Can you say double update everyone? Yes, I got carried away again! Enjoy
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Chapter 14: Heart to Heart
The dinner had been wonderful and after a long and luxurious bubble bath Talia couldn't wait to curl up on her bed with a good book. She put on a long, plain, dark blue t-shirt, and a pair of unexpectedly bright, long, thick fuchsia socks. She placed a CD in the CD player and lit a few candles around her room before switching the lights off. It had been a long, but overall good, week and she deserved some serious Talia time.
She walked over to the small library of books her father's servant had brought her, along with her clothes. She let her fingers caress the worn covers of the well-loved tomes. She closed her eyes and let her fingers do the choosing of that night's delights. She pulled a book out of the bookcase and opened her eyes to look upon her choice. Alexandre Duma's Count of Monte Christo she read. Perfect. She smiled as Andrea Bocelli's Time to say Goodbye filled the air. She fell upon the bed and curled around the book, prepared for an evening with no one but the count himself, to hold her company.
Her plans, however, were interrupted by a soft knock on the door. Talia sighed. The hazards of living with the Haliwells!
"Come in," she said, and was surprised to see Paige open the door and peer hesitatingly inside.
"Hi," she said smiling awkwardly. "I'm not disturbing you, am I?"
"No, of course not," said Talia hurriedly. "Come in." She straightened up and pushed some of the colourful pillows that covered the bed, on the floor, to make room for Paige to sit.
Paige sat gingerly on the bed and an awkward silence descended on the two.
"Andrea Bocelli," observed Paige, impressed. "I didn't think people your age listened to stuff like that. Come to think of it, most people my age, don't listen to stuff like that."
"I like all types of music," answered Talia. "It all depends on my mood really."
"Me too," continued Paige. "I'll listen to anything from Metallica to Pavarotti, given the chance. What have you got there?" she asked noticing the book in Talia's hands for the first time.
"The Count of MonteChristo," answered Talia easily, "have you read it?" she asked in turn, excited at the prospect of a good literary conversation.
"No, sorry," said Paige.
"Oh."
The awkward silence continued and this time, it seemed to last forever. Paige looked sadly at her niece realizing how uncomfortable the two of them felt with each other. She felt guilty knowing that it had been mainly her fault.
Paige didn't have any children of her own. The truth be told, she, unlike her sisters had never even been married. Though the chance had arisen more than once, she always bailed out, afraid of what would happen if her husband-to-be found out about her being a witch. Afraid of the dangers her family would be in because of her being a Charmed One. She had decided long ago that she would never be married. That she would never have any children of her own. And so, she had given all her love to Wyatt, her only nephew, and was rewarded with a comfortable relationship that warmed her heart.
She was the aunt that spoiled him. She was the one whose pockets were always full of sweets, even after Piper had declared that he had had enough. The one that told that extra bedtime story, even after he was already supposed to be asleep. The one that took him out for ice cream and who slipped him that extra fiver when no one else was looking, so he could go to the video arcade with his friends.
Paige wished she could have that same relationship with Talia, and for the first time since she had met the girl, she regretted the time that had been stolen from them. Yet another thing to hold against Cole. But the girl in front of her wasn't her father. Paige noticed for the first time how much Talia looked like Phoebe. It was Paige who made the next move.
"I haven't been very fair towards you, have I Talia?"
Talia looked at her, but didn't answer.
"Your father and I have our differences, but you are not your father. You are also Phoebe's daughter and my niece. I'd like to think that what happened today, the way you fought the minautaur, proves it.
"You made your choice when you came to this house and I should have accepted that. And you.
"I respect you standing up to your father. It took a lot of courage to do that. He is the Source after all, and many wouldn't have dared do what you did.
"Whatsmore, I know what it's like to suddenly find yourself, a part of a family when you've never had that before," she smiled conspiratorially at that. "It can be a bit bewildering at first."
"I'd say," said Talia with a little encouragement. "Do you ever get used to it?"
"Eventually," nodded Paige, "although there are times when I still miss my privacy. Like first thing in the morning, when you have to queue up for a shower. Or when you want to do some work, and everyone's talking really loudly around you, and you can't concentrate."
"Or when you want to blast the music, but can't, because there are other people in the house to consider," added Talia.
"Exactly!" agreed Paige.
The two Haliwell women looked at each other amusedly and in perfect understanding.
"Aunt Paige, my father told me about Prue. He said that you, had to find out how to be a witch the hard way," she said, immediately regretting mentioning her father to Paige.
Paige however hadn't seemed to notice.
