Chapter One
Phoebe Halliwell was working from home. Piper was at the club, and Paige was at her newest temp job.Phoebe was in the kitchen. It was storming outside. There was a ton of rain and lightning. She heard the door bell ring, so she set down the bottle of water she had been drinking and walked through the dining room and living room to the foyer at the front door; she turned on the light to the outside. She couldnt see well through the stained glass window, so she opened the door, seeing a blonde woman, who was holding a suitcase in one hand and holding the hand of a child in the other. She looked at the woman.
"How can I help you, ma'am?" Phoebe asked. The woman looked to be about her age. She looked oddly familar as well. The woman set down the suitcase.
"Does Phoebe Halliwell still live here?" she sighed, messing with her blonde hair. The little girl was looking up at the woman. Phoebe didn't know who this person was.
"It depends on who is asking. Who are you ma'am?" Phoebe asked impatiently. The woman smiled and let go of the girl's hand.
"Phoebe, i knew it was you. It's Jessica. Jessica Smith from Baker High," the woman replied. Phoebe's jaw dropped, she had never expected to see her again after high school.
About two hours later, when the storm had slowed a little and Piper had made it back with Wyatt and Paige had called to say she didn't know when she would be back, Phoebe was standing against the counter in the kitchen, Jessica was sitting at the table with her daughter. Colette, Jessica's daughter, was eating something.
"So, Phoebe, I hear that you are quite famous these days. I am glad one of us made it to the big leagues," she stood up, letting her four year old daughter eat on her own. Phoebe smiled and nodded.
"Yea, can you believe it? Me, an advice columnist. It's weird, but hey, I give good advice, or at least my mailbox wouldn't be full of letters each day if I didn't," she took a sip of her water and looked out of the window. "That storm is pretty bad. I wonder what is causing it." All of the sudden, a demon shimmered in and grabbed Colette, who had just stood up to walk to her mommy.
"Damnit, damnit, damnit!" Piper yelled as she froze the scene. She put her hands on her hips. "Phoebe, what do you think you are doing? Who's this and who is the kid?" Jessica rolled her eyes and walked over, taking her daughter from the demon.
"I am a good witch, like you and your sisters. Piper, blow him up, please," Jessica walked back away from the demon. Piper blew him to pieces. Jessica had Colette's head to her chest. Colette looked up, she had been so scared.
"Mommy? What happened?" she sniffed, wrapping her small arms around her mother's neck. Jessica sighed and rubbed Colette's back.
"Honey, it's going to be okay. Mommy won't let anything happen to you, not now, not ever." She looked at Phoebe. Phoebe sighed and looked down. Jessica was her former best friend in high school until she had to move away. Jessica had to move to Los Angeles to live with her father because her mother could no longer handle her wild streak. Jessica looked at Phoebe. "I think that maybe I should put her down for a nap. Can i put her in your room?" Phoebe nodded. Jessica walked out and headed upstairs to Phoebe's room. Phoebe looked at Piper.
"Now, who is this girl and the child?" Piper asked. She had been a little moody lately. Phoebe walked over to the table and picked up the plate that Colette had been eating off of. She set it in the sink and looked back at Piper.
"That's Jessica Smith, Piper, she and I went to school through Junior year, then she moved. She wanted to come and see me, so she and Colette, that's her daughter, came to see me. She wants me to be Colette's God-Mother. She also came into town to bury her mother who was murdered. She hasn't told me how she was killed yet, though," Phoebe said.
"But why is she staying here? If her mother lives in town, why isn't she in her mother's house?" Piper asked. Jessica walked back in.
"Piper, if I am inconviencing you in any way, please tell me. I don't want to be a nuisance. I mean, I have a friend that offered for me to stay at their place," she sighed. "Let me get my things and I will be gone. I just don't want to stay in my mother's house because of all of my bad memories there." She turned to walk out of the kitchen.
"No, Jessica, you aren't," Phoebe said, walking after her. "You will have to excuse Piper. With two sons, she is extremely cranky sometimes." She looked at Piper. "Don't worry about it." Jessica sighed.
"No, I think I better go. I really don't want to inconvience you all," she turned once again to walk out. Phoebe looked at Piper, who sighed and shook her head.
"No, Jessica, please, stay. I am just really stressed," Piper said, walking out of the kitchen. She walked upstairs to the boys' room. She looked at Wyatt who was laying in his play pen and then at baby Chris who was asleep in the crib. Back downstairs, Phoebe was looking at Jessica.
"Jess, look, don't worry about Piper. She is going through a lot. With two sons and all of the drama between their father," Phoebe sighed, "Piper is gonna be a little upset that I didn't tell her about you when you first got here. When she got home, you were in my room." Jessica nodded.
"Yea, well, I know what it is like to have guests wear out their welcome. I lived in Los Angeles for a while after I graduated. I lived in an apartment with my now ex-fiance, Colette's father. He was there until she was born and then he left to go and do some business. He fell in love with another witch and from what I hear, he is now dead," she sighed. "We had a lot of good times. I still love him, but I need to move on." Phoebe put a hand on her friend's shoulder.
"I am pretty sure that you will. But for now, I think you need some rest or would you like to talk, you know about things after you left," she smiled. They walked out of the kitchen to the living room and began talking about things after Jessica had left. Phoebe didn't know the truth, however. She didn't know that Cole was Jessica's ex-fiance, but Jess knew that the witch Cole had fallen for was Phoebe.
Back in Piper's bedroom, she was sitting on her bed, looking at the baby book for Wyatt. She smiled, looking at a picture of she, Leo, and Wyatt. Leo walked in, carrying Chris and holding Wyatt's hand. He helped Wyatt onto the bed and sat down, holding Chris. Piper looked at him.
