Christmas Treasure

[Esmeralda]

A/N For the last couple months, Primrose_Empath and I have been betaing a fic for StoryGirl83. While reading it this month, I realized that it could be changed into a Christmas story and StoryGirl graciously gave Primrose and me permission to do so. Here's the beginning. The ending will be posted on Christmas Day. We hope you like it.

Merry Christmas to everyone from all of us!

Christmas Treasure

Written by Esmeralda and Primrose_Empath

Based on “Patty's Treasure Box"; written by StoryGirl83.
This fanfiction is gratefully dedicated to her and Silverstar03 who edited it for us and gave us so many great suggestions.

DISCLAIMER: None of these characters belong to us, even if we wish they did.

The Charmed Ones sat around the Christmas tree on Christmas morning, opening up their gifts. Although they all enjoyed their presents and thanked each other profusely, there was a shadow cast over the proceedings. Paige could tell that her new sisters were fighting hard to appear as normal and as happy as they could, but they weren’t succeeding. She understood. She remembered her first Christmas without her parents; this was their first Christmas without Prue. She almost wished that Leo and Darryl and Cole hadn't decided to let the girls have this time to themselves, promising to come back later.

Trying to distract her sisters a bit, Paige spoke up. “You guys told me about a video that Victor gave you; a video about one of your Christmases as kids. Maybe it would be kinda fun to watch it. You think?”

Piper and Phoebe exchanged looks. They remembered watching that video, getting to see themselves as children, to see their mother alive. It had hurt, but it had also felt good to see her. They knew that watching that video would mean seeing their lost sister as a child.

“Yeah,” Piper agreed. “That’s a good idea.”

Phoebe nodded. “I’ll go get it.”

Soon the three of them were watching the video. When they came to a certain spot, Phoebe pushed “Pause” on the remote. Neither of her sisters complained as they watched her hand reach out to touch the face of the woman on the screen. They were all thinking the same thing: Why did you have to die, Mom? I needed you, need you still. The two Halliwells added Especially with Prue gone; Paige added Especially now that I’ve found them.

Phoebe pushed “Rewind” and they watched, mesmerized, as the images reversed. A sad smile spread across all of their lips as they watched a younger version of Prue dance backward through the room with her new toy camera, pretending to snap pictures. Phoebe pushed “Play” and again they watched their family laughing, enjoying Christmas.

“I wish I could’ve been part of that,” Paige murmured. “You all look so happy. I mean I love my parents and we had wonderful family Christmases, just the three of us, but...”

Piper reached out to touch her. “I wish you could’ve been part of it, too.”

Phoebe sighed, ”I just wish I had some memories of Mom. I don't even remember that Christmas.”

Piper joined in the sigh. “Neither do I,” she said wistfully as she stared at the screen, ready to lose herself in the few memories she did have of her mother. What she saw next on the video, however, snapped her out of the reverie. “Wait! Phoebe! Pause it!”

Phoebe jumped at Piper’s sudden change in tone, but she punched “Pause” again as soon as her finger found the button. Apparently the remote didn’t appreciate her punching, because nothing happened. Piper grabbed the remote and gently pushed “Rewind” before letting the video play again.

“What is it?” Paige asked, but Piper shushed her, watching the video carefully. When she saw the image she wanted she pushed “Pause.” Standing, she walked over to the screen and examined the image, her eyes growing wide. “I was right! Look!”

“What? What?” Phoebe asked as she and Paige looked with confusion at the screen. Prue was front and center, smiling at the camera, while their mother knelt in the background, hurriedly smoothing down the Christmas tree skirt.

Ignoring them, Piper looked around the room before walking over to the large desk in the corner of the room. It was the exact spot where the tree had been in the video. “Help me!” she called.

The two younger Charmed Ones still didn’t understand, but they walked over and helped their older sister move the desk nonetheless. Piper dropped to her knees and pulled up the corner of the carpet to reveal a hole in the floor just big enough to fit her index finger. Surrounding it was a small board cut out like a door. All three sets of brown eyes grew large in surprise as Phoebe and Paige also dropped to their knees. They wondered: Is this what Piper had seen in the video?

