Disclaimer: I own no one. All characters are from the television show "Charmed", I'm writing for fun, and not for profit.
Authors note: Thank you for the reviews, keep them coming! :)
Title: Sister Switch Off
Author: just always
Chapter Four - Surprise, Surprise
Dan debated going inside. He had been sitting in his vehicle outside the Halliwell manor for the past twenty minutes, trying to decide if it was time to pop back into Piper, Phoebe, and Leo's lives. He knew that they would be surprised to see him, let alone seeing him as Paige's new boyfriend.
Boyfriend, he wasn't officially dating her yet. Sure, one date. But you can't count a lunch date as a date; he wasn't counting the night before at P3, or dinner that night. So, he hadn't had a real date with her.
Yet, he reminded himself, we haven't had a real date -yet-.
He wanted to spend more time with Paige, though he wasn't sure if he would feel comfortable knowing that she was Piper's baby sister.
Dan was sure that he had no feelings left for Piper. He was moving on, hopefully with Paige. But he couldn't seem to shake the feeling, knowing that he was going to go inside and face her again for the first time in three years. Would she shut the door on him? Would she accept his apology? Would she allow him back in her life, as a friend?
These questions haunted him, and he nearly turned the engine back on and headed back to his hotel. But he didn't. He had made a promise to Paige. What kind of man would he be if he stood her up?
Dan bit his lip and got out of the car, dropping the keys in his pocket. He walked up the steps, then up the walkway, and up the steps to the front door. Now, for the courage to ring the doorbell.
"Oh screw it. I'm here for Paige, not Piper." He pushed the button and waited for someone to answer the door.
It didn't take long for the door to swing open, revealing a beautiful Paige. He smiled at her, and leaned forward, gently kissing her cheek.
"Hey," he whispered. She laughed softly.
"Come on inside." She grabbed his hand and walked him to the living room.
She was different than Piper. He remembered how he thought he'd never make it through the front door. Dan tensed up, knowing he'd see Piper in just seconds. Luckily, Paige didn't seem to notice.
Piper's back was towards them as Paige led him into the living room, where she stopped by the couch.
"Guys, this is Dan." Phoebe and Leo looked up. They both widened their eyes. Piper turned to face him, and she her face showed nothing but surprise. No anger, no happiness.
He anxiously waited for her response to him.
"You guys," Paige frowned at them. "This is where you say, 'Dan, wow, it's been a long time. Great to see you again'." Paige waved her hand at them.
Phoebe looked back and forth between Dan and Piper. Dan showed no jealousy, and Piper had no expression at all. She glanced at Leo, who seemed to see how Dan looked at Piper. No adoring looks, no hatred to the other man in the room. Leo's surprised expression turned calm.
"Uh, hey Dan. When, when'd you come back in town?" Phoebe said nervously.
"Thursday." He said, rocking back and forth on his feet. "Should I, should I go?"
"No, it's okay. Right hon?" Leo looked at Piper who nodded.
Piper had earlier been afraid that the Dan Paige had told her about was the same Dan standing in the living room. She didn't want to have him come back into her life, not with a baby. She was in love with Leo, and she didn't want Dan and Leo to fight any more. She wasn't a child's toy, not something you can just fight over.
She chose Leo, not Dan; so why was he back?
Then she sensed Dan's feelings. He wasn't here to win her back. He was here for something else.
"Yeah, it's fine. Stay. I uh, I need to check on supper." Piper walked past Dan and Paige, heading toward the kitchen as fast as she could without running.
"I'll help her." Phoebe followed her.
"I um, I think I hear Wyatt." Leo said, scooting past them as well.
"Dan, what's going on?" Then it clicked in Paige's head. "Oh, oh no. You- Piper's the girlfriend. I should have realized. You said you knew her and her sisters. I just didn't put it together."
"I should have told you."
"No, it's fine. Uh, wow. Maybe you should talk to Leo and Piper before supper. I know how much Piper hates for supper to be tense."
"She always has," he said quietly.
"I, I'll go get her. Just, well, just make yourself comfortable."
Paige hurried to the kitchen where her sisters waited for her.
