OK, here is the next chapter. Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed!
The funny thing for me in writing this story is that for me the real action
comes up really fast. Usually it takes me a little while to build up to
some action, here that won't be so. I hope you like!
~*~
Chapter 2
Piper, Phoebe and Paige walked up the front steps. Phoebe rang the doorbell since Piper had her hands full carrying Mel and Paige was holding the casserole. The strains of music that they could hear coming from inside abruptly shut off, then they heard footsteps coming toward the door. The door opened enough for the person to stand in the opening. She was a young woman, a little younger than Paige; her strawberry blond hair was put up in a messy bun with wisps of hair falling around her makeup-less face, her green-gray eyes looked them up and down. She smiled at them.
"May I help you?" Her voice was friendly, but the Charmed Ones could hear the guarded tone in her voice.
Piper smiled. "Hi, I'm Piper Halliwell Wyatt and these are my sisters, Phoebe Halliwell and Paige Matthews. And this is my daughter, Prudence Melinda. We are your neighbors over there." Piper nodded to Halliwell manor.
The young woman glanced over at the house then looked back at the sisters. "My name is Chimera Rush." She smiled and stuck her hand through the opening, shook each of the sisters' hands and smiled at Mel. "It's a pleasure to meet you."
Paige stepped forward. "This is for you." She handed the casserole to Chimera. "Piper made it, she is an amazing chef."
Chimera accepted it. "Thank you. Would you like to come in? I was just making some tea."
"We wouldn't want to bother you," Piper said. "I am sure you have a lot of unpacking to do."
Chimera shook her head and opened the door wider. "It would be no bother at all. We got here at about midnight and started unpacking immediately so we have unpacked just about everything."
The girls walked in and saw what she meant. The furniture was all unpacked and set up; they didn't see a single box anywhere.
Once inside Piper could see Chimera better. She sized her up. She was a little under medium height, she wore a button down shirt, the sleeves rolled up to her elbows and the front open, over a white tank top; a pair of old jeans and white Keds. Around her neck hung a silver necklace, the pendant on it looked like the Charmed Ones' symbol except instead of a circle there was and eternity symbol interlocked in it. Besides the necklace, nothing else about her was particularly remarkable, but Piper, Phoebe and Paige knew better.
Chimera closed the door behind them then led them through the entry hall. Piper noticed a rag hanging out of her back pocket, there were red smudges all over it.
"Did you cut yourself?"
Chimera turned to her, confused.
"The rag in your pocket." Piper gestured to it.
"Oh!" Chimera pulled it out. "No, it's paint. I was doing some painting when you rang." She gestured to a canvas on an easel as they entered the sunroom. "Have a seat, I will get the tea." She motioned them to the white whicker furniture, then exited the room again.
The sisters studied the painting, it was hauntingly beautiful. There was a crystal vase with two flowers in it. On the left was a blood red rose and on the right was a snow white lily.
"It's lovely. You are an artist?" Phoebe called in the direction Chimera had gone.
"Thank you," she called back. They then heard her footsteps heading their way. "I am just amateur. I enjoy doing it and it relaxes me." She stepped into the room carrying a try with everything, then she began to set it all out on the coffee table. "'Art is the food and expression of the soul.' That's what someone used to tell me." Paige noticed Chimera's hand unconsciously drifted up to her necklace at this.
"What do you do for a living?" Paige glanced at her as she accepted her cup.
"I am in graphic design. I design logos and such for companies. I also often teach classes."
Mel became fussy and squirmed in her mother's arms to get down. Chimera smiled at the little girl fondly then walked over to an old wooden trunk in a corner. She pulled a red bag out of it, walked over to near Piper then spilled the contents out. Red, yellow, blue and green blocks clanked on the stone floor; Mel laughed delightedly. Piper let her down, smiling gratefully at Chimera, who smiled back.
The four women finally sat down to tea, Chimera getting to know them and they getting to know her, all the while watching a very happy Mel play with the blocks.