"What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be doing Elderly things right about now?" she asked him. He shook his head and adjusted Chris from one shoulder to the other.
"No, my loyalties lie here, with my family," he sighed. He wasn't sure exactly where he and Piper were on the relationship status. He looked down at Wyatt who was crawling over to Piper. Piper nodded.
"Good thing. I don't think we want another thing like what happened in that cave when Chris beat the shit out of you again," she laughed. Leo smiled a little.
"Yea, I don't think any of us want that to happen again," he sighed and looked at her for a second, then he looked down. "Piper, will we ever be together again. Like, married and happy?" The question had been burning inside of him for weeks. Piper looked down.
"I don't know Leo.I would like to, but I mean right now I am so unsure of everything," she sighed and looked at the sleeping baby on Leo's shoulder. Leo smiled at her.
"Piper..," he said, trailing off. She leaned over and kissed him.
Jessica was laying on the couch and Phoebe was sitting in a chair; they were talking about fond memories of Baker High. Phoebe was laughing very loudly and Jessica was talking about the time they pulled the fire alarm and the principal's toupee got sprayed off by a hose.
"Yea, do you remember how red his face got?" Phoebe laughed. "I will never forget that day." She smiled. "I really missed you Jess. It's been lonely. The reunion was a little weird with magic involved, but other than that, it was boring, without you there." Jessica laughed.
"Yea, I can imagine. I heard that it was off of the wall. I ran into whats his face that married that preppy, you know, and he was all like, man, you should have come to the reunion," she laughed. "He said that it was so funny. All of this weird stuff had happened and then I thought, 'Uh-oh, Phoebe's magic'." Phoebe laughed with her. All of the sudden, they heard a noise like something blowing up from upstairs followed by a scream. Jessica's eyes widened and Phoebe jumped up.
"Colette," they both said at the same time, and then both of them ran upstairs. Phoebe made it into the room first and there was something that looked like scorch marks on the bureau. Jessica looked around.
"Colette? Colette honey, where are you?" she asked. There was a wimpering noise coming from underneath the bed. Jessica lay on the floor and looked under the bed. "Come on sweetie, it's just mommy. I am here, honey." Colette crawled from under the bed into her mother's arms. Jessica stood up, putting her on the bed. Phoebe was looking at the bureau. Jessica looked over at Phoebe.
"Looks like a demon attacked, but it can't have been that powerful, a normal fire ball would have blown this to pieces. Maybe it was something else, who knows?" she asked walking over and looking at Jessica. "Maybe they were after Colette and she saw them and screamed and she scared them. Then, they threw a fire ball at the dresser?" Jessica shook her head.
"I don't think so, the scream was after the noise, so maybe they tried to attack her and then she hid and when she heard the loud noise, the screamed?" Jessica suggested. Phoebe shrugged and then Piper came in, holding baby Chris with Leo behind her holding Wyatt.
"We heard a noise, what happened?" Piper asked. Phoebe looked at Piper and sighed. Piper took the hint and she and Leo went back to her room.
"Was that Piper and Leo together? I thought the great couple had split?" Jessica asked. Phoebe shrugged and sat down on a chair.
"Whatever was in here, is gone now, we just have to be sure not to leave Colette alone.She needs to have an eye on her at all times," Phoebe sighed. Jessica put Colette on the bed and sat down with her.
Paige Matthews was sitting at her temp job. She was now working as a secretary at Bucklands Auction House, where Prue used to work. She was stuck answering phones. She had begun to think her temp jobs had no reason lately. She picked up the phone.
"Bucklands Auction House, this is Paige, how can i help you?" she said nicely. She was begining to get bored with this job. She looked up, seeing someone walk in. "Hold please." She looked at the person walking it. It was no one other than Richard Montana, Paige's exboyfriend.
"Paige..," he said, a little smile on his face. "Paige, it has been so long." She looked at him, unsure of whether she should be happy to see him or what.
"Hi, Richard," she said shortly. "What can I do for you?" He leaned against the counter. She looked at him like "what?". He sighed and stood up straight.
"Paige, would you like to have dinner with me and my family tonight? Not all of them, of course, just the live ones," he laughed. "And, also.. I would like to apologize for choosing magic over you. I was so stupid to do that, and it took me almost losing myself to realize that I can't live without you." Paige smiled at him.
"Yea, dinner sounds good," she said. "I get off at about five, so about six, I'll be over there?" He nodded and leaned over the desk to kiss her cheek.
"See you then," he sighed and walked out of the auction house. Paige went back to answering the phones.
Back in Piper's room, she and Leo were sitting on the floor and the boys were both asleep on the bed. Piper had out the baby book and they were laughing at some of the goofy pictures of Wyatt from when he was a small baby. They continued laughing. About twenty minutes later, they had headed down to the kitchen so that Piper could cook something. Leo had orbed the boys down into the playpen in the sun room. Paige walked into the manor and went to the kitchen.
"Piper," she looked at her sister and saw Leo. "Hi Leo." She smiled. "You will never believe what happened at my new temp. It's at Prue's old job, Bucklands, anyways, about an hour ago Richard came in and asked me for dinner tonight. I haven't seen the guy in weeks and now he wants dinner! He told me he was sorry and he was so stupid. Would you trust him if you were in my shoes?" Piper laughed. "What's so funny?"
"The way you came in here," she continued to smile. "I just find it funny that you come in here like a woman on a mission." Leo had been standing by Piper and he was laughing as he stood next to her.
"Piper, is something going on that I don't know about here?" she asked, lifting an eyebrow. Piper and Leo both shook their heads.
