Piper sighed and headed for the door. She opened it and saw a young man, his back to her. She coughed slightly, just to let him know she was there. He got the message and turned around.
"Hi. Um..I realize that it's 8:15 in the morning, but I'm looking for Piper Halliwell." The boy said.
Piper pointed to herself. "That's me."
After a couple of seconds, she spoke again.
"Would you like to come in, or are you going to stand there all day?" She asked him. He revealed a half-smile and stepped in the front hall. Piper turned around to introduce Cole, but he wasn't there. She could here water running in the kitchen and assumed he was getting some water.
The boy looked nervous. He was wringing his hands around the envelope he was holding. He was tall, taller than Piper, but maybe only a few inches. He had brown hair and God, those eyes Piper thought to herself. Where have I seen them before?
Piper looked him over, from his black converse, to his blue jeans that ripped at the knees, and finally his black hooded sweatshirt.
"Would you like to sit down?" She asked him. He nodded and followed her into the living room. She pointed to the couch and then took a seat opposite from him.
Piper was about to open her mouth when Shane ran down the stairs, followed closely by Shea.
"Shane Halliwell. Give it back to me right now!" Shea yelled, referring to the journal Shane held above his head, high above Shea's reach. Piper jumped up and stepped in.
"Guys. Hello?" She said. When no one paid any attention to her, she raised her voice.
"Shea! Shane!" That got their attention. They both turned toward her and Shea took this opportunity to grab back her journal. She turned toward Shane triumphantly and grinned. He stuck his tongue out at her.
"Ladies!" Piper said. Both of them immediately turned back to face her.
"What's going on. One at a time. Shea go ahead." Piper said.
"Shane took my diary. I wanted it back, that's all." Shea explained.
Piper turned towards Shane, waiting for his explanation.
He just nodded. "I wanted to see what it said." He whined. Piper shook her head and tried to stifle a laugh.
"Well. Shea, what does it say?" Piper asked, her curiosity now sparked. Shea looked appalled.
"Are you serious?" Shea asked, a looked of horror on her face. Piper nodded.
"What did you put for today?" Piper asked.
Shea reluctantly opened it to the last written entry and began reading.
" Today was the best. I found my family. Shane and I are finally back in the same house, with Dad! Paige is here too, so dad is super happy. My Aunt Piper - - wow. I mean, she's amazing and I feel bad for her. You could tell she was into Ryan. Sucks that he was a bad guy. And then there's Aunt Phoebe. She's pretty cool too. And Chris is amazingly cute and WAY too old. For me at least. And Leo's pretty decent too. The major disappointment was my mom. She's a wicked witch. I didn't even believe it, but then, when Paige ran out of the room, I realized what she really was. She makes me SOOOOOO MAD! But, she's long gone now, and I don't think she's ever coming back."
"There. I read it. Are you happy?" Shea asked.
"Read the bottom part. Read the bottom!" Shane shouted. Piper smacked him in the back of his head.
"There are people trying to sleep." Piper said. "Go to bed, both of you." She said, eyeing Shane.
With a sigh of disappointment, he walked up the stairs. Shea followed, but looked back at Piper, ran down the stairs and gave her a hug.
"Thanks." Shea whispered, then followed Shane up the stairs.
Piper turned her attention back to the boy on the couch. He was watching her, intently, his familiar eyes studying her.
"Sorry about that." Piper said as she sat down. "My niece and nephew. They're twins and a nuisance. Especially when it's supposed to be quiet around here." Piper explained. The boy only looked amused.
"It's perfectly alright." He said to her.
Piper sat down and looked back at him, a smile on her face. She saw him fingering his ear and when he moved his hand, she spotted a small silver stud. He caught her staring at it.
"Teenage Rebellion." He explained. "Bought it with my own money. I thought it was cool, but it hurt like crazy afterward." He said
"Parents didn't agree?" Piper asked, but regretted it as soon as she said it. His face dropped its smile and his eyes lost their spark.
"No. The…uh…nuns." He said.
"Nuns?" Piper asked, clearly confused.
"I was raised in an orphanage. They don't actually know I'm here." He said.
Piper nodded. "Which brings us back to our original conversation. Why you're here."
"Oh yea. That." He said, looking a little disappointed that he had to bring it up again.
Just then, Cole walked in the room. Piper looked at him and smiled. He stared down at the boy and looked at Piper, his expression clearly confused.
"Who's this?" Cole asked.
Piper looked at the boy, remembering that she had neglected to ask his name.
He just stood up and offered his hand out to Cole. They shook.
"My name's Ian." Ian said. Suddenly, it Piper. Ian's eyes. They were a reflection of Cole's. Both had deep pools of blue.
Cole spoke up when he noticed the silence. "Well Ian. What can we do for you?" He asked as he sat down next to Piper, sliding his arm across her shoulders, pulling her into a hug.
"Are you married?" Ian asked, a slight look of hope in his voice.
"No." Cole said.
"Oh." Ian replied with a look of disappointment.
Piper laughed, but was cut short by the grandfather clock, which had struck 9 o'clock. Ian looked up and double-checked the cheap digital watch on his wrist.
"It's 9 o'clock. They do attendance at 9:30. It'll take me 20 minutes to get there so…" Ian said, more to himself than anyone.
"I can drive you." Piper offered, but Ian declined.
"Let me just get this out." Ian said. Piper and Cole nodded.
"15 years ago I was dropped on the doorstep of an orphanage run by a nuns. I've grown up there. I never had a last name, only a first and a middle name, Everyone knows me as Ian Coleridge. The nuns said they named me Coleridge because it said I.C. on my hospital bracelet. But anyway. It took me 5 years to track anyone from my birth down. And well, I finally did it." Ian said in one breath.
Piper looked at him, confused.
"Do you mean that I'm part of your birth?" Piper asked, Ian's middle name not sinking in yet.
"Yea." Ian simply replied.
"But…how?" Piper asked. Ian handed Piper the envelope he had been holding. Piper gave him a look, but took it anyway. She opened it and stared at the paper inside. She was speechless.
"Piper…what is it?" Cole asked. Piper remained quiet and looked up at Ian.
"I'm sorry. I don't know what else to say. I'm just…sorry." Piper said.
"Piper what are you talking about." Cole asked.
Ian stood up. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a piece of paper.
"It was nice meeting you Piper, Cole. Piper, if you ever want to talk or know more or…anything, you can reach me here." Ian said, giving her his phone number. He looked at the clock.
"I've got to go...but maybe I'll talk to you later." Ian said as he walked out the front door. Cole turned to face Piper, who still hadn't moved.
"Piper. What's wrong?" Cole asked, His voice filled with worry. Piper just shook her head. She stood up, dropped the paper on the coffee table and walked into the kitchen without a word. Cole stood up to go after her, but instead sat down. He put his head in his hands and sat there.
Finally he picked up the papers. His own mouth drooped, as he stared unbelieving at what was in front of him. He dropped the papers and ran in the kitchen after Piper.
The papers fluttered to the ground.
Ian Coleridge Halliwell5 lbs. 10 oz.
Mother: Piper Halliwell
Father: Coleridge Turner
Date of Birth: December 9th 1989