synthetics and poly-carbonates. It bends just like your left foot and you can both swim, dance and run in it. Just like a real foot. It's a one of a kind since it was made just for you." said the doctor.
"I can't tell you how long I have waited for this day. I never like the old type of prosthetic. Thank you, Doctor Westman. It's lovely." said Pipa sobbing.
"The only thanks I need is to see you walking out that door. Good bye, Miss Freeby."
"Good bye, doctor and thank you again." said Pipa. She hoped off the examination table with some help and put wait on her new foot. It felt strange, but she DID walk out of that office on her own.
Not far from Dickinson Plaza where Halliwell Entertainments is located, one can find the Central Park Medical Complex. By far the most inviting and colorful office is call "Serenity" and is owned by Prue Freeby. On the door is a bright blue holographic sign declaring "Let Dr. Prue, Help you!"
Entering through the door is Phoebe with her two grandchildren Frankie, 8, and Jessie, 6.
"Keep up with Grandma, my little darlings." said Phoebe. "We're here to see my daughter." she said to the receptionist.
"Doctor Prue, your mother is in the waiting room." the receptionist announced.
"Send them in." replied Prue over the speaker.
The three of them walked passed the receptionist's cubicle into a large, airy and brightly colored office.
"Come on in, Mom. Hi, kids." said Prue pounding away on her computer.
"Hi, Aunt Prue." said Frankie.
"H'ya Any Pue." said Jessie.
"I saw your new sign out. Doctor Prue? Isn't that kind of informal, dear?" asked Phoebe.
"No. I want an informal atmosphere here for my patients. This is not a clinic, it is a recovery center for those who have lost their way. And I am their guide." said Prue.
"Sounds more like you work for the auto club. Sit still, Jessie." said Phoebe.
"Hey kids! Do you want to play Megamite World?" asked Prue.
"Yeaaaah!" they said in unison.
Prue flicked her pointing finger and two virtual reality headsets appeared. The kids put them on and started doing martial arts kicks and chops fighting off the villains. Prue put a soft force field around them so they wouldn't hurt themselves.
"You are so talented, my dear. I would have done anything for your powers when I was your age." mused Phoebe.
"Mom, you still have many more powers than you had when you started out. You're still one powerful witch." replied Prue.
"I know that. But they are still just mental powers. Anyway I was just watching Frankie and Jessie for Patty and thought I'd stop by and see your new office. It's beautiful, but I so loved that old mansion you rented on Nob Hill. It was so quaint." said Phoebe.
"I'm still using it for my witch groups. Patty keeps sending me people. You would never know how many witches out there need help. Fighting off evil can be very stressful. There is a lot of Post-traumatic Stress Syndrome out there. It is not unlike the stress experienced by soldiers in combat." said Prue.
"Tell me about it. We had a lot to get used to back in the early days. Prue was fine, but poor Piper. [Sniff.] Oh well, that was forty years ago." reminisced Phoebe.
"So how's Patty doing?" asked Prue.
"Fine, when I saw her this morning. She is living in bed now with the twins due so soon. She is having a lot less trouble that the doctor thought she would. He'd told her not to have anymore after.. um Jessie... but you know that Patty loves kids and you can't stop her." said Phoebe.
"Or any of your girls. I guess that Patty will be having the next set of Charmed Ones. Pipa and I are just too wrapped up in our careers." sighed Prue.
"I'm not counting you out yet. You're still young. Just get out more." suggested Phoebe.
"So how's Dad?" asked Prue moving the conversation off of her.
"He has his good days and bad days. Yesterday he was good. If the doctor thinks it's all right, I'll run the kids over later. His liver just won't hold out to the cancer much longer I'm afraid. He is still very chipper like Patty, but I know he's hurting inside." said Phoebe quietly.
"Oh, Mom!" said Prue hugging her.
"Hey, you have to get back to work. Love ya, darling." as Phoebe reached up and kissed her daughter. "Frankie, Jessie. Time to go."