"No, not really," Leo said, standing behind Piper and putting his arms around her. Paige lifted her eyebrows again and shook her head. She turned around and walked out of the kitchen, heading upstairs to get ready for her dinner date. She walked into the room that had all of her things and she found something simple to wear. Phoebe walked in quietly.
"Hey, where are you going?" she asked quietly. Paige looked at Phoebe and sighed deeply. Phoebe sat down on a chair.
"I have a dinner date with Richard. Why are we whispering?" Paige asked Phoebe. Phoebe sighed and stood up from her seat.
"Jess and Colette are asleep in my room and I am afraid that waking up either of them might start a bomb, but I need a favor, and since you have a dinner date, maybe i should ask Piper," she said, turning around and walking out of the room.
"Wait, Phoebe, no, what is it?" Paige asked. Phoebe turned back around and sighed. She put a hand on Paige's shoulder and lead her to her, Phoebe's, room.
"I need you to watch them for me. It's just for a little while. I have to go into the office for a meeting that wont last too long. Please, Paige? I could really use the help," Phoebe begged.
"Yea, sure, Pheebs, i guess i could for alittle while," Paige sighed. It wasn't like she wanted to go to Richard's. She didn't really want to, but she guessed that maybe she should do it out of concern for his well being.
"Thank you, so much, I owe you one. Love you, and if Jess wakes up tell her I will be back," Phoebe said, rushing out of the room downstairs. Paige stood there for a minute, looking at the little girl on the bed. The girl had dark brown hair and she looked familar. 'Nah', Paige shook her head. 'I don't know that girl.' Paige walked back downstairs and looked at Piper and Leo who were sitting at the table drinking coffee.
"Hey Paige, ready for your date?" Piper asked, looking over at Leo and taking a sip of her coffee. Paige shook her head and sat down.
"Actually I have to watch Phoebe's friend and her daughter until Phoebe gets back from her office," she replied. "I don't think I really want to go anyways. Maybe I can call Richard and tell him that I can't make it because something came up?" Piper shook her head and set down her coffee.
"Paige, you should go, I can watch Jessica and Colette until Phoebe gets back, though I don't see why they need to be watched," Piper shrugged.
"Okay, Piper. I will be back later," she stood up and orbed out to Richard's house. Piper stood up and went over and picked up a fussy Chris. She bounced him and looked at Leo.
"I can't wait to see them with kids," she laughed. She had been in a good mood all day since she knew that Leo loved her and he knew she loved him back. She was hoping they would get back together for good.
Phoebe ran into the Bay Mirror office. Elise looked at her weirdly. The meeting had already started by about ten minutes. Phoebe rushed into the meeting room and sat at one end of the table, apologizing. The weather had cleared up, she hadn't gotten wet going to and from her car. She looked at Jason who was at the other end of the table. He looked at her and then continued with the meeting. The meeting was just really a catch-everyone-up-to-speed-meeting, it was nothing big. As Jason was closing, he continuously looked at Phoebe.
"Okay, meeting's over," he said, gathering his papers. "Phoebe can I talk to you for a minute?" Phoebe nodded and walked to the other side of the table.
"What is it Jason?" she asked him, set her purse in a chair. "Is there something wrong with my column?" He shook his head and leaned against the table.
"No, I was actually wondering how things are going. Your column has actually gotten a little better, apart from that little dip you had for a little while," he smiled. "I have read every issue of it Phoebe." She smiled a little.
"Thanks, Jason," she didn't know what else to say. She stood there, uncomfortably. "So, how have you been?" He shrugged and sighed again.
"Things have been tough. More and more business all over the world. So, kill any demons lately?" he asked. Phoebe sighed and looked down.
"Too many to count. I have turned in to a few things while you were gone too," she laughed. He shook his head like he didn't believe her. "Do you want to try me?" She laughed. "Let's see, before you left I was possessed by a spy, then I became a genie, then I became my high school self again, which was pretty funny because it was at my reunion for high school, and then i saw past times of my life. I saw things from so long ago, like from my marriage, and from my oldest sister, Prue, who died." He crossed his arms and sighed.
"Wow, sounds like fun," he laughed. She stopped him from laughing and then rubbed her forehead.
"And then I lost my powers, because I had been using them to my own personal gain," she stopped. She was thinking about why she had been using them recklessly.
"Something wrong?" he asked her. "You look like something you said scared you." He commented slowly, hoping she wouldnt go crazy on him.
"Well, the reason I had been using them wrongly was because I had a vision that I was going to get pregnant," she sighed. "And I was using my powers to see if I had a future with these guys i went on dates with." He took her hand and she was hit with a premonition. They were making out in her room on her bed. Then, she saw him propose to her. She came out of the vision and looked at him.
"What is it now?" he asked. She shook her head. She didn't want to tell him but she knew that she needed to. She sighed deeply.
"I saw you and me," she said. He looked at her like he wanted her to continue. "And you asked me to marry you." He looked down at the floor. He still loved Phoebe a lot. He just didn't like how she had to hide it from him for as long as she did. He hugged her.
"Phoebe, I still love you, you know that right?" he said. She started to tear up. "I never stopped loving you infact. I was just hurt, but now I am over it and I realize that I love you Phoebe." She smiled at him. Then they kissed for a long time.
Back at the manor, Piper was still cooking and Leo had been called up to the Elders. Jessica walked downstairs, holding Colette's hand; she walked into the kitchen and sat at the table.
"Where did Phoebe go?" she asked, setting Colette on the table. Piper stirred the stuff she was cooking and sighed. Baby Chris was awake.
"She had to go into the office for a meeting. She should be back soon," Piper said, rushing to the sun room to get Chris. Jessica sighed.
