Disclaimer: I don't own Charmed, unfortunately. I do not presume to, I simply use the characters that I love in my own stories. It's harmless fun.
AN: Thanks everyone who has reviewed. I know I haven't been so great at updating lately. I'm really sorries, but, well, writer's block has a strong grasp on me. I have been struggling to get out the low-quality chapters you've gotten so far..Y'all have been great, though. Thanks.
anna: Thank you. I really appreciate your comments.
CharmingTess: the angst queen...lol, thanks, that's a very prestigious title. A little less sadness, a lot more anger in this...hope you still like it!
Enchanting Charmed: She has her reasons, but yes, she should be very very ashamed! Thanks for reviewing.
soccerstar11-5: How can I resist a review like that? your enthusiasm is great!
piperperson: thank ya!
pippergurl: maybe one should....read on....Hope you like!
FuryPiper: Don't berate yourself. My line of thinking is a bit hard to follow. Hehe, that's a very good question....I'd so go for the bitch thing!
Bunny: OH, me two, me two....! Thanks for your review!
Starring Piper: You know, you are Silly. *dances around to imitate twin* Hehe, thanks for your enthusiasm..glad you are still happy to see updates. Oh yeah, and I am SOOOOOO glad to be able to talk to you again!
Kristen's Paige: Who's Kristen? :P:P Thanks for reviewing, sissy. LYLAL!
Prue3: as you wish...:P:P Thanks for your great review!
Phoebe had tried every chance that was available to get Piper to talk about the scene with Paige, but on that, Piper refused to budge from her silence. The whole ordeal hung over the Manor like a cloud, getting heavier and more tangible as time passed. In fact, the longer it hovered around them, the more irritable they both became. So, by the time four days had gone by, tempers were running hotter than lava.
Phoebe jammed the house key in the lock and turned it swiftly, pushing on the door as she did. It swung open and she followed its path. A ringing reached her ears and she flew across the room to where the answering machine had jsut picked up. Piper's voice floated up to her, sounding strangely mechanical, as if she was forcing herself to speak in even tones. Phoebe debated whether or not to answer the phone before her sister hung up, then decided against it. If she were the kind of person who enjoyed being insulted, she would have picked the phone up, but, as she happened to dislike degradation intensely, she ignored the message completely and walked away.
Phoebe stormed up the stairs, unable to truly think of a reason for her anger. The day had gone surprisingly well. She had managed to avoid any thoughts of Prue, Paige, or anything remotely stressful for the most part. Still, frustration had built inside of her until she was ready to do some serious damage to the first person, or object, that was unfortunate enough to upset her. As she slammed her bedroom door shut more forcefully than necessary, she flung her shoes from her feet and kicked them across the room. With a bang, they hit the opposite wall and fell still.
Unhappily, Phoebe made her way back down the stairs, headed for the kitchen. Her throat was parched. She stretched on tiptoe and grabbed a glass from the shelf. Brushing an escaped strand out of her face impatiently, she sidestepped to the sink and filled her glass. With a disgusted grimace, she downed the water quickly. She really needed to stop by the grocery store to grab a box of bottled water. The phone rang shrilly through the Manor once more and Phoebe jumped, dropping her glass on the floor. It shattered into hundreds of tiny shards.
"Great, now Piper is really going to kill me," she muttered. She was torn between answering the phone in order to stop the irritating sound it was making and sweeping up the mess on the floor. She decided the pieces of glass could wait and ran to the phone, picking it up jsut as the caller was about to give up.
"Hello?," she answered breathlessly. There was a slight, annoyed pause.
"Where have you been?," Piper demanded. Phoebe caught the slight tremor in her sister's voice and bit back the angry retort on the tip of her tongue.
"I went out for a while. Why? Is everything OK?," she asked in placid tones. A short, sarcastic sound came through her end of the phone. Silently, she awaited the inevitable assailment with a small, cold smile.
"Phoebe, I have called at least five times today. Do you not know how to check the machine?," Piper began angrily, "Leaving the house to gallivant in town is not an excuse. I needed you to run some errands for me. Besides that, I was worried that something had happened. What were you thinking?"
