~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I wanna feel just like before
Before the rain came in my door
Shook me up, turned me 'round
Made me cry till I would drown
Stole the daylight, brought the night
So much anger I would fight
Lost my youth and in the blue
Saw all the lonliness in you
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Piper awoke one morning in unfamiliar surroundings. Her eyes snapped open, and her body became rigid for a moment before she realized where she was: In Dan's bedroom. More specifically, in Dan's arms. And this wasn't the first time she'd woken up there.
It was three months after she and Dan had first kissed. It had been a wonderful three months. Piper had definately not forgotten about Leo, but Dan was more than just a damn good replacement. What she had with Dan was special in its own right.
She comtemplated this one morning, her head buried in his chest, until finally he woke up.
"Morning," he said, yawning.
"Good morning." she replied cheerfully.
His eyes narrowed. "It is way too early for you to be this happy. What's up?"
Piper smild mysteriously. "You know how I've been unemployed for the past two months?"
"I know," he said, yawning again. "I'm constantly hearing you bitch about it, and more often, hearing Prue respond that you never listened when she was unemployed and bitched about it."
Piper hit him with a pillow. "Okay, smartass. How would you like it if I stopped bitching?"
Dan sat up. "You mean you're getting a job?"
"Sort of." she replied. "You remember when I told you about how I've always wanted to open my own restaurant?"
He nodded. "So are you?"
"Not exactly."
"Then what...?" he asked, growing impatient.
She smiled, excited. "I'm thinking of opening up my own nightclub."
"Baby, that would be awesome." he said, hugging her.
She returned the embrace joyfully. "It's this great place across town, near the waterfront." she said. "I've only seen the place when it's closed, but Prue's been there a few times, and she says it's great."
"And once you've got it, it'll be even better." he said adoringly.
Piper cuddled up to him. "Well, I don't have it yet. I need to get the loan approved first."
"You will, baby." he assured her.
She nodded, but took on a pensive expression.
"What?" he asked. "What are you thinking?"'
She shrugged. "I don't know. I just can't believe this is really happening."
He kissed her forehead. "Believe it, sweetheart. All your dreams are about to come true, and I'm going to be right here with you."
She smiled. "You want to know what I'm thinking about now?"
"What?"
She sighed contently. "I was just thinking how lucky I am, to have somebody as sweet and supportive as you."
He smiled, and kissed her on the lips this time. "I love you." he whispered as he pulled away.
Looking up at him, it only took her a second to realize how she felt. Putting her arms around his neck, she whispered, "I love you, too."
-x-
Meanwhile, next door, Piper's sisters were just waking up.
"Prue, where's Piper?" Phoebe asked, padding into the kitchen.
Prue looked up from her cup of coffee. "Next door." she replied groggily.
Phoebe raised her eyebrows. "Wait a minute... She was there all night?"
Prue nodded, yawning. "Yes, all night. She's a big girl, Pheebs, and besides, at least somebody around here is getting some."
Phoebe's eyebrows went even higher. "Okay, now I know you're tired, because this is the last thing I ever expected to hear from you. What happened to my responsible, worrying, annoyingly overprotective big sister?"
Prue took another sip of coffee. "What happened is that your responsible, worrying, annoyingly overprotective big sister hasn't been with a man in longer than she cares to admit."
Phoebe tugged Prue's hair lovingly. "Sweetie, what about all those guys you've been out with the past few weeks?"
"Every one of those dates ended before ten p.m." Prue sighed. "The guys I've been seeing lately are just so boring..."
"Oh. My. God." Phoebe breathed, a smile slowly forming on her face. "You've got a thing for bad boys."
"Not 'bad boys,'" Prue protested.
"Yes, bad boys." Phoebe insisted. "When was the last guy that you really clicked with?"
Prue thought for a minute, then answered slowly. "Bane."
"Bane." Phoebe repeated. "The guy who got out of jail, kidnapped you, and nearly got you shot."
"But he saved me, and he got shot himself." Prue retorted defensively.
"Still a baddie." Phoebe countered.
