Jared pulled up in front of the manor only an hour after Piper usually got home from school, but for a while they both sat in the car, not wanting to go in. Finally, Phoebe came out to get them.
"You guys should come in," she said through Piper's open window. "It's cold out here. Grams said that Jared could stay for dinner. She wants to get to know him better."
Piper looked at Jared. "You don't have to, if you don't want. But don't be too scared, because she's really not that bad."
"I'm not scared," he retorted, but melted under disbelieving stare. "Okay, I am scared. I'm not exactly her favourite person right now, am I? But your sister's right. We should get you inside before you catch a cold."
"So you're coming in?" she asked.
He nodded. "Yeah, we might as well get it over with. Let's go."
Piper got out of the car and looked at her little sister, expecting her to be wondering what they were talking about. Instead, Phoebe reached up and hugged her, whispering into her ear, "It's okay, I already know. I overheard Grams and Prue talking about it when I got home from school." She gave Piper a kiss, then lead them inside.
Prue met them in the foyer. "Hi," she said coolly, her glance barely flickering in Jared's direction.
Piper quickly stepped forward. "You know, I don't think you've ever officially met. Jared, these are my sisters, Prue and Phoebe. Guys, this is Jared, my..." She paused, not knowing how to introduce him. They'd never really discussed being a couple, so "my boyfriend" might be presumptuous, but "my baby's father" sounded awkward and distant.
"Her boyfriend," Jared supplied. She turned to smile at him briefly, but looked away just as their eyes locked. Penny had just appeared behind Prue.
"Well, you must be Jared," she said in an overly cheery tone. "I'm Piper's grandmother. Come in, come in. Dinner's almost ready. I hope you like roast beef."
"Yeah, sure," Jared said, a bit taken aback. From what Piper had said, he'd been expecting to be yelled at or at the very least lectured. This warm reception was a shock to them both.
"Prue, Phoebe, is Grams okay?" Piper asked warily.
"Of course, she's fine," Prue responded. "She just.. she's been feeling bad about the way she yelled at you last night, so I guess now she's trying the opposite approach. She wants to make up for yesterday by being nice to him, not that he deserves it." When she mentioned Jared, she tilted her head in his direction without looking at him directly.
Piper noticed this. "And what about you?"
"I'll be a lot better once he leaves."
Jared put his arms around Piper protectively. "I know you hate me, Prue, and you have every right to, but I'm not going anywhere. I promised Piper I'd be there for her, and I won't break that promise. I'm not going to abandon her and our baby, so you'll just have to learn to deal with me."
Prue sighed. "Well, I hope for Piper's sake that you're not lying."
Before either of them could say more, Grams called them into the dining room. It ended up being a very civil meal, but everyone had to struggle to keep it that way. Even Phoebe looked at Jared with a mixture of loathing and curiosity. Everyone, including Piper, was wondering whether he'd keep his word.
"You guys should come in," she said through Piper's open window. "It's cold out here. Grams said that Jared could stay for dinner. She wants to get to know him better."
Piper looked at Jared. "You don't have to, if you don't want. But don't be too scared, because she's really not that bad."
"I'm not scared," he retorted, but melted under disbelieving stare. "Okay, I am scared. I'm not exactly her favourite person right now, am I? But your sister's right. We should get you inside before you catch a cold."
"So you're coming in?" she asked.
He nodded. "Yeah, we might as well get it over with. Let's go."
Piper got out of the car and looked at her little sister, expecting her to be wondering what they were talking about. Instead, Phoebe reached up and hugged her, whispering into her ear, "It's okay, I already know. I overheard Grams and Prue talking about it when I got home from school." She gave Piper a kiss, then lead them inside.
Prue met them in the foyer. "Hi," she said coolly, her glance barely flickering in Jared's direction.
Piper quickly stepped forward. "You know, I don't think you've ever officially met. Jared, these are my sisters, Prue and Phoebe. Guys, this is Jared, my..." She paused, not knowing how to introduce him. They'd never really discussed being a couple, so "my boyfriend" might be presumptuous, but "my baby's father" sounded awkward and distant.
"Her boyfriend," Jared supplied. She turned to smile at him briefly, but looked away just as their eyes locked. Penny had just appeared behind Prue.
"Well, you must be Jared," she said in an overly cheery tone. "I'm Piper's grandmother. Come in, come in. Dinner's almost ready. I hope you like roast beef."
"Yeah, sure," Jared said, a bit taken aback. From what Piper had said, he'd been expecting to be yelled at or at the very least lectured. This warm reception was a shock to them both.
"Prue, Phoebe, is Grams okay?" Piper asked warily.
"Of course, she's fine," Prue responded. "She just.. she's been feeling bad about the way she yelled at you last night, so I guess now she's trying the opposite approach. She wants to make up for yesterday by being nice to him, not that he deserves it." When she mentioned Jared, she tilted her head in his direction without looking at him directly.
Piper noticed this. "And what about you?"
"I'll be a lot better once he leaves."
Jared put his arms around Piper protectively. "I know you hate me, Prue, and you have every right to, but I'm not going anywhere. I promised Piper I'd be there for her, and I won't break that promise. I'm not going to abandon her and our baby, so you'll just have to learn to deal with me."
Prue sighed. "Well, I hope for Piper's sake that you're not lying."
Before either of them could say more, Grams called them into the dining room. It ended up being a very civil meal, but everyone had to struggle to keep it that way. Even Phoebe looked at Jared with a mixture of loathing and curiosity. Everyone, including Piper, was wondering whether he'd keep his word.