Declaimer: I don't own Charmed.

Chapter Thirty-six

"So," Phoebe said as she, Paige who was carrying Wyatt, and all the girls piled through the door over an hour and a half later. "I got the bubbly. What are we celebrating?"

"Your big sister coming home, getting engaged and four successful businesses." Piper replied very fast.

"Four businesses?" Paige gasped. "Do you need to confess some thing sis?"

"That was very confusing and very fast." Phoebe said. "But I don't care, just give me a hug. Now."

Piper and Phoebe embraced for a moment.

Piper pulled back.

"No," She told them calmly. "I do not have any thing to confess. You all need to come and sit down and I need to inform you of something." She looked from Paige to Phoebe then back again. They were alone. "Where are my girls? What did you do to them?"

"Cat, Kattie, Jess, Beca!" Phoebe yelled spinning around desperately searching for them.

"Oh no!" Paige was toughly pissed with her self. "This is absolutely perfect! For six weeks! For six damn weeks! We managed to keep track of those girls! Always knew exactly where they were. We never let them outa our sight Piper. I promise. But now! Now! Now is the time they chose to disappear! When their mother is here to see us screw up! Big time! This is just so bloody perfect!"

"Girls," Phoebe called in her sweetest voice. "You can have some candy if you come out now."

"Phoebe!" Prue scolded. "Think of the cavities!"

"Girls," Phoebe called. "This is so far from funny!"

Piper didn't say any thing.

She just went totally pail, all the colour drained from her face and she could feel her knees begin to give way.

Leo moved to put a supporting arm around her.

"Hey aunt Phoebs," Kattie walked in from the kitchen. "What's with all the yelling? What's up?"

"Oh Kattes! Thank God." Piper rushed over to hug her daughter. "Where'd you go?"

"We were putting the shopping away mom." Kattie said. "That ice cream we brought was already starting to melt; it was only going to get worse if we didn't get it in the freezer soon."

Piper laughed all the tension inside her snapping as Jess and Beca came in.

She hugged each of her daughters and laughed some more.

"Hey Cat!" She called. "Get your self back in here girl!"

"There you go auntie Piper." Cat walked in with a tub of ice cream. "Here's that ice cream you wanted. Strawberry. I thought you could use some."

"I swear you're a mind reader some times my girl." Piper took the ice cream and hugged her. "I couldn't use some; I could really, really, really, really, really, really use some. Thanks sweetie pie."

"So," Leo put his arm around Piper's waste and gently guided her back into the living room. "Are we ever going to get this oh so elusive explanation out of you?"

"Daddy!" Cat through her self onto Ants.

"Uh-huh." Piper said.

"You know, we've still got that thingy your doctor signed. We've got enough cash for two one way tickets back to Spain too." C said. "We don't have to stay here. Just say the word and we'll go Halli."

"Please don't tempt me." Piper whined.

"Start at the begging." Leo pulled Piper down onto the sofa and sat next to her, wrapping his arms around her. "Unless you're going back to Spain of course."

"Nah." Piper snuggled up against his chest. "Been there, done that. We'll have to find some place new next time we want to go AWOL C honey."

"Err," Phoebe said. "Piper hon', you're getting a little off track here. And there is not going to be a next time."

"Well," C said. "Sorry to disappoint you all. But it's really not that exciting."

"Yhea," Piper agreed. "first we went to New York and I brought a club."

"P3," C filled in. "Take two."

"But it's just called P3. Then we went to Portugal, and I brought another club."

"P3 take three."

"Just P3 again. Then we went to Spain, I brought one more club.2

"P3 take four."

"Again just P3 and we stayed put until Darryl phoned this morning. Or at least I think it was this morning." She squinted. "It's all kinda hazy now."

"That'll be the jet lag catching up with you Halli." C said. "It's starting to get to me too. I'm going to go home and sleep it off. You rest up sis. I'll come see you tomorrow. Congratulations by the way. You're a lucky man Leo. Just you make sure you look after her."

"Will do." Leo replied. "I'm not going to let her out of my sight for a second now I've got her back."

"And good luck tomorrow Ants." C said making his way out. "Get Halli to give me a call if you need any help. I've probably been fired by now any ways."