"Maybe we should go. I don't think they want us here any more," Jess sighed. "And plus, I had this weird dream about your daddy. He was laying by me and he told me that I should take you and we should leave." She shrugged.
"No, Mommy, I want to stay here with Nana," Colette commented. Piper walked back into the kitchen, carrying Chris. She sighed and sat at the table to feed him after grabbed a bottle from the counter. Jessica looked at Piper.
"Can I help with anything?" she asked nicely. Piper shook her head. Jessica stood up and walked over to the stove. She had been working in restaurants on and off for the past few years, so she thought she could help Piper out; she stirred some of the food. "Jessica, you don't have to."
"But I want to. It feels like so long since I was able to actually cook," she laughed. "I used to want to own my own restaurant, but then I fell in love with a man and that screwed up my life for good." Piper continued to feed Chris.
"Yea, guys do that sometimes; I just wish there was some way I could help you out. So how long are you here for?" Piper asked. Jessica shrugged.
"I don't really know. I wasn't planning on staying here that long, but Colette doesn't want to leave," she sighed as she stirred the food. Colette looked at Piper.
"Miss Halliwell, do you know my daddy?" she asked. Jessica stopped and laughed. Colette looked at her mother. "What, Mommy?"
"Honey, your daddy is gone.. and I don't think that Piper would know him," she sighed and looked at Piper. Piper lifted her eyebrows.
"Who's her father?" Piper asked. Phoebe walked in at that exact moment. She had a happy face on. Jessica turned to Phoebe.
"What are you smiling about?" she asked, Piper had the same look on her face as if to ask that question. Phoebe sat at the table, continuously smiling.
"Jason and I are back together," she said. "He is coming over tonight for dinner. What are you cooking?" Phoebe looked over at the stove.
"Roast, and Jessica has been helping me," Piper said. Phoebe nodded and looked at her best friend.
"Yea, she is an awesome cook, or at least she was back in school," she smiled. "But I am so happy that we are back together, you have no idea Piper." Jessica walked back behind the stove to stir the vegetables.
"I'm happy for you, Pheebs," she sighed. "I think that me and Colette are going to go and head to my mom's house tonight. It's going to be in my name after the funeral tomorrow. I need to go by and look at her will. I think she left everything to me." Phoebe shook her head.
"You can't leave, we were having so much fun," she walked over to Jessica and gave her the puppy dog face. Jessica laughed and shook her head.
"This is no place for me. I can't handle having demons swoop in and out all of the time," she shook her head again and sighed deeply.
"Jess, please, stay, listen, just give us tonight, and thats it. After tonight, you can go if you want to," Phoebe said and turned to walk out of the kitchen. "Now I am going to get ready for my date." She laughed. Jessica looked at Piper.
"I guess I can stay just tonight," she looked over at Colette. "How about after Nannie gets out of the bathroom I give you a bath, sweetie?" Colette smiled at her mommy.
"Mommy, when can I see Daddy?" she asked. Collete shook her head and knelt next to Colette. She put her arms around her daughter and sighed.
"Honey, your daddy," she looked down, her eyes filling with tears. "Your daddy isn't coming back to us sweetheart. So, please, don't make this any worse than it already is." Piper stood up and walked over to the stove, still holding baby Chris on her shoulder. The next thing, Chris orbed in, looking scraggly.
"Mom," he said, looking at Piper, not noticing Jess and Colette. "There are rumors around the Underworld. They said the Source's heir to the throne is in town." Jessica picked up Colette and stood up. Chris looked at her like he had never seen a woman so beautiful in his life.
"Hi, I'm Jessica, a friend of Phoebe's," she said, extending her hand to him. He took it but didn't take his eyes off of her.
"I'm Chris, Piper's son from the future, the baby," he said, motioning to his mother and the baby and taking her hand. "And who is this cute little girl?" He looked at Colette and smiled.
"This is my daughter, Colette," she smiled at him. "If you are the baby there, then my daughter is older than you are." She laughed and took her hand back. "Piper, I am going to take Colette up to Phoebe's room to get her ready for her bath, call me if you need me." She walked out and headed upstairs. Piper looked at older Chris and walked to the sun room to put baby Chris down. Big Chris followed her.
"Chris, you can't get all googly-eyed over your aunt's friend. She's twenty some odd years older than you, are you crazy?" Piper asked him. He shrugged.
"All I did was say hi, Mom, it's not a big deal, or at least it shouldn't. Besides, who's to say things wont work out?" he laughed and looked at her again."But, back to the topic. There are rumors flying around all over that the Source's heir is in town, and they want the child and the mother dead." Piper walked back to the kitchen.
"Well, what do you think about it?" she asked him. "I mean, who could it be? The last major Source was Cole and from what we know, he didn't have any children. Yet again, he was alive for over a hundred years, so who's to say he didn't?" She shrugged. Chris stood up.
"Well, I better be getting back before they suspect something," he stood up and orbed out. Phoebe came down a minute later looking very nice and pretty in her pink top and black dress pants.
"Now what was my loving nephew saying about the Source?" she asked, putting her hand on her hip."And did I hear Cole?" Piper nodded at her younger sister.
"There is a rumor going around the Underworld that the child of the Source is in town, and I was telling Chris that Cole didn't have any children, at least any that we knew of," she grabbed plates from the cabinet and turned off the stove. Piper looked at Phoebe. "Now, if you will please watch Chris and Wyatt, I am going to take a quick shower before dinner," she said, hurrying out before Phoebe could say anything. Phoebe walked into the sun room where Chris was in the play pen on the bottom of it and Wyatt was sitting on the floor playing with his toys.
