Disclaimer:I don't own charmed.

Chapter 19: Consequences

"what?" Jo's eye's narrowed "I'm sorry did I miss something in biology?- you come along, get my mother pregnant, practically move in here, and suddenly you're my dad! You've known us like 5 months!" Her voice dripped with a sarcasm that made her appear much older than her 12 years.

"I've known her a lot longer than that" Kyle tried his hardest to keep calm.

"Kyle" There was a warning tone in Paige's voice.

"ooo sorry my maths must be a little off, okay, 6 months"

"no, actually I've known her nearly 13 years"

"13 years! That's like…." Jo stopped, realisation slowly dawning on her.

She looked to Paige, as if expecting her to deny what was becoming increasingly apparent. Paige just stared at her, lost for words.

"I hate you! Both of you!" Jo turned and fled up the stairs, and along the corridor, the slam of her bedroom door echoed through the house.

"should we go and speak to her?" Kyle asked concerned.

"No, leave her, I'll talk to her when she's calmed down" Paige responded,

XXX

"Piper!" Dan sounded as if he had swallowed helium, his voice several octaves higher than it should have been "what are you doing here! ..what I.. mean is, how are you?"

"I'm good" Piper replied, wishing she could say the same for him, the past 5 years hadn't been kind on their former neighbour, he had aged quite badly, she allowed herself a self satisfied smirk.

"yeah you look well" He shoved his hands into his trouser pockets so that she wouldn't see how much they were shaking.

Victor burbled loudly from his carry cot on the ground. Piper bent down to retrieve him, she picked him up and held him to her, as if using him as a protective shield between her and Dan.

"They yours?" Dan asked, nodding head in the direction of Wyatt, who had released himself from Chris's arms and was now standing at Piper's side, starring up at this strange man.

"Yes they are" Piper smiled. "this is Victor, and that's Wyatt."

"oh right" Dan replied, somewhat distractedly, a feeling of jeaslousy rising inside of him that she had met some who she loved enough to have children with, someone who evidently wasn't him. He surveyed her hands for signs of a wedding ring. Alas her left hand was tucked under the baby obscuring his view. "so, um why are you here again? Not that it isn't nice to see you again or anything, it's just a little strange, y'know" He was staring at her intensely.

"I'm here with Chris" she said slowly.

"Chris ..excellent guy Chris..ugh how do you know him?"

"he's my son"

"Son?!" Dan's voice shot up several more octaves, and his eyebrows appeared to disappear into his hairline. "Jenny, could I have a word with you please? Excuse us" He plastered an overly fake smile onto his face and proceeded to drag his niece off to the side.

"why didn't you tell me?" he screeched once they were safely out of ear shot of Piper and Chris.

"tell you what?" Jenny asked.

"that Chris was Piper Halliwell's son!"

"I swear I didn't know, he introduced himself as Chris Perry, I mean yeah sure he said lived over on Prescott street, but it's a massive street, so do hundreds of other people"

"but surely you noticed the resemblence?"

"No, not when I wasn't looking for it, and why would i? she didn't have any kids when we met her"

"That's true" Dan mused….

" So I take it you know Jenny's uncle?" Chris was saying to Piper, over on the otherside of the garden.

"Know him! That's rich! Chris that's Dan!"

"and?"

"He's a guy I used to date before your father" Piper detailed

"so?..i'm not sensing the problem here…"

"Chris, I dumped him for your father..i don't think he ever forgave me, or Leo for that matter"

"oh"

"yes, oh, and I'd hate to think what he'd do if he saw your father,…"

"Dad, do you think I'd better warn him not to come down here?"

However before he could do anything, Dan and Jenny returned.

"sorry about that" Dan apologised, "just needed to straighten a few things out"

"mummy" Wyatt interrupted "bathroom pwease"

"I'll take him!" Jenny grabbed his hand and practically ran in doors relieved to get away from all the tension.

"so, help me out here" Dan began "how is it that Chris can be your son, I mean, I don't remember any 13 year-old children in your life when we dated"

"It's complicated" Piper chose her words carefully " Chris has only recently come back into my life" she hoped the obscurity of her sentence would lead Dan to presume Chris was the result of some teenage affair that she had adopted out.

"I see" Dan appeared to be considering everything carefully " and your husband is okay with all this?" He was dying to know if she had married Leo, but pride prevented him from asking her outright.

"My husband is fine with this, he loves Chris" She replied, playing Dan at his own game, if he wasn't going to address the subject of Leo directly than neither would she.

"I always knew you would make an excellent mother" he said, a bittersweet note in his voice.