The force field and headsets disappeared. Patty's children groaned as Prue said goodbye and headed off.
Over at Dickinson Plaza, Pipa walked in on her new foot acting like nothing was different. She tried to be friendly with the firm's staff, but she was so driven that she had a hard time making friends at the office while working at the same time.
"Good morning, Miss Freeby." said one secretary.
"Good morning," Pipa replied.
"Good morning, Miss Freeby." said a man in a suit.
"Good morning," Pipa replied again.
"Good morning, Miss Freeby." said her own secretary.
"Good morning," Pipa replied still again.
She walked into her own office whose door read, Miss Piper Freeby, Chief Executive Officer. Pipa was running the whole operation with her Mother occasionally dropping by since the firm was still Phoebe's. Pipa had gone far in her thirty-five years. She was a very respected member in the adult entertainment industry.
Pipa was so excited about her news, but there wasn't one she could really get excited with. Well, maybe one.
Hal Greenwood, her Vice-President of Development, came in moments after she entered her spacious office.
"Say, Pipa. The office in Seattle just doesn't get it. We need the franchises opened by the 15th of next month and all I get is excuses! What do you thinkkkkk......." he stopped in mid-sentence seeing Pipa standing up in front of him.
"Uh, wow. You look great. You must have told me. I guess I forgot." said Hal.
"No you didn't. I told no one. For once I wanted to be a little unpredictable. It feels good after all these years of logical sensible decisions. Now how about, Seattle. You call them up and say to get their act in line or I'll pull the entire project and they'll all be out on the street." said Pipa sternly.
"That's the boss I know. Thanks, Pipa." said Hal.
"Oh, Hal. How about dinner and maybe some dancing? Just friendly-like. I could use the night off." said Pipa.
"OK? We can go talk about Houston and Dallas and.." said Hal.
"No, Hal. Just small talk. No business." said Pipa.
"Doesn't sound like you, Pipa. Meet you here at six?" he asked.
"Fine. I want the staff meeting moved back to two. We need full budgetary estimates by then. Tell Kirk to send out an urgent message. OK?" asked Pipa.
"Great. See you at two." said Hal.
"Two it is." Pipa sat down thinking that there may be a lot of changes around here.
She asked her computer to sort the morning mail, when she got a horrifying premonition. Some warlock was attacking her very young Mom. Afterwards, each of her sisters, the grandchildren and so on just seemed to blink out of existence. It was so painful that Pipa fell to the floor. She felt like she was fading from existence.
"Prue!!" she called out across the mental airways. "Prue!!! Help!!! You have to get Patty, Frank, Jessica and me. Get us out of this plane of existence fast." she said as she passed out.
Prue who was experiencing similar pain heard the message loud and clear. She concentrated, grabbed onto her sisters and Patty's kids and blinked. Her whole world faded into nothing.
Pipa awoke next to her two sisters. Patty was lying down holding onto her kids. The air was damp and muggy. A low blue mist stayed close to the ground.
"Where are we?" asked Pipa.
"Somewhere the south side of nowhere at a quarter past nothing. You BEGGED me to bring us here. But why?" asked Prue.
"Something was happening to mom long ago. Changes were happening in the past and we were ceasing to exist. So I had you take us out of our world." said Pipa standing up.
"Uh, Pipa. When did you get..? Uh?" stammered Prue.
"Two feet? This morning. Mom knew. No secrets, remember? I just wanted to surprise everyone else. I wasn't expecting this." said Pipa pointing around.
"Oh, uh!" cried Patty.
"What's wrong, sweetie?" Prue asked Patty.
"Doctor said I shouldn't move and that I was due any time now. Uhhh!" screamed Patty.
"Not now. Not with what we have to do. Please." pleaded Pipa.
"It's going to come when it comes." said Patty.
"What DO we have to do?" asked Prue.