Under any other circumstances, Phoebe would have found Piper's lecture somewhat comical. However, considering her mood, the only reaction she had was anger. She clenched her teeth together hard, searching for a reply that didn't include the word bitch.
"Piper, don't treat me like a five year old. I am a grown woman, and I don't need you hassling me for leaving the Manor. You are acting jsut like Prue," she said. She heard a sharp intake of breath and immediately regretted her rash words. She opened her mouth to apologize but the dial tone sounded and, reluctantly, she returned the phone to its cradle.
Piper closed her eyes, fighting tears. That wasn't fair. A small voice in the back of her mind told her she hadn't been acting fair either, but she brushed it away. Phoebe had no right to speak of Prue that way. She deserved a little more respect. The anger she initially felt faded away into pain, and Piper suddenly felt dizzy. One of her employees saw the color drain from her face and rushed over to see what had happened. A second later Piper was staring into worried, chocolate brown eyes.
"Boss, are you all right?," Gabriel asked. Piper met his gaze and forced a tired smile.
"I-I'm fine, Gabriel. Thanks. I was jsut feeling a little sick. I feel much better now though," she replied. The man looked unconvinced, but he let it go.
"Take it easy, Boss," he called over his shoulder and went back to work. Piper sighed and grabbed the clipboard from the bar. Her eyes automatically scanned the inventory list clipped on it, quickly calculating the time it would take to finish. At the rate she was going, it would be a few more hours yet. Resignedly, she made her way back to the storage room and picked up where she had left off earlier.
Her concentration once again drifted, and she found her annoyance with Phoebe was growing. First, Phoebe had had the nerve to defend Paige to her, and then she had insulted Prue, their true sister. Piper knew it was irrational to feel the way she did towards her newest sister, but she couldn't fight the feeling. No one had the right to march in after so much time and try to take a family member's place. The nagging voice in her head told her that Paige had never tried to take over Prue's role.
"Piper," a voice called from the door behind her. Startled, she whirled around, her muscles automatically tensing. Denice, another of her employees, gave her an apologetic smile. "A woman is on the phone for you. Claims she is your sister," she said quietly and ducked out of the room. Denice was new, so of course she didn't know about the frequent calls from the Halliwells. Piper hurried from the room, preparing to give Phoebe a piece of her mind.
"Yes," she said curtly into the phone.
"Piper," a voice echoed to her, sounding alarmed and close to hysteria. It took Piper a moment, but she finally registered that it wasn't Phoebe it at all.
"Paige," she said, dismissing any ill-will towards her for the moment, "What is it?"
"I-I...Piper, I need help. Something is following me," Paige stammered. It was then that Piper noticed her breathlessness. Was she running?
"Paige, calm down. I need you to tell me exactly where you are," Piper spoke quietly, fighting panic.
"I don't know. There was this guy. I ..Oh my God, Piper.. hel-," Paige screamed and the line went dead. Piper stood, shocked, then slammed the phone down and dashed into the still empty storage room.
"Leo!," she shouted impatiently. She wasn't ready for this. "Leo, get down here now." When he didn't show, she started to feel sick. Her mind wasn't working properly, but she finally managed to string a couple of thoughts toghether. She needed to call Phoebe. Phoebe could scry for Paige while she drove home. With that in mind, she once again crossed the distance to the phone by the bar.
"Is something wrong, Boss?," Gabriel called to her, but she ignored him. Quickly, she dialed the Manor number. It rang once..twice...three times.
"Come on, Phoebs...pick up," she muttered, tapping her fingers on the bar. After the fourth ring, the answering machine kicked in.
"Leave a message!," she heard. Biting back a curse, she assembled a few jumbled words into a couple of coherent sentences.
"Phoebe, Paige is in trouble and I need you to get the crystal and scry for her. I'm on my way home," she breathed in a rush. Dropping the phone, she rummaged in her pocket for her keys and fled from P3 in a mad dash.
AN: I know, folks, it took me long enough, didn't it? I was trying to lay a better foundation for this story. I wanted to have a few introduction chapters to build on. Hope y'all enjoyed this chapter! I liked writing it! Even if it isn't as good as I wanted it to be...when are they ever?