~*~
Well, that's chapter two. I hope you liked! Please tell me what you thought of it. And if you didn't like it please tell me why to I can make it better, so no flames please!
~*~
Chapter 2
Piper, Phoebe and Paige walked up the front steps. Phoebe rang the doorbell since Piper had her hands full carrying Mel and Paige was holding the casserole. The strains of music that they could hear coming from inside abruptly shut off, then they heard footsteps coming toward the door. The door opened enough for the person to stand in the opening. She was a young woman, a little younger than Paige; her strawberry blond hair was put up in a messy bun with wisps of hair falling around her makeup-less face, her green-gray eyes looked them up and down. She smiled at them.
"May I help you?" Her voice was friendly, but the Charmed Ones could hear the guarded tone in her voice.
Piper smiled. "Hi, I'm Piper Halliwell Wyatt and these are my sisters, Phoebe Halliwell and Paige Matthews. And this is my daughter, Prudence Melinda. We are your neighbors over there." Piper nodded to Halliwell manor.
The young woman glanced over at the house then looked back at the sisters. "My name is Chimera Rush." She smiled and stuck her hand through the opening, shook each of the sisters' hands and smiled at Mel. "It's a pleasure to meet you."
Paige stepped forward. "This is for you." She handed the casserole to Chimera. "Piper made it, she is an amazing chef."
Chimera accepted it. "Thank you. Would you like to come in? I was just making some tea."
"We wouldn't want to bother you," Piper said. "I am sure you have a lot of unpacking to do."
Chimera shook her head and opened the door wider. "It would be no bother at all. We got here at about midnight and started unpacking immediately so we have unpacked just about everything."
The girls walked in and saw what she meant. The furniture was all unpacked and set up; they didn't see a single box anywhere.
Once inside Piper could see Chimera better. She sized her up. She was a little under medium height, she wore a button down shirt, the sleeves rolled up to her elbows and the front open, over a white tank top; a pair of old jeans and white Keds. Around her neck hung a silver necklace, the pendant on it looked like the Charmed Ones' symbol except instead of a circle there was and eternity symbol interlocked in it. Besides the necklace, nothing else about her was particularly remarkable, but Piper, Phoebe and Paige knew better.
Chimera closed the door behind them then led them through the entry hall. Piper noticed a rag hanging out of her back pocket, there were red smudges all over it.
"Did you cut yourself?"
Chimera turned to her, confused.
"The rag in your pocket." Piper gestured to it.
"Oh!" Chimera pulled it out. "No, it's paint. I was doing some painting when you rang." She gestured to a canvas on an easel as they entered the sunroom. "Have a seat, I will get the tea." She motioned them to the white whicker furniture, then exited the room again.
The sisters studied the painting, it was hauntingly beautiful. There was a crystal vase with two flowers in it. On the left was a blood red rose and on the right was a snow white lily.
"It's lovely. You are an artist?" Phoebe called in the direction Chimera had gone.
"Thank you," she called back. They then heard her footsteps heading their way. "I am just amateur. I enjoy doing it and it relaxes me." She stepped into the room carrying a try with everything, then she began to set it all out on the coffee table. "'Art is the food and expression of the soul.' That's what someone used to tell me." Paige noticed Chimera's hand unconsciously drifted up to her necklace at this.
"What do you do for a living?" Paige glanced at her as she accepted her cup.
"I am in graphic design. I design logos and such for companies. I also often teach classes."
Mel became fussy and squirmed in her mother's arms to get down. Chimera smiled at the little girl fondly then walked over to an old wooden trunk in a corner. She pulled a red bag out of it, walked over to near Piper then spilled the contents out. Red, yellow, blue and green blocks clanked on the stone floor; Mel laughed delightedly. Piper let her down, smiling gratefully at Chimera, who smiled back.
The four women finally sat down to tea, Chimera getting to know them and they getting to know her, all the while watching a very happy Mel play with the blocks.
~*~
Well, that's chapter two. I hope you liked! Please tell me what you thought of it. And if you didn't like it please tell me why to I can make it better, so no flames please!
