Hello one and all. Back again for another delightful chappie!
3rd person for sake of the chapter
Oh and Btw, Me, I don't own the Grimm's fairy tales.
Paige was going to throw up. Her sisters could've at least given her more than an hours notice before springing the D bomb on her. She did not want to meet Victor. She didn't care or need him. But god, she was so nervous.
She thought of the time not that long ago when Leo had taken her to the past, to feel better about her parent's deaths. She had finally gotten some closure, but was hurt by the realization that her parents had been so disappointed with her during her teenage years. She was the same age then as she was now. Would Victor be disappointed with the way she turned out too?
Not that she cared or anything.
Paige sloppily tried to curl her already long eyelashes but ended up pinching her eyelid instead. "Oh shit, shit!" she cried as she cupped her hand over eye. Stupid shaking hand.
Phoebe chose that moment to peak into Paige's personal bathroom. She turned to see her older sister snorting trying to supress laughter.
"Lost your sheep, Bo peep?" she quipped causing Paige's cheeks to redden against her pale complexion.
"What? You weren't wearing that were you?"
Paige felt the tears well up in her eyes "Well, its not like I know exactly what your father likes to see his daughters in." she said before pushing past Phoebe in the doorway, back into her room.
"Someone's menstrual" Phoebe sing songed under he breath. The Paige she had come to know and love before this ordeal was not this sensitive,but then again at that point her life was a lot less complicated and it wasn't as though her and Piper were forcing her into meeting their father.
She would have to be nicer. It was hard though. She had been teased enough times in her lifetime by Prue and Piper. She was just passing on the favor. Although, she did remember how sometimes it make her feel like crap about herself. She guessed it was one of those times with Paige.
She turned into Paige's room to see her sister throwing all of her clothes out of her closet and onto the floor.
"Woah there cowgirl" she said pulling Paige away from doing more damage. "Do you want Prue to have a nervous breakdown when she sees this place?"
"Last straw." Paige mumbled
Phoebe did not really understand what Paige was saying for a few minutes and began to bend down to gather the clothing. She knew Paige would never do it herself. She shot up though, jeans in hand when she recalled her and Paige's talk in the bathroom a few hours earlier.
"Oh, Paige. I'm so sorry..." She began but was cut off by Paige.
"Look, just stop it Phoebe okay? I know you don't like me. Guess what? I get it. So please, just spare me the trouble and get out."
"Paige, I.." she tried again
"GET OUT!" Her little sister screamed at a banshee's pitch as she proceeded to try and shove Phoebe out the door. Phoebe retaliated though by grabbing Paige's arm and getting her into a full on body lock, a gentle one of course. Ah the off times where her black belt came in handy.
"You need to stop it miss sensitive. And no I'm not getting out. Not until we find you a suitable outfit." she retorted shutting the door she had nearly been pushed through. The she let Paige go and started raiding the closet herself.
"There was nothing wrong with what I was wearing." Paige near whispered, which she had been doing alot lately. Phoebe had been studying the triggers, and new with a sinking feeling that she had somehow scared Paige.
She sighed inwardly. She knew she provoked Paige on a regular basis, but she missed her younger sister's bite that used to exist on its on. She was so intent on making Paige the same girl she was before that she often forgot the fragile person Paige had become. Anyway, right now she needed an excuse so Paige wouldn't hate her forever.
"You are very emotional" she tutted "Now, do you see what I'm wearing?"
"Yes." Paige groaned taking in her sisters flowing long sleeved top and pants.
"Im wearing clothes for coolish weather aren't I? That's because its cool out. Too cool for that dress of yours.Do you see what I'm saying now dear?"
Paige tried not to smile, but sometimes the way Phoebe acted just made her want to laugh. She couldn't stay mad at her. Besides, she needed at least one ally.
"Yes ma'am" she said mock saluting to know Phoebe she was back in quirky Paige mode. Sometimes she felt as though she was losing her old self, the person she really was.
"That's my girl" Phoebe said giving her a grin, "Now lets hurry up before Prue gets her thong in a knot."
"Eww" Paige cried jokingly burying her head in a pillow as she was now sitting on her bed "I don't want to hear about her undergarments."