"We have to save mom sometime in the past. It was at a time that there were no Charmed Ones after Aunt Prue and Aunt Piper died. She didn't have her powers and was all-alone. At that time she was the only Melinda Warren descendent. Now there are six. Mom and us. Moving out of the true time line, we at least saved ourselves so we can try and save Mom." explained Pipa.
"OK. Time travel. When and where?" said Prue.
"It will take all there of us to work this out. Patty can move us in time. You can move us in space and I have a rough idea where and when we're going. Are you up to that, Patty?" asked Pipa.
"Unless were going to live out our lives in this fog, I have to do it." groaned Patty.
"I'll connect us mentally and we'll have to concentrate. Hold on to the kids and each other. One. Two. Three." said Pipa as they all vanished.
It very early in the morning in front of Halliwell Manor. A glow appeared on the sidewalk that turned into the fugitives from the future all huddled together.
"Wow. That was so cool, Auntie Prue. I've never blinked before." cried out Frankie.
"Shh. Your Mom and Aunt Pipa helped, too. So now what, sis?" asked Prue.
"Hopefully, we arrived hours before the warlock. Mom should be at home. She was having a terrible bout with guilt over the loss of her sisters. She's not the same woman you know. I have seen her memories and they are very sporadic at best. The year is 2000 and she buried her sisters four weeks ago." said Pipa.
"Her period of morning should be partially over with by now." said Dr. Prue.
"No. She actually blamed herself for their deaths. She didn't recover from that for years. We have to be gentle with her. And kids. You're going to meet Grandma when she was very young. You'll have to keep quiet unless you're spoken to. Can you do that?" asked Pipa.
"Yes, Auntie." they replied.
"Prue, help Patty. I'm not too steady yet. I sense that Mom is awake and downstairs." said Pipa. "Normally traveling in time, I would propose a stealth assist to history, but with Patty in the condition she is in, then we better try a more direct approach."
They walked up to the steps and rang the bell. They door was opened by Phoebe Halliwell. She was half dressed in mix and match clothes, her hair a mess and holding a glass large glass of gin.
"So you fin-erly brought me my chow mein. It's a-but time!" Phoebe yelled at them.
"Ma.." said Patty as Pipa covered her mouth.
"Um.. Phoebe. We're witches on an errand of mercy and we REALLY could use some help. Can we come in, please?" asked Pipa.
"Witches? No witches har! Jus lita old no nothing Phe-ba Hal-er-way. Go away and come back tomorrow!" she said slamming the door.
Prue started to wave her hand to open the door when Pipa stopped her.
"You have a better plan?" asked Prue.
"Yes. It called a key! This is MY house you know." said Pipa.
"Mine, too. Or it was. Or will be. Whatever." said Prue.
The door opened and they helped poor Patty in. Phoebe was dancing around the living room with her tall glass of forgetfulness in one hand.
She turned and looked at them through a glaze. "I thought I got rid of you." she hissed.
"The only thing you're going to get rid of is this." said Prue making the glass fly away and land in the kitchen.
"Oh, jeez. Warlocks! AHHHH!" said Phoebe scared to death. She ran for the stairs.
"Patty." said Prue sharply.
Whoosh. Patty waved her hand and winced. Phoebe froze solid.
"We have a minute. Help Patty to the couch. Kids get on the floor next to your Mom. Prue, move Mom over here. We have to convince her that she's in danger." explained Pipa.
Prue moved her back and Patty unfroze her.
"Ahhhh!" Phoebe continued to scream. "I've been frozen. Warlocks are everywhere!" she screamed running the opposite way.
"Settle down, Freebie." yelled Pipa as Prue turned her around. Phoebe stopped and looked at her curiously.
"How did you know that? Who are you?" said Phoebe now cold sober.
"Because I know you better than you do. About two years ago you were trapped in the past. Nicholas was after you. You were jail and you were visited by Patty Halliwell. She demanded to know you three are. And you replied," said Pipa urging her Mom on.
"We're your daughters!" said Phoebe who quickly sat down in a chair stunned.