Reaching down, Piper put her finger in the hole and pulled up, smiling when the wood gave way. After setting the trapdoor aside, she reached into the hidden space.

“Is something there?” Phoebe asked.

“What is it?” Paige inquired.

Piper pulled out a small metal box. It was a plain brick red, about two inches deep, three inches wide, and five inches long. It had a small metal hinge and a tiny metal latch. She smiled broadly at her sisters. “It’s from Mom!”

“Mom!” and Phoebe grabbed for the box.

Piper held it up away from her. “Ah, ah, ah, Phoebs! Not until we put everything back.”

The two younger Charmed Ones sighed impatiently but waited until Piper returned the little wooden door and smoothed the carpet. They then helped her shove the desk back into place and followed her over to the Christmas tree. Somehow that seemed like the right place to open this gift from their mother.

Taking a deep breath, Piper pushed up the latch and opened the lid. The scent of sandalwood drifted up from the box. “Mom,” Piper told the other two. “Mom always wore sandalwood,” and the other two smiled as they leaned over to take a deep breath.

But when they looked into the box, the smiles promptly vanished. The box was empty. Piper was about to close it when Phoebe shook her head. “There’s words on the bottom.”

The other two looked in and saw them as well. They read: “To be opened when the time is right.”

“But when is the time right?” Paige asked.

“Well, if we found the box, shouldn’t the time be right now?” Phoebe wondered.

Piper touched the inside of the box, first feeling the bottom and then feeling the sides, searching for an answer. What was the reason for her mother’s words in an empty box? After a few seconds she removed her hand. She was about to close the lid when she noticed something appearing at the bottom of the box. “You guys! Look!”

They stared when at first the something seemed to shimmer like a ghost and then suddenly, in stark contrast to the brick-red lining, three white envelopes appeared at the bottom of the box. Phoebe gasped. On the first envelope were two words written with a familiar script. She knew the writing well from reading and re-reading her mother's message on the back of the spirit board.

Those two words read: “For Phoebe”.

Grabbing the envelope, she began to tear it open, anxious to see what her mother had left for her, but Piper reached out and pushed the envelope back down to Phoebe's lap. Shaking her head at Phoebe, she motioned for Paige to look inside.

“Me?” Paige squeaked. As soon as she noticed that there were three envelopes, she had sat back, happy to watch her sisters open their letters, but sad knowing that there wouldn’t be one for her and that they would have to decide what to do with Prue’s letter. Since she never expected anything from her birth parents, she was very surprised when Piper motioned to her.

Looking in, she gasped to see that the second envelope had the words “For Paige” written on it.

As Paige slowly, carefully, reverently removed the only thing she had ever received from her birth mother in over twenty years, Piper smiled to see that the last one had her own name on it. When she removed it, she also saw that the words on the bottom of the box had disappeared. She looked up at her sisters. “I guess that means the time is right.”

To be concluded on Christmas Day.

[Esmeralda]

Grinning, Phoebe tore her envelope open, still anxious to see what her mother had left for her. Pulling out the single sheet of rose-colored paper, she unfolded it and could almost hear her mother's voice saying:

“My Sweet Little Surprise, my dearest Phoebe,

“Never has a surprise been more welcomed than when I learned I was expecting you. I had been told that I couldn’t have any more children. Then I found out that I was going to have you.

“I wish I could tell you how I found out about you; someday you’ll find out on your own. Just know that it was the most magical of moments, one of the most special moments of my life.

Phoebe smiled. She remembered going back to the Seventies with Prue and Piper and running into her mother. She was happy to hear that her mother counted it as one of the most special moments of her life because she counted it the same way.

And when I saw you for the first time, oh, my darling baby girl, you are so beautiful! If you are reading this then you have grown to become an amazing young woman, one who I wish I could get to know, because I know how very proud of you I’d be. You may think that as I write this that I do not know, but believe me, I do.

Phoebe smiled. She knew that her mother meant it--she had told all three of them that during that trip back to the past.