"We all had to find out that we were witches the hard way. I never met Prue, but from what I understand, she was quite the witch, and quite the sister. For the longest time I tried to live up to that. Eventually, I realized that I didn't have to. I'm not Prue, I'm Paige and being myself is more than enough, both for everybody else and for me. Same goes for you, sweetie. We all love you here, even if some of us haven't shown it so far," she added ruefully. "You are who you are: A member of this family."
Talia smiled gratefully at the aunt she had, until tonight, never really known.
"Well I better leave you with your Count," said Paige as she got up to leave, "it looks like you had a special evening planned for the two of you," she teased.
"Aunt Paige," called Talia just as Paige reached the door.
Paige turned round and looked at her expectedly. Talia took a deep breath before she blurted what in an impulse she had made up her mind to say.
"There's this Autumn prom at school and I, well, I have nothing to wear to it. I was thinking, if you don't have anything to do tomorrow, I'd like you to come shopping with me. Mother and aunt Piper can come too. I could use all the help I can get. It's my first prom."
Paige's face lit up and suddenly she was the old Paige, spoiling for fun and a few girly giggles.
"Yes!" she hissed excitedly. "We'll make it into a Halliwell girls' day out! We'll go shopping for clothes, shoes, make-up, we'll get our nails done, our hair done and maybe, if I can get us appointments at the spa at such short notice, we'll go in for a little beauty treatment! And then, of course, we'll all go to P3 and dance the night away!" she seemed completely carried away with the idea.
Talia, on the other hand, was gob smacked by Paige's tirade. It seemed to her that Paige was talking in a completely different language. One that she couldn't make heads or tails from.
"Leave it all to me, I promise, you won't regret it!" And with that Paige was gone from the room, already on her way to arranging tomorrow's big day.
Talia shook her head in disbelief. Sometimes she wondered about the sanity of her newly discovered family members.
It was with a huge smile on her face that she finally turned the first page of the book that had remained in her lap unopened since she took it down from the bookcase.
**********
Valdis watched the window that he knew was Talia's. The wavering light that filled it was obviously candlelight and he felt himself drawn to the memory of her, as he had left her outside the steps of the Haliwell manor nearly two weeks ago. Her hair had been tussled from his caresses, and her lips were already swollen from his passionate kisses, as she kissed him goodnight one last time. Valdis' lips tingled with the memory of her passion.
"Sleep well my little phoenix," he whispered against the night before starting his motorbike, which he much preferred against shimmering, and driving off.
**********
Talia heard a motorbike speeding away, in the night outside, but she was too engrossed in her book to really pay any attention to it.
Chapter 14: Heart to Heart
The dinner had been wonderful and after a long and luxurious bubble bath Talia couldn't wait to curl up on her bed with a good book. She put on a long, plain, dark blue t-shirt, and a pair of unexpectedly bright, long, thick fuchsia socks. She placed a CD in the CD player and lit a few candles around her room before switching the lights off. It had been a long, but overall good, week and she deserved some serious Talia time.
She walked over to the small library of books her father's servant had brought her, along with her clothes. She let her fingers caress the worn covers of the well-loved tomes. She closed her eyes and let her fingers do the choosing of that night's delights. She pulled a book out of the bookcase and opened her eyes to look upon her choice. Alexandre Duma's Count of Monte Christo she read. Perfect. She smiled as Andrea Bocelli's Time to say Goodbye filled the air. She fell upon the bed and curled around the book, prepared for an evening with no one but the count himself, to hold her company.
Her plans, however, were interrupted by a soft knock on the door. Talia sighed. The hazards of living with the Haliwells!
"Come in," she said, and was surprised to see Paige open the door and peer hesitatingly inside.
"Hi," she said smiling awkwardly. "I'm not disturbing you, am I?"
"No, of course not," said Talia hurriedly. "Come in." She straightened up and pushed some of the colourful pillows that covered the bed, on the floor, to make room for Paige to sit.
Paige sat gingerly on the bed and an awkward silence descended on the two.
"Andrea Bocelli," observed Paige, impressed. "I didn't think people your age listened to stuff like that. Come to think of it, most people my age, don't listen to stuff like that."
"I like all types of music," answered Talia. "It all depends on my mood really."
"Me too," continued Paige. "I'll listen to anything from Metallica to Pavarotti, given the chance. What have you got there?" she asked noticing the book in Talia's hands for the first time.
"The Count of MonteChristo," answered Talia easily, "have you read it?" she asked in turn, excited at the prospect of a good literary conversation.
"No, sorry," said Paige.
"Oh."
The awkward silence continued and this time, it seemed to last forever. Paige looked sadly at her niece realizing how uncomfortable the two of them felt with each other. She felt guilty knowing that it had been mainly her fault.
