I've always wanted to write a Kyle/Paige fanfic and so here I am doing it. First off a few details that I am changing in relation to the show….
Paige - I've always preferred Paige to be younger than she is in the show. If she had been younger then I think there would have been better storylines for her.
Therefore in my fic Paige is 19/20. Phoebe and Piper are the same age as they are written. Let's just suspend disbelief for a moment and pretend that the time-line works.
Cole - Cole is alive. The part of him being the Source did happen but they managed to save him blah blah blah and Phoebe forgave him. He is still half demon.
Everyone trusts Cole, including Paige, although they aren't really close.
Kyle - He is an agent with Homeland Security (I think that's where he's from) however there is no Inspector Sheridan; he's just targeting the Charmed Ones on his own.
This takes place after Styx Feet Under.
Title: The Truth Hurts
Summary: Paige/Kyle. What happens when the youngest Charmed One meets a suspicious Agent Brody? As the two become increasingly close, Piper and Phoebe uncover a secret that may put Paige's impending relationship in jeopardy.
Disclaimer: I do not own, or am in any affiliated with, Charmed. Please do not sue me - this is simply the work of an over-active imagination.
Chapter 1
Paige groaned as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes. She wished that she could stay in slumber land forever.
As she opened her eyes, she stared up at the familiar floral ceiling above her bed. She tried to put out of her mind the fact that in a few minutes her oldest sister, Piper, would come barging into her room to wake her up.
Piper was the mother figure that every child would love to have. Except for her. Despite her constant protests that she was not a child anymore, Piper still did not trust that Paige was mature enough to handle the full reality of a magical life.
Piper and Phoebe still kept secrets from her, even though it was Paige who was the one to uncover that Cole was evil. The bond that she expected to have with the sisters when they first met is not the one that she had now.
As far as Paige was concerned, she felt like the fifth wheel of the family that didn't belong.
The swift opening of her door disturbed Paige from her train of thought.
"Are you still not up, Paige? What if a demon was to attack now? What should I say? 'Oh, I'm sorry, could you come back in a couple of hours when the Charmed Ones can fully vanquish you because Paige is asleep right now'." Paige rolled her eyes as she looked at her babbling sister standing over her with a disapproving look.
"I was just about to get out of bed."
Piper sighed, "Well hurry up. I have to go to the club to sort out the contract for the band playing tonight. You promised you'd look after Wyatt and Chris."
Paige dragged her legs out of bed and stood up, stretching the sleep out of her body. "Don't panic, I remember. Has Leo still not come back from the Elders yet?"
Piper shook her head as she pushed Paige out of her bedroom and to the bathroom door down the hall. "No. But I think he's probably gone to help his other charge. He has a life away from us."
Her younger sister smiled at Piper's answer. "I bet you wish he didn't though. That you and him could be smooching all day long like those two." Paige pointed to the locked bathroom door. She pressed her ear against the door and pulled a disturbed face when she heard Phoebe's giggling from inside.
"Don't be so silly Paige. Leo and I have a deeper relationship than that of teenagers," Piper replied. "But I guess it would be nice to have him to myself more often. Anyway, listen, don't be long cos I have to be getting off soon."
"Hey, I'm waiting for Romeo and Juliet in there. Blame them!" she shouted to her sister as she walked away. She started to get irritated by the incessant giggling from behind the door. "You two have a room, use it! Get a move on!" she said, banging on the oak door.
"Just a minute!" she heard Cole reply.
'At least Leo's away so I don't have to play 5th wheel to the two couples' she thought as she leaned against the wall.
Living in a house with two blissful duos was a living hell. If it wasn't accidentally walking in on Phoebe and Cole getting 'busy' then it was Piper and Leo playing a happy family with the boys.
She didn't begrudge the fact that her sisters had found happiness. It's not as if leading a normal is possible when demons tend to want to kill her every five minutes. However, being seen as a babysitter wasn't what she had hoped for when she left school.
'I'm not jealous,' Paige stubbornly thought. 'Ok, maybe a little jealous,' she conceded.
The bathroom door finally opened to reveal Phoebe and Cole wrapped up in their dressing gowns, kissing and groping each other.