AN: Thanks everyone who has reviewed. I know I haven't been so great at updating lately. I'm really sorries, but, well, writer's block has a strong grasp on me. I have been struggling to get out the low-quality chapters you've gotten so far..Y'all have been great, though. Thanks.
anna: Thank you. I really appreciate your comments.
CharmingTess: the angst queen...lol, thanks, that's a very prestigious title. A little less sadness, a lot more anger in this...hope you still like it!
Enchanting Charmed: She has her reasons, but yes, she should be very very ashamed! Thanks for reviewing.
soccerstar11-5: How can I resist a review like that? your enthusiasm is great!
piperperson: thank ya!
pippergurl: maybe one should....read on....Hope you like!
FuryPiper: Don't berate yourself. My line of thinking is a bit hard to follow. Hehe, that's a very good question....I'd so go for the bitch thing!
Bunny: OH, me two, me two....! Thanks for your review!
Starring Piper: You know, you are Silly. *dances around to imitate twin* Hehe, thanks for your enthusiasm..glad you are still happy to see updates. Oh yeah, and I am SOOOOOO glad to be able to talk to you again!
Kristen's Paige: Who's Kristen? :P:P Thanks for reviewing, sissy. LYLAL!
Prue3: as you wish...:P:P Thanks for your great review!
Phoebe had tried every chance that was available to get Piper to talk about the scene with Paige, but on that, Piper refused to budge from her silence. The whole ordeal hung over the Manor like a cloud, getting heavier and more tangible as time passed. In fact, the longer it hovered around them, the more irritable they both became. So, by the time four days had gone by, tempers were running hotter than lava.
Phoebe jammed the house key in the lock and turned it swiftly, pushing on the door as she did. It swung open and she followed its path. A ringing reached her ears and she flew across the room to where the answering machine had jsut picked up. Piper's voice floated up to her, sounding strangely mechanical, as if she was forcing herself to speak in even tones. Phoebe debated whether or not to answer the phone before her sister hung up, then decided against it. If she were the kind of person who enjoyed being insulted, she would have picked the phone up, but, as she happened to dislike degradation intensely, she ignored the message completely and walked away.
Phoebe stormed up the stairs, unable to truly think of a reason for her anger. The day had gone surprisingly well. She had managed to avoid any thoughts of Prue, Paige, or anything remotely stressful for the most part. Still, frustration had built inside of her until she was ready to do some serious damage to the first person, or object, that was unfortunate enough to upset her. As she slammed her bedroom door shut more forcefully than necessary, she flung her shoes from her feet and kicked them across the room. With a bang, they hit the opposite wall and fell still.
Unhappily, Phoebe made her way back down the stairs, headed for the kitchen. Her throat was parched. She stretched on tiptoe and grabbed a glass from the shelf. Brushing an escaped strand out of her face impatiently, she sidestepped to the sink and filled her glass. With a disgusted grimace, she downed the water quickly. She really needed to stop by the grocery store to grab a box of bottled water. The phone rang shrilly through the Manor once more and Phoebe jumped, dropping her glass on the floor. It shattered into hundreds of tiny shards.
"Great, now Piper is really going to kill me," she muttered. She was torn between answering the phone in order to stop the irritating sound it was making and sweeping up the mess on the floor. She decided the pieces of glass could wait and ran to the phone, picking it up jsut as the caller was about to give up.
"Hello?," she answered breathlessly. There was a slight, annoyed pause.
"Where have you been?," Piper demanded. Phoebe caught the slight tremor in her sister's voice and bit back the angry retort on the tip of her tongue.
"I went out for a while. Why? Is everything OK?," she asked in placid tones. A short, sarcastic sound came through her end of the phone. Silently, she awaited the inevitable assailment with a small, cold smile.
"Phoebe, I have called at least five times today. Do you not know how to check the machine?," Piper began angrily, "Leaving the house to gallivant in town is not an excuse. I needed you to run some errands for me. Besides that, I was worried that something had happened. What were you thinking?"
