The backdoor swung open as a tired Paige stepped in. Piper, who was in the kitchen cleaning, looked at her confused. It was only three in the afternoon and Paige was already home, and after her being so adamant to going to work. Paige gave a heavy sigh, indicating there was something wrong with her, and sat down on a barstool, resting her head in her hand.

"What are you doing home so early?" Piper investigated.

"Mr. Cowan told me to go home because I didn't look well. He said that I've been more responsible lately that if I were sick, I should take off; I earned it."

"And you're complaining? I remember when I'd die for a day off." Paige just shrugged. "How do you feel anyway?"

"I've been getting this headache and some cramps."

"Uh huh… I told you should've stayed home this morning."

"But I was fine this morning, how could you have known?"

"My dear Paige," Piper said, putting her arm around Paige, "You will learn one day that as the wise, eldest sister, I just know these things."

"Sure... that must be it."

"Best way to beat a cold is sleep and plenty of fluids." Piper smiled. Just then, Leo orbed in with Phoebe.

"Next time your car breaks down, calling triple A would be easier." Leo commented.

"Yeah, but it was hot and it would've taken forever." Phoebe complained.

"I'm going to my room…" Paige halfway announced, leaving the kitchen.

"Sleep, no work!" Piper yelled after her.

"What she doing home?" Phoebe asked.

"Boss sent her home; said she looked sick."

****

"Paige?" Phoebe gently shook her shoulder. It was around six that evening, and Phoebe had heard her in the hall as she was discussing with Leo about Piper's upcoming birthday. They walked in to see Paige rocking back and forth.

"It hurts." Paige cried out.

"Paige, what's wrong?" Leo stepped forward, ready to heal.

"Leo, make it stop."

"What does? You have to tell me where." Leo looked at Paige, not knowing where she was talking about. Phoebe pulled back the cover off of Paige so they could get a better look. Paige was clutching her stomach tight.

"Is it your stomach Paige?" Phoebe asked, noticing Paige's current position. "Honey, you're going to have to move your hands." Phoebe lifted Paige's arms up to reveal her usually pale stomach was now a tint of red, as if it was irritated. Leo put his hands over it, not sure what it was he was healing. Nothing happened, his arms just hovered over her. Phoebe gave Leo a questioning look, wondering what was wrong.

"Paige, does it still hurt?" Paige nodded her head.

"Maybe you should go get some ice or something, because I can't heal her for some reason." Leo suggested. Phoebe got up and jogged down the stairs into the kitchen. Piper was making dinner, no idea on how Paige feels.

"Whoa, what's the rush?" Piper asked, tasting some of her own cooking.

"Paige is up, but her stomach is all red and she says it hurts." Phoebe replied quickly, grabbing an ice pack out of the freezer.

"Oh, oh!" Piper quickly sat the spoon down and ran up after Phoebe, back to Paige's room. Phoebe handed Leo the ice pack and he placed it on Paige's stomach. She flinched a little at the coldness, but relaxed in time.

"Leo…" Piper said, nodding for him to come with her. Leo handed Phoebe the ice pack and met Piper just outside the door. "What's wrong? Can't you heal her?"

"I don't know. I'll go check with the elders." Leo stated, orbing away. Piper went back inside the room.

"Here?" Phoebe poked Paige's side. Paige nodded and Phoebe placed the ice on that side.

"Hey, how you feeling?" Piper asked, pulling strands of Paige's hair out of her face.

"Cold…"

"Well honey, you do have an icepack against your side." Piper pointed out.

"It's not that… I can feel the pain going away, but I'm just cold."

"Ok…" Piper just nodded, looking at Phoebe to see if she understood that. Phoebe shrugged back, moving the ice pack in a circular pattern around on Paige's stomach.

"Paige, what exactly happened when you were with, umm, whatever his name is?" Phoebe asked, wondering if there was some connection.

"All I remember is waking up and being forced to drink something."

"Something? Like a potion?"

"I guess so. And then he umm, ran this knife across my stomach, and licked my uh… blood."

"Eww…" Piper and Phoebe both said.

"That explains the cut Leo healed when we found you on the beach." Phoebe commented.

"Yeah… I had woken up in this room and… but I don't really remember anything else after that, I just was trying to get away." Paige began to sniffle a little.

"Its ok now, sweetie. Just get some sleep." Piper said, kissing her forehead.

"Yeah." Phoebe agreed, pulling the covers back up.

"Thanks guys." Paige smiled. The two older sisters walked to the door, waiting for their baby sister to close her eyes. After rolling around a little, Paige settled into a comfortable position, and fell back asleep. Phoebe shut the door quietly right when Leo orbed in front of them.