Phoebe laughed out loud, truly amused by Paige "I guess she'll be so dissappointed then when she can't give you the briefs vs. bikini speech?"
"Your kidding right?"
Phoebe just raised her eyebrows as she continued to sift through Paige's closet. Yes of course she was kidding but Paige didn't have to know so.
"Ah here!" she exclaimed pulling out a V cut royal blue top and a pair of dark wash jeans to match. "This is a suitable outfit. Maybe a tidbit casual, but whatever. Where did you get these anyway?"
Paige bit her lip nervously, "Err..." she said trying to think of a good answer
Phoebe shot her a look and peeked at the tags. "Armani Exchange! True religion! Paige!"
"What?" she said giving her best innocent baby sister look
Phoebe caved, "Well, I hate to see Prue's face when she sees that credit card bill, but I won't tell as long as you share."
"Of course." Paige replied, even thogh she didn't think the cothes fit for her waif body would be able to fit Phoebe, who was much more developed than she was.
She stripped out of her dress, and into the new outfit not half as self concious around Phoebe as she was around Prue. She twirled around for her big sister to see "So?"
"You look great." Phoebe said with an emphatic nod.
"Do you think Vic-um Dad will like it?" she said nervously beggining to chew on her thumb nail
"I'm sure he will think you are stunning. He's your father remember?"
"Not by blood" she said massacring the nail
"Oh shussh, you of all people should know that means squat, being adopted by the Matthews and all. Now cut that nasty habit, its worse than the thumb sucking." Phoebe admonished her
"Don't bring that up, ever again. " Paige half pleaded half demanded
"But its so endearing, so unlike the only child you claim to be at heart."
Paige rolled her eyes "Yeah whatever you say. Is there anything else to do to be presentable?"
Phoebe smiled inwardly at her sister's reluctance to admit immaturity. However, the way Phoebe saw it she was a child. Even when she had been 22, there were times Phoebe thought she was dealing with a 5 year old. It made Paige who she was though. "Yeah. Take out that third grader's braid. Who did that to you anyway?"
"Prueee" Paige whined.
"Stop whining" Phoebe said feeling very much like a big sister and taking pride in it. "Now come over here so I can take it out"
Paige complied and scampered over to Phoebe. Phoebe did as she promised and removed Paige's braid, letting her sister's wild curls flow free. She was the only Halliwell with hair like that.
"Perfect!" She exclaimed cheerfully "Prue might be mad though I ruined her work though."
Paige shrugged as she rushed over to the bathroom to look in the mirror "This, however, is a much better look for me." she replied studying her delicate face that was only lightly made up from before Phoebe's arrival. "Do my eyes look blue to you?"
"No, Paige you know they are brown."
"But come look. " She prodded "Its like they changed colors!"
Phoebe, curious herself went over to check it out. Her sisters eyes had indeed become the shade of her shirt. "Oh my god Paige! It must be because you are half whitelighter!"
"Pardon?" Paige said cocking her head
'Its like that thing Leo does sometimes, whats it called..uh..oh I don't know. But Leo does it. Its a whitelighter power I think. It lets him change his face!"
"Phwoar" Paige said studying her new eyes further "I don't even know how to use it though!"
"Well, you did."
"Very good Phoebe, but what am I supposed to tell Prue?"
"I dunno. Try and change them back."
Paige shut her eyes tight and tried to concentrate like she sometimes saw her sister's do "Did they change?" she asked opening her eyes slowly
Phoebe looked up close into her face "Nope"
"Great" Paige pouted "Now I get to get in trouble"
Phoebe would've proposed another plan, she rather liked conspiring with her sister like they were normal, but Prue beckoned them from downstairs.
"Phoebe! Paige!" she called "Its time to go now, and by now I mean like actually right this second."
"Coming!" Paige called back before grabbing Phoebe and orbing both of them into their eldest sister's path.
Prue had a look of shock on her face when they rematerialized which turned to a frown as Paige grinned widely at her. "Now, what are the rules about personal gain youg ladies?"
It was Phoebe's turn to roll her eyes "Hey blame her" she said pointing to Paige who pointed at Phoebe in turn.