Prue frowned, knowing she couldn't have won this arguement. She got up, taking a last sip of coffee. "I have to go to work." she said.
"So you admit I'm right?" Phoebe pressed.
Ignoring her, Prue put her cup in the sink. Calmly, determined not to answer the question, she kissed her sister good-bye, and left for the auction house.
-x-
Prue got to work nearly twenty minutes late, due to unusually horrendous traffic jams. She slipped into her office, not even bothering to take off her light denim jacket, and sat down at her desk. A few seconds later, when Rex came in, she picked up a pen and started doodling on a blank sheet of paper, pretending to have been at work for hours.
"Prue, do you have a minute?" he asked, seeming harried.
Prue nodded and put the pen down, grateful that he didn't notice her tardiness. "Sure, Rex. What's up?"
He sat down in the chair opposite her desk. "We've got a big client coming in today. I didn't know until just now, but I want you to be the one working with him. That is, if you wouldn't mind."
"Mind? No, I don't mind." Prue said, trying to conceal her excitement. Most of the big clients were usually referred to Hannah, who dealt with the personally and then left the actual work to Prue.
"Good." Rex said. "He should be arriving any moment now, so just go down to the lobby and wait for him."
She got up, and started to take off her jacket, but he stopped her.
"Leave it on. He'll like that." Rex said, eying her black tank top and tight, low-slung jeans, which she never would have considered wearing to the office before her fling with Bane had inspired her to be more relaxed.
Prue raised an eyebrow. Most of Buckand's usual clients would prefer the employees dress more traditionally, but she shrugged it off, and went downstairs.
As she stepped out of the elevator, Prue heard a strange buzzing noise. Before she realized where it was coming from, the double doors were swung open, and in came a Harley.
The motorcycle stopped in the middle of the lobby, and a dark, muscular, gorgeous guy jumped off. He headed right for Prue.
"Are you Prudence Halliwell?" he asked, his voice deep and sexy.
Prue nodded, barely able to breathe. "Yeah," she managed to say, wiping her palms on her jeans. "I'm Prue."
The man extended his hand, his tousled black hair falling over one eye as he moved. He shook it out, and said, "I'm T.J., the client your boss told you about. He did tell you about me, didn't he?"
"Um, yeah." Prue stammered, trying to regain her composure. "Yes, he told me. Why don't we go up to my office, Mr.-"
"T.J." he interrupted. "Please, just stick to T.J."
"Okay," Prue said, "T.J., my office is right upstairs."
She led him into the elevator, up a few floors, and into her bright, large office.
"Nice place." he commented.
"Thanks." she replied. "So, what is it that you want appraised?"
"A painting." he told her. "A bunch of paintings, actually. I inherited them, and I have no idea what to do with them, so I figured I'd just sell them."
"Allright," she said, looking around.
"I left them at my place." he said. "They wouldn't exactly fit on my bike."
Prue smiled. "I guess they wouldn't."
"You, on the other hand, would." T.J. said, obviously checking her out.
Prue blushed, but only slightly. "What are you suggesting?"
"I'm suggesting," he said, "that you come for a ride."
She shook her head. "I'd love to, really, but I've got work."
"Blow it off." he persuaded.
She looked at him like he was crazy. "I can't just blow it off. I've got a job to do, responsibilities-"
"Someone else can take care of it, just for one day." he said. He paused. "Is this just your way of saying no? Because if this is a flat-out rejection, I'll leave. But if you're only refusing because you don't want to leave work, then maybe it's time you took a break."
"It's not a rejection, T.J." she said. She bit her lip, not wanting to let him know that, the moment he jumped off that motorcycle, she's fallen - hard.
"Then come with me, Prue."
She sighed. It was tempting, very tempting, but she'd never deliberately skipped work before. It just wasn't like her.
'Screw it,' she thought. "Okay." she agreed, taking a chance. "I'll go."
