Disclaimer: I don't own charmed!

Chapter 17: The Heat is On

Late August 2005

It had been an abnormally warm summer in San Francisco. It was only 8am, but Prue Halliwell was already working up a sweat as she stood at her wardrobe door deciding what to wear for work. She could tell it was going to be a lousy day, especially as overly warm weather put her in a bad mood at the best of times, not that she had been in good mood at all lately.

The past 4 months had been a particularly trying time. The elders had decided that the best way to explain her 4 year absence was to implant in everyone's mind that she had been working overseas, in Paris, as a matter of fact. However it wasn't just a matter of picking up where she left off. For starters, she no longer had her job at 415, 3 months of job hunting had bore little fruition, and for the past few weeks she had managed to do the odd freelance work for the Bay Mirror, and only then because Phoebe had sweet talked Elise when their regular photographer had gone down with lumbago. All her friends to her dismay had either married or moved on. Lastly, but by no means least, the culture gap was outstanding, she didn't own an ipod, had never heard of Kelly Clarkson, hadn't watched a single Lord of the Rings film, was amazed that you could take photographs on mobile phones, and refused outright to believe Piper when she first told her of the events of 9/11 . The world had moved on, and she felt as if she would never catch up, she couldn't seem to have a conversation with someone without showing herself up.

The saving grace about the whole affair was that at least now she had her own room, as Leo and Chris had finally finished the extension.No more bunking down with Phoebe, which was a relief given that her relationship with her sisters still wasn't that great. The dynamic had changed, for Phoebe and Piper the centre of their world was their children, something that Prue couldn't quite relate to, it was slightly different with Paige, however Paige had her own problems…..

…Across the hall Paige was faring little better in the quest to keep cool.

For reasons best known only to herself, she had insisted on keeping her pregnancy a secret from all but Kyle, Jo, and Prue. Kyle had agreed to go along with the whole affair, only because he couldn't stand to see the state she got herself in whenever telling her sisters was mentioned. Jo agreed to it because Paige controlled her allowance.

However, being just over 5 months pregnant, and with a small mound quite prominent on her usually slender frame, keeping the secret was becoming increasingly more difficult.

"you should just tell them" Kyle called from the bed, as Paige pulled a 'seasonally inappropriate' long sleeved cardigan over her tight fitting t-shirt. "you can't wear that you'll roast to death"

"I'll tell them when I'm good and ready' Paige fiddled with the buttons "and I'll be fine in this"

"when's that? When you give birth?"

"Ha Ha" She allowed her hand to rest briefly on her stomouch before she pulled it away. "Get dressed will you!" she called as she sailed out the door. "else we'll be late"

Her, Kyle and Jo were going to out to Tahoe for the day, Kyle's idea, and Paige was relishing the chance at escaping the city heat. Jo had been bribed by the thought of having lunch in the hardrock café, and even Sam said he might orb along.

As Paige made her way into the kitchen she could hear Jo's voice ringing out

"isn't it just great? I'll ask mum"

"ask mum what?" Paige enquired, smiling at Chris who had patiently been listening to Jo's babbling whilst inhaling coffee.

"It's brilliant, you know how the Black Eyed Peas are playing San Francisco the day after tomorrow? Well Julie's older sister Claire 's boyfriend's cousin had tickets, but now she can't go for some reason, and there are 2 tickets going free, and she said she would let me and Julie have them, isn't that great? So can I go?" Jo looked at Paige expectantly.

"I don't think so" Paige replied.

"what?" Jo's face fell. It was common knowledge that Paige spoilt her rotton, why the change?

"I said, I don't think so"

"but you didn't even think about it! Why not? everyone else is going!"

"I'm not going to argue with you Jo."

"But…" the unjustness of the situation had rendered Jo temporarily speachless. "ugh" she flung her plate down and stormed from the room.

"we're leaving in 20 minutes" Paige called after her.

"It's not like you to say no to her, it's only a concert" Chris observed, as the thunder of footsteps over head signalled that Jo was on the way to her room to sulk.

Paige smiled "don't tell anyone, but Kyle and I bought tickets for the 3 of us for the gig on Friday, as a surprise for her, we were going to pretend to take her out for a meal and then surprise her with them."

"what's the oaccsion?"

"she's been very understanding lately.."

"oh"

"don't worry, she'll probably calm down in a couple of hours"

"yeah right" Chris' own experience of teenage strops begged to differ."aren't you going to be hot in that thing?" Chris indicated the cardigan.

"that's what I keep telling her" Piper added as she entered the room.

