A LIFE CAN CHANGE IT'LL ONLY TAKE A SECOND
CHAPTER 1
The sun come once again through the windows into the Halliwell manor, and as it did the occupant's began to stir. The vintage staircase was brought into light, a shadow cast across, shortly after the sun rose the large grandfather clock, that had been through its fair share of trauma, still stood in the manor, next to the staircase, it struck seven times, each strike represented another hour of a another day. Each tic of the second hand, represented another second of another hour. It represented another second they stood, together all three of them as the charmed ones, as sisters and most importantly as friends.
What would today bring? One of those never-ending demonic attacks? A spell gone wrong? How about a loss of a sister, the demise of a family? Anything could happen, any thing was possible.
None of the three sisters knew when they would take their last breath, or watch as a loved one took theirs. Not one knew when the end would come, not one was ready, not one was prepared.
Maybe death wouldn't occur today; maybe love would enter the Manor. It would only take a second, for two people to meet, to talk, to feel. Only a second, and the second that the clock struck could very well change a person's life, never for it to return back to how it was. Love may be kind, and sweet, but love could also be destructive, to a heart and mind, to a person and family.
The first sister came down the stairs, passing the clock and headed towards the kitchen. Walking in she saw her little sister at the table, laptop open and papers spread all around her, head rested on her hands, an empty cup of coffee sat next to her asleep. She couldn't help but smile.
Upstairs was the youngest, she was in her bed room, just out the shower she pushed a brush through her hair and looked in the mirror to admire the cloths that she was modeling, the reflection showed her in a dark red strap top and a pair of dark blue jeans, accompanying them was a grayish blue bomber jacked with a pair of black boots, what she wore did great things for her figure, and she smiled at her self before heading down the stairs.
Piper decided not to wake Phoebe until she made the coffee, she obviously didn't get much sleep last night. Just as Paige entered the kitchen the mobile phone next to Phoebe rang, jolting her from her sleep, she gasped in shock, still half asleep she reached for the phone, "Hello..." She said groggily,
"Phoebe..." the voice on the other end stopped, "Where are you? You were meant to be here an hour ago!"
Phoebe looked at her watch, "Oh damn." She said mostly to herself,
"We have a presentation to give and you're still in bed..." the male voice accused,
"No actually I never went to bed; I was up all night sorting out your mess..."
"My mess?" he asked shocked,
"Yes. Your mess! What the hell were you on when you wrote this?" she asked,
"I don't like your tone..."
"You don't like my tone...what the hell gives you the right?" she shouted, "I have had it with this this, get the presentation done your self, I'm through..."
"You can't do that; I'll get you sacked for this..." Phoebe's anger grew,
"Sacked, you'll get me sacked. How about this, I'll get you sacked and sue you for sexual harassment...and for assault?" she asked the anger only to evident.
"You wouldn't!" the male voice asked uncertain, "You have no poof."
"Poof...you want proof how about the huge bruise you gave me...and how do you think, Jason, your boss will feel when I tell him what went on? I have had this shit! I'm taking a sick day, I'll see you tomorrow." With that she slammed the phone down and through it across the kitchen before pushing her hands through her hair, and sighing.
Piper and Paige watched as their sister's anger got the better of her, concern increased and they sure as hell were not letting this one go. Piper poured three cups of coffee and brought them over to the table placing them down, "Phoebe?" she asked
Phoebe didn't look up she just rested her head on her folded arms, she didn't answer straight away but then, forced herself to, "Yeah?"
Piper didn't get the chance to answer Paige jumped in, "Did you go to sleep last night?" the youngest asked, taking a cup of coffee and a seat next to Phoebe, and across from Piper.
Phoebe looked up, "No! I never slept, I never went to bed I drank four pots of strong, black coffee, and sat here at the laptop trying to sort out the mess that, that dick head made..."
Piper was confused, "Care to explain?" she asked,
"Not really! I'm tired, and I think I have a cracked rib..." Phoebe stopped and mentally kicked herself for letting to much slip, she really wasn't thinking straight,
"What do you mean, what happened?" Piper asked
"Nothing" Phoebe replied trying to get through this, but not as lucky
Paige began and was not been as subtle as Piper, "Don't give us that, we hared you shouting at that guy. Who was he?"