"So, you're dating Dan." Piper said, her arms folded across her chest. Paige flinched.
"It's not what you think. I mean, it is, but it's not." Piper lifted an eyebrow. "He's not here to win you back, Piper. Will you get Leo and just go talk to him? Please. It's the only reason he came back in town. He didn't expect to meet me. Just, please." Piper nodded and walked out of the kitchen.
Phoebe stared at her younger sister.
"He doesn't love her anymore." Phoebe stated.
"No."
"Then you caught yourself a fine man." Phoebe smiled.
-x-
Piper walked past the living room and Dan stood up.
"Don't stand up for me. Let me, uh, let me get Leo."
"Piper, wait." Piper turned and walked into the living room. "I don't want you to feel uncomfortable with me here. The whole reason I even came back in town was to apologize. I want you to know that I'm sorry. I'm sorry for tracking down Leo's history. I'm sorry for everything I ever did to make you come back to me."
"Dan, you don't have-"
"Yes, I do. I want you to know, I'm not here to win you back. I'm happy for you and Leo. I really am. I'm happy that you've got a son. The only love I have for you anymore is for friendship."
Piper nodded slowly in understanding. "Dan, I'm sorry too."
"You have nothing to be sorry for."
"As cliché as it sounds, I broke your heart. And I never meant to hurt you."
"But don't you see, Piper, you chose the right man. I praise you for it." Piper smiled.
"Thank you," she whispered. She hugged him softly. "I have a different love for you now, and I'm glad you came back."
"Me too."
"Just do me one favor," she said.
"What's that?" He pulled away from her embrace and looked down at her.
"Don't hurt my sister." She smiled. "Are you okay? With the whole witch thing; because Paige is one too." Dan nodded.
"I've come to accept it over the past three years, Piper. I just wish that when we were together, I would have known."
"You have to understand that it was for your own good. If you would have known, it would have made you more vulnerable."
"I'm fine with it. And I'm no more vulnerable than I was three years ago." Dan said.
"But you got old." Dan laughed.
"And you made me young again." A silence. "Is Wyatt, you know...?"
"More powerful than you'd believe."
Authors note: Thank you for the reviews, keep them coming! :)
Title: Sister Switch Off
Author: just always
Chapter Four - Surprise, Surprise
Dan debated going inside. He had been sitting in his vehicle outside the Halliwell manor for the past twenty minutes, trying to decide if it was time to pop back into Piper, Phoebe, and Leo's lives. He knew that they would be surprised to see him, let alone seeing him as Paige's new boyfriend.
Boyfriend, he wasn't officially dating her yet. Sure, one date. But you can't count a lunch date as a date; he wasn't counting the night before at P3, or dinner that night. So, he hadn't had a real date with her.
Yet, he reminded himself, we haven't had a real date -yet-.
He wanted to spend more time with Paige, though he wasn't sure if he would feel comfortable knowing that she was Piper's baby sister.
Dan was sure that he had no feelings left for Piper. He was moving on, hopefully with Paige. But he couldn't seem to shake the feeling, knowing that he was going to go inside and face her again for the first time in three years. Would she shut the door on him? Would she accept his apology? Would she allow him back in her life, as a friend?
These questions haunted him, and he nearly turned the engine back on and headed back to his hotel. But he didn't. He had made a promise to Paige. What kind of man would he be if he stood her up?
Dan bit his lip and got out of the car, dropping the keys in his pocket. He walked up the steps, then up the walkway, and up the steps to the front door. Now, for the courage to ring the doorbell.
"Oh screw it. I'm here for Paige, not Piper." He pushed the button and waited for someone to answer the door.
It didn't take long for the door to swing open, revealing a beautiful Paige. He smiled at her, and leaned forward, gently kissing her cheek.
"Hey," he whispered. She laughed softly.
"Come on inside." She grabbed his hand and walked him to the living room.
She was different than Piper. He remembered how he thought he'd never make it through the front door. Dan tensed up, knowing he'd see Piper in just seconds. Luckily, Paige didn't seem to notice.
Piper's back was towards them as Paige led him into the living room, where she stopped by the couch.
