Note: This story is told between "Charmed and Dangerous" and "The Three
Faces of Phoebe."
Piper raised an eyebrow when Paige bounced into the kitchen the next morning. "Pleasant dreams?" she asked.
" Most definitely," Paige replied happily. Phoebe grinned mischievously as she buttered a bagel. Leo and Cole exchanged a look that clearly said, "Women." Paige grabbed a croissant and her purse. " You're not staying?" inquired Piper.
" Got to go to work. Fighting demons doesn't pay the electricity." Paige stuffed the croissant in her mouth. She closed her eyes and orbed to work.
**********************
Paige's boss tossed a pile of papers on her desk. She scowled. " Sorry Paige, but the work's got to be done," he explained. He turned and left. Paige stuck her tongue out behind him and got to work.
Midway through the pile, her stomach turned. Paige dashed to the bathroom and spent nearly half an hour over the toilet. " Ugh," she said. " I…hate…throwing…" Her stomach did a roller coaster loop and she bent over again.
Her head ached as she walked out of the stall. At her desk she took a sip of water and swirled it around, cleaning out the nasty taste. Her boss came over. " You all right, Paige?" he asked.
" Not really," she mumbled.
" I'm sending you home. You shouldn't be here if you're so sick. I'll call you a cab."
Paige gave him a grateful smile. The cab came ten minutes later and brought her to the manor. She stomped inside. " Hello?" she croaked. Leo was meditating in the living room, surrounded by sapphire orbs. Deciding not to bother him, she went to the kitchen, suddenly hungry. She grabbed a plate of last night's chicken, some potato chips, an apple, a package of Oreos, and a Diet Coke.
Weird, after throwing up, she thought as she ate greedily. When she was finished she clomped up to her room, flopped on the bed and fell asleep.
She was back on the beach with the man from her dream. Paige frowned. " Not today, lover boy."
" I know," he said. " I'm surprised the transformation is happening so quickly." Even in a dream Paige felt her heart beat faster. " What are talking abo-?"
The man shimmered to her side and enclosed her in his arms. He patted her stomach affectionately. " Soon you shall join me in the Darkness," he hissed into her ear. Everything became clear to Paige.
Paige gasped. " No!" Suddenly she was falling through a black hole, while voices around her screamed, " Paige! Paige!"
" No!" Paige sat up in bed. Phoebe was there, wrapping her arm around her baby sister. " Are you all right?"
Just a dream, Paige reminded herself. Just a dream. " I'm all right, Pheebs," she told her sister as casually as possible.
" What're you doing here?"
" They sent me home early. I was feeling sick."
" What's wrong?" Phoebe asked. Paige brightened. Now her sisters could help her with the demon. She opened her mouth- and started to cough. An invisible hand grasped her throat tightly.
I don't think so, her dream man whispered. Can't have you telling your sisters about my plan. It'd ruin everything.
" Paige? PAIGE!" Phoebe cried when Paige started to look faint. The demon let go. Don't say a word, was the last thing Paige heard.
" Are you all right?"
" Fine," Paige told her sister. " Could you get me something to drink?"
" Sure," Phoebe said and walked out. Paige gritted her teeth. That demon was going to pay.
Piper raised an eyebrow when Paige bounced into the kitchen the next morning. "Pleasant dreams?" she asked.
" Most definitely," Paige replied happily. Phoebe grinned mischievously as she buttered a bagel. Leo and Cole exchanged a look that clearly said, "Women." Paige grabbed a croissant and her purse. " You're not staying?" inquired Piper.
" Got to go to work. Fighting demons doesn't pay the electricity." Paige stuffed the croissant in her mouth. She closed her eyes and orbed to work.
**********************
Paige's boss tossed a pile of papers on her desk. She scowled. " Sorry Paige, but the work's got to be done," he explained. He turned and left. Paige stuck her tongue out behind him and got to work.
Midway through the pile, her stomach turned. Paige dashed to the bathroom and spent nearly half an hour over the toilet. " Ugh," she said. " I…hate…throwing…" Her stomach did a roller coaster loop and she bent over again.
Her head ached as she walked out of the stall. At her desk she took a sip of water and swirled it around, cleaning out the nasty taste. Her boss came over. " You all right, Paige?" he asked.
" Not really," she mumbled.
" I'm sending you home. You shouldn't be here if you're so sick. I'll call you a cab."
Paige gave him a grateful smile. The cab came ten minutes later and brought her to the manor. She stomped inside. " Hello?" she croaked. Leo was meditating in the living room, surrounded by sapphire orbs. Deciding not to bother him, she went to the kitchen, suddenly hungry. She grabbed a plate of last night's chicken, some potato chips, an apple, a package of Oreos, and a Diet Coke.
Weird, after throwing up, she thought as she ate greedily. When she was finished she clomped up to her room, flopped on the bed and fell asleep.
She was back on the beach with the man from her dream. Paige frowned. " Not today, lover boy."
" I know," he said. " I'm surprised the transformation is happening so quickly." Even in a dream Paige felt her heart beat faster. " What are talking abo-?"
The man shimmered to her side and enclosed her in his arms. He patted her stomach affectionately. " Soon you shall join me in the Darkness," he hissed into her ear. Everything became clear to Paige.
Paige gasped. " No!" Suddenly she was falling through a black hole, while voices around her screamed, " Paige! Paige!"
" No!" Paige sat up in bed. Phoebe was there, wrapping her arm around her baby sister. " Are you all right?"
Just a dream, Paige reminded herself. Just a dream. " I'm all right, Pheebs," she told her sister as casually as possible.
" What're you doing here?"
" They sent me home early. I was feeling sick."
" What's wrong?" Phoebe asked. Paige brightened. Now her sisters could help her with the demon. She opened her mouth- and started to cough. An invisible hand grasped her throat tightly.
I don't think so, her dream man whispered. Can't have you telling your sisters about my plan. It'd ruin everything.
" Paige? PAIGE!" Phoebe cried when Paige started to look faint. The demon let go. Don't say a word, was the last thing Paige heard.
" Are you all right?"
" Fine," Paige told her sister. " Could you get me something to drink?"
" Sure," Phoebe said and walked out. Paige gritted her teeth. That demon was going to pay.