"Yes, we've journeyed from a long time from now. Some warlock is going to kill you and we're here to stop him." said Pipa.
"So I do have a future. OH, my lord! I do make it through this! OH, my lord! And you are MY CHILDREN. And what else? Who are these cute little ones?" asked Phoebe in tears.
"Your grandchildren. But if we don't stop him, then we will not ever be born." said Prue.
Still crying and talking to the ceiling. "Prue, Piper. Do you hear that? We do go on. And you're so beautiful. And you must be witches, too! Right?" asked Phoebe.
"Yes, we're the next Charmed Ones. I'm Pipa, uh, Piper. This is Prue and our sister Patty. She's having difficulties since she is due fairly shortly with your next two grandchildren." said Pipa.
"Four grandchildren. Whoa! I haven't even wanted to settle down yet! Whose your father?" asked Phoebe with great anticipation.
"Uh, let's not disclose too much. We're here for one reason and one reason alone." said Prue.
"Where have I heard that before? You're Prue through and through." said Phoebe.
"Not entirely. But that's another tale. Why don't you get cleaned up? We'll, ugh, take care of things down here." Said Prue looking at all the discarded fast food containers and pizza boxes.
"Fine with me. And then we'll do some demon busting." said Phoebe as she tried to do a kick and landed on her rear end. "Guess I'm out of shape." Phoebe said rubbing her ample stomach. "Too much pizza. I'll go shower." she said cutely heading upstairs.
Patty and the kids had fallen asleep on the couch.
"Well you look at this place!" said Pipa.
"It's a mess." said Prue.
"I mean around the mess of Mom's life. This is the house we grew up in, but everything is different. None of the improvements that Dad made are here. Except for the antiques, ALL of the furniture is different. It's incredible." said Pipa.
"And Mom's suffering from the same problems that some of my Wiccan patients are." said Prue.
"Believe me. Mom is suffering a LOT more. But we can't help her. We can only get that stupid warlock so we can return. If we don't we're stuck here forty years in the past with no identity whatsoever." said Pipa.
"Raising four children with untold numbers of warlocks after us. What about this one?" asked Prue.
"He's a temporal jumper who travels across time like we travel across town. And he expects to inherit great power and great adulation by being rid of us. He'll attack from the conservatory with lightning bolts while Mom was lying on the couch in the parlor passed out." explained Pipa.
"At least she is sober. We'll just have to defend her. I'll serve as decoy." said Prue morphing into a younger version of their Mother.
"Since you're the one with the powers, you'll have to deal with him. Patty is awfully tired. Mom can watch the kids upstairs. Keep Mom and them away from the action." said Pipa.
"Agreed." said Prue.
"Agreed to what?" said Phoebe coming down drying her hair. "Whoa! Good lord, you're me. Extremely weird city!"
"No, Mom. It's me, Prue. I'm going to be the warlock's target." Prue said.
"You even sound like me. When did we get a morpher in the family?" Phoebe asked.
"Sometime in the future." said Prue.
"And I guess you're not telling me that either. OK, no problemo." said Phoebe swinging her arms nervously. "How much longer have I got?"
"We really don't know, exactly. Please help Patty and the kids upstairs." said Pipa.
"Sure, come on kids. Patty, let me help you. When ARE you due?" said Phoebe heading upstairs.
"Let's sit and wait." said Pipa who sat down against the wall with her back to the conservatory.
"That's what we do best." said Prue who looked like Phoebe and sat on the couch where the real one was supposed to be.
Several minutes later Phoebe came back down. "They are all settled in Prue's old room. Real weird looking at me, uh, Prue."
"Mom, would you look after Patty and her kids. We don't want you to be hurt.
Our lives depend on it." said Pipa.
"No way. This is my fight, too. Powers or no powers I'm staying here! Besides, they are all asleep." said Phoebe.
"Mom! Please!" said Prue.
"No way. Jose." said Phoebe.