Paige stood in the doorway with her arms folded. "I'd appreciate it next time if you kept your sexual antics confined to your bedroom. Piper is in a mood with me now because I'm going to be late."
"Chill out, Paige," Cole said, as he and Phoebe pushed past her and down the hall. "Someone needs to get laid," he whispered to Phoebe, who giggled.
"I heard that!" Paige slammed the bathroom door shut and leaned against it. She found more and more that her thoughts were the only comfort to her.
A freshly showered Paige came down the stairs to be greeted by the sight of Piper, Phoebe, Cole, Wyatt and baby Chris gathered around the table. She ignored the frown on Piper's face and sat down next to baby Chris.
"You're not mad at me, are you? I know you love Aunty Paige," she whispered to the gurgling baby. The smile on his face was all the validation Paige needed of her question. With that she proceeded to butter her toast.
The high-pitched jingling and stream of blue particles in the air meant only one thing; Leo.
"Sorry I took so long up there. I had to make a quick stop off at my charge, Sandy." Leo planted an apologetic kiss on Piper's cheek before walking over to greet his sons.
"So what did they say about this Brody guy? Demon or human?" Cole asked.
"They can't be sure whether he is a demon or not. He hasn't targeted any other witches so you guys have to be careful around him. The Elders did say that there is an unbalance in the magical world. Apparently there could be an impending danger on the horizon," Leo informed them.
Paige rolled her eyes as she ate a strawberry, "Tell us something we don't know."
"Well Brody seems to know a lot about us already. Do you think maybe he's following us?" Phoebe said.
Piper sighed, "I don't know. But if the Elders sense something big then we need to be careful, whether it's Brody or not. Paige, don't take the boys out today. It's safer here for them with the Book of Shadows near by."
"Sure, no problem."
"I have to be getting off now. God knows what state P3 is gonna be in by the time I get there," Piper exasperated, grabbing her purse before leaving the manor.
Phoebe nodded, "Yeah I have to be getting to work as well. Elise will have me hung, drawn and quartered if I'm not in the office today. I'll keep an eye out in case I see Brody about." She kissed Cole before picking up her laptop and cell-phone, and headed to her car.
"Since you're here with the boys, Paige, I was thinking of taking Cole to the Underworld with me to find out what I can about this new danger. They may also know of any demonic information on Brody if he is one," Leo said. "If you have any problems I won't be able to hear you."
Paige waved off his worries, "Go. My active power will be enough if any demons attack. We'll be fine, won't we?" She looked at the vacant looks on the two infants faces.
Cole finished off his cereal before standing up. "If you're sure." With that, the two males simultaneously orbed and shimmered out of the manor.
"We'll be fine. We're all going to have so much fun. I think today's the day to find out just how fun your 'Fun Aunt Paige' is, don't you?"
Paige inwardly groaned at the sound of a baby's cry.
It had not been more than two seconds after Leo and Cole that Wyatt and Chris started crying. After four hours of trying to entertain them with stuffed animals and orbing objects all around the house, Paige finally had them settled for a nap.
Paige lay sprawled on the couch watching Dr. Phil and his attempts to reconcile a cheating couple. She snorted at the husband and wife's excuses as to why they had an affair.
'At least they are married. I doubt I ever will be.' Paige was becoming increasingly discontent with the fact that all her relationships had ended in complete disasters. And the one thing in common they had: magic had ruined them.
Glenn was scared away by her demonic possessions and Richard was a magic junkie; she couldn't have carried on with magic with Richard in her life.
She looked over to the play-pen that Wyatt and Chris shared. She smiled at the two. Then again, magic did have its positives. Wyatt and Chris were two reasons why she enjoyed being a witch. Their innocent expressions were enough to give her hope that maybe one day she will be able to pass on her gift to her children.
The tiny hairs on the back of her neck suddenly sprung up, causing Paige to sit upright. This only happened when she sensed a demon attack was imminent.
She rushed to the play-pen and gently woke Wyatt up. "Wyatt, when I say so I want you to put up your force-field, ok? Protect you brother." As the toddler mutely nodded, she set off around the manor.
She circled the dining area and the kitchen before coming back into the sun-room, all the while steadying her hand in case a power-ball was sent her way. As she made her way back into the living room where the play-pen was, three demons covered in ancient markings shimmered in around her.