Paige didn't have any children of her own. The truth be told, she, unlike her sisters had never even been married. Though the chance had arisen more than once, she always bailed out, afraid of what would happen if her husband-to-be found out about her being a witch. Afraid of the dangers her family would be in because of her being a Charmed One. She had decided long ago that she would never be married. That she would never have any children of her own. And so, she had given all her love to Wyatt, her only nephew, and was rewarded with a comfortable relationship that warmed her heart.
She was the aunt that spoiled him. She was the one whose pockets were always full of sweets, even after Piper had declared that he had had enough. The one that told that extra bedtime story, even after he was already supposed to be asleep. The one that took him out for ice cream and who slipped him that extra fiver when no one else was looking, so he could go to the video arcade with his friends.
Paige wished she could have that same relationship with Talia, and for the first time since she had met the girl, she regretted the time that had been stolen from them. Yet another thing to hold against Cole. But the girl in front of her wasn't her father. Paige noticed for the first time how much Talia looked like Phoebe. It was Paige who made the next move.
"I haven't been very fair towards you, have I Talia?"
Talia looked at her, but didn't answer.
"Your father and I have our differences, but you are not your father. You are also Phoebe's daughter and my niece. I'd like to think that what happened today, the way you fought the minautaur, proves it.
"You made your choice when you came to this house and I should have accepted that. And you.
"I respect you standing up to your father. It took a lot of courage to do that. He is the Source after all, and many wouldn't have dared do what you did.
"Whatsmore, I know what it's like to suddenly find yourself, a part of a family when you've never had that before," she smiled conspiratorially at that. "It can be a bit bewildering at first."
"I'd say," said Talia with a little encouragement. "Do you ever get used to it?"
"Eventually," nodded Paige, "although there are times when I still miss my privacy. Like first thing in the morning, when you have to queue up for a shower. Or when you want to do some work, and everyone's talking really loudly around you, and you can't concentrate."
"Or when you want to blast the music, but can't, because there are other people in the house to consider," added Talia.
"Exactly!" agreed Paige.
The two Haliwell women looked at each other amusedly and in perfect understanding.
"Aunt Paige, my father told me about Prue. He said that you, had to find out how to be a witch the hard way," she said, immediately regretting mentioning her father to Paige.
Paige however hadn't seemed to notice.
"We all had to find out that we were witches the hard way. I never met Prue, but from what I understand, she was quite the witch, and quite the sister. For the longest time I tried to live up to that. Eventually, I realized that I didn't have to. I'm not Prue, I'm Paige and being myself is more than enough, both for everybody else and for me. Same goes for you, sweetie. We all love you here, even if some of us haven't shown it so far," she added ruefully. "You are who you are: A member of this family."
Talia smiled gratefully at the aunt she had, until tonight, never really known.
"Well I better leave you with your Count," said Paige as she got up to leave, "it looks like you had a special evening planned for the two of you," she teased.
"Aunt Paige," called Talia just as Paige reached the door.
Paige turned round and looked at her expectedly. Talia took a deep breath before she blurted what in an impulse she had made up her mind to say.
"There's this Autumn prom at school and I, well, I have nothing to wear to it. I was thinking, if you don't have anything to do tomorrow, I'd like you to come shopping with me. Mother and aunt Piper can come too. I could use all the help I can get. It's my first prom."
Paige's face lit up and suddenly she was the old Paige, spoiling for fun and a few girly giggles.
"Yes!" she hissed excitedly. "We'll make it into a Halliwell girls' day out! We'll go shopping for clothes, shoes, make-up, we'll get our nails done, our hair done and maybe, if I can get us appointments at the spa at such short notice, we'll go in for a little beauty treatment! And then, of course, we'll all go to P3 and dance the night away!" she seemed completely carried away with the idea.
Talia, on the other hand, was gob smacked by Paige's tirade. It seemed to her that Paige was talking in a completely different language. One that she couldn't make heads or tails from.
"Leave it all to me, I promise, you won't regret it!" And with that Paige was gone from the room, already on her way to arranging tomorrow's big day.
Talia shook her head in disbelief. Sometimes she wondered about the sanity of her newly discovered family members.
It was with a huge smile on her face that she finally turned the first page of the book that had remained in her lap unopened since she took it down from the bookcase.
**********
Valdis watched the window that he knew was Talia's. The wavering light that filled it was obviously candlelight and he felt himself drawn to the memory of her, as he had left her outside the steps of the Haliwell manor nearly two weeks ago. Her hair had been tussled from his caresses, and her lips were already swollen from his passionate kisses, as she kissed him goodnight one last time. Valdis' lips tingled with the memory of her passion.
"Sleep well my little phoenix," he whispered against the night before starting his motorbike, which he much preferred against shimmering, and driving off.
**********
Talia heard a motorbike speeding away, in the night outside, but she was too engrossed in her book to really pay any attention to it.