"Forget it, Prue. Where do you think we got our stubborn streak from?" said Pipa. "Mom, hide over here with me." Phoebe bounded over to Pipa and sat beside her.
Hours later as the sun was high in the sky, Phoebe was sound asleep in Pipa's arms.
"What is strange about this picture?" said Prue.
"She is ten years younger than we are and she must have been up all night. She is exhausted." said Pipa.
"And you're mothering our mother. Freud would have a fit." said Prue.
"Freud didn't hop decades like we did. Besides, this is Phoebe Halliwell. A very scared YOUNG woman. She developed into the strong and confident woman we know over the years. This poor woman just lost ALL the family she had. Even after she turned her life around, she didn't get over that for years." said Pipa stoking her hair. "Sleep peacefully, Mom."
"A shiver just ran up my back. Get ready." warned Prue.
A gray vortex opened up in front of Prue. A cold wind passed through the parlor. "Die witch," yelled the goat-like intruder throwing bolts of lightning at what he thought was Phoebe Halliwell.
Prue pushed them out of the way. The demon stopped momentarily astonished. Prue took this time to turn on the cold and freeze him solid.
"Patty is not here to freeze him, so I did the honors." said Prue who changed back into herself.
"What was all the ruckus?" said Phoebe yawning. "Oh, drat. I missed the action. You can freeze people into popsicle? COOOL! Literally, that is."
"OK let's try our number ten. Ready recite." said Pipa.
"Exit this evil from our domain,
Go away and don't bother us again,
Warlock give up your fight,
And leave us forever from our sight."The ice melted leaving a gooey mess on the floor.
"Hey, be careful. That's my antique rug now!" said Phoebe referring to the fact that she owned the whole house now. "Just kidding!"
"I'll help you with the mess. Prue, please check on the Morselands," said Pipa.
"Huh?" asked Phoebe.
"Patty and kids." Pipa said.
"Got ya." said Phoebe going to get a mop and broom.
Prue went upstairs and found Patty in the beginnings of labor.
"Pipa!" cried Prue.
Both Pipa and Phoebe charged up the steps.
"We have get home NOW." said Prue.
"She can't concentrate on her time travel power. I can sense that." said Pipa.
"Time travel power? Excellent!" said Phoebe.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" said Patty as another labor pain hit her.
"Try and calm her down, Pipa." said Prue.
"Let's she. Patty, listen to me. Ease the pains. Ease the pains. There you are. She's fine till the next one in about ten minutes." Turning to her Mother. "Mom, this has been an experience. We have got to go. We all love you." she said hugging her.
"Yea. Same here. Thanks for the look ahead. Good luck." Phoebe said not hugging quite as hard.
Pipa put her hand on her Mother's head. "Forget. Forget everything about our visit. It's been a dream. Wake up in your own bed. We weren't here, we didn't exist. Sweet dreams, Phoebe Halliwell." said Pipa. "Mom is just going have to recover from her loss the way she originally did. Prue, run down and get rid of that mess. You have three minutes." warned Pipa. "Kids, stay with your Mom."
Prue ran downstairs while Pipa helped her Mom into her bed. Running out the door she looked at the bed. "Bye, Mom. Thanks for the look back," she said with a tear.
"Goo all vaporized," said Prue.
"Great! Everyone hold on and concentrate. Same date we left, but the hospital and hurry." she said as they vanished from 2000.
Decades later the Freebies and the Morselands we're admiring the twin girls in the maternity ward nursery window.
"Phoebe and Patty. That's a good choice. We NEED another Phoebe around here," said Prue truthfully.
"They're so small. And they are so beautiful. Patty must be awful proud." Said Pipa.
"Yes, they are. Do you know how easily this might have been your thirty-eight birthdays. I don't have a single recollection about your visit, though I was not too coherent at that time." said Phoebe.
"Just be glad everything is as it should be." said Prue. "Hello, there my little nieces! Goochy-goo!"