****************
A/N: Next chapter is number 50, so yeah, it will be special, and yeah, it'll be P/L. Also, look for T.J. in coming chapters, because he's going to be important. Heheh, I never could resist a hot guy on a motorcycle. ::le sigh::
~from the song "No More Cry" by The Corrs~
I wanna feel just like before
Before the rain came in my door
Shook me up, turned me 'round
Made me cry till I would drown
Stole the daylight, brought the night
So much anger I would fight
Lost my youth and in the blue
Saw all the lonliness in you
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Piper awoke one morning in unfamiliar surroundings. Her eyes snapped open, and her body became rigid for a moment before she realized where she was: In Dan's bedroom. More specifically, in Dan's arms. And this wasn't the first time she'd woken up there.
It was three months after she and Dan had first kissed. It had been a wonderful three months. Piper had definately not forgotten about Leo, but Dan was more than just a damn good replacement. What she had with Dan was special in its own right.
She comtemplated this one morning, her head buried in his chest, until finally he woke up.
"Morning," he said, yawning.
"Good morning." she replied cheerfully.
His eyes narrowed. "It is way too early for you to be this happy. What's up?"
Piper smild mysteriously. "You know how I've been unemployed for the past two months?"
"I know," he said, yawning again. "I'm constantly hearing you bitch about it, and more often, hearing Prue respond that you never listened when she was unemployed and bitched about it."
Piper hit him with a pillow. "Okay, smartass. How would you like it if I stopped bitching?"
Dan sat up. "You mean you're getting a job?"
"Sort of." she replied. "You remember when I told you about how I've always wanted to open my own restaurant?"
He nodded. "So are you?"
"Not exactly."
"Then what...?" he asked, growing impatient.
She smiled, excited. "I'm thinking of opening up my own nightclub."
"Baby, that would be awesome." he said, hugging her.
She returned the embrace joyfully. "It's this great place across town, near the waterfront." she said. "I've only seen the place when it's closed, but Prue's been there a few times, and she says it's great."
"And once you've got it, it'll be even better." he said adoringly.
Piper cuddled up to him. "Well, I don't have it yet. I need to get the loan approved first."
"You will, baby." he assured her.
She nodded, but took on a pensive expression.
"What?" he asked. "What are you thinking?"'
She shrugged. "I don't know. I just can't believe this is really happening."
He kissed her forehead. "Believe it, sweetheart. All your dreams are about to come true, and I'm going to be right here with you."
She smiled. "You want to know what I'm thinking about now?"
"What?"
She sighed contently. "I was just thinking how lucky I am, to have somebody as sweet and supportive as you."
He smiled, and kissed her on the lips this time. "I love you." he whispered as he pulled away.
Looking up at him, it only took her a second to realize how she felt. Putting her arms around his neck, she whispered, "I love you, too."
-x-
Meanwhile, next door, Piper's sisters were just waking up.
"Prue, where's Piper?" Phoebe asked, padding into the kitchen.
Prue looked up from her cup of coffee. "Next door." she replied groggily.
Phoebe raised her eyebrows. "Wait a minute... She was there all night?"
Prue nodded, yawning. "Yes, all night. She's a big girl, Pheebs, and besides, at least somebody around here is getting some."
Phoebe's eyebrows went even higher. "Okay, now I know you're tired, because this is the last thing I ever expected to hear from you. What happened to my responsible, worrying, annoyingly overprotective big sister?"
Prue took another sip of coffee. "What happened is that your responsible, worrying, annoyingly overprotective big sister hasn't been with a man in longer than she cares to admit."
Phoebe tugged Prue's hair lovingly. "Sweetie, what about all those guys you've been out with the past few weeks?"
"Every one of those dates ended before ten p.m." Prue sighed. "The guys I've been seeing lately are just so boring..."
"Oh. My. God." Phoebe breathed, a smile slowly forming on her face. "You've got a thing for bad boys."
"Not 'bad boys,'" Prue protested.
"Yes, bad boys." Phoebe insisted. "When was the last guy that you really clicked with?"
Prue thought for a minute, then answered slowly. "Bane."
"Bane." Phoebe repeated. "The guy who got out of jail, kidnapped you, and nearly got you shot."
"But he saved me, and he got shot himself." Prue retorted defensively.
"Still a baddie." Phoebe countered.
Prue frowned, knowing she couldn't have won this arguement. She got up, taking a last sip of coffee. "I have to go to work." she said.
