By the way, a lot of you have asked if Piper is still pregnant. Yes, she is. Around three months gone.

Chapter 3 - Mistaken

I watched the steam slowly float upwards ... higher and higher ... and then I looked back down as more steam unfurled.

"Are you going to drink that or just stare at it all day?" Phoebe trilled. I shrugged vaguely. I saw her look away. She couldn't be bothered with me. Not in this mood.

I don't blame her.

Eventually the steam stopped, and I stared at the cup instead. There's a little chip on the edge.

"We need new cups." I muttered.

"Huh?" Phoebe didn't sound interested and I didn't both answering. I instead I stood up. I don't want this stupid herbal tea. Peppermint. It tastes disgusting. Do they think this will help?

They don't know anything. What I'm going through. How I'm feeling.

Accidentally, I managed to knock the cup, and as it fell to the floor I threw out my hands to freeze it. Instead it exploded.

"Whoa!" Phoebe yelled and jumped back. "I thought you had control of that!"

I looked at the pieces on the floor and table, in mild surprise. I though I had control over it too.

"I do." I replied, knowing how stupid it sounded.

"The baby -?" Phoebe suggested, and I looked down. I can't face this right now, can't think about this ...

"What happened?" Prue asked, walking in.

"Piper blew it up." Phoebe said, in a would-be casual voice.

"Uh ... Piper why did you blow it up?" Prue asked in confusion.

I rolled my eyes in annoyance. Why are they treating me so weird?

"I was trying to freeze it." I admitted. "But - ah - this happened.

"Well ... our powers are tied to our emotions ... so I guess it makes sense for yours to be a little off since - uh - lately." Prue finished hastily.

"Andy just called." Paige said, running into the kitchen. She stopped, looking at us nervously. "They - they might have the guy who took her -"

"Orb, orb!" I yelled, running forwards. Paige, looking flustered, orbed us.

"Whoa - What are you doing!" Darryl jumped up and closed the door as Andy gave a small smile. Andy - who now lives with us, by the way, is pretty used to magic. Darryl found out a while ago and is still a little weird about it. He's the complete opposite of Andy, who wants to know everything - Darryl thinks the less he knows, the better.

"So? Who is it? Where is she?" I asked quickly, and Andy's smiled vanished. Darryl looked at me soberly, but obviously thought Andy should tell me, as he leaned against the wall and looked at him expectantly.

"It's ... it's not - she's not here." He sighed, looking up at me seriously. I opened my mouth, then closed it again, unsure what to say - or what he was saying.

"What? But -?" Paige looked at me in confusion. "You said -"

"I know, I know. And if it was anyone else I would have waited, to check it out ... now I know why." He sighed again. I looked at him in confusion, and he noticed, giving my a wry smile.

"Usually, with something like this, we'd wait before calling the parents." He explained. "But as soon as I found out I called you. I shouldn't have."

"So ... so ... what are you saying?" I asked slowly.

"We ... arrested a guy. A known ... well, lets just say he's known to us. A neighbour had heard screaming, and when our officers went down there they found a child's coat. A pink one." My blood ran cold. Patty's coat was pink ...

"Wh - was - I -" I stopped, upset and still confused.

"They brought him in, and I called you. But ... it wasn't her." Andy looked at Darryl at that point - I think Darryl might have been the one to question this guy.

Sure enough, Darryl cleared his throat a little bit, and looked at us.

"It belongs to his girlfriends niece." Darryl told us. "She went over there to collect it as the police were taking him away, and she's verified it's her daughter's. Plus, he has an alibi. He was working. We have the C.C.T.V. and witnesses."

I sank onto a chair, unsure to be happy that she wasn't with this - who knows what? - or to be upset because she still wasn't home.

"I'm sorry to get your hopes up like that." Andy sighed, as the door opened.

"Oh - I'm sorry -" The guy said quickly.

"No, it's OK Henry, we're almost done here." Andy waved his hand and "Henry" walked awkwardly over to the filling cabinet. He put a couple of files away then turned to look at us.

"This is Henry." Andy said. "He's a parole officer. Henry, these are Piper and Paige Halliwell."

"Halliwell? As in the kidnapping?" Henry said interestedly, then caught himself. "I mean - I - sorry." He mumbled.

"Yes, the kidnapping." Andy sighed. "There also my girlfriend's sisters.

"I'm so sorry." Henry said quickly. "I can't imagine what your going through right now - uh - Piper?"

"Yeah, that's me." I said quietly, waving my hand. "And uh - Thank you. But no, you can't imagine what I'm going through." I added.

"No." He said quietly. Paige grabbed my arm.

"Calm down." She warned me. Henry gave her a small smile, which Paige returned briefly before turning back to Andy.

"Do - do you have any other leads?" She asked hopefully.

"Well ... no ... but we're still looking. I'm sorry." He repeated. I nodded, then looked away.

"See you tonight." She muttered, and lead us out of the room, and into the hall. Checking it was empty, she grabbed my hand, then white lights appeared before my eyes, and we were home.

"Piper? Prue said -" Leo's voice hit me before the orbs had fully cleared away, and all of a sudden I wanted to cry. I collapsed into his arms.

"It wasn't her." I whispered. "It was a mistake - they arrested some - some one, they'd found a coat at his house. But it's not hers. He's -" I snorted a little. "Innocent."

"Oh, honey." He whispered.

"They'll find her, Piper." Prue said gently.

I nodded again, but I didn't believe her. Hope was fading.