ACT II

"Here's your table," the waiter said.

"Thank you," Robert replied. He pulled out Piper's chair. "Here you go."

Piper blushed, embarrassed at his courtesy. "Thanks." As she sat down, she glanced around the posh restaurant. Richard had taken her to one of the most stylish, not to mention expensive, restaurants in all of San Francisco, l'Endroit.

Rich, polite, and hot, Piper thought to herself. What more could she ask for?

"And here are your menus," the waiter said. "I'll be back when you're ready to order." The waiter left them as they picked up their menus.

"The whole menu's in French," Robert told her. "But I can translate for you if you need it."

Wow. He's also bilingual. Robert seemed too good to be true.

Piper and Robert looked at their menus, in silence. Piper wasn't exactly sure what to say; she hadn't had to force out conversation for a date in a long time.

They both continued to study their menus. Piper decided that she had to break the silence somehow.

"So-" Piper started.

"Are you-" Robert began at the same time.

They smiled at each other. "Oh, I'm sorry," Piper apologized. "You go first."

"No, I'm sorry. Please go on."

"I'm not even sure what I was going to say," Piper admitted. "I just didn't want you to think I was boring."

"You, boring?" Robert asked, incredulously. He reached over and held her hand. "I would never consider you boring."

Piper blushed at his compliment, and at his hand that held hers. Usually, she would've been uncomfortable with that, but for some reason Robert's hands made her feel safe… and loved. Piper liked and missed that feeling.

The waiter returned. "Are you ready to order?"

"Yes." Robert withdrew his hand and looked at his menu. "I'll have the bifteck et legumes."

"Très bon, monsieur," the waiter replied. "And you, madame?

"Um, I'll have the, uh, pâtes?" she said, not sure at how to pronounce it. She looked over her menu at Robert. "That's not like worms or anything, right?"

Robert laughed. "No, that's the pasta."

"Okay, then," Piper said, reassured. "That's what I'll have." She handed her menu to the waiter.

"Oui oui," the waiter replied. He left to fill their orders.

"So," Robert started, "your sisters were, uh, quite interesting."

"Yeah," Piper responded, looking down at the table. "I'm sorry about that. I don't know what got into them."

"Don't worry. I have sisters, too. I was the youngest and only boy, so, of course, my sisters tormented me. I remember once, when I was five, they would make me wear my oldest sister's old dress and they put makeup on me."

Piper laughed. "I can't imagine you in a dress."

"I try hard not to think about it," he joked. "No amount of therapy will ever make me forget that day. And the worse thing was that when I tried to get my parents to intercede on my behalf, they got a camera, took pictures of me, and sent it to all their friends."

"You're going to have to show that picture to me one day," Piper told him.

"Not until you're old and blind, and I'm bald and deaf."

Piper grinned and nodded. "Okay then. I'm gonna hold you to that."

Robert held up two fingers. "Scout's honor." He put his fingers down. "So now that I've set myself up for future embarrassment, tell me about your family. Which one of your sisters is Phoebe and which one is Paige?"

"Phoebe is the one with the short, dark hair and Paige is the red-head."

"How long have you and your sisters been living in the house together?"

Piper hesitated for a moment. Should I tell Robert everything? Her life seemed more like a soap opera, just worse because it was real. Moreover, she didn't want to scare Robert away; Piper really liked him and didn't know how he would react the bad luck that often followed her.

Piper looked at Robert. His face seemed attentive, as if he really wanted to hear what she had to say and that she could tell him anything. That reassured Piper.

"Well, me and Phoebe have been living in the manor for almost five years. We, uh, inherited it from our grandmother."

"What about Paige?" Robert questioned.

Piper looked down at the table as she answered. "Paige is our… half-sister. We didn't even know we had one up until a couple of years ago." She quickly glanced up to see Robert's reaction, and when he didn't respond, she continued. "We found her after my sister, Prue, died."

Robert's face quickly became one of sorrow. "Oh, I'm so sorry," he said with genuine sorrow. "It must have been horrible."

Piper was touched at his sympathy. "It was. She was my big sister. Sometimes, I wake up and still think that I dreamed it all. Only for a second. Then, I remember." Piper couldn't remember the last time she had opened up to anyone like this, let alone on their first date.