Phoebe took her cup of coffee and downed it in one, then she looked at Paige, "He is the jerk I have as a partner."
"And you let him hit you?" Paige asked,
"Well I never said, come one hit me I don't mind." Phoebe replied angrily.
Before the argument erupted between the two youngest Piper stepped in, "Look stop this Phoebe are you okay?"
"I'll live. I'm sorry...I know you are just...I just haven't had much sleep." Phoebe apologized, "It was nothing, really, don't worry thing just got heated, we had an argument I pushed him and he pushed me back. I promise don't worry." She stood up and shut her lap top, "I'll see you later."
"Where are you going?" Paige asked,
"Work, no matter what I told him I actually don't want to lose my job...don't worry it was nothing." Phoebe reassured them, she took her lap top and the papers she gathered put them in the case, kissed her sisters on the head and left. Leaving two unconvinced sisters worried, and concerned.
With that she ran up the stairs, and had the quickest shower, a cold one none the less and got dressed running out of the manor, heading towards her silver, BMW mini cooper. As she started it up she realized just how tired she was, she had less than an hours sleep, and she didn't know if she could make it through the day.
In arriving at her the Bay Mirror she parked her car in her usual spot and made her way to the large building. She walked into the Bay mirror office and made her way to her own private office opposite. She greeted her colleagues as she made her way to her office, in pushing open the door she saw him, sitting at her desk, in her chair, "What the hell are you doing in her?" she asked,
"Well, I knew you wouldn't want to lose you're job and would come here sooner or later so I decided to wait." He said,
"Mark, once this presentation is over I am asking for this partnership to be split"
"Fine by me...and just so were clear you slipped and fell." He said obviously referring to the previous night, he walked past her and put his hand on her arm, "Okay darling"
Phoebe cringed and pulled back from him, "Get out my office, now!"
Jason walked down through the main office towards Phoebe's door; Mark just came out of, "Hay mark, ready for the presentation?"
Mark smiled, "Yep, all ready." He replied.
"Glad to hear it...and I hope you have been looking after my girlfriend."
Mark and Jason, although they hadn't know each other long they had a friendship. "You know me..." Mark answered.
Jason smiled, and continued to the door. He knocked it once, and then twice, "Come in." Phoebe answered.
Jason walked in to find Phoebe, head rested on her folded arms, she didn't even look up to see who it was, she didn't have enough energy to, he was actual quite shocked, "Phoebe?" he asked. She slowly rose her head, "babe are you okay?" he asked, advancing on her.
"I'm just tired." She explained, "Working on this..." she said referring to the presentation.
Jason moved behind her chair and brought his hands up to her shoulders, and began to massage her neck, "Oh. That feels great." She told him sitting back in her chairs and closing her eyes.
"Just relax." He told her, Phoebe smiled "So do you do this for all your employees?" she asked
Jason continued the massage and answered, "Only the ones that...I want a favor from!" his mischievous tone implied he wanted something
"What ever it is...yes! Just as long as you keep doing this" she answered tilting her neck to the side, "I was just wondering if we could hold the meeting at your house."
Phoebe nodded, "Sure, but why not in the conference room?" she asked.
"Well the client wants to talk about some proposal for the paper, he'll be at the presentation today and then, I was thinking because it'd be a small meeting and it'd more, laid back and informal if we held it out side of this place..."
Phoebe relished in the feeling of his hands taking away her stress and anger, "Well aren't you just the little business man...you sure do know how to look after you're employees and your clients..."
Jason bent down and brought his lips to her ears, "And my girlfriend...when the meetings over, me and you have the rest of the day together..." Phoebe opened her eyes and swung her chair around so she was facing him, their faces with in inches of each other;
She smiled "Did I ever tell you...what a great boyfriend you are?"
"I don't believe you did!" He answered, with a grin on his face; phoebe lent forward placing an adoring kiss on his lips, one which he returned.