~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I alone am the one you don't know you need
Take heed, feed your ego
Make me blind when your eyes close
Sink when you get close
Tie me to the bed post
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I cannot believe I kissed him."
"What, Prue, you didn't like it?"
"The problem isn't that I didn't like it, Piper; the problem is that I did."
"And how is that a problem, exactly?"
"Think about it, Phoebe. How can it not be? It's not just that we work together, or that I'm completely repulsed by his personality, both of which are valid reasons to not want to become involved. But what about Ava?" Prue asked her sisters. She was sitting on her bed, with Piper and Phoebe facing her, and Aviva in her bassinet right next to them.
"What about Ava?" Phoebe repeated. "Honey, what are you going to do, wait until she goes to college before you start dating again?"
"No..." Prue replied uncertainly. After a short pause, she continued. "No. I definately don't want to wait that long. I just... I'm still trying to figure out how to balance a career with a child, throwing guys into the mix just seems like I'm making things more complicated."
"Of course it's complicated, honey, raising a family always is," Piper said softly. "But you know you can do it. You practically raised me and Phoebe by yourself, since Grams was working so much, and you still had time for school and Andy."
"It was different then," Prue responded. "You were both in school, and so was I. Grams was the one who took care of the money, so that was one less thing I had to worry about. Since I had to go to school anyway, it counted for a lot of the time I spent with Andy. Plus, Grams was there to help me with the two of you."
"And we're here to help you with Ava," Phoebe reminded her. "As for your career, you'll just have to learn to leave your work in the office. And don't argue with me, because you know you're the queen of bringing work home," she added when Prue opened her mouth to protest.
Prue sighed. "I still don't know what to do about Jack. I like him, I really do, but I don't want to be the type of parent who's kids are always watching them get into one dead-end relationship after another."
"Don't you think you're getting a little bit ahead of yourself?" Piper questioned. "Jack is the first guy you've kissed since Ava was born. And how do you know a relationship with him would be dead-end, anyway? You just met the guy today."
"I just know. Call it a hunch, or a first impression, or whatever. He just doesn't seem like the type to be in a serious relationship."
"And is that what you want right now?" Phoebe inquired. "A serious relationship?"
"And before you answer, forget about responsibility, or creating a stable home life for Ava, because sweetheart you know you don't need a guy for that," Piper put in. "Just focus on what you want right now."
Prue bit her lip, considering this. "Right now, I want a guy I can have fun with, a guy who'll make me happy, a guy a might even be able to fall in love with. A guy like Jack."
"So then go out with him," Phoebe said simply. "Don't worry about Ava. It would be good for her to see her mother in a relationship with a guy who's crazy about you."
Prue nodded. She had to admit, her sisters had a point. She reached over, and picked up the baby. "What do you think, Aviva? Do you want Mommy to start seeing Jack?"
The infant squealed, delighted to be held. Her aunts decided to take this as a "yes".
"See, Prue, even Ava agrees," Phoebe said.
Prue sighed. "Okay, looks like I'm outvoted."
"So you'll go out with Jack?" Piper pressed.
Prue nodded. "Only if Ava likes him. I was planning on bringing her to the office with me tomorrow, anyway, since Janna can't watch her and you guys have work and school."
"So you're testing him?" Phoebe asked.
"I know it seems kindof unfair," Prue admitted, "It's just that I don't want to date a guy who can't handle kids, and this seems like the best way to find out for sure before things get serious."
Her sisters exachanged glances, then shrugged.
"As long as it gets you out there and dating again," Piper sighed. She and Phoebe hugged their sister, careful not to crush their niece in between them. "We just want you to be happy, honey."
"I know," Prue replied, kissing them both. She carefully shifted her daughter so that the baby was snuggled against her shoulder, then leaned her head against her sisters. She knew they were right, that everything they said made sense, but it didn't completely calm her nerves. Only Jack could do that.
-x-
The next morning, Prue brought Aviva to the office as planned. She set the bassinet up in the corner next to her desk, and placed the baby in it, then sat down to work. It was only a few minutes before Jack came in.
"Hi," she said brightly, looking up.
"Hey, Prue," he replied. "Listen, I was hoping we could talk."
He didn't notice Aviva's presence until she whimpered, wanting to be picked up. Prue rolled her chair back to the bassinet, and gently lifted the baby out.
"Oh, you brought the kid," Jack said, sounding surprised.
Prue frowned, taking his response for a bad sign. "Yeah, it's just so hard to find a baby-sitter sometimes."
He recovered himself quickly, and stepped toward her. "Can't see why anyone wouldn't want to watch such a cutie. May I?"
