~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If I wanted to I could do anything right
I could dance with the devil on a Saturday night
If I wanted to I could turn matches to gold
I could smoke, drink, swear and I would never grow old
I wouldn't have to be in love with you
If I only wanted to
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Piper woke up early the next morning. She went outside to get the paper, and saw Dan sitting on his porch, so she went over to talk to him.
"You're up early," he remarked by way of greeting.
"I could say the same of you." she replied.
He smiled. "What's up?"
"Dan, you're an uncle." she started.
"So that's why that little girl keeps hanging around here and calling me Uncle Dan..."
She tapped him playfully. "I'm serious."
"Okay," he said. "Yes, I'm an uncle. Why?"
"Got any advice?"
He narrowed his eyes, putting two and two together. "Wait, are you telling me...?"
Piper nodded. "Prue's pregnant. I'm gonna be an aunt."
Dan hugged her. "Piper, that's wonderful. You're going to love it. Being the disciplinarian isn't fun, but you won't have to worry about that. You'll just get to have a blast spoiling the kid."
Piper laughed. "Oohh, Prue's not going to like that."
Dan shrugged. "What are aunts and uncles for?"
"For one thing, uncles are for helping their neices find the skirt I asked you to wash three days ago." came a voice from behind them.
Piper and Dan turned.
"Hi, Jenny." Piper greeted.
"Hey, Piper." Jenny returned. "Can you help me find something to wear? Today's picture day, and your boyfriend seems to be incapable of doing laundry..."
"Hey, I'm not completely incapable!" Dan protested. "I know I washed your skirt. I just can't exactly remember where I left it."
Piper and Jenny simultaniously rolled their eyes.
"Sure, Jenny," Piper said, "come on, we'll find something."
-x-
Later that morning, Prue pulled into the Buckland's parking lot, on time for the first morning in weeks. When she got up to her office, Rex was there waiting.
"Prue, we need to talk." he said, looking weary.
"Okay, coming from your boss, that is never a good sign." she replied, sitting down.
He didn't seem to be in the mood for jokes. Usually he'd laugh at her wisecracks, but today he didn't even crack a smile. "You know that the auction house has had a bit of... financial trouble, lately." he began.
She nodded, frowning. Wherever he was going with this, she knew it wasn't good.
"I've tried everything I know, but I can barely keep this place's head above water." he continued. "And so I've decided to sell it."
Prue stared at him, shocked. "Your selling?"
He nodded gravely. "Don't worry, you'll still have your job. One of my conditions for the sale was that the new owner keep you and several others on. I just think it's time for me to do something else."
Prue then did something he didn't expect. Maybe it was the result of hormones, or maybe it was because of their close professional relationship that bordered on personal friendship, but for whatever reason, she got up and hugged him.
"I'll miss you." she said.
He stiffened at first, but then relaxed, and, after a minute, he hugged her back, saying, "I'll miss you, too."
****************
~from the song "If I Wanted To" by Melissa Etheridge~
If I wanted to I could do anything right
I could dance with the devil on a Saturday night
If I wanted to I could turn matches to gold
I could smoke, drink, swear and I would never grow old
I wouldn't have to be in love with you
If I only wanted to
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Piper woke up early the next morning. She went outside to get the paper, and saw Dan sitting on his porch, so she went over to talk to him.
"You're up early," he remarked by way of greeting.
"I could say the same of you." she replied.
He smiled. "What's up?"
"Dan, you're an uncle." she started.
"So that's why that little girl keeps hanging around here and calling me Uncle Dan..."
She tapped him playfully. "I'm serious."
"Okay," he said. "Yes, I'm an uncle. Why?"
"Got any advice?"
He narrowed his eyes, putting two and two together. "Wait, are you telling me...?"
Piper nodded. "Prue's pregnant. I'm gonna be an aunt."
Dan hugged her. "Piper, that's wonderful. You're going to love it. Being the disciplinarian isn't fun, but you won't have to worry about that. You'll just get to have a blast spoiling the kid."
Piper laughed. "Oohh, Prue's not going to like that."
Dan shrugged. "What are aunts and uncles for?"
"For one thing, uncles are for helping their neices find the skirt I asked you to wash three days ago." came a voice from behind them.
Piper and Dan turned.
"Hi, Jenny." Piper greeted.
"Hey, Piper." Jenny returned. "Can you help me find something to wear? Today's picture day, and your boyfriend seems to be incapable of doing laundry..."
"Hey, I'm not completely incapable!" Dan protested. "I know I washed your skirt. I just can't exactly remember where I left it."
Piper and Jenny simultaniously rolled their eyes.
"Sure, Jenny," Piper said, "come on, we'll find something."
-x-
Later that morning, Prue pulled into the Buckland's parking lot, on time for the first morning in weeks. When she got up to her office, Rex was there waiting.
"Prue, we need to talk." he said, looking weary.
"Okay, coming from your boss, that is never a good sign." she replied, sitting down.
He didn't seem to be in the mood for jokes. Usually he'd laugh at her wisecracks, but today he didn't even crack a smile. "You know that the auction house has had a bit of... financial trouble, lately." he began.
She nodded, frowning. Wherever he was going with this, she knew it wasn't good.
"I've tried everything I know, but I can barely keep this place's head above water." he continued. "And so I've decided to sell it."
Prue stared at him, shocked. "Your selling?"
He nodded gravely. "Don't worry, you'll still have your job. One of my conditions for the sale was that the new owner keep you and several others on. I just think it's time for me to do something else."
Prue then did something he didn't expect. Maybe it was the result of hormones, or maybe it was because of their close professional relationship that bordered on personal friendship, but for whatever reason, she got up and hugged him.
"I'll miss you." she said.
He stiffened at first, but then relaxed, and, after a minute, he hugged her back, saying, "I'll miss you, too."
****************
~from the song "If I Wanted To" by Melissa Etheridge~