Under any other circumstances, Phoebe would have found Piper's lecture somewhat comical. However, considering her mood, the only reaction she had was anger. She clenched her teeth together hard, searching for a reply that didn't include the word bitch.
"Piper, don't treat me like a five year old. I am a grown woman, and I don't need you hassling me for leaving the Manor. You are acting jsut like Prue," she said. She heard a sharp intake of breath and immediately regretted her rash words. She opened her mouth to apologize but the dial tone sounded and, reluctantly, she returned the phone to its cradle.
Piper closed her eyes, fighting tears. That wasn't fair. A small voice in the back of her mind told her she hadn't been acting fair either, but she brushed it away. Phoebe had no right to speak of Prue that way. She deserved a little more respect. The anger she initially felt faded away into pain, and Piper suddenly felt dizzy. One of her employees saw the color drain from her face and rushed over to see what had happened. A second later Piper was staring into worried, chocolate brown eyes.
"Boss, are you all right?," Gabriel asked. Piper met his gaze and forced a tired smile.
"I-I'm fine, Gabriel. Thanks. I was jsut feeling a little sick. I feel much better now though," she replied. The man looked unconvinced, but he let it go.
"Take it easy, Boss," he called over his shoulder and went back to work. Piper sighed and grabbed the clipboard from the bar. Her eyes automatically scanned the inventory list clipped on it, quickly calculating the time it would take to finish. At the rate she was going, it would be a few more hours yet. Resignedly, she made her way back to the storage room and picked up where she had left off earlier.
Her concentration once again drifted, and she found her annoyance with Phoebe was growing. First, Phoebe had had the nerve to defend Paige to her, and then she had insulted Prue, their true sister. Piper knew it was irrational to feel the way she did towards her newest sister, but she couldn't fight the feeling. No one had the right to march in after so much time and try to take a family member's place. The nagging voice in her head told her that Paige had never tried to take over Prue's role.
"Piper," a voice called from the door behind her. Startled, she whirled around, her muscles automatically tensing. Denice, another of her employees, gave her an apologetic smile. "A woman is on the phone for you. Claims she is your sister," she said quietly and ducked out of the room. Denice was new, so of course she didn't know about the frequent calls from the Halliwells. Piper hurried from the room, preparing to give Phoebe a piece of her mind.
"Yes," she said curtly into the phone.
"Piper," a voice echoed to her, sounding alarmed and close to hysteria. It took Piper a moment, but she finally registered that it wasn't Phoebe it at all.
"Paige," she said, dismissing any ill-will towards her for the moment, "What is it?"
"I-I...Piper, I need help. Something is following me," Paige stammered. It was then that Piper noticed her breathlessness. Was she running?
"Paige, calm down. I need you to tell me exactly where you are," Piper spoke quietly, fighting panic.
"I don't know. There was this guy. I ..Oh my God, Piper.. hel-," Paige screamed and the line went dead. Piper stood, shocked, then slammed the phone down and dashed into the still empty storage room.
"Leo!," she shouted impatiently. She wasn't ready for this. "Leo, get down here now." When he didn't show, she started to feel sick. Her mind wasn't working properly, but she finally managed to string a couple of thoughts toghether. She needed to call Phoebe. Phoebe could scry for Paige while she drove home. With that in mind, she once again crossed the distance to the phone by the bar.
"Is something wrong, Boss?," Gabriel called to her, but she ignored him. Quickly, she dialed the Manor number. It rang once..twice...three times.
"Come on, Phoebs...pick up," she muttered, tapping her fingers on the bar. After the fourth ring, the answering machine kicked in.
"Leave a message!," she heard. Biting back a curse, she assembled a few jumbled words into a couple of coherent sentences.
"Phoebe, Paige is in trouble and I need you to get the crystal and scry for her. I'm on my way home," she breathed in a rush. Dropping the phone, she rummaged in her pocket for her keys and fled from P3 in a mad dash.
AN: I know, folks, it took me long enough, didn't it? I was trying to lay a better foundation for this story. I wanted to have a few introduction chapters to build on. Hope y'all enjoyed this chapter! I liked writing it! Even if it isn't as good as I wanted it to be...when are they ever?