~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In our family portrait
We look pretty happy
Let's play pretend and
Act like it comes naturally
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"You want me to what?"
Paige stared at her sisters, unable to comprehend what they'd just asked her. The four were in the living room, with Paige perched on the coffee table and her sisters on the couch in front of her.
"Live here," Prue said. "With us. At least until your apartment gets cleaned up, and if it works out, maybe... I don't know. As long as you'd like to stay, I guess. Maybe permanently?"
Paige gave a nervous laugh, still not sure she understood correctly. "You want me to move in with you?"
Prue, Piper, and Phoebe nodded in unison.
"Oh, um, wow," Paige said, seeing they were serious. "I don't know what to say. Thank you for offering, and it's true I need a place to stay, but... Are you sure?"
"Not entirely," Piper admitted. Paige relaxed a little, reassured by the fact that she wasn't the only one with doubts here.
"But we're willing to try it," Phoebe added quickly. "That is, if you are."
Paige thought about it for a minute. She wanted to be close to her sisters, but perhaps this was too close, too soon. In the end, however, she came to the same conclusion they had reached: It was worth a try. "Okay," she said, nodding. "I'm willing."
"Good," Prue said, pulling Paige over to the couch for a group hug. All four siblings were laughing happily at this point, but the same question was nagging at each of them. Could this arrangement really work out?
-x-
Paige began moving what was left of her stuff in that night. She hadn't saved much from the fire - a few CDs, her jewelry box, her laptop, and a wicker chair that Piper hated but agreed to put in the conservatory anyway. After everything was in place, the girls stood around the foyer, unsure of what to do.
"So, who's up for a girls-night-in type thing?" Prue suggested to break the silence.
"Sure," Paige agreed awkwardly. Piper and Phoebe nodded their consent, and padded into the living room to watch TV.
Prue hung back. "I want to go check on Aviva, and then I'll get the ice cream. You guys see if you can find any good movies on or something."
Five minutes later, she slipped back into the room with a tub of ice cream and four spoons in one arm, and baby Aviva in the other. "Look who wanted to join in. I found her awake in her crib, and I couldn't get her to sleep. I thought I'd bring her down here for a while, because sometimes it helps if I just keep her with me."
Paige held out her hands. "Here, can I try?"
"Sure," Prue replied, and handed the baby over. Aviva looked around, giving a small grunt in annoyance at being held by someone who was obviously not her mother, but then decided that since she knew her Aunt Paige, it was okay. She curled up against Paige's breast, and promptly started playing with her aunt's long, dark hair. Paige laughed, beaming down at her niece.
"So, what's on?" Prue asked, sitting down on the floor in front of the television where Piper, Phoebe, and Paige had arranged themselves and various pillows.
"Um, a couple things," Piper said, glancing at the TV Guide. "There's Sixteen Candles if anyone's in the mood to re-live high school, Rocky Horror Picture Show if anyone feels like jumping up and down and doing the Time Warp, Titanic if anyone feels like crying, The Princess Bride if anyone feels like laughing... Ohh, Waiting To Exhale is a good chick-bonding-type flick..."
She was interrupted by Phoebe grabbing the TV Guide. "Ooohh, ooohh, we can watch Kill It Before It Dies!"
"No," Prue and Piper vetoed immediately.
"What's Kill It Before It Dies?" Paige asked.
"It's this lame old horror movie that Phoebe just has to watch every chance she gets," Piper explained.
"It's not lame," Phoebe protested. She didn't bother denying the second part of Piper's statement.
"You just watch it for the main character, Billy," Piper teased.
"Nu-uh," Phoebe denied. She paused for a minute, then added, "Although, he is kinda cute. He reminds of an ex-boyfriend of mine. Actually, my ex had the same first name, too. Hmm."
Prue, Piper, and Paige exchanged rolling eyes.
"Whatever," Prue said. "We are so not watching another cheesy horror movie."
