IT'S DONE! IT'S FINALLY DONE!

*ahem*

So, yes, this is the FINAL chapter of Sisters! I know, I know, it's been FAR too long, but you know how life, and writer's block, gets.

I just want to say thank you to anyone who's still reading this, my first ever fan-fiction. I hope you've enjoyed it, and I hope the ending is satisfying enough for you.

Once again, thank you! :)

The Five Year Dream

Piper was rooted to the spot, not daring to believe what was before her eyes. Prue … her sister, the sister she lost five years ago, the sister that always looked out for her and protected her … standing, right before her.

"H-how is this …?"

"Possible?" said Prue, smiling, "Well, you can thank Paige for that."

Piper and Phoebe turned to Paige, who shrugged nervously.

"She helped me find what I had lost; the hope and desire to stand here, to see you again."

Piper shook her head in disbelief. Prue sighed.

"Piper …"

She took a step forward, and Piper took a step back.

"No."

Everyone turned to her, the shock evident upon every face.

"Piper …?"

"No," said Piper, cutting across Phoebe, "No, this … this can't be … you left us, you abandoned us ….!"

"Piper, I …"

"Five years, Prue!" said Piper loudly, "FIVE! YEARS! Do you have any idea how long it took for me to stop crying myself to sleep at night?! How long it took me to move on?! And not just that! We had to deal with so much in that first year alone! Long lost family, fighting the Source three times, almost losing Phoebe to the Underworld …"

"Piper, I know …"

"How can you?! You weren't THERE!"

"Yes, she was!"

Piper turned round to Paige, who shuffled uncomfortably at the evident rage and grief in her face.

"What …?"

"She was there, Piper," said Paige calmly, "You couldn't see her, but she was always there. She saw everything, she showed me. She was there for it all."

"But how …?"

"Do you ever wonder, sometimes, how you can feel a draft, but there are no windows open?"

Piper turned back to Prue, confused.

"C'mon, I'm sure you've felt it, both of you," she added, nodding to Phoebe, "Just a subtle draft, barely enough to be noticeable."

"Yeah …" said Phoebe, "Yeah, I think … I think I know …"

She stared at Prue in shock.

"That was you?"

"Just my little way of letting you know I was there."

Phoebe gave a small sad smile.

"But … then why couldn't you just … be there properly? Like Mum? Or Grams?"

"Oh, Piper, I wanted to, I wanted to so badly … but I couldn't. I was forbidden, because they didn't want you to be distracted from your Charmed destiny."

"But that ended with the Sources …"

"I know," said Prue, "but, over time, I lost any hope of ever returning properly. I … I made do with being there as the gentle breeze. It was only by spending time with Paige did I realise that it was time."

Paige nodded in appreciation. Piper merely stared at Prue, her expression unreadable.

"Piper … you have no idea how much it broke my heart, not being able to be by your side properly," added Prue, as Piper turned back, "I wanted to be there for you, throughout it all. I wanted to be there to save the world by your side. I wanted to hold my beautiful nephews in my arms. I wanted to celebrate your good times, and comfort you in your bad times. I wanted to tell you …"

Prue gave a small soft sigh, as tears formed in her eyes.

"… to tell you how proud I am of you."

Piper sobbed, finally managing to form a smile.

"I am so sorry I wasn't there for you, Piper … but I'm here now, and nothing will ever keep me away from you again."

Piper sighed apprehensively, as she took the slow nervous steps towards Prue. She stopped just before her, slowly raising her arm, to try to touch her face, to prove to herself that this was real, and not simply the dream she had had a thousand times over …

Prue did the same, and Piper gasped softly as she felt the warmth of her hand upon her cheek.

"Oh my God …"

Piper fell into her sister's arms, as the two embraced at long last. Phoebe looked on, the tears streaming down her face.

Seeing this, Prue broke an arm free, and extended it towards her.

"C'mere, Phoebs!" she sobbed.

Phoebe sprinted to them, and the three Halliwell sisters held each other, closer than they ever had before.

"I missed you so much …" sobbed Phoebe.

"Trust me, Phoebe, I missed you so much more …"

"Wait …"

Piper broke free of the hug, and reached an arm towards Paige.

"Oh no, I shouldn't …"

"Yes, you should," said Piper.