Phoebe Halliwell was working from home. Piper was at the club, and Paige was at her newest temp job.Phoebe was in the kitchen. It was storming outside. There was a ton of rain and lightning. She heard the door bell ring, so she set down the bottle of water she had been drinking and walked through the dining room and living room to the foyer at the front door; she turned on the light to the outside. She couldnt see well through the stained glass window, so she opened the door, seeing a blonde woman, who was holding a suitcase in one hand and holding the hand of a child in the other. She looked at the woman.
"How can I help you, ma'am?" Phoebe asked. The woman looked to be about her age. She looked oddly familar as well. The woman set down the suitcase.
"Does Phoebe Halliwell still live here?" she sighed, messing with her blonde hair. The little girl was looking up at the woman. Phoebe didn't know who this person was.
"It depends on who is asking. Who are you ma'am?" Phoebe asked impatiently. The woman smiled and let go of the girl's hand.
"Phoebe, i knew it was you. It's Jessica. Jessica Smith from Baker High," the woman replied. Phoebe's jaw dropped, she had never expected to see her again after high school.
About two hours later, when the storm had slowed a little and Piper had made it back with Wyatt and Paige had called to say she didn't know when she would be back, Phoebe was standing against the counter in the kitchen, Jessica was sitting at the table with her daughter. Colette, Jessica's daughter, was eating something.
"So, Phoebe, I hear that you are quite famous these days. I am glad one of us made it to the big leagues," she stood up, letting her four year old daughter eat on her own. Phoebe smiled and nodded.
"Yea, can you believe it? Me, an advice columnist. It's weird, but hey, I give good advice, or at least my mailbox wouldn't be full of letters each day if I didn't," she took a sip of her water and looked out of the window. "That storm is pretty bad. I wonder what is causing it." All of the sudden, a demon shimmered in and grabbed Colette, who had just stood up to walk to her mommy.
"Damnit, damnit, damnit!" Piper yelled as she froze the scene. She put her hands on her hips. "Phoebe, what do you think you are doing? Who's this and who is the kid?" Jessica rolled her eyes and walked over, taking her daughter from the demon.
"I am a good witch, like you and your sisters. Piper, blow him up, please," Jessica walked back away from the demon. Piper blew him to pieces. Jessica had Colette's head to her chest. Colette looked up, she had been so scared.
"Mommy? What happened?" she sniffed, wrapping her small arms around her mother's neck. Jessica sighed and rubbed Colette's back.
"Honey, it's going to be okay. Mommy won't let anything happen to you, not now, not ever." She looked at Phoebe. Phoebe sighed and looked down. Jessica was her former best friend in high school until she had to move away. Jessica had to move to Los Angeles to live with her father because her mother could no longer handle her wild streak. Jessica looked at Phoebe. "I think that maybe I should put her down for a nap. Can i put her in your room?" Phoebe nodded. Jessica walked out and headed upstairs to Phoebe's room. Phoebe looked at Piper.
"Now, who is this girl and the child?" Piper asked. She had been a little moody lately. Phoebe walked over to the table and picked up the plate that Colette had been eating off of. She set it in the sink and looked back at Piper.
"That's Jessica Smith, Piper, she and I went to school through Junior year, then she moved. She wanted to come and see me, so she and Colette, that's her daughter, came to see me. She wants me to be Colette's God-Mother. She also came into town to bury her mother who was murdered. She hasn't told me how she was killed yet, though," Phoebe said.
"But why is she staying here? If her mother lives in town, why isn't she in her mother's house?" Piper asked. Jessica walked back in.
"Piper, if I am inconviencing you in any way, please tell me. I don't want to be a nuisance. I mean, I have a friend that offered for me to stay at their place," she sighed. "Let me get my things and I will be gone. I just don't want to stay in my mother's house because of all of my bad memories there." She turned to walk out of the kitchen.
"No, Jessica, you aren't," Phoebe said, walking after her. "You will have to excuse Piper. With two sons, she is extremely cranky sometimes." She looked at Piper. "Don't worry about it." Jessica sighed.
"No, I think I better go. I really don't want to inconvience you all," she turned once again to walk out. Phoebe looked at Piper, who sighed and shook her head.
"No, Jessica, please, stay. I am just really stressed," Piper said, walking out of the kitchen. She walked upstairs to the boys' room. She looked at Wyatt who was laying in his play pen and then at baby Chris who was asleep in the crib. Back downstairs, Phoebe was looking at Jessica.
"Jess, look, don't worry about Piper. She is going through a lot. With two sons and all of the drama between their father," Phoebe sighed, "Piper is gonna be a little upset that I didn't tell her about you when you first got here. When she got home, you were in my room." Jessica nodded.
"Yea, well, I know what it is like to have guests wear out their welcome. I lived in Los Angeles for a while after I graduated. I lived in an apartment with my now ex-fiance, Colette's father. He was there until she was born and then he left to go and do some business. He fell in love with another witch and from what I hear, he is now dead," she sighed. "We had a lot of good times. I still love him, but I need to move on." Phoebe put a hand on her friend's shoulder.
"I am pretty sure that you will. But for now, I think you need some rest or would you like to talk, you know about things after you left," she smiled. They walked out of the kitchen to the living room and began talking about things after Jessica had left. Phoebe didn't know the truth, however. She didn't know that Cole was Jessica's ex-fiance, but Jess knew that the witch Cole had fallen for was Phoebe.
Back in Piper's bedroom, she was sitting on her bed, looking at the baby book for Wyatt. She smiled, looking at a picture of she, Leo, and Wyatt. Leo walked in, carrying Chris and holding Wyatt's hand. He helped Wyatt onto the bed and sat down, holding Chris. Piper looked at him.
