Is It Worth It?
Summary: Kindof an alternate ending to season 4, set years later. Cole is still the Source, and Phoebe is still balancing being with him and being a Charmed One. Paige is still... there. Piper and Leo are fighting a lot. They've got three kids: two sons, Peter and Tyler, and a daughter, Camille. Overwhelmed by demonic attacks, her sister dating the Source, raising three kids in a magical environment, and her marital problems, Piper questions whether being a witch is worth it after all.
Disclaimer: I don't own any familiar characters. Come to think of it, I'm too broke to get copyrights on the unfamiliar ones, so for all I know, someone with money and ties to the show could own them by now, too....
A/N: Please review!
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"Can you even hear me?" Piper demanded of her husband, Leo.
"Of course I can hear you," Leo snapped back, "You won't stop yelling at me."
Piper bit her lip, trying not to cry. "Leo, you're the one yelling," she said quietly, fighting to keep her voice even, "Now stop it, before the kids hear you."
"Fine," he said angrily, "You want me to stop? I'll stop." He orbed out. Piper sat down on the bed, unable to stop the tears from falling down her cheek. It seemed like all they did lately was fight. Usually it was about stupid things, and blew over quickly, but sometimes...
The problem was, they were both so busy. Piper was taking care of the kids, and vanquishing demons, and running the club, and Leo was orbing out to God-knows-where to do God-knows-what at all hours of the day and night.
"Mommy?" a small, quiet voice called from the doorway. A little girl, about three years old, ran over to Piper. "Mommy, what's wrong?"
Piper dried her eyes, and pulled the little girl onto her lap. "Nothing, Camille, nothing's wrong."
"Then why are you crying?" Camille asked, looking at her mother with wide, brown eyes that were so much like Piper's own.
Piper smiled and did her best to reassure her daughter. "No reason, honey. Where are your brothers?" she asked, changing the subject.
"They're playing outside with Aunt Phoebe." Camille said softly. "I was in my room playing dress-up with Aunt Paige, but then the phone rang and she had to go pick it up."
Piper sighed. Had the fight with Leo gotten that bad, that she hadn't even heard the phone ring?
"Hey, why don't we go find the boys and go for ice cream?" Piper suggested. She needed a distraction, and this particular one would also get Camille's mind off of whatever she may have heard before Leo left.
The toddler smiled and shook her head vigourisly. Piper got up and carried her out.
"Hey, there you are." Paige said, stopping them in the hall.
"We're going for ice cream," Piper told her. "Want to come?"
Paige shook her head. "Maybe next time. Aunt Paige has to go to work." Paige was a social worker for South Bay. She loved the job, and she was good at it. Best of all, she had a flexible schedule. "I'll finish playing dress-up with you later, though, okay?" she told her neice.
"Okay." the toddler answered.
Paige smiled. Camille was such a sweet, agreeable little girl.
"See you later," Piper said, and took Camille outside, where Phoebe was watching two boys, ages five and six, play tag.
Piper put her squirming toddler down, and the little girl ran over to her brothers.
"Peter!" Piper called to the oldest. "Get Cammie and Tyler into the car, please."
Phoebe, noticing the strange, sad look in her sister's eyes, went over to Piper and put an arm around her.
"Leo and I had another fight." Piper told her, without taking her eyes off the kids.
Phoebe nodded. She'd figured as much. "About what?"
"Oh, the usual. The fact that he's never here, he's always too busy to play with the kids, or to talk to me, or to..." Piper's voice trailed off, as she chocked back a sob.
Phoebe rubbed Piper's back. She kissed Piper's cheeck, then put her head on her sister's shoulder comfortingly. "Do you want to talk about it? I could get the kids inside, set them up with a Disney movie or something, and then we could go into the kitchen and-"
"No." Piper shook her head. "Thanks, but.. I just need a diversion right now. I'm taking the kids for ice cream."
"Okay." Phoebe said. She turned to go back inside. Piper walked over to the car. She checked to make sure all three of her children were safely buckled in, then got behind the wheel and, hands shaking, drove off.
