A/N: Hey everyone! I decided to continue! Yay! Anyway, being that this is
an AU and I can't stand that they're splitting Phoebe and Cole apart, they
are together in my story. However none of the events after Black As Cole
are included, except for Phoebe and Cole's wedding. As for living
arrangements, I believe you all figured out by now that Piper lives in the
Manor, Phoebe and Cole live in the penthouse and Paige lives in an
apartment building downtown. Okay, just wanted to give ya a bit of
background info for this chapter and now on with the story....
Piper slowly made her way down the familiar streets in route to Paige's house. Earlier that day Paige had called Piper and Phoebe and invited them to dinner at her apartment. Without even haven spoken to her for that long over the phone, Piper knew something was up. Paige sounded way too happy. Piper pondered what it could be. Lots of ideas cluttered her mind, but she decided to push them all aside and wait for Paige to tell her.
Upon arriving she was greeted by Phoebe and Cole, who were waiting for the elevator. By Cole's side, was Ben, their four year old son and the only love of Phoebe and Cole's life. Or at least for now, being that their second child was due sometime in December.
"So Piper, why do you think Paige invited us over for dinner?"
"Well, I'd bet she's got something up her sleeve."
"I suppose. Especially since she invited us to eat at her house." Phoebe laughed
"That's true. I asked her if she need me to cook, but she refused to let me."
"That's Paige for ya. Always independent, never relying on others."
As soon as they stepped off the elevator they were greeted by Paige, who had apparently been taking out the trash.
"Hey guys! Welcome! Come on in, we're just about done."
Piper shuttered as she walked into Paige's apartment. The smell of lemon chicken, rice and pie filled the air. Piper had to admit it smelled absolutely wonderful.
"Paige, what have you done?" Piper asked
"What do you mean?"
"The food. It smells delicious."
"Of course it does, it's not mine."
"Paige! You bought food, even after I offered to cook! How could you?!?!?"
"Relax Piper, relax. I didn't buy it and I didn't cook it, Glen did."
Suddenly, as if on cue Glen, Paige's current boyfriend walked out from the kitchen. He came behind Paige kissed her neck and then proceeded to come and greet the guests.
"Hey everyone, how's it going?"
Just as everyone was going to answer, they were interrupted by Ben.
"Glen! Glen! I made a model airplane!" he said smiling and revealing his missing tooth
"Good job buddy. You'll have to tell me all about it over dinner, which is by the way, about to be served."
For the next few hours everyone talked, ate and had a all together great time. No one even remembered why they had come in the first place, that is until Glen put up his cup to make a toast.
"I'd like to thank you all for coming. I believe I speak for both Paige and I when I say that we were thrilled to have you all join us. And although it'd been really fun to keep you all here, guessing as to why we called you over, Paige has told me that we should probably get on with it. You see....."
Glen was interrupted by Paige.
"You see what Glen's trying to say is that.... we're engaged." Paige happily said as she carefully withdrew the ring from her pant pocket and placed it on her ring finger.
"Oh my God Paige! That is so great! And hiding that ring so that none of us would suspect, how very brilliant!" Phoebe said excitedly
"Congratulations! Welcome to the family!" Cole said as he got up, hugged Paige and shook Glenn's hand
Phoebe sat next to Piper and when she noticed that Piper hadn't said anything to Paige and Glen, she proceeded to nudge her, urging her to speak.
"Yeah, congrats guys!" Piper said half heartedly. The truth was it hurt to see a pair of newly engaged people. Sure Piper was happy for them, but she couldn't help but think of Leo. For the next few months Paige would agonize over the right dress, the right food, the right church, etc while her sister Piper, sat alone at home with a tub of Ben and Jerry's, a box of tissues and old family photo albums. Just thinking about weddings brought Piper back to that day, many years ago, when she herself had gotten married to the love of her life.
**Flashback**
"Piper, through all the tears and struggles, I always knew in my heart that we'd make it here. I promise to love and respect you from this point forward as your husband, as my wife, my lover, my friend, and my soul mate. All I am is yours."