By now you know that you have the power of premonitions; well, you shared that power with me while you were in my womb, so I know how beautiful and wonderful and good you and your sisters are--that my daughters are the prophesied Charmed Ones! I also know that I’m not going to be around for you as you grow up. But know that no matter what happens, your mother’s love will always surround you.

Now Phoebe's smile became sad. She remembered her mother becoming corporeal for Piper's wedding, and she remember her mother telling them about the premonition that she had shared with her mother while still in the womb. But above all, she treasured that mother/daughter hug that they had shared. Yes, that, too, was a special moment she would never forget.

“I love you, my beautiful baby. I will always love you. I do not know what the future holds, but whatever happens, always remember that I do.

(Signed)“All my love,
Mom”

Tears flowed down Phoebe’s cheeks.

Oh, Mom, I love you, too. I just miss not having had the chance to get to know you. Even though I'll always treasure the moments we've gotten to share with you, I still wish I could've had you during my childhood.

She held the letter close to her heart, her eyes fluttering closed. I miss you so much, Mom. But thank you so very much for this.

Meanwhile Piper carefully put her fingernail under the flap and slowly slid it across, trying to do as little harm to the envelope as possible. Taking out the single sheet of rose-colored paper, she unfolded it and began to read:

“My Dear Little Piper,

“You are aptly named. Though you do not use a pipe, what the piper did with his pipe, you do with food, even at the tender age of three. I can only imagine what you are doing with this talent of yours now.

Piper smiled, thinking of Quake and P3 and all of the potions she had made. She wondered if her mother had ever dreamed of what she’d end up doing with that talent. Perhaps those were dreams that only Grams had held.

“Today I watched you play with Prue and her little friend, Andy. You froze him to give the two of you an advantage.

Piper smiled sadly, remembering helping her younger self freeze a younger Andy. If only she could've used that power to save Andy, to save her mother, to save Prue.

By the time you read this you will have gotten your powers back. How strange it must all seem to you. Mother and I have agreed to keep silent about your powers, so you won’t wonder why we did this as you're growing up. I wish things were different, but you will learn, if you haven’t already, that we had our reasons--good reasons--for binding your powers.

Yeah. To save our lives and our powers from Nicholas. And it also let us have a normal childhood, an experience I will treasure always. Thank you for doing that, Mom.

“Your baby sister says, ‘hello.’ She just kicked me in the stomach to make sure I told you.

Piper grinned, looking over at Phoebe. Phoebs was the one who always wanted all the attention. Still does.

Growing up as an only child, I don’t know what it is like to be the middle child, but I’ve known some. I hope that you don’t feel caught in the middle too often. There will be times when the few years stretched between your two sisters will seem like an eternity. You may find yourself the only one who understands both sides. You may also find yourself ready to hit them both over the head and lock them out of the house. Don’t let them cause you too much trouble and please, keep them from killing each other.

Well, Mom, I don't know how I did it, but I somehow managed that, although I think our receiving our powers did that better than anything I ever did.

“I remember when I found out you had my power. I was so excited. It does a mother proud to see her daughter taking after her. You are a beautiful girl and I know you will become a beautiful young lady.

Piper smiled as she read, remembering that her mother had said the same things to her during the Seventies and also before her own wedding.

“It is a unique experience being pregnant with a witch whose powers are so different from yours, but your baby sister has shown me that your future shall eventually be without me. I don’t know how long I have left with you or if I will leave you before you read this. I just know it is coming. If I am still around, go find me and give me a hug. If not, I love you, Piper.

Oh, Mom, if you only knew how much I wish I could go find you and give you that hug. But somehow that's what I feel like I've been given with this letter, a hug I can have whenever I need it, and the way our life has been going, I'm going to be rereading this a lot.

(Signed)“All my love,
Mom”

Piper smiled as she put down the letter. Oh, Mom. We had so little time. I have so few memories of you from my childhood and Phoebe has none. I wish so much that we both could have had more.

Paige had simply sat there, watching her sisters read their letters and holding her own envelope close to her heart.

Piper noticed her. “Aren’t you going to open it?”

Paige smiled. “Yeah, I guess I will.”

Much like Piper, she slowly and carefully opened it, even while Phoebe urged her to just tear it open. She pulled out the single sheet of rose-colored paper with writing on both sides. Water drops were scattered across the page.