Summary: Kindof an alternate ending to season 4, set years later. Cole is still the Source, and Phoebe is still balancing being with him and being a Charmed One. Paige is still... there. Piper and Leo are fighting a lot. They've got three kids: two sons, Peter and Tyler, and a daughter, Camille. Overwhelmed by demonic attacks, her sister dating the Source, raising three kids in a magical environment, and her marital problems, Piper questions whether being a witch is worth it after all.
Disclaimer: I don't own any familiar characters. Come to think of it, I'm too broke to get copyrights on the unfamiliar ones, so for all I know, someone with money and ties to the show could own them by now, too....
A/N: Please review!
****************
"Can you even hear me?" Piper demanded of her husband, Leo.
"Of course I can hear you," Leo snapped back, "You won't stop yelling at me."
Piper bit her lip, trying not to cry. "Leo, you're the one yelling," she said quietly, fighting to keep her voice even, "Now stop it, before the kids hear you."
"Fine," he said angrily, "You want me to stop? I'll stop." He orbed out. Piper sat down on the bed, unable to stop the tears from falling down her cheek. It seemed like all they did lately was fight. Usually it was about stupid things, and blew over quickly, but sometimes...
The problem was, they were both so busy. Piper was taking care of the kids, and vanquishing demons, and running the club, and Leo was orbing out to God-knows-where to do God-knows-what at all hours of the day and night.
"Mommy?" a small, quiet voice called from the doorway. A little girl, about three years old, ran over to Piper. "Mommy, what's wrong?"
Piper dried her eyes, and pulled the little girl onto her lap. "Nothing, Camille, nothing's wrong."
"Then why are you crying?" Camille asked, looking at her mother with wide, brown eyes that were so much like Piper's own.
Piper smiled and did her best to reassure her daughter. "No reason, honey. Where are your brothers?" she asked, changing the subject.
"They're playing outside with Aunt Phoebe." Camille said softly. "I was in my room playing dress-up with Aunt Paige, but then the phone rang and she had to go pick it up."
Piper sighed. Had the fight with Leo gotten that bad, that she hadn't even heard the phone ring?
"Hey, why don't we go find the boys and go for ice cream?" Piper suggested. She needed a distraction, and this particular one would also get Camille's mind off of whatever she may have heard before Leo left.
The toddler smiled and shook her head vigourisly. Piper got up and carried her out.
"Hey, there you are." Paige said, stopping them in the hall.
"We're going for ice cream," Piper told her. "Want to come?"
Paige shook her head. "Maybe next time. Aunt Paige has to go to work." Paige was a social worker for South Bay. She loved the job, and she was good at it. Best of all, she had a flexible schedule. "I'll finish playing dress-up with you later, though, okay?" she told her neice.
"Okay." the toddler answered.
Paige smiled. Camille was such a sweet, agreeable little girl.
"See you later," Piper said, and took Camille outside, where Phoebe was watching two boys, ages five and six, play tag.
Piper put her squirming toddler down, and the little girl ran over to her brothers.
"Peter!" Piper called to the oldest. "Get Cammie and Tyler into the car, please."
Phoebe, noticing the strange, sad look in her sister's eyes, went over to Piper and put an arm around her.
"Leo and I had another fight." Piper told her, without taking her eyes off the kids.
Phoebe nodded. She'd figured as much. "About what?"
"Oh, the usual. The fact that he's never here, he's always too busy to play with the kids, or to talk to me, or to..." Piper's voice trailed off, as she chocked back a sob.
Phoebe rubbed Piper's back. She kissed Piper's cheeck, then put her head on her sister's shoulder comfortingly. "Do you want to talk about it? I could get the kids inside, set them up with a Disney movie or something, and then we could go into the kitchen and-"
"No." Piper shook her head. "Thanks, but.. I just need a diversion right now. I'm taking the kids for ice cream."
"Okay." Phoebe said. She turned to go back inside. Piper walked over to the car. She checked to make sure all three of her children were safely buckled in, then got behind the wheel and, hands shaking, drove off.