"Piper...." Grams said
"Leo, you are the best thing that has ever happened to me. I was afraid that you were too good to be true, that maybe I didn't deserve someone so pure and beautiful and loving as you are. But here we are surrounded by the people that I love the most and I feel so proud, and so blessed to be your wife. Leo, I was born to love you and I always will."
"Here before witnesses, Leo and Piper have sworn their vows towards each other. With this cord, I bind them to those vows." Grams said as she proceeded to tie a rope, loosely around their hands.
"Heart to thee, body to thee, always and forever, so mote it be." Piper and Leo recited together
"So mote it be." Recited the guests, which at that point in time had included Prue
Then Piper and Leo passionately kissed.
**Present***
Even to this day Piper could remember how happy she felt on that day. After all the heart aches and struggles they had made it. Together forever, or so they had thought. Now it was Piper alone, as she had been once upon a time.
She snapped out of her day dream to see Paige and Glen sharing a passionate kiss. Looking over to Phoebe and Cole, she found that they had moved to the couch and were staring at each other lovingly while Ben slept peacefully curled up in between them.
Oh how she longed to have a normal life again, with a loving husband and wonderful kids. To think she had once had that, but that's life, when something is going great, fate takes over and rips it from your hands. Leaving you with nothing but emptiness and longing. Longing for what you once had and what you believe you will never again get.
Piper could feel a tug at her chest as she felt the grief and sorrow begin to take over again. It had been so long since she had felt this bad, at least a week or so. However now it came back and Piper knew the tears would soon come. She couldn't let them see her like this, they finally thought Piper had her life in order and she didn't want to prove them wrong. She wanted to keep her grief stricken life to her self, in a place no one would ever know of it. So quickly Piper collected her things and told everyone she had a horrible migraine and was going to go home.
Quickly she ran from Paige's apartment and into the elevator. Pushing the L for the ground floor over and over again, hoping that somehow her doing this would quicken the elevator. Once the elevator doors opened and revealed the lobby Piper again ran, not once stopping until she reached her car. She opened the door got inside and slammed the door shut. Sitting there she leaned her head against the steering wheel and cried. And all the way home she cried. She thought about many things, mostly how her sisters were all so happy and how she knew that no matter what, she'd never again get the life they had. Forever she'd live alone.
Piper slowly made her way down the familiar streets in route to Paige's house. Earlier that day Paige had called Piper and Phoebe and invited them to dinner at her apartment. Without even haven spoken to her for that long over the phone, Piper knew something was up. Paige sounded way too happy. Piper pondered what it could be. Lots of ideas cluttered her mind, but she decided to push them all aside and wait for Paige to tell her.
Upon arriving she was greeted by Phoebe and Cole, who were waiting for the elevator. By Cole's side, was Ben, their four year old son and the only love of Phoebe and Cole's life. Or at least for now, being that their second child was due sometime in December.
"So Piper, why do you think Paige invited us over for dinner?"
"Well, I'd bet she's got something up her sleeve."
"I suppose. Especially since she invited us to eat at her house." Phoebe laughed
"That's true. I asked her if she need me to cook, but she refused to let me."
"That's Paige for ya. Always independent, never relying on others."
As soon as they stepped off the elevator they were greeted by Paige, who had apparently been taking out the trash.
"Hey guys! Welcome! Come on in, we're just about done."
Piper shuttered as she walked into Paige's apartment. The smell of lemon chicken, rice and pie filled the air. Piper had to admit it smelled absolutely wonderful.
"Paige, what have you done?" Piper asked
"What do you mean?"
"The food. It smells delicious."
"Of course it does, it's not mine."
"Paige! You bought food, even after I offered to cook! How could you?!?!?"
"Relax Piper, relax. I didn't buy it and I didn't cook it, Glen did."
Suddenly, as if on cue Glen, Paige's current boyfriend walked out from the kitchen. He came behind Paige kissed her neck and then proceeded to come and greet the guests.
"Hey everyone, how's it going?"
Just as everyone was going to answer, they were interrupted by Ben.