Phoebe looked at her sisters pleadingly, and they eventually gave in. There was an awkward sort of silence as the girls were watching the movie, not broken until half an hour into it, when Aviva finally fell asleep in Piper's arms after changing hands several times.
"Here, honey, I'll put her to bed," Prue said, starting to get up.
"That's okay, sweetie, I'll do it," Piper offered. Prue sat back down, and Piper went upstairs with her niece. On the way, Aviva started to stir, so Piper began talking to her in effort to sooth her back to sleep.
"Hey, sweetheart. It's okay. Aunt Piper's here." She grinned as Aviva cooed up at her, and placed the half-asleep baby down in her crib. "Go back to sleep, Ava. I love you, honey." Aviva cooed again, and put her thumb in her mouth. Piper giggled, stroking the baby's face lovingly. As involved as she was in putting her small niece to bed, she didn't notice the figure in the doorway until there was someone directly behind her.
"You know, you'll make a really good mother, someday."
Piper jumped slightly, then relaxed upon recognizing the voice. "Leo. You scared me."
"Sorry," he said, smiling. "I just love watching you with her."
She looked up to smile back at him before turning her attention once more to the baby. "So," she asked him, "What are you doing here this late at night?"
"I just got off my shift, and I wanted to come see you. Prue answered the door, and said you were up here." He looked past her, into the crib. "God, she seems to get bigger every time I see her."
Piper laughed. "Leo, you just saw her yesterday."
Leo smiled. Aviva yawned and stretched out a tiny arm, and Piper reached in to pull her blanket up.
"You are so good with her," Leo said, kissing the top of her head.
She leaned against him, snuggling into his warm shirt. "You're not so bad with her yourself."
He pulled her closer, and they stood hugging each other, staring into the crib and hoping they'd someday have a daughter as precious as their little niece.
****************
A/N: This might be my last chapter before I hafta go on vacation with the family, so if you don't see any updates from me for a week and a half or so, that's why.
~from the song "Family Portrait" by Pink~
In our family portrait
We look pretty happy
Let's play pretend and
Act like it comes naturally
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"You want me to what?"
Paige stared at her sisters, unable to comprehend what they'd just asked her. The four were in the living room, with Paige perched on the coffee table and her sisters on the couch in front of her.
"Live here," Prue said. "With us. At least until your apartment gets cleaned up, and if it works out, maybe... I don't know. As long as you'd like to stay, I guess. Maybe permanently?"
Paige gave a nervous laugh, still not sure she understood correctly. "You want me to move in with you?"
Prue, Piper, and Phoebe nodded in unison.
"Oh, um, wow," Paige said, seeing they were serious. "I don't know what to say. Thank you for offering, and it's true I need a place to stay, but... Are you sure?"
"Not entirely," Piper admitted. Paige relaxed a little, reassured by the fact that she wasn't the only one with doubts here.
"But we're willing to try it," Phoebe added quickly. "That is, if you are."
Paige thought about it for a minute. She wanted to be close to her sisters, but perhaps this was too close, too soon. In the end, however, she came to the same conclusion they had reached: It was worth a try. "Okay," she said, nodding. "I'm willing."
"Good," Prue said, pulling Paige over to the couch for a group hug. All four siblings were laughing happily at this point, but the same question was nagging at each of them. Could this arrangement really work out?
-x-
Paige began moving what was left of her stuff in that night. She hadn't saved much from the fire - a few CDs, her jewelry box, her laptop, and a wicker chair that Piper hated but agreed to put in the conservatory anyway. After everything was in place, the girls stood around the foyer, unsure of what to do.
"So, who's up for a girls-night-in type thing?" Prue suggested to break the silence.
"Sure," Paige agreed awkwardly. Piper and Phoebe nodded their consent, and padded into the living room to watch TV.
Prue hung back. "I want to go check on Aviva, and then I'll get the ice cream. You guys see if you can find any good movies on or something."
