'Did you love her?' Paige asked as they strolled through Golden Gate park.

'What?'

'Were you in love with her?' Paige repeated.

'I think I was more infatuated than anything.' Maddy said thoughtfully. 'Maybe it was because she was the first after I split up with Donna.'

'Look, erm... I just...' Paige stammered. 'Why... women?'

'How do I know I'm gay?' Maddy laughed.

'Well, yeah.' Paige said turning scarlet.

'Don't be embarrassed, Paige, it's a fair question,' she smiled. 'I guess I don't really know, I just... know.'

'That doesn't make a whole lot of sense.' Paige pointed out jokingly.

'Alright,' Madeline said. 'How do you know you're straight?'

Paige giggled nervously. 'I just do.'

'Are you seeing anyone at the moment?'

'I've just split up with someone,' she replied. 'Richard.'

'Why'd you split up?' Maddy asked quite innocently.

'He was involved in an evil feud a while back,' Paige explained, suddenly feeling her colour rise. 'He had to give up his powers, I couldn't start flaunting my magic in front of him.'

'So it was mutual?'

It had been more Richard's idea than hers but she wasn't about to admit that. 'Pretty much, yeah.'

'Haven't you ever fancied experimenting?' she asked.

'I'm not Prue.' Paige said forcefully.

'I wasn't saying you were,' Maddy grabbed her arm and pulled her to a stop. 'I was just asking a question.'

'Like I said, I'm not Prue.'

'Why would that stop you experimenting with women?' Maddy asked.

Paige sighed. 'I don't wanna be anything like her.'

Maddy allowed them to start walking again. 'You're nothing like Prue from what I've seen.'

'You don't know me.' Paige pointed out.

'I guess not,' Maddy agreed. 'But I like you. If you were anything like Prue I probably wouldn't.'

'I thought you were infatuated with her?'

'That's not necessarily a good thing,' Maddy smiled. 'Infatuation's more a curse whereas liking someone for real is more three-dimensional, you accept their faults not cover them up.'

'That was very philosophical. 'Paige commented trying to remove her blush at the thought of Maddy with Prue.

'Was that a blush?' Maddy said with a grin. 'Now what would make Paige blush I wonder?'

'The thought of facing Piper and Phoebe after everything you've told me about Prue.' Paige lied smoothly.

'I guess you're not gonna tell them you met me?' Maddy said seriously.

'Listen,' Paige tried to lighten the mood slightly. 'Piper's a witch who can blow things up and she's pregnant, it's probably not a good idea to upset her too much right now.'

'That little boy was Piper's too? The one she was holding?'

'Wyatt.' Paige smiled. 'Half-witch, half-whitelighter, just like me.'

Maddy sat down on a bench, Paige hesitated then followed suit. A few minutes silence ensued until Maddy said; 'I didn't mean to embarrass you, Paige.'

'You didn't,' she assured her. 'It's just that Piper could appear at any moment, she'd blow you up without thinking about it.'

'Is it me she hates or the idea of Prue being gay?' Maddy asked.

'I think it's the idea of Prue not being perfect, not the fact that she had a relationship with a woman but maybe the fact that she didn't tell them.'

'She hated being the eldest, you know,' Maddy said. 'She just wanted to get away from all the problems.'

'She did... in the end.'

'Paige?' Maddy said tentatively.

'Yeah?'

'Are we going to be able to be friends?'

'Oh,' Paige hesitated. 'We don't really have much in common, I mean, I don't know if we have anything in common.'

'We could find that out.' Maddy suggested.

'And if my sisters found out they'd vanquish you.' Paige continued, trying to find a reason that wouldn't hurt the woman's feelings. 'I really don't want that.'

'And?' Maddy prompted.

'And I don't want another connection with Prue,' Paige admitted. 'I'm sorry.'

'If you change your mind,' she replied sadly taking a slip of paper from her pocket. 'Call me.'

Madeline thrust the paper in her hands then walked off without another word leaving Paige staring silently at the phone number.