Prue shook her head at the two of them. "Well at least you are getting along now, or did you do something wrong?" she said studying her sisters carefully
Paige squirmed under Prue's glare quite untrained in the art of little sister poker face as Phoebe was.
"Oh my God, what happened to your eyes!" Prue exclaimed, not quite in the excited way Phoebe had minutes before.
Paige looked down at her feet and took to shuffling them "Well, erm, its quite a delightful story actually, you see I have a new power!"
"And you used it for personal gain!" Prue cried
"Yes, but it was an accident" Paige said imitating Phoebe's easiest way to get out of trouble, a baby voice. Normally, she wouldn't have resorted to such measures to stay out of trouble, but even she knew how touchy Prue was about personal gain
"I'll say it again, you two cannot hang out together anymore" Prue responded trying to keep a serious face, but failing "Now where is that Piper?"
"Here" Piper said coming down the stairs in a casual but still fancy enough top and pants like her sisters'. "And no, Leo is not coming. You know how dad feels about whitelighters"
Paige gulped.
"Guess we better go then" Prue said trying to round up her sisters "Out the door you three."
And of course, they followed.
Prue was trying to shake Paige off, because she was clutching to her like there was no tommorow. Piper was vaguely reminded of the first time she had taken Paige to preschool and she had been doing about the same thing. It suprised her that Paige, usually very sociable, was acting like such a nervous person. She knew though, that this was a hard time for her, and promised herself she would be there for her baby sister.
Prue had given up on trying to calm Paige down and instead just held her hand as they walked toward the restaurant, Cabana. It was known as one of the best latin places on the whole bay. It was new though, so none of the sisters had ever been there themselves. She gave her sister's hand a reassuring squeeze as they entered the restaurant. Prue practically had to push her through the door.
"Daddy!" Phoebe cried running toward a handsome man who two of the remaining girls knew as their father, but who was as much of a stranger to Paige as the waiter who was directing them to their seats.
"Hey Phoebe!" the man said in a way that could be described as whole heartedly, hugging his youngest-well not really anymore-daughter. "Where are those sisters of yours little lady?"
"Right here Dad" Piper said with a genuine smile as she too was hugged, as was Prue.
"You all look so much younger. And my Prue, its so good to have you back."
"Thanks Daddy" Paige heard her oldest sister say in a way that was so foreign. This scene was very awkward, and she just didn't fit in.
Then, what she heard next shocked her. "Paige, is that you sweetheart?" the man said
Paige looked up at him cautiously, she didn't know what to say. "My," he whispered "you look so much like your mother, and Prue, with those eyes of yours."
Phoebe giggled in the background, but stopped when Piper pinched her.
"I'm so sorry " He said "So very sorry, but please, if you let me, I will explain, to all of you."
Paige nodded, and was shocked when he hugged her
He apologized immediately after "I'm sorry, again. I know I'm nothing more than a stranger to you, but I want to change that. Its just, I've missed you your whole life."
Paige just nodded some more, she didn't know what to say. Victor seemed nice, and her sisters seemed to love him, but she didn't know what to make of him yet. Piper's words kept ringing in her head "you know how dad hates whitelighters." Dad. Hate. Whitelighters. It spelled recipe of disaster for Paige.
The 'family' sat down and Victor ordered a nice bottle of wine for himself, Prue, and Piper. "Sorry girls, looks like you aren't legal anymore" he said
"S'no Problem Dad." Phoebe said "Right Paigey."
"Nope, no problem at all." Paige replied a little too perkily.
They ordered their food next, but Paige couldn't even remember what she ordered. Some sort of salad she thought. Her mind was elsewhere though.
"Okay, girls, I know I have a lot of explaining to do so we might as well get started. So, my sweet baby daughter Paige, you are probably wondering why your mother and I gave you up for adoption."
"Yes" She replied politely, although slightly caught off guard by the way Victor was treating her, as if he loved her as much as he loved her other sisters. Could it be possible that he did?
"Well you see, your mother and I had fertility problems, but we nevertheless managed to conceive Prue, Piper and Phoebe with the help of fertility drugs."