He reached for the baby, and, apprehensively, she handed Aviva to him. "You like kids?"
"Sure," he replied, rocking Ava. "Like kids, am a kid, it's the same thing, right?"
Prue smiled, half hoping that this was just his sense of humor and not an honest revelation, though from what she'd seen of him so far, the latter was much more likely to be true. Whichever the case, her daughter seemed to like him well enough. She curled up on his chest, cooing contentedly and reaching one tiny hand up to his face.
"You've got good taste in guys, squirt. Do you get that from your mother?" he asked the baby, with a pointed glance at Prue.
Prue snorted. "And here I thought I had a few more years until I had to worry about her taste in guys." She gently took the baby from him, and put her back in her bassinet. Aviva let out a cry in protest of being taken from such a comfortable position, then settled down. After quieting the baby, Prue turned back to Jack. "You wanted to talk, Mr. Sheridan?" she asked in a playful, almost flirtatious tone.
He nodded. "Yeah, about yesterday. I came to see if you'd changed your mind about going out with me. After the kiss, you kind of left suddenly, but I got the feeling you did. Change your mind, I mean."
She smiled at him, and stepped around her desk so that they were only inches apart. "Yes, as a matter of fact, I have. Let's just say I got some good advice."
He grinned. "Let me guess, a little bird told you?"
She glanced back at her daughter, and her smile widened. "Actually, it was a little angel." She turned back to face him, stretching her arms around his neck. "Maybe I'll let you take me out to dinner, so we can discuss it, among other things."
He put his hands on her hips, maintaining just enough space between them to allow them to talk comfortably. "Are you asking me out on a date? Doesn't this compromise Miss Prue Halliwell's rules of office decorum?"
She nodded slowly. "Yes, on both counts. But even though dating colleagues can have some very... unpleasant... results, it could also bring some enjoyable rewards."
He moved his arms up around her waist, and pulled her close against him. "So which one will it be?"
She gave him a teasing kiss, followed by a small laugh. "Oh, that all depends on how you do tonight."
****************
A/N: Ten thousand Who's Line Is It Anyway points to anyone who can tell me which ep I paraphrased some of this chapter from, and a thousand more to the really good ones who can tell me which lines it was (from the fic and the show). Yes, I am bored. How did you guess? :P
~from the song "Inside Out" by Eve 6~
I alone am the one you don't know you need
Take heed, feed your ego
Make me blind when your eyes close
Sink when you get close
Tie me to the bed post
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I cannot believe I kissed him."
"What, Prue, you didn't like it?"
"The problem isn't that I didn't like it, Piper; the problem is that I did."
"And how is that a problem, exactly?"
"Think about it, Phoebe. How can it not be? It's not just that we work together, or that I'm completely repulsed by his personality, both of which are valid reasons to not want to become involved. But what about Ava?" Prue asked her sisters. She was sitting on her bed, with Piper and Phoebe facing her, and Aviva in her bassinet right next to them.
"What about Ava?" Phoebe repeated. "Honey, what are you going to do, wait until she goes to college before you start dating again?"
"No..." Prue replied uncertainly. After a short pause, she continued. "No. I definately don't want to wait that long. I just... I'm still trying to figure out how to balance a career with a child, throwing guys into the mix just seems like I'm making things more complicated."
"Of course it's complicated, honey, raising a family always is," Piper said softly. "But you know you can do it. You practically raised me and Phoebe by yourself, since Grams was working so much, and you still had time for school and Andy."
"It was different then," Prue responded. "You were both in school, and so was I. Grams was the one who took care of the money, so that was one less thing I had to worry about. Since I had to go to school anyway, it counted for a lot of the time I spent with Andy. Plus, Grams was there to help me with the two of you."
"And we're here to help you with Ava," Phoebe reminded her. "As for your career, you'll just have to learn to leave your work in the office. And don't argue with me, because you know you're the queen of bringing work home," she added when Prue opened her mouth to protest.
Prue sighed. "I still don't know what to do about Jack. I like him, I really do, but I don't want to be the type of parent who's kids are always watching them get into one dead-end relationship after another."
"Don't you think you're getting a little bit ahead of yourself?" Piper questioned. "Jack is the first guy you've kissed since Ava was born. And how do you know a relationship with him would be dead-end, anyway? You just met the guy today."
"I just know. Call it a hunch, or a first impression, or whatever. He just doesn't seem like the type to be in a serious relationship."
"And is that what you want right now?" Phoebe inquired. "A serious relationship?"
"And before you answer, forget about responsibility, or creating a stable home life for Ava, because sweetheart you know you don't need a guy for that," Piper put in. "Just focus on what you want right now."
