Disclaimer: Obviously, I don't own Charmed. I'm almost positive it's illegal to do what I'm going to do with these characters...ah well, don't sue. It's only fun and fiction!
AN: Thanks Charmed Princess, Starring Piper, pippergurl, and Chub for reviewing! You guys are the reason for this second chapter. Please let me know what you think of this chapter...and never fear! The real reason for Terror Never Fades comes very soon.
Chapter 2
Piper pushed re-dial on the cordless phone in her hand, then brought it up to her ear. Paige had yet to show up, and she was incredibly short-handed. Again, for the dozenth time, Piper got the answering machine. At the chipper sound of Phoebe's voice insisting that she leave her name and number, Piper growled and slammed the phone down. This was the absolute last straw. After the countless favors she had done for the girl, the least she could to was fulfill one single, solitary promise. Piper knew her anger was a bit much, but she couldn't help but think that she deserved a little -even a smidgen would be enough- gratitude. As a last attempt, Piper dialed Phoebe's cell phone number.
"Hello," came the perfunctory greeting. Piper gritted her teeth hard together, trying to gain some semblance of composure.
"Phoebe, do you happen to know where Paige is?," she demanded, fully realizing that her tone wasn't quite calm.
"Piper, look, if you can't find her, how am I supposed to know where she is? I'm in the middle of a date with this really, really hott guy...Can we play Find-The-Sister later?," Phoebe responded agitatedly. Piper nearly snapped at her but managed to keep her cool.
"Sure, Phoebs...Good luck tonight. Have fun, and be safe," Piper told her airily, trying her best to play the part of 'the good sister'. The dial tone rang in her ear, and Piper held the phone to her ear for a few seconds. "She hung up on me," Piper whispered to herself incredulously. Before she could really think anything through, she was staring at the remains of her cordless phone. Pieces of it were scattered all over the floor across the room.
"Uh...Piper," a voice called hesitantly. Piper turned around to face the owner of that voice, one of the waitresses in her employment. "Is everything alright?," the girl, Marissa, asked. Piper nodded, offered an embarrassed smile, and hurriedly retrieved a broom from the storage closet. As she swept, she felt Marissa's eyes following her movements. Piper grew tired of the surveillance and turned to give the waitress a cold look. Marissa, looking stricken, rushed back to her duties. Piper finished cleaning up the mess she'd made, feeling a little guilty for treating her employee badly. Making up her mind to apologize to Marissa, she discarded the plastic remains of her phone into a garbage can nearby. Then, she sought out Marissa. She caught sight of long blonde hair and tapped Marissa on the shoulder.
"Hey...listen. I'm sorry if I seem a little...high strung at the moment. My sister was supposed to come in tonight, since we're so short-handed, but she isn't home and...obviously she isn't here. I don't mean to take it out you," Piper told her. Marissa nodded, then smiled slightly.
"Sisters...I understand now," she answered with a knowing look. Piper laughed, feeling a little of her tension drain away. "She still has a few minutes 'til the place opens...Maybe she'll show up," she offered after a brief pause.
"I guess it's possible...Anyway, we have work to do," Piper said, brushing off the comment. Paige wouldn't show up. That much she knew and should have guessed before she'd made the request in the first place. Piper worked her way across the club, cleaning a few more surfaces on her way, then opened the door. People began streaming in, and Piper sighed heavily. So much for Paige showing up, she thought once she'd scanned the crowd. Piper positioned herself behind the bar. Already a few people were bombarding her with orders. As quickly as possible, Piper mixed drinks, still fuming over her sister's broken promise.
The night wore on, and Piper barely had enough time to breathe, much less be angry with her sister. The hour of closing drew nearer, but the amount of work she had to do was still daunting. With a tired smile, she served her last few customers. Finally, the club emptied and she locked the doors, preventing any late-comers from wandering inside. Her eyes swept across the room, and she nearly gave up right then. The place was a complete wreck. She considered going home and cleaning up in the morning, but knew that if she put it off, her work load for tomorrow would be twice as heavy. Silently cursing Paige, Piper began her tedious job. She checked her watch and groaned. She would be here all night. Briefly, she pondered whether to call the Manor and let someone know that she would be in late -very late-, then dismissed the idea. Phoebe was probably having sex right about then, and Paige wasn't really big on answering the phone. I could probably disappear completely and they would hardly notice until their laundry started piling up, or they got hungry..., she thought bitterly. Laughing at herself, she wiped the counters down. That was bordering over-dramatic, even for her.
"Piper," Marissa called out. Piper glanced at her, catching the guilty expression. "My husband jsut called...One of the kids are sick. Do you think I could....," she trailed off, looking at the floor sheepishly. Piper held back a sigh and forced herself to smile reassuringly.
"Sure...go ahead," she told her. Marissa smiled gratefully and departed. Piper groaned inwardly. Everyone else had gone home as well. She was in this alone. A memory surfaced abruptly, and Piper allowed herself to be lost in it.
