Chapter 25

Need, New York and Never

"Just coming, hang on," Piper muttered to herself as she dug into her handbag in search of her ringing phone. She glanced at the screen when she took it out and then with a curious tone she answered it, "hi, Paige, why are you calling this early? Not that I'm not happy to hear from you."

"It's a long story," Paige answered weakly.

"Is everything all right?" Piper asked with concern sensing Paige's less than cheerful tone.

"Em no, not really…" Her voice cracked.

"Paige, what's wrong?" Piper asked urgently.

"Can you just come and pick me up?" Paige asked in a small voice.

"Pick you up? Paige…"

"Look I'll explain everything when I see you…can you just pick me up?" Paige pleaded.

"Okay," Piper agreed softly her head spinning from confusion.

Paige nodded and let out a sigh of relief and then told Piper exactly where she was.

Prue smiled as she leant against the kitchen door of Andy's house in her silk pyjamas. Andy was humming to himself as he cracked eggs into a pan.

She sneaked up behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist. He jumped at her touch but quickly realised it was her and grinned.

"Morning," she chirped.

"Aww I was going to surprise you with breakfast in bed," he explained with slight disappointment gesturing to the frying eggs in the pan.

"Aww sorry sweetie," she said while reaching up and kissing his cheek, "but thank you, it was a sweet thought."

He smiled just as the doorbell rang. They swapped puzzled looks as to who it could be.

"I'll get it," Prue offered, as Andy was busy cooking. He nodded before she made her way through the hall and to the front door.

Seconds later she returned, without turning around Andy called to her, "who was it?"

"Why don't you turn around and see," she smiled while self-consciously pulling down her pyjama shorts in the presence of their visitors.

He did so and was surprised to see Lindsay and Chris standing there, "hey what are you two doing here?" He asked smiling warmly at them.

"Do you want anything, tea, coffee?" Prue asked politely while she gestured for them to sit down at the table.

They smiled at her offer but declined politely.

"We can't stay long actually we just thought we'd stop by and say thanks for last night again." Lindsay said feeling Chris take her hand.

He looked at Prue and Andy, "yeah thanks we owe you both, we wouldn't be together right now if it was for you two or be leaving together for LA either."

Prue and Andy shared a surprised look with each other; "you're leaving?" Prue inquired.

"Yeah today actually," Lindsay replied with excitement.

"Today? Wow that's…soon,"

"Yeah we know but Chris has everything in LA now so it just makes sense." Lindsay explained matter of factly.

"What about you though, everything you have is here," Andy pointed out.

"By everything you mean parents who don't give a damn and who are probably going to kick me out anyway?" Lindsay laughed melancholy.

Andy looked sympathetically at her.

"Well you have friends here, Miranda, Karen…us," Prue added with a slight smile.

Lindsay beamed at her, "I know and it'll be hard to leave because of that but Jason deserves tow parents who will look after him and if by going to LA I can give him that then that's what I'm going to do." She looked up at Chris and smiled, "plus I really think I'll be happy there."

"Well I'm happy for you both," Andy smiled.

"Wait…Jason?" Prue suddenly caught on to what she had said.

Lindsay nodded and beamed, "Jason Taylor-Banks." She announced her son's name proudly.

"Aww I love it," Prue told them, Andy nodded in agreement.

"Speaking of…the little guy is in the car sleeping so we better make tracks," Chris pointed out while getting to his feet.

Prue and Andy followed them out to their car. Prue peeked in the car window and smiled at the sleeping baby. When she turned around Chris and Andy were shaking hands. She went over and hugged him telling him to take care. He nodded and smiled gratefully at her before getting into the car.

Lindsay and Andy hugged, "you take care of yourself now." Andy told her.

"I will and you take care of her, don't let her get away," Lindsay whispered in his ear referring to Prue.

Andy nodded and let go of her, she then embraced Prue tightly, "you've been a better friend than I deserve," she said seriously.

Prue modestly shook her head as Lindsay let go. She then felt Andy's arm around her as they watched Lindsay get in the car and Chris start the engine and drive off.

Prue had always imagined the day Lindsay Taylor would leave for good…but she had never imagined feeling sad about it before.

"You want a drink?" Piper asked as she and Paige entered her apartment. They whole time since they'd met Paige had barely spoken and now was no exception, she shook her head and sat down on the couch.

Piper nodded but brought over a glass of water anyway. She set it down on the table and sat beside Paige.

Paige mumbled thanks but made no attempt to drink it.

"So are we going to talk about why you're here?" Piper asked after a moment's silence.

Paige looked up at her; "can't a girl just visit her sister once in a while?" She asked innocently with a slight shrug of her shoulders.

"Sure," Piper replied with a nod of her head then sighed, "but usually when someone runs away in the night without telling anyone it means there's something wrong."

Paige nodded weakly and bit her lip before suddenly breaking down. Tears began to roll down her cheeks but she didn't make an effort to stop them.

Piper was caught off guard and quite frankly very surprised. Paige didn't cry. She now knew something was definitely up. "Hey what's wrong? Did you get in a fight with Prue or Phoebe?" She guessed while wrapping an arm comfortingly around her.

"Kinda," she mumbled while sniffing.

