For Paige the night seemed to drag on forever, she drifted in and out
of sleep, from one nightmare to another.

When she finally dragged herself from bed, the clock was blaring 10:00am, a
utteral groan escaped her lips as her bare feet touched the floor. She still
felt so tired. For a brief moment she had forgotten all about last night
and everything was okay, but as quickly as that moment of peace had come,
it had equally as quickly left, leaving her feeling apprehensive. What
would Nicolas demand of her, how long could she appease him before her
sisters found out anyway. Pulling a pair of jeans and a pink top from
her dresser, she quickly dressed and headed downstairs.

Paige grimaced as an odor of something rotten waffed into her nose.
"ugghhhh....what died"

Piper poked her head from the kitchen, Phoebe close behind, piper was the
first to speak.
"well....we were trying out a new potion, until Phoebe! added the wrong
ingrediant" She gently elbowed Phoebe.

"oww...Piper i said i was sorry" Phoebe rubbed her arm, and pouted.

Paige pasted a smile on her lips, and nodded".
"Ahh...I see"
Walking past them she headed for the kitchen for some much needed coffee.
Out of the corner of her eye she noticed both sisters follow her.

"Paige...you okay"
Piper stood with her hands on her hips, watching her, a worried look
playing through her features.

"I'm fine..just tired, i'll be fine once i get some coffee into me"

"you sure nothings wrong?"
Pipers instincts told her that there was something bugging Paige, more
than a desire for coffee. She couldn't pinpoint it yet, but she promised
herself that she would keep and eye on her, something wasn't right.

It was later in the afternoon when the phone rang, Paige quickly answered
it, and shudder ran deep through her spine, as a low husky voice spoke.
"Hey Babe, how are ya..."

Paige paused, taking a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves.
"I'm fine, what can i do for you Nicolas"
The sound of him chuckling made the hairs on the back of her neck stand
on end.

"Fine, right to business. I have an...assosiate, that would like to meet
with you tonight, alone of course"

"what kind of an assosiate, and what does this assosiate of yours want?"
She tried to keep her nervousness buried.

"Thats between you and him. Meet him tonight, theres a small bar called
Jaunties, be there by 1am. Paige i mean it, do not bail out on this or
I go to your sisters."

"Fine i'll be there"
With one burst of courage she hung up the phone, not waiting for his
reply.

It seemed so long ago that Trish had died, that night seemed a lifetime
away. It had started out so innocently, them going out to a bar they wanted
to meet up with some other friends. But they never showed up, at the time
it hadn't seemed all that odd, but looking back on it, it did seem strange.
Their friends had never stood them up before. They had enjoyed a few
drinks then headed out to the park, trying to walk off the effects of
the alchohol.

Paige was forced from her thoughts by the sound of their old grandfather
clock booming, telling her that it was midnight. She stared at it shocked,
where had time gone, she must have dozed off wihout realizing it. Slowly
she rose from her chair and went to the hall for her coat and keys, then
headed out the door, praying that the cost for her secret wouldn't be too
high.