"Glen! Glen! I made a model airplane!" he said smiling and revealing his missing tooth
"Good job buddy. You'll have to tell me all about it over dinner, which is by the way, about to be served."
For the next few hours everyone talked, ate and had a all together great time. No one even remembered why they had come in the first place, that is until Glen put up his cup to make a toast.
"I'd like to thank you all for coming. I believe I speak for both Paige and I when I say that we were thrilled to have you all join us. And although it'd been really fun to keep you all here, guessing as to why we called you over, Paige has told me that we should probably get on with it. You see....."
Glen was interrupted by Paige.
"You see what Glen's trying to say is that.... we're engaged." Paige happily said as she carefully withdrew the ring from her pant pocket and placed it on her ring finger.
"Oh my God Paige! That is so great! And hiding that ring so that none of us would suspect, how very brilliant!" Phoebe said excitedly
"Congratulations! Welcome to the family!" Cole said as he got up, hugged Paige and shook Glenn's hand
Phoebe sat next to Piper and when she noticed that Piper hadn't said anything to Paige and Glen, she proceeded to nudge her, urging her to speak.
"Yeah, congrats guys!" Piper said half heartedly. The truth was it hurt to see a pair of newly engaged people. Sure Piper was happy for them, but she couldn't help but think of Leo. For the next few months Paige would agonize over the right dress, the right food, the right church, etc while her sister Piper, sat alone at home with a tub of Ben and Jerry's, a box of tissues and old family photo albums. Just thinking about weddings brought Piper back to that day, many years ago, when she herself had gotten married to the love of her life.
**Flashback**
"Piper, through all the tears and struggles, I always knew in my heart that we'd make it here. I promise to love and respect you from this point forward as your husband, as my wife, my lover, my friend, and my soul mate. All I am is yours."
"Piper...." Grams said
"Leo, you are the best thing that has ever happened to me. I was afraid that you were too good to be true, that maybe I didn't deserve someone so pure and beautiful and loving as you are. But here we are surrounded by the people that I love the most and I feel so proud, and so blessed to be your wife. Leo, I was born to love you and I always will."
"Here before witnesses, Leo and Piper have sworn their vows towards each other. With this cord, I bind them to those vows." Grams said as she proceeded to tie a rope, loosely around their hands.
"Heart to thee, body to thee, always and forever, so mote it be." Piper and Leo recited together
"So mote it be." Recited the guests, which at that point in time had included Prue
Then Piper and Leo passionately kissed.
**Present***
Even to this day Piper could remember how happy she felt on that day. After all the heart aches and struggles they had made it. Together forever, or so they had thought. Now it was Piper alone, as she had been once upon a time.
She snapped out of her day dream to see Paige and Glen sharing a passionate kiss. Looking over to Phoebe and Cole, she found that they had moved to the couch and were staring at each other lovingly while Ben slept peacefully curled up in between them.
Oh how she longed to have a normal life again, with a loving husband and wonderful kids. To think she had once had that, but that's life, when something is going great, fate takes over and rips it from your hands. Leaving you with nothing but emptiness and longing. Longing for what you once had and what you believe you will never again get.
Piper could feel a tug at her chest as she felt the grief and sorrow begin to take over again. It had been so long since she had felt this bad, at least a week or so. However now it came back and Piper knew the tears would soon come. She couldn't let them see her like this, they finally thought Piper had her life in order and she didn't want to prove them wrong. She wanted to keep her grief stricken life to her self, in a place no one would ever know of it. So quickly Piper collected her things and told everyone she had a horrible migraine and was going to go home.
Quickly she ran from Paige's apartment and into the elevator. Pushing the L for the ground floor over and over again, hoping that somehow her doing this would quicken the elevator. Once the elevator doors opened and revealed the lobby Piper again ran, not once stopping until she reached her car. She opened the door got inside and slammed the door shut. Sitting there she leaned her head against the steering wheel and cried. And all the way home she cried. She thought about many things, mostly how her sisters were all so happy and how she knew that no matter what, she'd never again get the life they had. Forever she'd live alone.