"Okay what about?" Piper inquired gently grabbing a tissue from behind her on the side table for Paige.

Paige looked up directly at Piper, "over me deciding to put my baby up for adoption." She said more clearly than she'd spoken anything since she had arrived.

Piper froze at her words.

Then shook her head as if she thought she was hearing things, "back up there a little- you're giving you what up for a what now?" She demanded her voice becoming shrill.

Paige smiled bitterly, "I'm pregnant Piper." She admitted.

Piper's words caught in her throat, she stood up and immediately began pacing. After a moment, she spoke, "you're fifteen and you're pregnant…and you run away by yourself…do you know how dangerous that is!" She ranted.

"I just really needed to talk to you," Paige explained weakly.

"What was wrong with Prue, she's been through it before if anyone would be good with this conversation its her!" Piper exclaimed.

"Exactly she already has a baby how can she possibly understand giving one up?" Paige pointed out.

Piper didn't say anything but continued to pace.

"And Phoebe's quite excited about her fifteen year old sister being pregnant," she laughed bemused.

Piper took a deep breath and stopped pacing; she ran her fingers through her hair and closed her eyes tightly for a moment.

"Look Piper I'm sorry for springing this on you but…"

Piper shook her head and opened her eyes, "no Paige don't apologise its okay really, I just need time to process this…I mean you don't hear news like this everyday," she smiled slightly.

Paige nodded and smiled slightly too as Piper sat down beside her again, "listen we're going to have a really long talk, okay? But first I need to call the manor and let everyone know you're okay." She waited for Paige's approval to which she received a slightly reluctant nod.

She gave Paige a quick hug before reaching for the phone.

"Where the hell have you been?" Phoebe demanded as soon as Prue walked through the manor front door. Her arms were folded across her chest, "in the land of no phones?"

Prue raised an eyebrow at her, "what bit you in the ass?" She took of her jacket and started to hang it up. "My battery died if you must know, why what's up?"

"What's up? What's up she asks?" Phoebe burst out.

"Okay Pheebs calm down okay I'm guessing something's wrong so you want to just tell me or continue to play this little game we got going here?" Prue asked arching an eyebrow.

Phoebe sighed, "Paige has gone to New York."

Prue's eyes widened, "wait she's in New York, what… why?"

"Your guess is as good as mine, Piper just called telling me she's there and that she's okay." Phoebe explained.

Prue nodded while thinking.

"So what do we do?" Phoebe asked.

"Well I think we have to go and get her…I mean she can't travel back herself she shouldn't have even gone alone in the first place, anything could have happened." Prue sighed. As selfish as it sounded she wasn't really in the mood to traipse all the way to New York.

Phoebe nodded "Just one thing…Grams?"

"Yeah we can't tell her…we'll say we're staying at Andy's Lee's Kyle's blah blah." She suggested already grabbing a pen from the side table and scribbling a note.

Phoebe nodded and headed upstairs grabbing basic necessities.

Within minutes they were both at the front door ready to go.

"I can't believe we're doing this," Prue shook her head in disbelief.

"Bright side we get to see Piper and her apartment," Phoebe grinned.

Prue immediately brightened, "true…I just well Paige…we must have done something awful to make her run away like that."

Phoebe felt guilty and nodded, "well come on we better go and make it right with her."

"Yeah we have to go to New York to do that," Prue laughed slightly.

Phoebe joined in briefly, "let's go then." And with that they left the manor.

"Oh hi honey how was work?" Piper asked as Leo walked in the door Cole in tow. She smiled at Cole too when she realised he was there, "Hi Cole."

"Hey Piper." He greeted.

Leo smiled at her and went over and kissed her cheek, "fine…how was your day?"

A smile tugged at the corners of Piper's lips and before she could answer Paige walked out the bathroom, she stopped when she saw Leo and Cole there.

"Paige, hi. Wow what a surprise," he went over to her and hugged her while looking over her shoulder at Piper and raising an eyebrow.

She shook her head and mouthed she'd explain later. He nodded and came away from Paige.

She smiled at him, "hi Leo, it's good to see you. You too Cole." She then went over and hugged Cole.

"It great to see you Paige." He said softly.

A silence then descended on the four. Leo was quick to intervene, "so Cole you staying for dinner?" He asked.

Cole hesitated and piper was quick to get in, "Em I don't think that's a good idea, "She muttered to Leo.

He looked at her curiously, "why not?" He muttered back.

She looked up and was satisfied to see Paige and Cole in conversation, "Well because Phoebe and Prue are coming soon." She explained raising her eyebrows.

"Oh right awkward situation…" He nodded understanding.

Before they could act on their plan though there was a knock at the door.

Piper looked at Leo; he went over to the door and opened it hoping it was just their landlord…no such luck.

"Are you sure this is the right…" Prue was in the middle of saying but was cut off by the door opening.

"See I told you it was." Phoebe boasted then smiled at Leo before hugging him, "Its good to see you."

He agreed and hugged Prue too, "come in."

They did so and Phoebe scanned the room immediately letting her eyes fall on Cole. He stopped mid sentence and turned to look at her.

Their eyes locked on each other.

Everyone else fell silent wondering what was going to happen.