"You know, Piper," Robert said, "I'm so glad you told me about this. I want you to know that you can tell me anything. I will always be here for you."

Piper smiled at him and took his hand. She was so glad that he was there, and he knew it. She really did feel that she could tell him anything. Anything at all…

Paige and Phoebe orbed into the hallway in front of the door of the address Chris had given them.

"You know, Paige," Phoebe began, walked down the hall, "something doesn't feel right."

"Yeah, I know. I don't like just orbing into a home either," Paige answered. But the door was locked and no one's even-"

"No, not that. I just have a feeling in my gut that-" Phoebe stopped suddenly as they rounded the corner. On the wall opposite of her were scorch marks.

"Uh-oh," Phoebe muttered. She and Paige ran over to inspect the scorch marks.

Phoebe knelt down and scrutinized the marks. "Someone hurled a fireball here," she said, not looking up at Paige. For a scary moment, Phoebe wondered if Cole was alive again. After all, how many times had we vanquished him? And yet he still came back.

Don't be silly, she argued with herself. Cole's gone for good now.

"I guess now we know what happened to her," Paige murmured, interrupting Phoebe's thoughts.

Phoebe cleared her head and stood up. "Yeah. I suppose the million dollar question is why was this witch killed?"

Paige was saddened to know that the witch was definitely dead, but that made her even more determined to find the demon that had killed the witch. "There's only one way to find out," Paige answered Phoebe.

They looked at each other. They both knew that they had to get to the manor quickly and check the Book of Shadows.

Phoebe sighed and ruffled her short, brunette hair. Secretly, she was a bit annoyed that the answer wasn't right there. She was tired of looking for demons; tired of looking through the Book of Shadows. Maybe she was just tired of being the witch.

And who wouldn't be? Phoebe thought, a little guiltily. Who really wanted to risk their lives everyday, without being paid or even being able to share it with anyone? Sometimes, saving people and doing good were not worth the prices and trials they had to go through. It was ironic, almost funny, how just a few years ago Phoebe thought that being a witch was the greatest thing on Earth, and Piper and Prue were the ones who missed their normal lives from before. Now, ever since the Angel of Destiny had offered them a chance to relinquish their duties as witches, Phoebe had been thinking more and more about how good it would feel to wake up and not wonder if that was the day you were going to die.

"Uh, Phoebe?" Paige waved her hands in front of her face.

Phoebe snapped out of it, and turned quickly to Paige. "Oh, uh, sorry. I was, um, just thinking about who or what might have killed this woman."

"Well, let's go and find out."

"Okay." Phoebe held out hands so Paige could orb them back to the manor.

"Phoebe?" Paige asked again. "We drove here, remember?"

Phoebe lowered her hands. "Oh, yeah."

Paige looked weirdly at Phoebe. Phoebe had been acting very strange, but before Paige could say anything, Phoebe started heading outside to their car. Paige followed her, slowly.

"So what will we start with in the book?" Paige asked, as they walked in through the front door of the manor.

"Um, I guess anything with demons who can shoot fireballs," Phoebe answered. "But first, we should also call Chris and see if he's learned anything from the Elders." Phoebe and Paige quickly started up the stairs to the attic.

Just then, Piper walked in through the door with Robert. Robert was hugging her as Piper laughed. They both seemed very comfortable and happy with each other.

Paige and Phoebe stopped their trek up the stairs to stare curiously at them.

Piper glanced up and noticed them. She smiled cheerfully at them. "Hey, you guys," she greeted. Piper turned to Robert. "Should I tell the good news or should you?" she asked him.

"Go on ahead. You tell it so much better." He leaned down to kiss her.

As they kissed hungrily, Phoebe and Piper just watched, in surprise, from the stairs.

Paige turned to Phoebe. "I guess their date was really good, huh?"

Phoebe just continued to watch as Piper and Robert continued to lock lips. Finally, Phoebe cleared her throat.

Piper broke away from Robert. "Oh, sorry," she apologized to Phoebe and Paige, grinning sheepishly.

"Yeah," Phoebe replied. "So, uh, what was the news that you had to tell us?"

Piper faced her sisters happily. "You are never going to believe it." She held out her hand where an engagement ring had been placed on her ring finger. "I'm getting married!"

END OF ACT II