"How about you?" Piper asked "have you got anyone special in your life"

A string of broken relationships, each girlfriend never lasting more than 2 weeks, all because 5 years ago, he had fallen in love with the girl next door, and she had broken his heart. "No" he said "Not really.."

The twinkling sound of an impending orb could be heard from behind a nearby tree, accompanied be Leo popping his head through the branches to check if the coast was clear.

Chris , began making warning gestures at his mother. She glanced behind her discreetly, a fleeting look of horror passed her features, she gestured to Chris to go and ward him off.

Chris was across the other side of the garden in two strides.

"Dad" he hissed

"Hey" Leo smoothed down the tie that Piper had forced him to wear. "Sorry I'm a bit late, hope I haven't missed all the fun."

"No, look Dad, I.."

"meeting was good, finally have a lead on that demon who kidnapped Prue.."

"listen dad…I don't think you should go over there"

"Look, Chris, it's okay, I know"

"You do..?"

"Sure, I do, I was your age once, you're worried that I'm going to embarrass you in front of your girlfriend, I understand..to be honest I didn't want to come here tonight, but your mother insisted and…"

"Dad!"

"what? I promise I'll be on my best behaviour, besides legally I'm only 34, that's still young enough to be cool.."

"Dad please don't go over there.." Chris pleaded, but it was too late. Leo was already striding across the lawn towards his wife.

"Hi " he began, his arm outstretched "I'm .."the words died in his throat as the gentleman Piper had been talking to turned round.

"Leo" Dan finished his eyes narrowing.

XXX

Paige could hear the sound of dry sobs as she approached the door to Jo's room 30 minutes later. She knocked lightly

"Go away!" came the muffled shout from inside.

Ignoring her, Paige pushed the door open, Jo was laying face down on her bed. Paige crept over and gently sat down besides her, stroking her hair lovingly.

"is it true?" Jo turned a tear stained face toward her mother "what he said? he's my father?"

"Yes"

"Oh"

"look Jo" Paige's heart went out to her daughter, knowing from experience what it was like to have long lost fathers thrust upon you "he doesn't expect you to suddenly start calling him Daddy, sending him father's day cards and asking him for help with your homework…., all he asks is a little respect, that you would show to any other human being, do you think you can do that?"

"suppose"

"good"

"am I still grounded?"

"absolutely…you still lied to us, you still snuck out"

"I didn't mean all those nasty things I said about you" Jo sighed "It's just I wish I could freeze time sometimes, just make it you and me again" she admitted

"so do I" Paige agreed.

"wish it was just me and you?"

"no, wish I could freeze time, that we could stay this way forever"

"But that would mean that I would be 12 years old forever, and that the baby would never be born? You don't want that do you?"

"Yes I do"

"but why?"

" because you see Jo, adults' get scared too"

"huh?"

"If you were 12 forever it would mean that I could protect you forever, you wouldn't have to grow-up…

"but what about the baby?"

"Jo, the reason that you are in exceptionally wonderful person you are today, is no small part due to the way your adoptive father raised you. You came to me at 10 years old, perfectly grounded in the manors , morals and behaviours of this world. All I have to do is keep you on the straight and narrow for the next few years or so. But the baby, I am going to be completely responsible for the way she turns out from day one, and I'm scared that I will mess it up..so if the baby stays inside me forever, then I can protect it too"

"but you're a great mom!"

"it doesn't make me any less nervous , especially after your little stunt tonight!"

"I know and I'm sorry, I really am, I won't do it again, and when the baby comes I will do everything I can to help you"

"that's very sweet of you" Paige kissed the top of her head. "are you going to come down stairs?"

"No, I don't want to see him just yet"

"who Kyle?"

"yeah, I just need to get my head around things"

"Okay" Paige got up, leaving her daughter alone with her thoughts.

XXX

"You married him then" Dan drawled.

"yes" Piper said

"what the hell is going on?" Leo was confused

"Dad..please" Chris interrupted

"Dad?!" Dan spat "You mean he is Chris' father as well, so you two had history well before I came along"

"It's not what you think" Piper cried

"who cares what he thinks" Leo added.

"you played me for a fool, both of you. " Dan shouted

"that wasn't too hard" Leo sniggered.

"what was I? some kind of rebound relationship? Some kind of experiment to see what it was like dating another man before you went back to your child hood sweet heart?"

"it wasn't anything of the sort Dan, and you know it" Piper reasoned.

"I loved you! You tore my heart to pieces, I was honest and caring, yet you trampled over me to go out with some guy with a dodgy history, who had something to hide"

"I've had just about enough of this" Leo yelled.

"so what are you going to do about it?" Dan taunted

"This" Leo sent his left fist flying toward Dan.

XXX