"You never told us that" Piper said shocked
"It wasn't really important for you to know sweetheart." Victor replied "But back to the story. We were trying, with the help of the fertility drugs to conceive a fourh baby, but after a few months, still no luck. The doctor checked us out again, and found out that my sperm count was low and probably wasn't even healthy enough to produce anymore offspring. There was limited technology back then obviously, so they just sent us on our ways. Your mother and I were heartbroken. We wanted one more child so badly. The only alterative was a donor."
"Oh wow" Prue said "So you chose Sam?"
"Im getting to it honey. Yes, we chose Sam. You mother wanted to pick someone she knew and trusted just in case the baby ever wanted to know where she came from. Plus, there was none of that messy magical explaining to do. He harvested his spem for us, and it was implanted in your mother. The day I found out she was pregnant again was one of the happiest of my life Paige. You can't imagine the feeling of knowing you have another little girl on the way. I loved you before you were even born Paige. I hope you know that."
Paige was suprised by the answer but felt her head doing some more nodding in acknowledgement. Her story was much more complex than she thought.
"The day you were born, I was ecstatic. We were like any other normal family. Prue, Piper and Phoebe all came in to see you and I could not imagine a better moment in the world."
"But..." Phoebe said getting ready for the downside
"Well, I adopted Paige with Sam's consent, but then a few months later he took her away from us. In a sense he kidnapped her. We couldn't press charges, because no one would be able to find him. He was a whitelighter on the run. We finally got you back Paige but you just cried all the time, and you weren't yourself. The elders assured us you would be fine, but we were scared Sam would come after you again. So we did what we thought was best. We put you up for adoption. I'm sorry if we made the wrong choice."
Paige looked up into the eyes of this man who seemed to love her very much and saw that he was near tears himself.She felt hot tears coursing down her own cheeks. "What happened to Sam?" she asked
'He soul was recycled when he was found. Why sweetie? Do you want to meet him?"
"No, just, its, never mind. I was just curious." She replied. She knew her sisters understood what she was asking and would ask these uncomfortable questions to him later for her.
"Okay." He said attempting a smile and trying to get back into a normal mood " Boy this food is taking a long time" he chuckled falsely
"That's okay." Prue said noticing the patrons of the restaurant staring at their family. " It was nice seeing you again Dad, but I think this has been too much for Paige tonight. She's had a long day. Please, call us."
"You know I will" he responded with an understanding nod of the head. " I'l just have the waiter cancel the orders. Now come say goodbye to your old pops."
"Goonight Daddy" Phoebe said giving her aging father a big hug
" Night Dad" Piper said hugging her father as well
"Take care Dad" Prue said doing just the same
"Watch out for her, Prudence." Victor whispered in Prue's ear as they were embracing. Prue knew she would.
"Goodnight Paigey" Vicor said wrapping Paige in a loving hug which Paige suprisingly returned even though she was hysterical. "I love you."
That part though, Paige didn't return. She only knew that she loved three live people right now and they were her sisters. She wasn't ready to rely on anyone else.
"Call me if you have any questions." Victor told her "I'm here for you."
"Okay." Paige said "Bye"
"Bye honey."
"We'll be seeing you!" Piper called over her shoulder as they exited the restaurant into the night.
Prue had her arms protectively around Paige , who was taking full advantage of her sister's support. "Prue" she whimpered out sadly, it was not easy on her finding out that she had been taken from her home once before, and then given up to another family, all because of her sperm donor psycho biological father. At least Victor seemed nice, but now she had the pressure of being a good daughter to him as well and it seemed as though everything was caving in on her.
"Shh, Paige. You're not going anywhere ever again." Prue soothed her youngest sister, picking up on her fear of the events of her life recurring again.
Paige hoped that Prue was right.
They climbed into the car and Paige immediately latched unto Phoebe who was in the back with her. Phoebe rubbed her sisters back comfortingly, but couldn't help but feel the intense fear she was having. She felt the familiar sensation of a premonition coming, but she warded it off, knowing that she did not want to see what it probably would be of. Mastering her powers had given her choices, and tonight she decided to be selfish.