Since sharing her worries with Leo a couple of months ago, Piper's mood had lightened slightly. She no longer worried about leo doing a disappearing act on the event of her death. However that still didn't mean that her ultimately demise didn't stop playing on her mind. It just meant that it only consumed her every waking thought, as opposed to her entering her sleeping thoughts as it did before. On good days it was just a gentle whisper in the back of her mind. On bad days it was an ear deafening roar. Fortunately , today was one of the good ones.

"I'm fine, I don't feel the heat!" Paige exclaimed, grabbing a banana and storming out the door in much the sameway Jo had done previously.

"what's up with her?" Piper asked. Chris shrugged.

"dunno. Where's dad?"

"Elderland, they called him up early this morning, they think they have found a lead on the demon who kidnapped Prue"

"we know who kidnapped Prue, it was shax and the InvisMon"

"No, I mean, who was behind it all, who they were working for"

"Oh, do you think I ought to go up there?"

"No, if they had needed you they would have called, besides I want you here"

"mom..!"

"I want you here" Piper continued "because I want to know what you got up to last night"

Chris blushed, swolloed twice, and wondered how best to avoid the Spanish Inquisition that was to come.

XXX

A short while later, Kyle and Paige could be found meandering along the pavement in Tahoe City. Paige was feeling much more relaxed than she had been in weeks. Away from San Francisco and guaranteed not to bump into her sisters or anyone she knew, she had removed the cardigan, undone the top button of her jeans and was walking with her back straight as opposed to continually hunching over as she had been doing lately. A few paces ahead of them strode Jo and Sam, from the strains of their conversation, she could tell that Jo was telling him about the unfairness of the free concert tickets.

"what are you thinking about?" Kyle asked, noticing the contemplative look on his girl friends face.

"Sam" Paige replied "and how he never ceases to amaze me"

Kyle gave her a questioning look

"you see, when I first found the Halliwells, and I met my mom, I forgave her almost immediately for giving up me. I didn't truly understand why she had done it, but still I didn't resent her. Maybe it was because she died when I was 6 months old, so I never would have really known her had she kept me. But with Sam, it was different. Perhaps because he was a whitelighter, immortal, I think deep down I was angry that he couldn't have found someway to have included himself in my life, I don't know, pretend to be a neighbour, or a teacher at my school, a gardiner, who cares! Then when he came back into my life and then left it again. I felt even more betrayed. But now I see him with Jo, he dotes on her, takes her places, helps her with history projects, looks after her. It makes me realise that perhaps I was a little hard on him, that given the chance he would have made a good father."

Kyle nodded. "I think so too. Speaking of absent fathers.." he began "when do you think we ought to tell her about me?"

"I really don't know, it might be one thing too much what with the baby coming"

"but that's what I mean, if we told her about me, then she would realise that they are both my daughters, that I love them equally, that the baby isn't replacing her"

"daughters? So you think it's a girl then?"

"come on! In your family"

"True. Look Kyle, don't worry, I think we'll know when the time is right" she noticed Jo strolling toward them " and that time is definatley not now"

"Hey" Jo greated them.

"Where'd Sam go?" Kyle asked.

"Elderland, Grandpa said they were ringing his bell quite urgently. Something to do with a demon.."

"when isn't it" Paige sighed.

"mum" Jo exclaimed, her attention being diverted by the window of a passing clothes shop. "look at that skirt, it looks wicked"

"Yeah the price looks pretty evil too" Paige commented squinting at the glass.

Kyle smiled as he watched mother and daughter jabbing at the glass. My Girls. That 's what he called them, inside his head in any case. He still found it hard to believe that they were 'his', so to speak. He turned, not looking where he was going , and collided into another person.

"sorry" He looked up.

"Kyle! Kyle Brody is that you? Long time no see!"

"Glen!" Kyle shook his head in disbelief "How ya doing?"

XXX

"I'm still waiting for an answer Christopher"

Chris sighed. He had been saved answering her question earlier by the arrival of Prue in the kitchen who had set about making breakfast in a rather noisy manor whilst holding forth on the merits buying air conditioning verses more conventional ceiling fans. But now, with Prue at work, Phoebe dozing on a sun lounger in the garden and the boys playing happily on the grass, there was no escape. His mother had cornered whilst he was preparing lunch for them all.

"I don't know what you're talking about" Chris feined innocence, although he was surprised that it had got this far without her noticing.

"P3 closes at 1.30am" Piper began "This means that all things taken care of, the duty manager should be done by 2.30am on a none band night. This means that the absolute latest that a mortal, who does not have the ability to orb, should be home is 3am. I however did not hear you come home last night.Not at 3am, not at all in fact."