“My dearest most precious Baby,

“If you are reading this a lot has changed. Most likely one of your sisters is dead, though I hope that is not the case. I, too, am dead, for I saw in a premonition from Phoebe that my presence at Piper’s wedding was that only of a ghost. Sadly, you were not there. I do not know when I will die, only that I will never again in this life hold you in my arms.

“I am writing this one-handed while you sleep in my arms. I hardly dare breathe for fear of waking you up. I want to keep you so badly, but I know I can’t.

“Your very existence is forbidden and though I believe you will be safe once you are an adult and able to defend yourself, right now you are so small and I wouldn’t trust your life to them -- the Elders. Oh, I don’t think they will kill you as your grandmother thinks, but I do think that they would take you away from us. You would have nothing that resembles a life and I still would not get to keep you. At least this way you will be raised by someone who loves you.

“I don’t even know what to call you, my own baby, since it is your adopted parents who will choose your name. I will only ask that it starts with a 'P'.

“Not knowing how exactly you came to be part of the family again. I cannot comment on that. I guess all I can say is that I love you, my precious baby. I don’t know what you look like but I imagine you are a beautiful young woman, my beautiful daughter, although I know you are someone else’s. The knowledge that you are someone else’s hurts, but that is what must be.

“Sam is here. He’s your birth father, although you may never know it, and he is the reason I cannot keep you. Simply because he is a whitelighter. It didn’t matter that he is my whitelighter, the fact that he is a whitelighter is what makes your existence forbidden.

“He says we must go, that our time is short. I see one of your half-sisters behind him, rubbing sleep out of her eyes. I have an idea. I must pause in my writing of this letter.

“It took a few minutes, but I convinced Sam. One memento, a photograph of me and two of my beautiful girls. Sam refused to be in it, so he took it for me. Since your existence must be kept secret I will be casting a spell on it, just as I did with this box. If you want to see it, just say the spell at the end of this letter. It’s a Power of Three spell, so be sure your sisters say it with you.

“It is so hard to end this letter. It is as if ending it is my final good-bye even though I will have you a few minutes more. Sam and I love you, our precious baby, and we’ll love you always even though we can’t have you with us. Never doubt that for a moment.

“(Signed) With Love From Your Birth Mother,
“Patty Halliwell”

On the bottom of the page was a two-line spell.

Paige stared at the letter for several minutes in complete silence. This is so unlike anything I ever expected. She looked down at the signature, a smile growing on her face. She didn’t try to deny my mom, just stake her own claim.

She looked up at her sisters who were waiting patiently. “She says she has something for me. There’s a spell at the end of my letter, but it’s a Power of Three spell.”

The other two solemnly nodded, both curious to see what their mother had left for their half-sister. Standing up, still holding their own letters in their hands, they surrounded Paige and began to chant the words written at the end of Paige’s letter:

“What was hidden, we hold so dear;
Make the picture reappear.”

“Look!” Phoebe pointed at the little red box. It was beginning to fade, but then change. At first all they saw was the ghostly outline of a rectangular object. Then it formed into a framed photograph. They ran over to it and gasped.

Paige recognized Patty Halliwell--she couldn’t really think of her as her mother--sitting down in one of the front room armchairs. In her arms was a small baby, a few days old at most. Paige had to guess that it was her. Leaning against the chair in a childish pose was another little girl, one they all recognized.

“Prue!” her sisters gasped. “We have a picture of you with Mom and Prue!”

This picture, along with their letters, was a treasure beyond words, a gift of love from the past.

******

Even as tears rolled down the Charmed Ones’ eyes, they were also rolling down three ghosts’ eyes as they watched the proceedings from somewhere Up There.

“I remember that,” Prue told her mother and grandmother. “I remember seeing you holding that baby, Mom; I even remember you letting me hold her in my own arms; and I remember Sam taking the picture. I just had no idea who she was or why I never saw her again. And then you died so soon after that, Mom, that I admit that I totally forgot about it.”

Patty smiled. “I’m glad that you were the one who walked in with Sam. It just makes this more special for them.”