"Guys, this is Dan." Phoebe and Leo looked up. They both widened their eyes. Piper turned to face him, and she her face showed nothing but surprise. No anger, no happiness.
He anxiously waited for her response to him.
"You guys," Paige frowned at them. "This is where you say, 'Dan, wow, it's been a long time. Great to see you again'." Paige waved her hand at them.
Phoebe looked back and forth between Dan and Piper. Dan showed no jealousy, and Piper had no expression at all. She glanced at Leo, who seemed to see how Dan looked at Piper. No adoring looks, no hatred to the other man in the room. Leo's surprised expression turned calm.
"Uh, hey Dan. When, when'd you come back in town?" Phoebe said nervously.
"Thursday." He said, rocking back and forth on his feet. "Should I, should I go?"
"No, it's okay. Right hon?" Leo looked at Piper who nodded.
Piper had earlier been afraid that the Dan Paige had told her about was the same Dan standing in the living room. She didn't want to have him come back into her life, not with a baby. She was in love with Leo, and she didn't want Dan and Leo to fight any more. She wasn't a child's toy, not something you can just fight over.
She chose Leo, not Dan; so why was he back?
Then she sensed Dan's feelings. He wasn't here to win her back. He was here for something else.
"Yeah, it's fine. Stay. I uh, I need to check on supper." Piper walked past Dan and Paige, heading toward the kitchen as fast as she could without running.
"I'll help her." Phoebe followed her.
"I um, I think I hear Wyatt." Leo said, scooting past them as well.
"Dan, what's going on?" Then it clicked in Paige's head. "Oh, oh no. You- Piper's the girlfriend. I should have realized. You said you knew her and her sisters. I just didn't put it together."
"I should have told you."
"No, it's fine. Uh, wow. Maybe you should talk to Leo and Piper before supper. I know how much Piper hates for supper to be tense."
"She always has," he said quietly.
"I, I'll go get her. Just, well, just make yourself comfortable."
Paige hurried to the kitchen where her sisters waited for her.
"So, you're dating Dan." Piper said, her arms folded across her chest. Paige flinched.
"It's not what you think. I mean, it is, but it's not." Piper lifted an eyebrow. "He's not here to win you back, Piper. Will you get Leo and just go talk to him? Please. It's the only reason he came back in town. He didn't expect to meet me. Just, please." Piper nodded and walked out of the kitchen.
Phoebe stared at her younger sister.
"He doesn't love her anymore." Phoebe stated.
"No."
"Then you caught yourself a fine man." Phoebe smiled.
-x-
Piper walked past the living room and Dan stood up.
"Don't stand up for me. Let me, uh, let me get Leo."
"Piper, wait." Piper turned and walked into the living room. "I don't want you to feel uncomfortable with me here. The whole reason I even came back in town was to apologize. I want you to know that I'm sorry. I'm sorry for tracking down Leo's history. I'm sorry for everything I ever did to make you come back to me."
"Dan, you don't have-"
"Yes, I do. I want you to know, I'm not here to win you back. I'm happy for you and Leo. I really am. I'm happy that you've got a son. The only love I have for you anymore is for friendship."
Piper nodded slowly in understanding. "Dan, I'm sorry too."
"You have nothing to be sorry for."
"As cliché as it sounds, I broke your heart. And I never meant to hurt you."
"But don't you see, Piper, you chose the right man. I praise you for it." Piper smiled.
"Thank you," she whispered. She hugged him softly. "I have a different love for you now, and I'm glad you came back."
"Me too."
"Just do me one favor," she said.
"What's that?" He pulled away from her embrace and looked down at her.
"Don't hurt my sister." She smiled. "Are you okay? With the whole witch thing; because Paige is one too." Dan nodded.
"I've come to accept it over the past three years, Piper. I just wish that when we were together, I would have known."
"You have to understand that it was for your own good. If you would have known, it would have made you more vulnerable."
"I'm fine with it. And I'm no more vulnerable than I was three years ago." Dan said.
"But you got old." Dan laughed.
"And you made me young again." A silence. "Is Wyatt, you know...?"
"More powerful than you'd believe."