"Really, it's OK," said Paige, "This is really more of … well, of a family thing, if you know what I mean …"

"Paige, you brought Prue back to us, you brought this family back together … you are this family."

Paige smiled widely, now beginning to cry herself.

"C'mon, sis, get in here!"

Laughing, Paige walked towards them, and joined them in their embrace.

"I can't believe this has finally happened," said Phoebe, "I used to dream about this all the time, but never, in my wildest dreams …"

"I know," said Paige, "I think we've all had this dream at one point or another."

"Five years," said Piper, "For five years, I've dreamed for this moment, this one moment."

"Well, now it's here," said Prue, "The five year dream … the four of us, together …"

"We are so blessed …" said Phoebe.

"Don't you mean Charmed?"

The four sisters laughed, the happiest laughs in five years. For now, in that singular moment, everything felt at peace, everything felt right, everything … was perfect.

"So, I suppose someone has to ask …" said Phoebe, as they parted, "what does this mean? Are you, like, back for good, or …?"

"Well, you know how the rules go," said Prue, "I'm a spirit; I can't stay here all the time."

"But you … can come back?" asked Piper. Prue smiled, wrapping her arm around her.

"Yes … yes I can. Not too often, of course, but … I can swing by every now and then …"

"Good," said Piper, "It will be wonderful to have our proud, bossy, overbearing big sister back."

"Nice to see you too!" said Prue in mock offence, as the sisters shared a chuckle.

"So … what should we do first?" asked Phoebe.

"There is actually something I would like to do …"

Prue placed her hands upon the Book of Shadows, gently caressing its cover.

"Wow … you know, I never thought I would actually miss being able to touch this book. Must be Grams' influence!"

She looked up at her sisters, smiling, before walking around as she took in all of the attic of the Halliwell Manor.

"Oh, how I have missed this place … I mean, being here properly. You know, it's the little things you miss; the squeak of the floorboards, the smell of furniture polish …"

She sighed, and turned back to her sisters. She then looked down to see Wyatt standing before her.

"Oh yeah … and something else I've wanted to do …"

She ran towards him, and Wyatt giggled as she picked him up in her arms. She hugged him tightly.

"You know …" said Prue, smiling into Wyatt's face, "you and your brother, you're gonna make one heck of a team when you grow up. So, you look after him for me, OK?"

"Ok."

Piper grinned widely at the sight of her sister holding her nephew for the first time.

Suddenly, there were two swirling masses of bright light. They soon faded, and both Patty and Penny stood before them.

"Prue …" said Penny, "I'm afraid it's time …"

"Time?" said Phoebe, "Time for what?"

"Time to go …" replied Patty.

"Oh, but … no, you just got here," said Piper, "and you haven't even had a chance to hold Chris yet. Leo will have him here soon …"

"It's OK, Piper," said Prue, setting Wyatt back down to the ground, "There'll be other times, other opportunities."

"But why not now?"

"Because we don't belong here anymore, Piper," replied Patty, "We can only stay for a little while, and then we have to leave. You know that."

"Yeah … it's just … it's been so long …"

"I know, Piper … but don't worry; I'll never be too far away, and I'll be back before you know it."

She wrapped her arms around Piper, and the two hugged.

"Oh, Mum," said Piper, as the sisters parted, "I'm so sorry for how I acted before …"

"It's OK, Piper," said Patty, "I know it's been hard for you, and I'm just happy that you're able to move on."

Prue then approached Phoebe, and the two hugged.

"Do me a favour, Phoebs," she said, "Keep a hold of that Coop. I have a feeling that he's going to make you very happy."

"Well, he is a Cupid …"

As they parted, smiling, Prue turned finally to Paige.

"Oh … haven't we been down this road before?"

Prue and Paige laughed together, before having one final hug together.

"Thank you," said Prue.

"Thank you," said Paige.

As they parted, Prue made her way towards her mother and grandmother. As she stood between them, she took one last look upon her sisters.

"I love you."

With that, a blinding, shimmering white light enveloped all three of them. It faded after a few moments, and they were gone.

For a few moments, the sisters merely stood there in satisfied silence, basking in the warm glow of the day's events. Then, one by one, Phoebe, Paige, and finally Piper and Wyatt, left the attic, safe in the knowledge that, thanks to Prue, their lives had become just that little bit brighter.

Blessed Be