"What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be doing Elderly things right about now?" she asked him. He shook his head and adjusted Chris from one shoulder to the other.
"No, my loyalties lie here, with my family," he sighed. He wasn't sure exactly where he and Piper were on the relationship status. He looked down at Wyatt who was crawling over to Piper. Piper nodded.
"Good thing. I don't think we want another thing like what happened in that cave when Chris beat the shit out of you again," she laughed. Leo smiled a little.
"Yea, I don't think any of us want that to happen again," he sighed and looked at her for a second, then he looked down. "Piper, will we ever be together again. Like, married and happy?" The question had been burning inside of him for weeks. Piper looked down.
"I don't know Leo.I would like to, but I mean right now I am so unsure of everything," she sighed and looked at the sleeping baby on Leo's shoulder. Leo smiled at her.
"Piper..," he said, trailing off. She leaned over and kissed him.
Jessica was laying on the couch and Phoebe was sitting in a chair; they were talking about fond memories of Baker High. Phoebe was laughing very loudly and Jessica was talking about the time they pulled the fire alarm and the principal's toupee got sprayed off by a hose.
"Yea, do you remember how red his face got?" Phoebe laughed. "I will never forget that day." She smiled. "I really missed you Jess. It's been lonely. The reunion was a little weird with magic involved, but other than that, it was boring, without you there." Jessica laughed.
"Yea, I can imagine. I heard that it was off of the wall. I ran into whats his face that married that preppy, you know, and he was all like, man, you should have come to the reunion," she laughed. "He said that it was so funny. All of this weird stuff had happened and then I thought, 'Uh-oh, Phoebe's magic'." Phoebe laughed with her. All of the sudden, they heard a noise like something blowing up from upstairs followed by a scream. Jessica's eyes widened and Phoebe jumped up.
"Colette," they both said at the same time, and then both of them ran upstairs. Phoebe made it into the room first and there was something that looked like scorch marks on the bureau. Jessica looked around.
"Colette? Colette honey, where are you?" she asked. There was a wimpering noise coming from underneath the bed. Jessica lay on the floor and looked under the bed. "Come on sweetie, it's just mommy. I am here, honey." Colette crawled from under the bed into her mother's arms. Jessica stood up, putting her on the bed. Phoebe was looking at the bureau. Jessica looked over at Phoebe.
"Looks like a demon attacked, but it can't have been that powerful, a normal fire ball would have blown this to pieces. Maybe it was something else, who knows?" she asked walking over and looking at Jessica. "Maybe they were after Colette and she saw them and screamed and she scared them. Then, they threw a fire ball at the dresser?" Jessica shook her head.
"I don't think so, the scream was after the noise, so maybe they tried to attack her and then she hid and when she heard the loud noise, the screamed?" Jessica suggested. Phoebe shrugged and then Piper came in, holding baby Chris with Leo behind her holding Wyatt.
"We heard a noise, what happened?" Piper asked. Phoebe looked at Piper and sighed. Piper took the hint and she and Leo went back to her room.
"Was that Piper and Leo together? I thought the great couple had split?" Jessica asked. Phoebe shrugged and sat down on a chair.
"Whatever was in here, is gone now, we just have to be sure not to leave Colette alone.She needs to have an eye on her at all times," Phoebe sighed. Jessica put Colette on the bed and sat down with her.
Paige Matthews was sitting at her temp job. She was now working as a secretary at Bucklands Auction House, where Prue used to work. She was stuck answering phones. She had begun to think her temp jobs had no reason lately. She picked up the phone.
"Bucklands Auction House, this is Paige, how can i help you?" she said nicely. She was begining to get bored with this job. She looked up, seeing someone walk in. "Hold please." She looked at the person walking it. It was no one other than Richard Montana, Paige's exboyfriend.
"Paige..," he said, a little smile on his face. "Paige, it has been so long." She looked at him, unsure of whether she should be happy to see him or what.
"Hi, Richard," she said shortly. "What can I do for you?" He leaned against the counter. She looked at him like "what?". He sighed and stood up straight.
"Paige, would you like to have dinner with me and my family tonight? Not all of them, of course, just the live ones," he laughed. "And, also.. I would like to apologize for choosing magic over you. I was so stupid to do that, and it took me almost losing myself to realize that I can't live without you." Paige smiled at him.
"Yea, dinner sounds good," she said. "I get off at about five, so about six, I'll be over there?" He nodded and leaned over the desk to kiss her cheek.
"See you then," he sighed and walked out of the auction house. Paige went back to answering the phones.
Back in Piper's room, she and Leo were sitting on the floor and the boys were both asleep on the bed. Piper had out the baby book and they were laughing at some of the goofy pictures of Wyatt from when he was a small baby. They continued laughing. About twenty minutes later, they had headed down to the kitchen so that Piper could cook something. Leo had orbed the boys down into the playpen in the sun room. Paige walked into the manor and went to the kitchen.
"Piper," she looked at her sister and saw Leo. "Hi Leo." She smiled. "You will never believe what happened at my new temp. It's at Prue's old job, Bucklands, anyways, about an hour ago Richard came in and asked me for dinner tonight. I haven't seen the guy in weeks and now he wants dinner! He told me he was sorry and he was so stupid. Would you trust him if you were in my shoes?" Piper laughed. "What's so funny?"
"The way you came in here," she continued to smile. "I just find it funny that you come in here like a woman on a mission." Leo had been standing by Piper and he was laughing as he stood next to her.
"Piper, is something going on that I don't know about here?" she asked, lifting an eyebrow. Piper and Leo both shook their heads.