"Well, well, well, what do we have here? A Charmed One all alone? Now what will we do?" the demon in front of her said.
"Wyatt, force-field!" Paige yelled. The blue shield surrounded the two infants and upon seeing this, the demon nearest to the play-pen tried to break it with a power-ball "Chair!" Paige orbed a chair, slamming it into the demon.
Suddenly power-balls starting from different directions, hitting Paige, sending her across the room and into the wall. Just as two balls simultaneously came hurtling towards her she managed to deflect them back to her attackers, causing them to burst into flames.
At the sight of this, the third demon retreated out of the manor. This was the final thing Paige saw before she blacked out.
"What the hell happened?" Piper exclaimed, as she came running into the manor. She surveyed the room. One broken chair was all that appeared to be damaged. Paige was lying on the couch with Leo over her, trying to heal her. Cole stood over the play-pen, attempting to pull funny faces for the amusement of Wyatt and Chris.
"We don't know. We came back to see a force-field around the boys and Paige unconscious on the ground," Leo replied to his wife's question.
"We think a demon attacked," Cole said.
Piper rolled her eyes, "You think? Well why didn't Paige call?"
"Oh I'm sorry. I was kinda trying to avoid being killed Piper," Paige said groggily, regaining consciousness on the couch. She sat up and looked around. "There were three of them. I think I recognise them from the Book of Shadows. Anyway, I managed to kill two of them but the third got away. I'll start scrying for him."
Paige stood up and quickly ascended the stairs.
"You know, you don't have to be so hard on her, Piper. She could have been killed," Leo said.
Piper let out a frustrated sigh, "I know. Are the boys ok?"
Cole, pleased with getting a giggle out of Wyatt, walked towards the couple, "Yeah, there isn't a scratch on them. I'll go help Paige upstairs."
Cole walked into the attic to find Paige stood over the Book of Shadows and a map of San Francisco, while moving a crystal over it.
"I haven't managed to find him yet but I will let you know when I do," she said to her brother-in-law.
"Are you ok, Paige? I've come to help you."
She raised her eye-brow, "Let me guess, Piper sent you to make sure I don't blow the house up."
"No, Paige, I just figured you may still be a bit shook up and thought you could use my demonic expertise. Your sister trusts you."
Paige snorted at his response, "Trust? When it comes to me, she doesn't know what the word means." She saw the look on his face and immediately wished she hadn't said anything. "Listen, forget that last comment. I guess I'm still a little shook up."
"I know that we haven't really been that close in the past but I want you to know you can always talk to me in confidence. Anything you say I won't tell anyone, including Phoebe."
She smiled at him, "Thanks Cole." The crystal rested on the map. "The demon's in an alleyway off Regent Street."
Piper appeared at the doorway of the attic, "You find him?"
"Yeah, he's in an alleyway. The Book of Shadows says the demon's a bounty hunter from the Order of Nygon. Low level demon - I should be able to take him out with his own power-ball like the others."
Cole said, "Well I'll go with you just in case there are others."
"Ok, I'm sorry Paige for what I said downstairs. I didn't mean to appear insensitive, it's just I was worried about the boys," Piper said apologetically.
Paige nodded, "It's alright. I understand. Well, we better go or the demon will start moving around."
"Hop on." Paige took hold of Cole's hand and the two shimmered away.
Cole shimmered in with Paige and positioned them behind a dumpster in the alleyway. The demon appeared to be sat on an empty box, thinking.
"You ready?" Cole whispered.
Paige and Cole stepped out from behind the dumpster and stood in front of the demon, blocking any chance of a quick get-a-away.
"You!" the demon snarled to Paige.
"That's right. I brought along a friends to help. You know Belthazar?"
"I heard there was a demon working with the Charmed Ones. You are a disgrace to your kind!" The demon conjured a power-ball in his hand and was about to toss it at Paige when Cole threw his own power-ball into the demon. The demon instantly burst into flames.
"Well that was easier than I thought," Paige sighed.
"Wow, that was incredible." Paige and Cole froze at the sound of a civilian's voice. The two turned around to see a man with short dark hair, dressed in a suit standing at the opening of the alleyway.
"Oh, crap." Paige gulped.
Feel free to review and tell me what you think.
Chapter 2 coming soon.