NOTE: Part 23 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.
On a sunny summer day Phoebe Halliwell sat rocking on the porch of Halliwell Manor. Eighty-eight years ago she had been born in that very house. She enjoyed sitting there with the sun on her face. The weather was so much better than those damp winter months that were so hard on her bones. Things were quieter since Prue's kids had moved away, but they would be back. The Charmed Ones always returned to Halliwell Manor. Phoebe had no regrets with her life, though the loss of her sisters still held heavy on her heart. A blue jay flew by the porch and soared into the sky. Phoebe watched it spiral upward when her arms started tingling. She stood up and crying out for help and fell to the floor.
In the Executive Board Room of Halliwell Industries, Pipa Greenwood was presiding over the Board of Directors as Chief Executive Officer. She felt a sharp pain, stood up momentarily and fell to the floor.
"Call an aerobulance to Halliwell Manor." she told her secretary as others were calling for one for her.
As they wheeled her out she also had her secretary call Patty and Prue to meet them at the hospital. Pipa slipped into unconsciousness.
Pipa awoke in the hospital with her husband Hal at her side. She was on oxygen and was connected to a multitude of monitors.
"You gave us quite a fright, sweetheart. The doctor thinks that it is just overwork. That fits you to a tee. Rest up and he says you'll be fine, Pipa." said Hal with a loving smile.
"And Mom?" asked Pipa through her oxygen mask.
"Not good. Patty and Prue are with her, sweetheart." replied Hal.
"I have to be with her." said Pipa urgently.
"Please darling you have to REST!" said Hal. "Prue and Patty can take care of her."
"NO. You don't understand. I must be with Mom. She needs me." said Pipa trying to sit up,
"Darling, you're not well. Think of Marie and me. Please, nurse." cried out Hal.
"If I'm not there I may not survive." said Pipa as she took her oxygen mask off.
"Mrs. Greenwood. Get BACK in bed!" said the night nurse.
"No, YOU get in bed." said Pipa as she lowered her eyes and sent out a command, a power she almost never used.
The nurse's face went blank and she lay down on the bed.
"Are you coming with me, Hal?" asked Pipa as she got weakly into a wheel chair.
"You are determined. All right. I'll push" said Hal reluctantly.
At the Family Farewell Center Phoebe lay in an examination room monitored by a doctor and several nurses and technicians. The decor was home-like while the sound of the monitors gave it a hollow hospital sound with their beep-beep-beep.
Behind a glass partition were the children, son-in-laws and grandchildren of Phoebe Halliwell Freeby. Though there were comfortable seats, the family gathered around the glass window. Pipa was wheeled in by her husband.
"Pipa, you need to be in intensive care!" said Prue.
"Please sweetie, get back to bed. We don't want to lose you." said Patty.
"If I'm not here, you may lose me. I've felt both of Mom's strokes so far, but if I know they're coming, I can control it better." she said.
"Mom's not doing well." said Prue.
"I truly know that. I can sense it." said Pipa as she propped herself up against the glass.
Phoebe had another small stroke, but with her family's support Pipa saw it coming and it didn't hurt her the way the first caught her off guard and the second came while she was unconscious. She could still feel it surge through her body. The hospital staff tried to take her back to the Intensive Care Unit, but the entire family insisted that she stay.
An hour later as the family continued the vigil another attack came. Phoebe's synaptic scanner went erratic and then completely flat line.
"She gone," said Pipa crying softly.
Prue held her tightly as Patty wept openly in her husband's arms. The doctor and nurses worked feverishly on her for ten minutes. The head physician shook her head and turned to the family.
"There nothing more we can do. The heart-lung machine is only keeping her body alive. You have my sympathies. What is the family's wishes?" she said.
"Let her go." said Pipa.
"Please shut off the machines." said Prue.
"No, no. We can't do it. I won't let Mon die." cried Patty.
"Patty, she is gone. I felt her leave." said Pipa.
"Let Mom go with dignity," said Prue.
"No, she is still my Mother. She is still right there." said Patty pointing to Phoebe through the glass.
"Patty, Mom is gone. What she was has ended." said Prue.
"We all love her, Patty. We loved what she was. She isn't that anymore. That is just her body operated by a machine. We should have them turned off. Her mind is gone. I don't sense her there anymore." said Pipa.
"No, no, no. I can't let her go." said Patty.
"Do you want her to just lay there? DO you want her to be a vegetable for as long as her heart and lungs hold out? Mom always told me that she did not want to end up like this. She was so full of life, let her embrace death. Her time as come. Please Patty. Please! We know you love her. Love her enough to let her go when her time as come!" pleaded Prue.
"All right. End it now!" said Patty weakly.
"Doctor. You can shut off the machines." said Prue.