"you listen out for me! I have the mind of a 22-year old in the body of an 18 year old, either way I'm an adult!" Chris was semi annoyed.

"of course I do, I'm your mother! So where were you?"

"out"

"Evidently so, but where were you and who were you with?"

"what makes you think I was with anyone?"

"Chris! Don't make me use a truth potion on you"

"alright, I was with a friend"

"where?"

"can't tell you"

"You were in the underworld weren't you?" Piper shreaked, her worst fears on the verge of coming true.

"No I wasn't"

"Yes you were" Piper continued "you've started up on those demon hunts again, what have I told you about that ? here I am worrying myself stupid while you're down there trying to get yourself killed.."

"..I WAS AT MY GIRLFRIENDS HOUSE" Chris shouted.

"What?" Piper was almost relieved "Girlfriend?"

"Yes" Chris muttered, turning bright red.

"since when have you had a girl friend?"

"couple of months"

"why didn't you tell me about her?"

"well it's not that serious, we're not engaged or anything"

"maybe not, but I'm still your mother, I like to know these kinds of things"

"I bet you do"

"So does she have a name?"

"Jennifer"

"and what does she do?"

"does it matter?"

"no, but I like to take an interest"

"she's a student. Happy?"

"not yet. I'd like to meet her"

"mom!"

"Christopher! You've been seeing her for a couple of months and have kept her quiet, I only think it fair.."

"I'll think about it"

"hang on a minute? You spent last night at her house?"

"Yes..i just told you"

Piper seemed to be realising the implications of the statement. "just you remember" she wagged her finger at him. "I'm way too young to be a grandmother, Mister."

XXX

Paige walked out of the shop leaving Jo behind to look at the rails, shielding her eyes against the sun. She could just about make out Kyle talking to some bloke who had his back to her, she ambled toward them, searching for her sunglasses in her bag.

"…must be what 10 , 12 years?" Kyle was saying

"about that, time doesn't half fly. What are you doing out here?"

"family day out" Kyle replied, "Girl friend, daughter, father-in-law.."

"never figured you for the family type"

"Me neither…here they are now" he waved to Paige and Jo who were approaching.

"hey Paige, you remember Glen don't you?"

Paige's smile froze on her face as the man turned round and revealed himself to be Glen. Glen, equally as stunned looked from Kyle to Paige, to Paige's stomouch and back again.

"Paige!" Glen squeaked.

Kyle's phone interrupted the moment. "sorry " he apologised, "gotta take this"

"you, uh, well, uh, guess there have been some changes in your life" Glen stutted when Kyle was out of ear shot.

"well you might have known that, had you bothered to turn up to the reunion like you said"

"I know, I really really wanted to go and catch up with you"

"what stopped you"

"Jessica"

"should have known"

"It's not like that, we had abig argument, and then she asked me for a divorce"

"oh, I'm sorry" paige replied, not really meaning it.

"you don't mean it"

"no I don't. so what was this argument about?"

"You…"

"me..?"

"..and how I could never really lover her because I was still in love with you"

"what?"

"you know it's true"

"well it's a bit late now isn't it?" Paige began to get angry.

"why not?" Glen took a step closer "You don't love Kyle..how can you? When we both know it was always me "

"How dare you!" Paige spat. "How dare you tell me how I feel" she turned and began marching away from him and top speed. She felt her cardigan come lose from around her bag where she had tied it.

She could hear him calling after her " Paige wait, wait, you dropped this!" but she didn't stop, she kept going until she reached Kyle, flinging herself into his arms.

"hey- what's wrong?" he asked.

"Nothing" She replied. "I just want to go home".

XXX

"So I just spoke to Jennifer" Chris begrudgingly told his mother.

"and?"

"and her family are having some kind of BBQ tomorrow night, and they said that you could come too if you want" Said Chris, as if he were proposing that they all take a bungee jump into an active volcano.

"good" Piper replied, "your father should be finished with the Elders' by then"

"great" Chris mumbled, hoping beyond hope that it wouldn't be too embarrassing.

Paige and Jo orbed into the living room. Paige, feeling exposed without the security of her chunky cardigan, prayed that it would be empty.

"see?" Jo stated when the room proved to be vacant. "They're all out"

"alright" Paige conceded "you go make us some ice teas" She dashed into the downstairs bathroom.

The flush of the toilet masked the sound of the front door being opened.

"No lemon in mine" Paige called, mistaking the footsteps in the hall for those of her daughter. She swung the door open, and walked out, straight into the path of Piper and Chris.

Busted. She thought.

XXX