"Lacey" Richard said looking at his child.
He had never seen her trying to physically move Paige away from him, he'd never been around though, and he now knew how protective his daughter was of those she called family.
"I don't want to hear your voice dad" Lacey answered carelessly.
"I know I made mistakes, but all mistakes can be sorted in one way or another" Richard tried telling his child.
"That's not what Aunt Piper says," Lacey snapped in answer.
"She doesn't understand Lacey, she's never had to face losing her family" Richard begged.
"Yes she has" Paige cut in "When Wyatt was younger demons always used to try and take him, and she nearly lost Leo to the elders, and then the Avatars"
"But she didn't, and I'm on the verge of losing everything" Richard replied quietly.
Lacey and Paige stayed quiet, he was right, Piper nearly lost Wyatt and Leo, but she didn't, she did lose adult Chris, but she had Child Chris now.
"You already lost us," Paige finally said so quietly that both Lacey and Richard barely heard. "When you left us, you lost us, 5 years ago you lost us"
"Don't say that," Richard gasped. "Say anything but that"
"You should go, I don't want the kids seeing you like this" Paige said stepping back and closing the door.
"Do you think he means it?" Lacey asked as they walked upstairs.
"I don't know Lace, he changes his mind daily" Was Paige's answer.
Amber
ran past them on her way down the stairs, nearly knocking them
flying.
"Where you going Ambie?" Paige asked.
"Aunt Paige, don't call me that," Amber answered.
Paige smiled, she knew Piper and Phoebe had their problems with Amber, and the kid was troubled, she did resent Phoebe for vanquishing her dad, but she wasn't evil, no Halliwell could be evil.
"What?" Amber asked, noticing Paige smiling at her.
"Go easy on your Mom, kid, she doesn't hate you, no matter what you think" Paige told Amber.
Amber nodded and turned round as Paige turned and continued up the stairs, noticing for the first time that Lacey had gone on without her.
"Aunt Paige" Came Amber's voice from behind her.
"Yeah" Paige answered stopping again.
"Do you think I should go see Mom and work?" Amber asked.
"I think she'd like that," Paige told her niece.
Phoebe sighed, looking down at the pile of unanswered letters on her desk. She had rushed out the house that morning, partly to avoid Piper's lectures but mainly because she was dreading another confrontation with Amber, How were she and Dex going to cope when the building work on their house was completed and they moved out of the manor, away from Piper's help. She felt a little guilty that she relied on Piper's help, but what was keeping her mind off of work right now was the feeling that she had abandoned her kids on her sisters. Kayleigh and Josh couldn't be blamed for Amber's behaviour, and despite everything, Phoebe didn't believe any of it was Amber's fault either.
"Phoebe"
Said a voice from the door, snapping her out of her reverie.
"What
is it?" Phoebe asked her assistant, Sophie, in a tone more harsh
than she meant.
"Your daughter's here" She was told.
"She didn't say she was coming, but then I didn't really give her a chance this morning I was out so fast" Phoebe said, now calmer.
"Her hair's darker than I remember, must have been at least a year since I last saw her" Sophie put in.
"You see Kayleigh a lot, she always drops by" Phoebe pointed out, a little confused.
"Sorry, I should have mentioned, it's Amber, not Kayleigh"Sophie told her.
Amber, what could Amber want, she never came to the paper.
"Send her in" Phoebe said in a faked confident tone.
Seconds later Amber walked in.
"Mom, I'm sorry I ran off," She said almost immediately.
Phoebe was taken by surprise at her daughter's apology.
"Your back now, your ok, that's all the matters, though you do realise how dangerous running off was, right?" Phoebe replied.
Amber nodded.
"You can sit down you know" Phoebe smiled.
Amber sat, she didn't understand why her mom was being so forgiving with her, when she wasn't with her father, but the next bit was sure to make her mad.
"Mom" Amber said reaching into her pocket. "I did something bad"
Phoebe looked up at her daughter who was now holding out 3 vials of the purple liquid for her to take.