Prue bit her lip, considering this. "Right now, I want a guy I can have fun with, a guy who'll make me happy, a guy a might even be able to fall in love with. A guy like Jack."
"So then go out with him," Phoebe said simply. "Don't worry about Ava. It would be good for her to see her mother in a relationship with a guy who's crazy about you."
Prue nodded. She had to admit, her sisters had a point. She reached over, and picked up the baby. "What do you think, Aviva? Do you want Mommy to start seeing Jack?"
The infant squealed, delighted to be held. Her aunts decided to take this as a "yes".
"See, Prue, even Ava agrees," Phoebe said.
Prue sighed. "Okay, looks like I'm outvoted."
"So you'll go out with Jack?" Piper pressed.
Prue nodded. "Only if Ava likes him. I was planning on bringing her to the office with me tomorrow, anyway, since Janna can't watch her and you guys have work and school."
"So you're testing him?" Phoebe asked.
"I know it seems kindof unfair," Prue admitted, "It's just that I don't want to date a guy who can't handle kids, and this seems like the best way to find out for sure before things get serious."
Her sisters exachanged glances, then shrugged.
"As long as it gets you out there and dating again," Piper sighed. She and Phoebe hugged their sister, careful not to crush their niece in between them. "We just want you to be happy, honey."
"I know," Prue replied, kissing them both. She carefully shifted her daughter so that the baby was snuggled against her shoulder, then leaned her head against her sisters. She knew they were right, that everything they said made sense, but it didn't completely calm her nerves. Only Jack could do that.
-x-
The next morning, Prue brought Aviva to the office as planned. She set the bassinet up in the corner next to her desk, and placed the baby in it, then sat down to work. It was only a few minutes before Jack came in.
"Hi," she said brightly, looking up.
"Hey, Prue," he replied. "Listen, I was hoping we could talk."
He didn't notice Aviva's presence until she whimpered, wanting to be picked up. Prue rolled her chair back to the bassinet, and gently lifted the baby out.
"Oh, you brought the kid," Jack said, sounding surprised.
Prue frowned, taking his response for a bad sign. "Yeah, it's just so hard to find a baby-sitter sometimes."
He recovered himself quickly, and stepped toward her. "Can't see why anyone wouldn't want to watch such a cutie. May I?"
He reached for the baby, and, apprehensively, she handed Aviva to him. "You like kids?"
"Sure," he replied, rocking Ava. "Like kids, am a kid, it's the same thing, right?"
Prue smiled, half hoping that this was just his sense of humor and not an honest revelation, though from what she'd seen of him so far, the latter was much more likely to be true. Whichever the case, her daughter seemed to like him well enough. She curled up on his chest, cooing contentedly and reaching one tiny hand up to his face.
"You've got good taste in guys, squirt. Do you get that from your mother?" he asked the baby, with a pointed glance at Prue.
Prue snorted. "And here I thought I had a few more years until I had to worry about her taste in guys." She gently took the baby from him, and put her back in her bassinet. Aviva let out a cry in protest of being taken from such a comfortable position, then settled down. After quieting the baby, Prue turned back to Jack. "You wanted to talk, Mr. Sheridan?" she asked in a playful, almost flirtatious tone.
He nodded. "Yeah, about yesterday. I came to see if you'd changed your mind about going out with me. After the kiss, you kind of left suddenly, but I got the feeling you did. Change your mind, I mean."
She smiled at him, and stepped around her desk so that they were only inches apart. "Yes, as a matter of fact, I have. Let's just say I got some good advice."
He grinned. "Let me guess, a little bird told you?"
She glanced back at her daughter, and her smile widened. "Actually, it was a little angel." She turned back to face him, stretching her arms around his neck. "Maybe I'll let you take me out to dinner, so we can discuss it, among other things."
He put his hands on her hips, maintaining just enough space between them to allow them to talk comfortably. "Are you asking me out on a date? Doesn't this compromise Miss Prue Halliwell's rules of office decorum?"
She nodded slowly. "Yes, on both counts. But even though dating colleagues can have some very... unpleasant... results, it could also bring some enjoyable rewards."
He moved his arms up around her waist, and pulled her close against him. "So which one will it be?"
She gave him a teasing kiss, followed by a small laugh. "Oh, that all depends on how you do tonight."
****************
A/N: Ten thousand Who's Line Is It Anyway points to anyone who can tell me which ep I paraphrased some of this chapter from, and a thousand more to the really good ones who can tell me which lines it was (from the fic and the show). Yes, I am bored. How did you guess? :P
~from the song "Inside Out" by Eve 6~