~*~
Piper gazed around in dismay at the mess previously known as P3. The only thing that the club didn't have an abundance of happened to be workers, and Piper knew she was in for a long night. Taking a deep breath, she reached for a few of beer bottles littering the table closest to her. Piper caught herself before she made a comment about the workload. She had wanted this club, and she needed to be grateful for having it. Her sisters, bless them, had made her dream possible. As she worked, she thought about Prue and Phoebe, probably curled up in their respective beds, sleeping the night away. Piper smiled at the image in her mind, feeling a wave of tenderness sweep through her. Those girls, though quite possibly the most exasperating human beings she was in contact with at times, were her entire world.
A loud knock at the locked door made Piper drop the towel she'd been using to wipe down a table, and she glanced nervously towards the origin of the sound. Who could that be?, she asked herself as she walked to the door. Cautiously, she peered through the small windows and sighed in relief. She swung the door open and grinned at her sisters.
"What are you two doing here?," she demanded. Phoebe and Prue pushed passed her, eager to get inside.
"Neither of us could sleep, so we figured we would come see how our investment is coming...," Phoebe explained, glancing around skeptically, "Piper...honey, what's up with this mess? Where are all your employees?"
Piper grimaced, remembering the task looming ahead of her. "They...all needed to get home," Piper answered, shrugging, "For their own -really good- reasons." Prue raised an eyebrow, tempted to make a sarcastic comment. Piper appeared convinced that she had had to let them leave though, and she knew it would do no good to argue. For once, she kept her opinion to herself.
"Need some help?," she offered instead, and was rewarded with a hug that nearly cut off her circulation.
"That would be so great," Piper returned gratefully. Phoebe winked at Prue, attempting to send her a secret thought. Prue appeared puzzled, then grinned.
"Piper..can you open that big recycle bin back there?," she asked slyly. Piper did as was requested, giggling. Prue then used her telekinesis to send all of the bottles and cans flying into the bin.
"Well, that's done, all that is left is to clean tables," Prue announced, satisfied. Piper and Phoebe laughed and got to work. Within the hour, P3 started to look like an actual club and less like a disaster area.
"Thanks guys," Piper said, once they completed the job. Prue nodded at her.
"What are sisters for?," Phoebe responded, smiling.
~*~
Piper wiped away a stray tear. She couldn't remember the last time she had felt that content. It had been a while, for sure. More than ever, she felt the emptiness that Prue had left inside of her when she'd died. With a tired sigh, Piper moved to another table, clearing it off distractedly.
AN: Thanks Charmed Princess, Starring Piper, pippergurl, and Chub for reviewing! You guys are the reason for this second chapter. Please let me know what you think of this chapter...and never fear! The real reason for Terror Never Fades comes very soon.
Chapter 2
Piper pushed re-dial on the cordless phone in her hand, then brought it up to her ear. Paige had yet to show up, and she was incredibly short-handed. Again, for the dozenth time, Piper got the answering machine. At the chipper sound of Phoebe's voice insisting that she leave her name and number, Piper growled and slammed the phone down. This was the absolute last straw. After the countless favors she had done for the girl, the least she could to was fulfill one single, solitary promise. Piper knew her anger was a bit much, but she couldn't help but think that she deserved a little -even a smidgen would be enough- gratitude. As a last attempt, Piper dialed Phoebe's cell phone number.
"Hello," came the perfunctory greeting. Piper gritted her teeth hard together, trying to gain some semblance of composure.
"Phoebe, do you happen to know where Paige is?," she demanded, fully realizing that her tone wasn't quite calm.
"Piper, look, if you can't find her, how am I supposed to know where she is? I'm in the middle of a date with this really, really hott guy...Can we play Find-The-Sister later?," Phoebe responded agitatedly. Piper nearly snapped at her but managed to keep her cool.
"Sure, Phoebs...Good luck tonight. Have fun, and be safe," Piper told her airily, trying her best to play the part of 'the good sister'. The dial tone rang in her ear, and Piper held the phone to her ear for a few seconds. "She hung up on me," Piper whispered to herself incredulously. Before she could really think anything through, she was staring at the remains of her cordless phone. Pieces of it were scattered all over the floor across the room.
"Uh...Piper," a voice called hesitantly. Piper turned around to face the owner of that voice, one of the waitresses in her employment. "Is everything alright?," the girl, Marissa, asked. Piper nodded, offered an embarrassed smile, and hurriedly retrieved a broom from the storage closet. As she swept, she felt Marissa's eyes following her movements. Piper grew tired of the surveillance and turned to give the waitress a cold look. Marissa, looking stricken, rushed back to her duties. Piper finished cleaning up the mess she'd made, feeling a little guilty for treating her employee badly. Making up her mind to apologize to Marissa, she discarded the plastic remains of her phone into a garbage can nearby. Then, she sought out Marissa. She caught sight of long blonde hair and tapped Marissa on the shoulder.
