Standard Disclaimer.

Chapter Fourteen

10:31 AM

Dear Fiancé-less,

It sounds like you have a lot of stress on you. I'm sorry that you're significant other has been keeping secrets from you, but that doesn't mean she doesn't love you. Of, course, if you're going to leave her at the alter because of that, then maybe you should go try and un-wedge whatever bug crawled up your—

No, too violent.

Dear Worried,

I'm sorry to hear about your son, but, if you care enough to write someone who you don't even know has any sort of experience with drugs just for the sake of your child...well, you're obviously a caring parent and therefore you're kid can't have fallen that far from the tree. The "things" you found were probably from a friend of his and I'm sure he knows how to deal with his future demons—

Okay, that was completely coincidental.

Dear Nosy,

I know how shocking it is to find out if a loved one of yours dated someone you wouldn't normally approve of. It may sound a bit trite, but...I'm sure your sister knew—and knows—what she's doing. Her ex-boyfriend was probably a great guy underneath and all you have to do is give him a chance. Besides, even if this guy wasn't, your nephew probably—

God! Is there not one of these damned things that doesn't hit too close to home?!

She needed to relax. Ever since yesterday afternoon, her emotions were going haywire, and it's not like a good night's non-sleep helped any. At first, she just thought she was picking up everyone else's emotions: Piper's insecurities, Chris' emotional baggage, Paige's impatience, and Brett's...

Huh. Now that she thinks about it, she never felt anything from--

She nearly jumped when the phone rang.

"Y'ello? Marge?"

"Uh, yeah. It's your sister, Piper, is on line three," a voice answered.

"Okay, thanks. I'll take it in my office," she waited to hear the phone click.

"Phoebe?"

"Yeah, it's me."

"Hey."

"'Hey' yourself," she responded, smiling. "What's up?"

"Uh...I just thought that we should discuss that thing that happened yesterday at that place at the club over lunch, since we didn't get much time during breakfast," Piper quickly replied. "I already asked Paige to meet us at one."

Phoebe blinked. Huh?

"Huh?"

"You know...that thing."

Uh...

"You know...the thing that came back."

Oh.

Right.

"Okay, yeah sure," she answered. "If that's what you want."

A beat.

"Piper?" she asked. "Is there something wrong? Something you wanted to talk about?"

"Actually...wait. How'd you know? Don't your...ahem...'things' not work from this far away?"

"Actually it's more along of the lines of my actually knowing you...well, yeah, that, and the fact that you haven't said a thing in the past ten seconds."

She heard something that vaguely sounded like "smartass."

She heard a sigh and a raspy voice.

"Actually...yeah. Um...do you think that you could possibly...uh...work at home today?"

Shocked!!!—well...no, not exactly "shocked," but—

"Uh, yeah, sure...just, uh...let me tell Elise..." she trailed off. "Is there something the matter."

Another sigh.

"Yeah...mayb—I don't know. I just...I don't want to leave him alone for too long," she heard a worried voice that was all too familiar. "He came home this morning and went into his room and...he was crying."

A muffled sob.

"Crying."

Another sob.

"I've, uh...I realized that...I've never seen him cry..."

Her vision blurred.

Her voice cracked...just slightly.

"Yeah, sure. No problem," she said, too enthusiastically. "I'll go right home."

Silence.

"Thanks. I'll...I'll try to be there as soon as possible," she heard her say. "I just got a couple of things to plan, set up."

A softer sob.

"I shouldn't be too long, but I think I might have to be here till lunch."

"Oh, and, Phoebe...do you think that you can make it so he doesn't know you're there?" The Tentative voice. "I just...I don't want to leave him alone, but...I don't want him to think that we're imposing or don't trust him or..."

"That's fine, sweetie," she said soothingly. "I'll make sure he doesn't see me."

A relaxed sigh.

"Thanks... I'll see you for lunch."

"Okay," she replies, then... "What about..."

"I don't want to leave him alone, but...we need to talk about this..."

"Well, we could call L—"

"NO...uh, no. No, I don't want him in on this until it's absolutely necessary."

Her mouth opened.

"Besides...I don't think Chris wants him to know about this right now."

Her mouth closed.

"Okay," she said. "I'll see you at one then?"

"Yeah," a voice replied. "And, Phoebe? Thanks."

"It's nothing. Don't mention it," she smiled sadly into the mouthpiece. "That's what family's for, and he is one of my favorite nephews."

A laugh...finally.

"Okay. Bye."

A returned laugh.

"Bye."

The phone clicked down.

Oh, boy...

Elise was not the only one who wasn't going to like this...

That's the chapter for now. I don't have much time to write right now, so...this will have to do. The next chapter is in full text in my head, so I only have to transfer it. It's about Chris/Brett, so...

Hoped you liked this one.

Thanks.