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Piper was awakened in the middle of the night by sounds of crying that she imagined Prue or someone would hear and respond to. She was in bliss here with her husband and she deserved at least a night of pure relaxation. She snuggled back into Leo's chest fully expecting the sounds to cease, but they didn't. Piper knew she couldn't just leave Paige hanging, because thats of course who it was.
She trudged out of bed, slightly annoyed that Prue wasn't doing this, but instantly felt guilty realizing she probably pulled herself out of bed more often for all three of her younger sisters than Piper ever would. Prue deserved a break more than she did, Piper decided.
Piper gently opened her sister's bedroom door to find nothing more than a sniffling ball of blankets. She moved over to them and pulled to reveal a sweating. miserable Paige, who wouldn't even open her eyes.
"Paige, honey, what's the matter?" Piper asked gently smoothing back Paige's hair from her forehead, but she didn't need an answer after doing so. Paige was burning up and looked as though she was in a lot of discomfort.
"Piper" she mumbled "Hot"
"I know sweetie. But I'm here now." Piper assured her sister
Paige just groaned as she fought a wave of nausea which was causing her to turn and clutch her side. "Piper" she shreiked as it sent awful shooting pains from her heart to her lower back. Never had she felt so sick in her life.
Piper was frightened at her sisters pain and moved to gather Paige into her arms. "Shh, Paigey, Shhh."
"It hurts." she mumbled as tears fell in large amounts "Prueee" she called out
"No, no, Paige, lets let Prue sleep okay? Just relax I've got you."
Paige shut her eyes as dizziness made her vision cloud. She had a migraine headache and took to clutching her head as though that would make it go away.
Piper had had enough. She took Paige in her arms and brought her the short distance over to the rocking chair and sat her youngest sister down on her lap, like she used to with Phoebe when she was small. She began to propel the chair back and forth as she looked at her mess of her sister in her arms. She had to stop comparing Paige and Phoebe and assuming that just because something made Phoebe feel better, it would work for Paige. She really didn't know Paige that well if you looked at it like she did.
She had met Paige, and the young girl had grown on her, whether she intended it to be that way or not. She came to love Paige, her bubbly personality, and her childlike abandon which made her so likeable to the older sister in Piper. Paige had listened when Piper spoke, and took her advice. Paige had become one of Piper's biggest fans.
Now, as she looked at this teenager in her arms, she didn't know where her funloving Paige had disappeared to. This Paige was as unfamiliar to her as the old Paige was when they had first met. But Piper loved Paige no matter what, and vowed to find out as much as she could about this person who was Paige, but was a completely different person at the same time.
Her thoughts were cut off by a sputtering from Paige followed by a series of violent hacking coughs. Piper was sure she was going to end up covered in throw up, but Paige just felt backwards, exhausted. Piper felt bad for her poor sister, but knew that she would be too overly exhausted to come downstairs to get medicine, and Piper did not want to leave her alone. She could carry Paige, but she wasn't sure if all that jiggling would fare well for her weak stomach.
"Here I know, lets read a story. Do you want to here a story baby?" Piper suggested
Paige took well to the coddling and snuggled into Pipers shoulder with a nod, as Piper pulled a weathered collection of Grimm's fairy tales from the nearby bookcase and started to read-well technically, she couldn't read because it was dark in the room, but she had read the story so many times she knew it by heart- from the first story in the book, which had been Phoebe's favorite, The Frog Prince-
"In the olden time, when wishing was having, there lived a King, whose daughters were all beautiful;but the youngest daughter was so exceedingly beautiful that the Sun himself, although he saw her very often, was suprised whenever she came out into the sunshine.
Near the castle of the king, lay a large and gloomy forest and in the midst stood an old lime-tree, beneath whose branches flowed a tranquil brook; whenever it was very hot, the King's youngest daughter ran off into the wood..." Piper began in a hushed voice
Paige let herself be carried away into the magic of the story and she soon nodded off, her and her sister in the positions they both knew they should be in.
Haha you see! This is my gift to you! A ver ver long chaperoonie! See where guilt gets me? Lol. I hope to update again soon, but everything is relative. I hope you all enjoyed and that I have not done anything to upset you in the chapter. If so, I apologize :)