"Hey...listen. I'm sorry if I seem a little...high strung at the moment. My sister was supposed to come in tonight, since we're so short-handed, but she isn't home and...obviously she isn't here. I don't mean to take it out you," Piper told her. Marissa nodded, then smiled slightly.
"Sisters...I understand now," she answered with a knowing look. Piper laughed, feeling a little of her tension drain away. "She still has a few minutes 'til the place opens...Maybe she'll show up," she offered after a brief pause.
"I guess it's possible...Anyway, we have work to do," Piper said, brushing off the comment. Paige wouldn't show up. That much she knew and should have guessed before she'd made the request in the first place. Piper worked her way across the club, cleaning a few more surfaces on her way, then opened the door. People began streaming in, and Piper sighed heavily. So much for Paige showing up, she thought once she'd scanned the crowd. Piper positioned herself behind the bar. Already a few people were bombarding her with orders. As quickly as possible, Piper mixed drinks, still fuming over her sister's broken promise.
The night wore on, and Piper barely had enough time to breathe, much less be angry with her sister. The hour of closing drew nearer, but the amount of work she had to do was still daunting. With a tired smile, she served her last few customers. Finally, the club emptied and she locked the doors, preventing any late-comers from wandering inside. Her eyes swept across the room, and she nearly gave up right then. The place was a complete wreck. She considered going home and cleaning up in the morning, but knew that if she put it off, her work load for tomorrow would be twice as heavy. Silently cursing Paige, Piper began her tedious job. She checked her watch and groaned. She would be here all night. Briefly, she pondered whether to call the Manor and let someone know that she would be in late -very late-, then dismissed the idea. Phoebe was probably having sex right about then, and Paige wasn't really big on answering the phone. I could probably disappear completely and they would hardly notice until their laundry started piling up, or they got hungry..., she thought bitterly. Laughing at herself, she wiped the counters down. That was bordering over-dramatic, even for her.
"Piper," Marissa called out. Piper glanced at her, catching the guilty expression. "My husband jsut called...One of the kids are sick. Do you think I could....," she trailed off, looking at the floor sheepishly. Piper held back a sigh and forced herself to smile reassuringly.
"Sure...go ahead," she told her. Marissa smiled gratefully and departed. Piper groaned inwardly. Everyone else had gone home as well. She was in this alone. A memory surfaced abruptly, and Piper allowed herself to be lost in it.
~*~
Piper gazed around in dismay at the mess previously known as P3. The only thing that the club didn't have an abundance of happened to be workers, and Piper knew she was in for a long night. Taking a deep breath, she reached for a few of beer bottles littering the table closest to her. Piper caught herself before she made a comment about the workload. She had wanted this club, and she needed to be grateful for having it. Her sisters, bless them, had made her dream possible. As she worked, she thought about Prue and Phoebe, probably curled up in their respective beds, sleeping the night away. Piper smiled at the image in her mind, feeling a wave of tenderness sweep through her. Those girls, though quite possibly the most exasperating human beings she was in contact with at times, were her entire world.
A loud knock at the locked door made Piper drop the towel she'd been using to wipe down a table, and she glanced nervously towards the origin of the sound. Who could that be?, she asked herself as she walked to the door. Cautiously, she peered through the small windows and sighed in relief. She swung the door open and grinned at her sisters.
"What are you two doing here?," she demanded. Phoebe and Prue pushed passed her, eager to get inside.
"Neither of us could sleep, so we figured we would come see how our investment is coming...," Phoebe explained, glancing around skeptically, "Piper...honey, what's up with this mess? Where are all your employees?"
Piper grimaced, remembering the task looming ahead of her. "They...all needed to get home," Piper answered, shrugging, "For their own -really good- reasons." Prue raised an eyebrow, tempted to make a sarcastic comment. Piper appeared convinced that she had had to let them leave though, and she knew it would do no good to argue. For once, she kept her opinion to herself.
"Need some help?," she offered instead, and was rewarded with a hug that nearly cut off her circulation.
"That would be so great," Piper returned gratefully. Phoebe winked at Prue, attempting to send her a secret thought. Prue appeared puzzled, then grinned.
"Piper..can you open that big recycle bin back there?," she asked slyly. Piper did as was requested, giggling. Prue then used her telekinesis to send all of the bottles and cans flying into the bin.
"Well, that's done, all that is left is to clean tables," Prue announced, satisfied. Piper and Phoebe laughed and got to work. Within the hour, P3 started to look like an actual club and less like a disaster area.
"Thanks guys," Piper said, once they completed the job. Prue nodded at her.
"What are sisters for?," Phoebe responded, smiling.
~*~
Piper wiped away a stray tear. She couldn't remember the last time she had felt that content. It had been a while, for sure. More than ever, she felt the emptiness that Prue had left inside of her when she'd died. With a tired sigh, Piper moved to another table, clearing it off distractedly.