"Hey." Leo greeted casually. "Is she…?"

"Yeah." Phoebe replied.

"Oh, ok. I talked to The Elders and they said that I couldn't heal Paige because she isn't hurt."

"She isn't hurt?" Piper repeated, dumbfounded by the explanation. "Her stomach is completely red, but she wasn't exactly out in the sunshine, tanning. And the pain she complains of, is imaginary?" Piper asked, with a hint of sarcasm.

"No, they're not saying that. It's like if you had a headache. I can't heal that; it's like, a natural thing. You weren't hurt to receive that headache, but sure, it hurts."

"So, they're saying that whatever Paige is going through, whatever is causing her that pain, is 'natural'?" Phoebe asked with quotation fingers, receiving a nod from Leo. "No offense to the almighty Elders, but whatever is happening to her doesn't look natural to me."

"Nope, looks more like supernatural to me too." Piper added in, looking at Leo.

"Fine, don't believe me." Leo said, sarcasm matching Piper's.

"We didn't say that…" Piper sighed. "I say we go let her sleep the night, and if she feels worse, we'll take her to the doctor since it's not supernatural."

"Ok…" Phoebe agreed.

"Now, dinner will be ready in a few minutes. You guys eating?"

"Yep."

"Unless I'm called away, yes." Leo said.

"Good…" Piper walked back to the kitchen, as Phoebe and Leo continued to talk about the surprise party.

****

"Piper?" Phoebe rubbed her sleeping sister's shoulder. Piper batted away Phoebe's hand and mumbled something. "Piper, come on. Wake up. Where's Paige?" At the last question Piper jumped up.

"Wha… Paige!" Piper yelled out, ran to Paige's room, and looked at the empty bed, sheets all tossed about. Her and Phoebe jogged out of the room, and down the stairs to search the first floor. Piper went through the kitchen and the living room. Phoebe had come back from the conservatory after looking out the window to see Paige's car still in the driveway. A door open and shut just as Phoebe looked up with a glint of hope, but only to see Leo lazily walking to the bathroom.

"Leo, Paige is…"

"Shhh… Bathroom." Leo cut Phoebe off, shutting the door behind him.

"Who was that?" Piper said, running to where Phoebe was standing.

"Leo, going into the bathroom."

"Oh, did you tell him about Paige?"

"I tried, but he cut…"

"AHHH!" Leo yelled as he tumbled out the bathroom. Phoebe and Piper looked at each confused and walked up to see a startled Leo. "Sicko!" Leo yelled into the bathroom. Piper looked inside the bathroom to see a dazed Paige on the floor.

"Oh my gosh." Piper said, helping her sister off the floor. "Paige, what are you doing in the bathroom?"

"Umm…" Paige began to explain, looking around, with a look of astonishment that she was in the bathroom herself. "Oh yeah, I was throwing up last night and I didn't want to keep going back and forth to the bathroom, so decided to wait in the bathroom a while. I guess I fell asleep. Next thing I know, I wake up to see Leo's umm… well, Leo was standing there."

"Why didn't you wake me?"

"Didn't want to bother you…"

"There's no way helping my baby sister would bother me." Piper said, smiling at Paige.

"What? You told me I was a pest last time I was sick!" Phoebe exclaimed.

"Well, Paige has at least twenty five years worth of excuses left. Yours are gone by now." Piper smirked.

"People! I still have to go to the bathroom." Leo said impatiently. "Alone…" They started to head out.

"Geez, keep your underwear up." Phoebe commented, stifling a laugh. "Seriously, it's still a little out." Leo slammed the door behind the three sisters.

"So, hungry?" Piper asked, them heading downstairs. "No pun intended."

"Starving…" Paige said.

"Yeah, me too." Phoebe agreed, entering the kitchen. Piper opened the fridge and freezer at the same time. Paige sat on a bar stool as Phoebe put on some coffee. "What are you guys in the mood for?"

"Don't know." Phoebe shrugged, pulling up a stool next to Paige.

"Ice cream…" Paige said strangely. Phoebe and Piper glanced at Paige.

"Ice cream? For… breakfast?" Piper asked, not accustomed to the idea.

"Yeah… I don't know. You asked what we were in the mood for."

"Ok… well, I'm going to have a breakfast bagel. What kind of ice cream?"

"Chocolate swirl."

"And for you Pheebs?" Piper asked, digging out the ice cream from the back of the freezer.

"Do we have strawberry ice cream?"

"Uh… no, we don't usually have strawberry."

"Well then, I'll take a bagel too."