“But it sounds like you wrote Piper's letter when we were young and Phoebe’s letter right after her birth…”

Patty again smiled. “So where’s yours? I took it back after you died, and held onto it until your sisters found theirs. That's also when I put Phoebe's on top. Piper and Paige would've never gotten a chance to take theirs out otherwise.”

Penny guffawed and Prue smiled. “Is that when you wrote Paige's name on her envelope?”

Patty nodded and then waved her hand to summon the last letter. Smiling, she handed the envelope to her oldest daughter. Written on it were the words “For Prue.”

Prue smiled and then, much like Piper and Paige, carefully opened the envelope. Even though she knew that, as a ghost, she couldn’t harm it, she couldn’t help treating the paper with such reverence. After all, she had received so few gifts from her mother in life.

Prue smiled and then much like Piper and Paige she carefully opened the envelope, even though she knew that as a ghost, she couldn’t harm it.

After she removed the rose-colored sheet of paper, Patty took it. “Here. Let me read it to you,” and Prue smiled as Patty began to read aloud:

“My Dear, Dear Prue,

“Even now, at age four, you are a wonder; I know you will make me very proud. I know you will be the big sister Piper and Phoebe need, but remember you are also just their sister. Sometimes it’s okay to just be a sister. Love them, hug them, be a friend when they need one.

Prue smiled sadly. “You were right, Mom. I was their mother a lot more than their sister, even for Piper. I wish you had been there, Mom, so I only would've had to be a big sister. Maybe Phoebe and I would’ve gotten along better. I'm sure you would've been able to handle her better than I did.”

Penny laughed. “I’m not certain about that, my darling. Phoebe was always a handful.”

They all laughed and then Patty continued to read aloud:

“It is hard to write a letter explaining how I shall feel for you at the time you read it, especially since you will not read it for many years. As I have put a spell on the chest that held this letter, you will not be able to open it until you have your magic back.

“I have reason to believe that I will not be around when this happens, and if I am not, know that I love you and know that I miss you. I hope I am wrong so I can have a hug and the chance to tell you I love you in person.

“Today, I watched you and Piper play with the neighbor boy, Andy Trudeau. Do you still know him?

That made all of them laugh. Here in the afterlife Andy was now Prue’s husband.

“Piper froze him and the poor boy was so confused.

The corner of Prue’s lips quirked at the mention of Piper freezing Andy. “Oh, yes, Piper and I still confused him until the day he died, although we had Phoebe to help us with that, too,” and the other two smiled before Patty continued to read.

“In my stomach I felt your baby sister kick. You, Piper and Andy all wanted to feel her when I told you. Soon she will be born and then Mother will be binding your powers. You may not like that, but what we will be doing, what by now we have already done is for your own safety and to give you the normal childhood you all deserve.

Prue smiled. “And we appreciated it. I was always planning to bind my own daughters' powers for the same reason and talk my sisters into doing the same.”

Patty smiled, then finished the letter:

“Never doubt my love for you. I may not say it enough. I doubt there is such a thing. I want you to know. I love you, Prue.

(Signed)“With Love,
Mom”

Prue reached out and hugged both her mother and grandmother. “I love both of you, too. After you died, Mom, it was so hard to say those words out loud, but I always did.”

Patty smiled. "You were able to say them after I saved you in the pool. That meant so much to me, and to them," and she looked Down.

Prue nodded. "And I love them, too. I wonder if they know how much I do. I know they’re not allowed to see me yet, but do you think I can at least write them a Christmas letter?”

The two older ghosts looked at each other. Penny nodded. “I don’t see why not.”

The End

[Simymonna]

Okay okay! I have read it! And I LOVE IT!!!
Woow good writting! It was an fantastic idea of the letters in a box.
It made a tear come up in my eye! A real christmas feeling coming above! Loved the Ending! It was an fantastic fantic to read! I was happy that I could get in your journey and this fanfic. I saw it all before my eyes happening. And that is what is so important with fanfics! Seeing it in front of your eyes happening..

It was great! Thank for letting me read the fanfic!

[Esmeralda]

Since we're getting near Christmastime, I decided to bump this ahead...