Chapter:14:Transitions

"so you don't think you should tell Jo she's your daughter" Patty repeated.

" No, yes..i, mean. No i don't know" replied Paige a little flustered. " It's not that i don't love her, i love her more than i ever thought it possible to love another human being..it's just..."

"what sweetie?.."

"i don't think she can handle this sort of revelation just now, she's still mourning for her father, and..to be honest..i think she deserves more than me..she deserves a mother and a father"

"i see" Patty said, slowly trying to follow Paige's chain of thoughts.

"What would you have done?" Paige looked at her mother, a look of near desperation in her eyes. " what would you have done if you had been alive when my parents died? would you have sought me out? told me who i was?"

"It was different with you" Patty began, choosing her words carefully, aware that the slightest slip up could fracture the already fragile relationship with her youngest child. " you were older..of course 17 is still terribly young to lose one's parents, ...that said, i really honestly don't know...all i do know is that it felt like a part of me died inside the day I gave you away and i never got it back...not until i found you again, by which time it was too late , i was already dead" Patty gave a hollow laugh. "i don't want you to have to go through that too...you were fortunate, you had a mother and a father and a 'secure' up bringing, but your sisters only had Grams, and they didn't turn out too badly did they?"

"No.." Paige admitted. " Its just all soo confusing, and happening so quickly.."

"I know" Patty moved closer and pulled Paige in a hug. Paige nestled her head on her mothers shoulder, wishing that she was 7 years old again and that 'mommy' could make all the bad things go away. They sat in silence a while, each contemplating the situation at hand. Paige was the first to speak " So you think i should tell her?"

"for what it's worth..yes"

"So, i think i shouldn't, you think i should..we need a third person to break the tie" Paige attempted a joke.

"Perhaps we should" Patty agreed, casting her eyes heavenward.

"Come on!" Paige sat up. " Grams? because it's not like she would be biased at all! We all know what she would say..'of course this child must be told about her magical destiny blah blah yaddah yaddah'"

"Actually I wasn't thinking about Grams" Patty admitted.

"Then who?"

"Your father"

"you mean 'your father' as in Sam?" Paige asked, finding her voice again after a good thirty seconds of stunned silence.

"yes" Patty replied "why do you sound so shocked?"

"ummm maybe because i haven't seen him in 3 years..that he has played no part in my life to date whatsoever,which.."

"..which makes his pont of view, nothing if not subjective.."

"i guess" as, unsure and as hesitant as she was tomeet him againPaige did have to agree, that Sam of all people did have an informed opinion on the sjubject.

"That's settled.. SAM" Patty shouted.

Paige felt her heart rate increase slightly, and her palms began to sweat as the whitelightery jingle sounded and Sam Wilder appeared in the circle

£££££££££££££££££

Chris orbed into the kitchen trying to be as quiet as he could. He felt calmer now,more settled after his talk with Leo, ready to give their relationship a chance and work on their issues, rather than dissmiss itenitrely.He scanned the room, finding it apparently empty, he removed his shoes and tip toed accross the floor,

"WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN?" Piper came flying out of the breakfast nook, one hand on her hip, an enraged expression on her face. " YOU ORB OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT, WITHOUT A COAT I MIGHT ADD, TO WHO KNOWS WHERE, ON AN EMPTY STOMOUCH, AND THEN TRY TO SNEAK BACK IN HERE ATWHO KNOWS WHAT TIME ONLY TO DISAPPEAR AGAIN,AND"

"MOM" Chris cut her off mid rant. " It's ok, I'm fine. I told you not to wait up.."

"I'm your mother, of course i'm going to ignore you and wait up anyway, thats what we do"

Chris felt a sudden wave of sadness wash over him,as he was reminded once again that his mother had died before he was old enough to have a social life, on the occasions when he had gone out clubbing before joining the resistence, he had always come home to a cold, dark, empty house.

Fortunately Piper was too busy fussing to notice the expression on her younger sons face. "..and your brother's got the sniffles, i don't want you coming down with a cold too, and all that stress, and what about your father? where is he? did you fight? you did didn't you..i knew it!..has he gone off again?"

"Mom!" Chris interupted again, " If you would just stop for 2 minutes i'd tell you!...Dad and I sorted a few things out, he's just popped up to elder-land to ask them a favour"

As if on cue bright orb lights filled the room, and Leo appeared in the kitchen " AND YOU.."Piper turned to face her ex-husband " LOOK AT THAT JACKET! aLL THOSE STAINS DOWN THE FRONT! ITS GOING TO TAKE ME AGES TO GET THAT SLEEVE CLEAN" She advanced toward the pair of them, her eyes blazing, reminding Leo of a younger Penny Halliwell. She stood between the two of them, her hands clenched into fists, red streaks colouring her cheeks, Chris almost had the urge to take a step backwards, before he could, he felt an arm being flung around his neck as Piper pulled them into a 3-way hug.

"I was so worried" She sobbed into Chris's shoulder. Loosening her grip she stood back to face the two of them. " don't ever do that to me again ok? either of you"

" No" Leo and Chris chorused.

"Good, now" Piper wiped her eyes on the edge of her sleeve "what were you asking the elders for?"

"Well.."if you had let me get a word in edgeways i might have told you, Leo was tempted to say, but catching the look on Pipers face, thought the better of it. " I was asking them if i could have some kind of paternity leave, to spend more time with you and the boys when baby chris is born"

"oh" Piper stutted, the wind completely taken out of her sails. " good, i mean its about time they realised that you have otherresponsibilititesbesides them." Inwardly she was rejoycing that leo would be able to spend more time with them, but outwardly she wasn't quite ready to show him this yet, not after how he reacted when she had first told him about Chris.

"right" She continued, "I think you" she pointed at Chris " Should go and jump in a hot bath you're looking a bit peeky"

"Mom, i had a shower this morning! i am ok!"

"humpf" came the reply " Well at least have a hot drink? please? just to humour me"

"Son, one thing you should have learnt by now, its best just to agree with your mother" Leo hissed.

"Ok, Ok " Chris held his hands up in a mock peace sign " What do you have in mind?"

"Hot Chocolate" Piper smiled, reaching for the mugs. "Go, ask Jo if she wants one"

Chris strolled into the sunroom where his cousin was watching television, absent mindedly bouncing Wyatt on her lap.

"Look's like you've made a friend" he remarked.

"he's so sweet" she cooed, " like a little angel"

"appearences can be deceiving" Chris muttered.

"what?"

"Nothing!..so, do you want a hot chocolate..?"

"So.." Piper asked her ex-husband the second that Chris left the room. "Did you find out why he hates you?"

"sort of," Leo hedged " apparently future me wasn't around too often"

"is that all?..i got the impression that it was worse than that"

"Yes, and No, its complicated, difficult circumstances.."

"Like?"

"Like, "

"She'll have a mug!" Chris bounded through the door, cutting off his parents converstation.

"Good" Piper shoved two mugs into his hands, "there you go!"

She handed the remainder to Leo "this conversation isn't over" she whispered, as they followed Chris back into the sunroom

"Hey" Jo greated them "Wyatt said a new word, just now"

"did he?" Piper felt a rush of pride

"Come, on Wyatt, say it again" Jo coaxed

"Kiss" the baby repeated pointing at his brother, and then clapping his hands, obviously pleased with himself.

Chris felt himself blush slightly, touched at his brother's efforts.

"yay little man" Piper picked him up.

Thus, it was while all eyes were fixed on the twice blessed one, that the Dark Lighter managed to enter the room unoticed

TBC