"So you admit I'm right?" Phoebe pressed.
Ignoring her, Prue put her cup in the sink. Calmly, determined not to answer the question, she kissed her sister good-bye, and left for the auction house.
-x-
Prue got to work nearly twenty minutes late, due to unusually horrendous traffic jams. She slipped into her office, not even bothering to take off her light denim jacket, and sat down at her desk. A few seconds later, when Rex came in, she picked up a pen and started doodling on a blank sheet of paper, pretending to have been at work for hours.
"Prue, do you have a minute?" he asked, seeming harried.
Prue nodded and put the pen down, grateful that he didn't notice her tardiness. "Sure, Rex. What's up?"
He sat down in the chair opposite her desk. "We've got a big client coming in today. I didn't know until just now, but I want you to be the one working with him. That is, if you wouldn't mind."
"Mind? No, I don't mind." Prue said, trying to conceal her excitement. Most of the big clients were usually referred to Hannah, who dealt with the personally and then left the actual work to Prue.
"Good." Rex said. "He should be arriving any moment now, so just go down to the lobby and wait for him."
She got up, and started to take off her jacket, but he stopped her.
"Leave it on. He'll like that." Rex said, eying her black tank top and tight, low-slung jeans, which she never would have considered wearing to the office before her fling with Bane had inspired her to be more relaxed.
Prue raised an eyebrow. Most of Buckand's usual clients would prefer the employees dress more traditionally, but she shrugged it off, and went downstairs.
As she stepped out of the elevator, Prue heard a strange buzzing noise. Before she realized where it was coming from, the double doors were swung open, and in came a Harley.
The motorcycle stopped in the middle of the lobby, and a dark, muscular, gorgeous guy jumped off. He headed right for Prue.
"Are you Prudence Halliwell?" he asked, his voice deep and sexy.
Prue nodded, barely able to breathe. "Yeah," she managed to say, wiping her palms on her jeans. "I'm Prue."
The man extended his hand, his tousled black hair falling over one eye as he moved. He shook it out, and said, "I'm T.J., the client your boss told you about. He did tell you about me, didn't he?"
"Um, yeah." Prue stammered, trying to regain her composure. "Yes, he told me. Why don't we go up to my office, Mr.-"
"T.J." he interrupted. "Please, just stick to T.J."
"Okay," Prue said, "T.J., my office is right upstairs."
She led him into the elevator, up a few floors, and into her bright, large office.
"Nice place." he commented.
"Thanks." she replied. "So, what is it that you want appraised?"
"A painting." he told her. "A bunch of paintings, actually. I inherited them, and I have no idea what to do with them, so I figured I'd just sell them."
"Allright," she said, looking around.
"I left them at my place." he said. "They wouldn't exactly fit on my bike."
Prue smiled. "I guess they wouldn't."
"You, on the other hand, would." T.J. said, obviously checking her out.
Prue blushed, but only slightly. "What are you suggesting?"
"I'm suggesting," he said, "that you come for a ride."
She shook her head. "I'd love to, really, but I've got work."
"Blow it off." he persuaded.
She looked at him like he was crazy. "I can't just blow it off. I've got a job to do, responsibilities-"
"Someone else can take care of it, just for one day." he said. He paused. "Is this just your way of saying no? Because if this is a flat-out rejection, I'll leave. But if you're only refusing because you don't want to leave work, then maybe it's time you took a break."
"It's not a rejection, T.J." she said. She bit her lip, not wanting to let him know that, the moment he jumped off that motorcycle, she's fallen - hard.
"Then come with me, Prue."
She sighed. It was tempting, very tempting, but she'd never deliberately skipped work before. It just wasn't like her.
'Screw it,' she thought. "Okay." she agreed, taking a chance. "I'll go."
****************
A/N: Next chapter is number 50, so yeah, it will be special, and yeah, it'll be P/L. Also, look for T.J. in coming chapters, because he's going to be important. Heheh, I never could resist a hot guy on a motorcycle. ::le sigh::
~from the song "No More Cry" by The Corrs~