"As you wish." said the doctor. He motioned to the technician who punched some buttons and the mechanics of the heart lung machine stopped. Phoebe's heart monitor continued for a minute steadily, then went erratic.
Beep. Beep. Pause. Beep. Pause. Beep. Beep. Beep. Long Pause. Beep. B... Flat line.
An alarm sounded which the technician quickly shut off.
Patty sobbed hysterically. Pipa wept even more in Prue's arms who said "Goodbye, Mom. May you have peace."
Phoebe's spirit rose from what was her earthly home and soared to a point where she could she both her remains and her family weeping for her.
"Welcome, Pheebs." said Piper.
"Hello there, Phoebe," said Prue as she reached for her and hugged her tightly. Piper also joined in.
Looking at herself, all three of them looked as they when the three of them were in there final demon battle together so many years ago.
"Oh my poor family, They shouldn't be so sad. It was not so bad, being dead that is." said Phoebe softly.
"Do not worry about them. You raised them strong and they will go on." said Prue. "We have another place to go."
Phoebe followed her sisters through the mist and found herself watching her own grave side service. Her casket had been placed over an opened grave next to her darling husband's final resting place. Around her casket had gathered her family and friends to pay their final respects. Standing next to her coffin were her three daughters.
"Don't cry Patty. You have all the compassion of your father and the heart of my sister Piper. Take care of your children and remember our good times."
"Prue you have the strength and drive of my sister Prue and my heart and sense of good times. Stay your course and help the next Charmed Ones. "
"Pipa, my dear Pipa. No two people could have been as close as us even if you has been my identical twin. We shared our memories, fears, joys and feelings. Help them remember the original Charmed Ones. Govern your drive , keep your good humor and watch over your family."said Phoebe trying to comfort them.
"That was beautiful, Pheebs," wept Piper.
Prue stood their shedding a tear too. Then she started to think back over the years.
Ooooo, Oooooo, Ummmmm, mmmmmm.
Memories, like the corners of my mind
[Little Prue and Piper run by the adult Prue in 1974.]Water colors of memories
[Patty Halliwell is walking through Buddies toward adult Piper and Prue in 1974.]Of the way we were
[Teenaged Prue, Piper and Phoebe are having a pillow fight.]Scattered pictures of the smiles we left behind
[Phoebe stands in the door of the Manor with the hide a key in her hand smiling.]Smiles we gave to one another
[Phoebe asking about their old spirit board.]For the way we were
[Phoebe reading the Book of Shadows in the attic on that first stormy night.]Can it be that it was all so simple then
[Prue moving the vase at the museum for the first time.]Or has time rewritten ever line
[Running down an alley together from some demon.]If we had the chance to do it all again
[The sister talking together around the bar at P3.]Tell me would we, could we
[Piper jumping in front of Phoebe during that final demon battle together.]Memories may be beautiful and then
[Walking back into the Manor after recovering from her depression.]What's to painful to remember
[Embracing Mark when she asked him to marry her.]We simply chose to forget
[Bringing home the triples for the first time.]So, it's the last song
[Prue, Pipa and Patty standing with their prom dates.]We will remember
[Pipa walking again on her new foot.]Whenever we remember
[Patty coming home with her twins.]The way we were
[Everyone celebrating Phoebe's 80th birthday.]The way we were.
[The grave side service with all of Phoebe's relatives and friends. Followed by a young photo of Phoebe smiling that smile that only Phoebe has superimposed over the grave side picture.]Ooooooo, ooo, ooo, ooo.
The picture changes back to Prue, Piper and Phoebe watching the grave side service.
"That was cool." said Piper.
"I always enjoyed those old romantic movies." said Prue. "Especially when they walk off into the sunset."
"Yes. Speaking of that, um, it's time to say good bye, Pheebs." said Piper.
"Wait, wait!. We just got back together!" said Phoebe perplexed.
"And we will see each other from time to time, but you have a job to do." said Piper.
"What is that?" asked Phoebe.
"To watch over your family. To help keep them from harm. It is time for us to rest." said Piper.
"It the same thing we've been doing for you and yours for many years, my beautiful little sister. It is your family!" said Prue.
"Just the way that Grams and Mom watched over us, Remember? The flippy pages? Huh?" said Piper smiling.
"Oh, yea. And I do want to help them and be with them. You're right. Thanks, Pips." said Phoebe.
"Piper. The name is Piper." said Piper.
"I know. It always was. And I guess one of my kids will watch over their kids and so on an so on." Said Phoebe.
"That's the way forever works. Good luck Pheebs." said Prue with a hug.
"Love you always. You were the true Charmed One. Bye." said Piper waving with a tear streaked face as they walked off into the mist.
"Bye, guys. I love you lots. And thanks for watching over us." said Pheebs as she turned to be with her family and watch over them. Forever, Phoebe.
