CHAPTER ONE

"Lucas! Don't run in the halls!" Paige called as she watched the mess of chaotic red hair disappear. A stampede of trampling elephants followed soon after as a half dozen hark haired children followed closely behind.

"Don't worry about it. I've given up on them. They'll burn through their 'out-of'school' high pretty quickly," Piper sighed with a tired but knowing smile. She leaned in to give her baby sister a hug and a kiss on the cheek. Paige gave a tired, long suffering sigh as three of the children in question came tearing through the foyer as they were chased around the house by one of the older boys. "Besides- this house has survived far worse than a hyper pre-teens."

"I suppose," Paige acknowledged reluctantly, though she secretly doubted even the source would be able to stand a chance against this brood. "You sure you'll be okay?"

"Honey, I've got three of my own plus all three of Phoebes and two or three of their friends here just about every day. And Lucas is one of the best behaved here!"

As if to prove her sisters point, Lucas had already settled down in the living room, his five year old cousin happily seated at his elbow. Lucas seemed perfectly content to play along as Patience pulled out one coloring book after another debating which one they should do first before a 'My Little Pony' book was finally selected.

"Paige," Piper called her sisters name gently until the youngest Halliwell finally returned her gaze. "He'll be fine."

"I know," Paige agreed only half-heartedly. She couldn't help but worry over the sake and safety of the quiet, friendly, ginger haired boy. But then again, she was knew to this whole 'parenthood' thing. Piper had been successfully raising children for over 15 years. Lucas had only been placed into her custody 8 months ago. Given everything the boy had been through, she was still reluctant to let him from her sight any more than necessary. "Just… call me? If you need anything that is?"

Piper nodded indulgently, knowing that the younger woman only needed a little more reassurance before she could make her way out the door.

"You know I will."

"Ok, I'll just… I'll just be going then." Paige had just reached the front door when she felt a pair of smaller but deceptively strong arms wrap around her. Turning in their grip she saw a familiar head of messy red hair wrapped around her middle.

"Good luck Paige. You'll do great!" Paige smiled, melting a little on the inside, before the red headed boy darted back over to the coffee table where his younger cousin was impatiently waiting for him to return. Piper smirked a definitive 'I told you so' at her younger sister, who responded by sticking her tongue out before disappearing out the front door.

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The grey waters of the bay lapped at the shore, the light reflecting off his mercurial eyes. The wind blowing across the choppy waters sprayed a fine mist over his shoulders, the wind whipping platinum blond hair into his face and eyes. He'd given up on slicking back his hair with copious amounts of gel like he once had in school. Partly because high quality hair gel was a luxury item he simply couldn't afford these days, and partly in an effort to differentiate himself from the pompous little arse he's once been. That wasn't the person he wanted to be anymore.

It had been twelve years since he'd seen English shores. He could still remember looking out across those gray choppy waters on the ferry from Lowestoft to Amsterdam. It had been easy enough to blend in with the hundreds of other students heading for the Netherlands to spend their holiday in a drug induced haze. While he wouldn't be joining them, even he had to acknowledge that the urge to just forget, even for a little while, had been incredibly tempting.

These days, the view over the San Francisco Bay was the closest he was going to get to the English coastline. The weather here was a far cry from the unbearable heat he'd dealt with in India and Australia. The cool damp air was achingly familiar, Enough so that if he closed his eyes he could almost pretend he was back home at the estate, padding up for Quidditch practice, or walking through the streets or higher London.

"Professor? Professor Drake?"

The illusion shattered as he heard the soft voice of a student calling behind him. Closing his eyes against the choppy gray breeze, he took a deep breath and turned back to look at the shy, quiet girl who sat in the second row of his 'Economies of Medieval Europe' class.

"Ms. Bourdain. How are you?"

"I'm well Professor. I was wondering, that is, if you had a moment, I just, uh, I had a couple of questions about our last assignment?"

"Of course," he acquiesced with a polite smile. He could commiserate later. Right now, he had a student who required assistance.

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"Paige! It's been far too long." The slightly heavy set African American man said with a smile as he rose from his desk to shake her hand.

"You're telling me," Paige chuckled as she shook his hand. "What are you still doing here Mr. Cowan? I thought you'd have retired to Florida by now."

"Please, Paige. We've known each other long enough. I think you can call me Bob." He said casually as he sat back down behind his desk. "Besides, have you ever been to Florida?" Paige shook her head in the negative. "It's hot. It's muggy. It's full of tourists, mosquitos, and retired New Yorkers. Not my idea of fun. Besides, what would I do all day? Just sit on my backside and get fat and old? But you didn't call me up after almost fifteen years to talk about Florida now did you?"

Fifteen years ago that would have made Paige blush and fidget nervously in her seat. But she wasn't the same person she'd been fifteen years ago. So instead she just smiled knowingly.

"No sir. I actually came here to talk to you about a job."

"Finally getting back in the ring, huh?" Mr. Cowan asked knowingly. "I knew you couldn't stay away forever. We all heard about what you did for that Jacobs boy a few months back. It takes a damn special kind of strength to go to bat for a kid the way you did. Word is you've taken him in yourself? Looking to adopt?"

"I've been fostering him for almost a year now. We haven't talked much about anything beyond that."

"Uh-huh." Mr. Cowan responded non-committedly. "Look Paige, I'll be honest with you. I've got a couple of spots open for Assistant Social Workers and Children's Advocates- you know I always do. But we both also know that would be a complete waste of your talents."

Paige couldn't help but agree. She knew that all the work they did was invaluable, but it was also mostly grunt work. Anyone with a good heart, a strong back and a couple cups of coffee could do it.

"I don't know if you've heard of the Rowley Act? It was passed after you left the office." Again, Paige shook her head. "Basically, it requires that all Social Workers receive a Bachelor's degree and State Certification. And the last time we spoke, all you had was your Associates degree."

"It was all that was required at the time," Paige defended vaguely.

"Now look Paige, I like you. You know that. And we both know that you've got a gift for helping people." Paige waited for the punch line, the big cosmic joke that she knew was inevitably coming. "Now I could start you as an advocate today if that's what you wanted. Or…"

"Or?" Paige prodded cautiously.

"The certification program is only eighteen months. You could take the two years, finish your degree, and come back as the full Social Worker we both know you're meant to be."

Paige sat quietly for a moment. She hadn't been counting on this. Initially she had thought that even if there were no positions in the Bay area she could always work the next county over. But to need to wait two whole years before she could really start to get back to helping people again?

"Look, you don't have to decide now," Mr. Cowan interrupted her internal musings. "Take a day. Hell, take a week or a month even. But whenever you decide what you want to do, you let me know. There will always be a spot open here for you Paige- you know that."

"Thanks sir," Paige said distractedly, already rising from her seat to shake her former bosses hand. "I'll think about it."

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In case you haven't noticed, this story is slightly AU. Some of this AU-ness revolves around Professor Drake, but we haven't gotten there yet. Most of what we've covered so far revolves around the sisters- particularly their families. So, for ease of understanding and future reference, I'm included my slightly modified family tree along with their current respective ages.

Piper (40) + Leo (?) = Wyatt (15), Chris (13) and Melinda (11)

Phoebe (38) + Coop (?) = Prudence (11), Parker (9), Patience (5)

Paige Matthews (34) + Unmarried = Lucas Jacobs (10) – Foster Son

Hopefully that should clear some things up. And yes, I've tweaked the sisters ages very slightly. But hey, my story- my rules.