Meanwhile, Piper was in her room, trying to process everything that had happened.
"Sweetie, don't worry about Grams," Prue said comfortingly. "She was just upset, but she'll come around."
"Great," Piper replied, "Now convince me that I'll come around."
"Oh, honey," Prue sighed.
"I don't know how to deal with this," Piper continued. "And what about Jared? What's he going to think?"
"I don't know," Prue admitted. "But no matter what, I promise you won't have to do this alone." She reached out, covering Piper's hands with her own. Her sister looked up, and gave her a small but grateful smile.
The next day, Piper went to school as usual. However, she couldn't concentrate on her classes at all. When the bell rang, she tore out of the building, not stopping until she reached Jared's car.
"Hey, what's the rush?" he asked, wrapping his arms around her.
She pulled away, and got in the passenger seat. Concerned, he slid behind the wheel. "Piper, talk to me. Tell me what's wrong."
She couldn't tell him. Not there. "Just drive, Jared. Please."
He complied, putting the car into gear and smoothly turning out of the school lot. "Where to?"
"Oh, anywhere," she said breathlessly.
"All right," he said, "Anywhere it is."
He took her to a nearby park, which was all but empty. They sat down on a bench only a few feet away from the car, and he held her as she almost immediately started to cry.
"Hey, what is it?" he asked gently. "Did you have another fight with your grandmother?"
She started to shake her head, but stopped. "Well, yes, sort of, but Jared it's so much more than that," she said tearfully.
"Whatever it is, you can tell me," he promised. "I'll help you, if I can."
She took a deep breath, and looked him in the eye. "Jared, I'm pregnant."
Jared felt as if the wind had been knocked out of him. This was the last thing he'd expected. "What - Are you sure?"
Piper nodded. "I'd been feeling weird for a while, so Prue took me to the doctor yesterday, and he confirmed it. I'm sorry, I know this is the last thing either of us needs right now-"
"Shh," he shushed her. "Hey, come on, don't say that. It's just as much my fault as it is yours, and I won't pretend otherwise. Whatever you decide, I'm going to stick with you."
Piper inhaled slowly. "You have no idea how happy I am to hear that. Because honestly, I was doing some thinking last night, and I realized that maybe I want to keep the baby."
"Okay," he replied, not sure how else to respond. "We can do that. If that's what you want, we'll find a way to make it work."
She leaned against him, relieved. "Thank you, for being so great about this. A lot of other guys wouldn't."
"A lot of other guys don't deserve you, even if they think it's the other way around," he responded. She smiled at him, amazed at the way he always knew exactly what to say to make her feel better. "Come on," he said, "Let's get you home. Your sister probably wants to kill me as it is; I don't want to make matters worse by keeping you out late."
"You're probably right," she conceded, slowly getting to her feet. "I mean, Prue's been wonderful to me the past two days, but God knows what she's really thinking. She's always been so protective of us, but that usually translates into stonewalling her emotions."
"Well, at least she's being supportive," he said optimistically, putting his arm around her waist as they walked the short distance back to the car.
Piper nodded. "Yes, she's being ver supportive. I guess she's also trying to compensate for our grandmother in a way. Grams was... well... less than happy."
He shrugged. "Give her time, she'll get used to the idea."
"That's what Prue said," Piper recalled. "You know, you two are a lot alike."
"Good," he replied, "Maybe then she won't hate me so much."
Piper got in the car, crossing her fingers. She hoped more than anything that he was right.
"Sweetie, don't worry about Grams," Prue said comfortingly. "She was just upset, but she'll come around."
"Great," Piper replied, "Now convince me that I'll come around."
"Oh, honey," Prue sighed.
"I don't know how to deal with this," Piper continued. "And what about Jared? What's he going to think?"
"I don't know," Prue admitted. "But no matter what, I promise you won't have to do this alone." She reached out, covering Piper's hands with her own. Her sister looked up, and gave her a small but grateful smile.
The next day, Piper went to school as usual. However, she couldn't concentrate on her classes at all. When the bell rang, she tore out of the building, not stopping until she reached Jared's car.
"Hey, what's the rush?" he asked, wrapping his arms around her.
She pulled away, and got in the passenger seat. Concerned, he slid behind the wheel. "Piper, talk to me. Tell me what's wrong."
She couldn't tell him. Not there. "Just drive, Jared. Please."
He complied, putting the car into gear and smoothly turning out of the school lot. "Where to?"
"Oh, anywhere," she said breathlessly.
"All right," he said, "Anywhere it is."
He took her to a nearby park, which was all but empty. They sat down on a bench only a few feet away from the car, and he held her as she almost immediately started to cry.
"Hey, what is it?" he asked gently. "Did you have another fight with your grandmother?"
She started to shake her head, but stopped. "Well, yes, sort of, but Jared it's so much more than that," she said tearfully.
"Whatever it is, you can tell me," he promised. "I'll help you, if I can."
She took a deep breath, and looked him in the eye. "Jared, I'm pregnant."
Jared felt as if the wind had been knocked out of him. This was the last thing he'd expected. "What - Are you sure?"
Piper nodded. "I'd been feeling weird for a while, so Prue took me to the doctor yesterday, and he confirmed it. I'm sorry, I know this is the last thing either of us needs right now-"
"Shh," he shushed her. "Hey, come on, don't say that. It's just as much my fault as it is yours, and I won't pretend otherwise. Whatever you decide, I'm going to stick with you."
Piper inhaled slowly. "You have no idea how happy I am to hear that. Because honestly, I was doing some thinking last night, and I realized that maybe I want to keep the baby."
"Okay," he replied, not sure how else to respond. "We can do that. If that's what you want, we'll find a way to make it work."
She leaned against him, relieved. "Thank you, for being so great about this. A lot of other guys wouldn't."
"A lot of other guys don't deserve you, even if they think it's the other way around," he responded. She smiled at him, amazed at the way he always knew exactly what to say to make her feel better. "Come on," he said, "Let's get you home. Your sister probably wants to kill me as it is; I don't want to make matters worse by keeping you out late."
"You're probably right," she conceded, slowly getting to her feet. "I mean, Prue's been wonderful to me the past two days, but God knows what she's really thinking. She's always been so protective of us, but that usually translates into stonewalling her emotions."
"Well, at least she's being supportive," he said optimistically, putting his arm around her waist as they walked the short distance back to the car.
Piper nodded. "Yes, she's being ver supportive. I guess she's also trying to compensate for our grandmother in a way. Grams was... well... less than happy."
He shrugged. "Give her time, she'll get used to the idea."
"That's what Prue said," Piper recalled. "You know, you two are a lot alike."
"Good," he replied, "Maybe then she won't hate me so much."
Piper got in the car, crossing her fingers. She hoped more than anything that he was right.