Five minutes later, she slipped back into the room with a tub of ice cream and four spoons in one arm, and baby Aviva in the other. "Look who wanted to join in. I found her awake in her crib, and I couldn't get her to sleep. I thought I'd bring her down here for a while, because sometimes it helps if I just keep her with me."
Paige held out her hands. "Here, can I try?"
"Sure," Prue replied, and handed the baby over. Aviva looked around, giving a small grunt in annoyance at being held by someone who was obviously not her mother, but then decided that since she knew her Aunt Paige, it was okay. She curled up against Paige's breast, and promptly started playing with her aunt's long, dark hair. Paige laughed, beaming down at her niece.
"So, what's on?" Prue asked, sitting down on the floor in front of the television where Piper, Phoebe, and Paige had arranged themselves and various pillows.
"Um, a couple things," Piper said, glancing at the TV Guide. "There's Sixteen Candles if anyone's in the mood to re-live high school, Rocky Horror Picture Show if anyone feels like jumping up and down and doing the Time Warp, Titanic if anyone feels like crying, The Princess Bride if anyone feels like laughing... Ohh, Waiting To Exhale is a good chick-bonding-type flick..."
She was interrupted by Phoebe grabbing the TV Guide. "Ooohh, ooohh, we can watch Kill It Before It Dies!"
"No," Prue and Piper vetoed immediately.
"What's Kill It Before It Dies?" Paige asked.
"It's this lame old horror movie that Phoebe just has to watch every chance she gets," Piper explained.
"It's not lame," Phoebe protested. She didn't bother denying the second part of Piper's statement.
"You just watch it for the main character, Billy," Piper teased.
"Nu-uh," Phoebe denied. She paused for a minute, then added, "Although, he is kinda cute. He reminds of an ex-boyfriend of mine. Actually, my ex had the same first name, too. Hmm."
Prue, Piper, and Paige exchanged rolling eyes.
"Whatever," Prue said. "We are so not watching another cheesy horror movie."
Phoebe looked at her sisters pleadingly, and they eventually gave in. There was an awkward sort of silence as the girls were watching the movie, not broken until half an hour into it, when Aviva finally fell asleep in Piper's arms after changing hands several times.
"Here, honey, I'll put her to bed," Prue said, starting to get up.
"That's okay, sweetie, I'll do it," Piper offered. Prue sat back down, and Piper went upstairs with her niece. On the way, Aviva started to stir, so Piper began talking to her in effort to sooth her back to sleep.
"Hey, sweetheart. It's okay. Aunt Piper's here." She grinned as Aviva cooed up at her, and placed the half-asleep baby down in her crib. "Go back to sleep, Ava. I love you, honey." Aviva cooed again, and put her thumb in her mouth. Piper giggled, stroking the baby's face lovingly. As involved as she was in putting her small niece to bed, she didn't notice the figure in the doorway until there was someone directly behind her.
"You know, you'll make a really good mother, someday."
Piper jumped slightly, then relaxed upon recognizing the voice. "Leo. You scared me."
"Sorry," he said, smiling. "I just love watching you with her."
She looked up to smile back at him before turning her attention once more to the baby. "So," she asked him, "What are you doing here this late at night?"
"I just got off my shift, and I wanted to come see you. Prue answered the door, and said you were up here." He looked past her, into the crib. "God, she seems to get bigger every time I see her."
Piper laughed. "Leo, you just saw her yesterday."
Leo smiled. Aviva yawned and stretched out a tiny arm, and Piper reached in to pull her blanket up.
"You are so good with her," Leo said, kissing the top of her head.
She leaned against him, snuggling into his warm shirt. "You're not so bad with her yourself."
He pulled her closer, and they stood hugging each other, staring into the crib and hoping they'd someday have a daughter as precious as their little niece.
****************
A/N: This might be my last chapter before I hafta go on vacation with the family, so if you don't see any updates from me for a week and a half or so, that's why.
~from the song "Family Portrait" by Pink~