"No, not really," Leo said, standing behind Piper and putting his arms around her. Paige lifted her eyebrows again and shook her head. She turned around and walked out of the kitchen, heading upstairs to get ready for her dinner date. She walked into the room that had all of her things and she found something simple to wear. Phoebe walked in quietly.
"Hey, where are you going?" she asked quietly. Paige looked at Phoebe and sighed deeply. Phoebe sat down on a chair.
"I have a dinner date with Richard. Why are we whispering?" Paige asked Phoebe. Phoebe sighed and stood up from her seat.
"Jess and Colette are asleep in my room and I am afraid that waking up either of them might start a bomb, but I need a favor, and since you have a dinner date, maybe i should ask Piper," she said, turning around and walking out of the room.
"Wait, Phoebe, no, what is it?" Paige asked. Phoebe turned back around and sighed. She put a hand on Paige's shoulder and lead her to her, Phoebe's, room.
"I need you to watch them for me. It's just for a little while. I have to go into the office for a meeting that wont last too long. Please, Paige? I could really use the help," Phoebe begged.
"Yea, sure, Pheebs, i guess i could for alittle while," Paige sighed. It wasn't like she wanted to go to Richard's. She didn't really want to, but she guessed that maybe she should do it out of concern for his well being.
"Thank you, so much, I owe you one. Love you, and if Jess wakes up tell her I will be back," Phoebe said, rushing out of the room downstairs. Paige stood there for a minute, looking at the little girl on the bed. The girl had dark brown hair and she looked familar. 'Nah', Paige shook her head. 'I don't know that girl.' Paige walked back downstairs and looked at Piper and Leo who were sitting at the table drinking coffee.
"Hey Paige, ready for your date?" Piper asked, looking over at Leo and taking a sip of her coffee. Paige shook her head and sat down.
"Actually I have to watch Phoebe's friend and her daughter until Phoebe gets back from her office," she replied. "I don't think I really want to go anyways. Maybe I can call Richard and tell him that I can't make it because something came up?" Piper shook her head and set down her coffee.
"Paige, you should go, I can watch Jessica and Colette until Phoebe gets back, though I don't see why they need to be watched," Piper shrugged.
"Okay, Piper. I will be back later," she stood up and orbed out to Richard's house. Piper stood up and went over and picked up a fussy Chris. She bounced him and looked at Leo.
"I can't wait to see them with kids," she laughed. She had been in a good mood all day since she knew that Leo loved her and he knew she loved him back. She was hoping they would get back together for good.
Phoebe ran into the Bay Mirror office. Elise looked at her weirdly. The meeting had already started by about ten minutes. Phoebe rushed into the meeting room and sat at one end of the table, apologizing. The weather had cleared up, she hadn't gotten wet going to and from her car. She looked at Jason who was at the other end of the table. He looked at her and then continued with the meeting. The meeting was just really a catch-everyone-up-to-speed-meeting, it was nothing big. As Jason was closing, he continuously looked at Phoebe.
"Okay, meeting's over," he said, gathering his papers. "Phoebe can I talk to you for a minute?" Phoebe nodded and walked to the other side of the table.
"What is it Jason?" she asked him, set her purse in a chair. "Is there something wrong with my column?" He shook his head and leaned against the table.
"No, I was actually wondering how things are going. Your column has actually gotten a little better, apart from that little dip you had for a little while," he smiled. "I have read every issue of it Phoebe." She smiled a little.
"Thanks, Jason," she didn't know what else to say. She stood there, uncomfortably. "So, how have you been?" He shrugged and sighed again.
"Things have been tough. More and more business all over the world. So, kill any demons lately?" he asked. Phoebe sighed and looked down.
"Too many to count. I have turned in to a few things while you were gone too," she laughed. He shook his head like he didn't believe her. "Do you want to try me?" She laughed. "Let's see, before you left I was possessed by a spy, then I became a genie, then I became my high school self again, which was pretty funny because it was at my reunion for high school, and then i saw past times of my life. I saw things from so long ago, like from my marriage, and from my oldest sister, Prue, who died." He crossed his arms and sighed.
"Wow, sounds like fun," he laughed. She stopped him from laughing and then rubbed her forehead.
"And then I lost my powers, because I had been using them to my own personal gain," she stopped. She was thinking about why she had been using them recklessly.
"Something wrong?" he asked her. "You look like something you said scared you." He commented slowly, hoping she wouldnt go crazy on him.
"Well, the reason I had been using them wrongly was because I had a vision that I was going to get pregnant," she sighed. "And I was using my powers to see if I had a future with these guys i went on dates with." He took her hand and she was hit with a premonition. They were making out in her room on her bed. Then, she saw him propose to her. She came out of the vision and looked at him.
"What is it now?" he asked. She shook her head. She didn't want to tell him but she knew that she needed to. She sighed deeply.
"I saw you and me," she said. He looked at her like he wanted her to continue. "And you asked me to marry you." He looked down at the floor. He still loved Phoebe a lot. He just didn't like how she had to hide it from him for as long as she did. He hugged her.
"Phoebe, I still love you, you know that right?" he said. She started to tear up. "I never stopped loving you infact. I was just hurt, but now I am over it and I realize that I love you Phoebe." She smiled at him. Then they kissed for a long time.
Back at the manor, Piper was still cooking and Leo had been called up to the Elders. Jessica walked downstairs, holding Colette's hand; she walked into the kitchen and sat at the table.
"Where did Phoebe go?" she asked, setting Colette on the table. Piper stirred the stuff she was cooking and sighed. Baby Chris was awake.
"She had to go into the office for a meeting. She should be back soon," Piper said, rushing to the sun room to get Chris. Jessica sighed.
"Maybe we should go. I don't think they want us here any more," Jess sighed. "And plus, I had this weird dream about your daddy. He was laying by me and he told me that I should take you and we should leave." She shrugged.
"No, Mommy, I want to stay here with Nana," Colette commented. Piper walked back into the kitchen, carrying Chris. She sighed and sat at the table to feed him after grabbed a bottle from the counter. Jessica looked at Piper.
"Can I help with anything?" she asked nicely. Piper shook her head. Jessica stood up and walked over to the stove. She had been working in restaurants on and off for the past few years, so she thought she could help Piper out; she stirred some of the food. "Jessica, you don't have to."
"But I want to. It feels like so long since I was able to actually cook," she laughed. "I used to want to own my own restaurant, but then I fell in love with a man and that screwed up my life for good." Piper continued to feed Chris.
"Yea, guys do that sometimes; I just wish there was some way I could help you out. So how long are you here for?" Piper asked. Jessica shrugged.
"I don't really know. I wasn't planning on staying here that long, but Colette doesn't want to leave," she sighed as she stirred the food. Colette looked at Piper.
"Miss Halliwell, do you know my daddy?" she asked. Jessica stopped and laughed. Colette looked at her mother. "What, Mommy?"
"Honey, your daddy is gone.. and I don't think that Piper would know him," she sighed and looked at Piper. Piper lifted her eyebrows.
"Who's her father?" Piper asked. Phoebe walked in at that exact moment. She had a happy face on. Jessica turned to Phoebe.
"What are you smiling about?" she asked, Piper had the same look on her face as if to ask that question. Phoebe sat at the table, continuously smiling.
"Jason and I are back together," she said. "He is coming over tonight for dinner. What are you cooking?" Phoebe looked over at the stove.
"Roast, and Jessica has been helping me," Piper said. Phoebe nodded and looked at her best friend.
"Yea, she is an awesome cook, or at least she was back in school," she smiled. "But I am so happy that we are back together, you have no idea Piper." Jessica walked back behind the stove to stir the vegetables.
"I'm happy for you, Pheebs," she sighed. "I think that me and Colette are going to go and head to my mom's house tonight. It's going to be in my name after the funeral tomorrow. I need to go by and look at her will. I think she left everything to me." Phoebe shook her head.
"You can't leave, we were having so much fun," she walked over to Jessica and gave her the puppy dog face. Jessica laughed and shook her head.
"This is no place for me. I can't handle having demons swoop in and out all of the time," she shook her head again and sighed deeply.
"Jess, please, stay, listen, just give us tonight, and thats it. After tonight, you can go if you want to," Phoebe said and turned to walk out of the kitchen. "Now I am going to get ready for my date." She laughed. Jessica looked at Piper.
"I guess I can stay just tonight," she looked over at Colette. "How about after Nannie gets out of the bathroom I give you a bath, sweetie?" Colette smiled at her mommy.
"Mommy, when can I see Daddy?" she asked. Collete shook her head and knelt next to Colette. She put her arms around her daughter and sighed.
"Honey, your daddy," she looked down, her eyes filling with tears. "Your daddy isn't coming back to us sweetheart. So, please, don't make this any worse than it already is." Piper stood up and walked over to the stove, still holding baby Chris on her shoulder. The next thing, Chris orbed in, looking scraggly.
"Mom," he said, looking at Piper, not noticing Jess and Colette. "There are rumors around the Underworld. They said the Source's heir to the throne is in town." Jessica picked up Colette and stood up. Chris looked at her like he had never seen a woman so beautiful in his life.
"Hi, I'm Jessica, a friend of Phoebe's," she said, extending her hand to him. He took it but didn't take his eyes off of her.
"I'm Chris, Piper's son from the future, the baby," he said, motioning to his mother and the baby and taking her hand. "And who is this cute little girl?" He looked at Colette and smiled.
"This is my daughter, Colette," she smiled at him. "If you are the baby there, then my daughter is older than you are." She laughed and took her hand back. "Piper, I am going to take Colette up to Phoebe's room to get her ready for her bath, call me if you need me." She walked out and headed upstairs. Piper looked at older Chris and walked to the sun room to put baby Chris down. Big Chris followed her.
"Chris, you can't get all googly-eyed over your aunt's friend. She's twenty some odd years older than you, are you crazy?" Piper asked him. He shrugged.
"All I did was say hi, Mom, it's not a big deal, or at least it shouldn't. Besides, who's to say things wont work out?" he laughed and looked at her again."But, back to the topic. There are rumors flying around all over that the Source's heir is in town, and they want the child and the mother dead." Piper walked back to the kitchen.
"Well, what do you think about it?" she asked him. "I mean, who could it be? The last major Source was Cole and from what we know, he didn't have any children. Yet again, he was alive for over a hundred years, so who's to say he didn't?" She shrugged. Chris stood up.
"Well, I better be getting back before they suspect something," he stood up and orbed out. Phoebe came down a minute later looking very nice and pretty in her pink top and black dress pants.
"Now what was my loving nephew saying about the Source?" she asked, putting her hand on her hip."And did I hear Cole?" Piper nodded at her younger sister.
"There is a rumor going around the Underworld that the child of the Source is in town, and I was telling Chris that Cole didn't have any children, at least any that we knew of," she grabbed plates from the cabinet and turned off the stove. Piper looked at Phoebe. "Now, if you will please watch Chris and Wyatt, I am going to take a quick shower before dinner," she said, hurrying out before Phoebe could say anything. Phoebe walked into the sun room where Chris was in the play pen on the bottom of it and Wyatt was sitting on the floor playing with his toys.