Not so Charmed a Life

By Demoness Paige

Paige groggily made her way downstairs after a restless night of sleep. She barely managed to sleep at all thinking about the train wreck that was her life, about everyone in it who hated her very existence including her sisters. Thinking about all that had drove her to do something that she hadn't done in a long time, she cut her wrists debating if she should just end it all and be done with it.

The only thing that stopped her from going any farther than the cuts was the fact that while her sisters hated her she loved them. They were her only family left and she made the mistake of opening her heart to them and now no matter how much she wanted to close it she couldn't. Her sisters may have hated her but she still loved them which was what stopped her, she knew without the power of three her elder sisters would be easy targets for the whole demonic world.

As she neared the kitchen she heard sniffing and the smell of pancakes assault her senses. Her first reaction was to just turn the other way, she didn't want to be hurt again by her sisters not even caring if she ate. Then the crying noises grew a little louder which made up her mind to unfortunately see what was going on. Entering the kitchen she saw Paige frying pancakes though Phoebe wasn't there.

"Piper…Are you okay?" Paige asked tentatively.

"Hey Paige, pull up a chair and breakfast will be done shortly." Piper said wiping her eyes and trying to act like nothing was wrong.

"Piper, what's wrong? What happened?" Paige asked ignoring Piper's offer though she was surprised at it.

"Nothing, I just want to make my little sister a nice breakfast." Piper said giving a false smile.

"Don't worry I'll be gone by the time Phoebe comes down." Paige sighs sadly.

"Phoebe already left for work sweetie, these are for you." Piper said flipping the perfect cakes onto a plate.

"Piper…What's going on? What's wrong with you?" Paige asked a little more sternly, she didn't really appreciate Piper playing with her feelings this way but she was worried about her older sister.

"I screwed up Paige…My baby sister is hurting and it's all my fault." Piper said breaking out in fresh tears.

"Oh honey, I'm sure whatever happened with Phoebe will work out." Paige said honestly though a part of her hurt. Piper would never cry like this over her would she?

"Paige…I'm not talking about Phoebe…I'm talking about you." Piper cried, "I love you Paige and I'm so sorry for acting like I did. I'm sorry for forgetting your birthday, we were just so busy."

"Piper…Please don't…I know you wouldn't have forgotten Phoebe's or Leo's, you only forgot mine because I don't matter." Paige sniffed trying to hold back her own tears. "I never mattered to any of my foster families."

"Families…I thought the Matthews were your family…" Piper said a little shocked.

"For a couple of months, I grew up bouncing from one home to another." Paige sighed, "It doesn't matter though."

"Yes it does, I don't know hardly anything about my sister because I was too afraid to get close to her!" Piper sobbed shocking Paige. What did Piper mean that she was too afraid to get close?

"Piper…It doesn't matter…" Paige said softly, "I'm not leaving, I won't leave you two vulnerable like that so if this is some kind of mind game please…Please stop it."

"Sweetie, this isn't a mind game." Piper said turning the stove off and moving toward Paige, "If it was I wouldn't be hurting like this. When one of my sisters hurt I hurt, I love you both so much. Please…Please just give me a second chance…Give both of us another chance. Please."

"I…I don't want to be hurt again, Piper." Paige cried hugging herself, "I…I don't know if I can trust you…"

"Oh sweetie." Piper cried pulling Paige into a tight embrace even though she struggled a little, trying to pull away. "Honey, please give us a chance."

"I…I'm too scared to Piper…I…I don't think I can take any more of this pain." Paige cried.

"I won't hurt you again, Paige. I promise." Piper cried rubbing Paige's now still back.

"I…I need time to think about this Piper…" Paige whispered after almost what seemed like an eternity to the both of them.

"Come on sweetie, let me make you some fresh pancakes." Piper said leading Paige over to the table. "Here, sit and relax."

"Piper…I…I'll try but I want to do something." Paige said softly.

"What is it sweetie?" Piper asked as she poured batter onto the griddle.

"I saw in the Book of Shadows a truth spell." Paige said, "I…I want to cast it on the three of us."

"Paige…If…If it helps then I…I want you to do it." Piper said softly though the way she hesitated and flinched at the request worried Paige a little. Was she worrying that she might tell Paige that it was all a mind game? She hoped not because as much as she was hurting she knew that this was the easiest way to find out the truth.

"Piper…" Paige started as second thoughts started invading her mind, what if they really did say that they hated her?

"Paige, please don't…I want you to do this." Piper said flipping the cakes onto a new plate and bringing them, some sausage links and orange juice to set them down in front of Paige. "Here."

"What's this?" Paige asked taking the small gift wrapped box Piper pulled out of her apron.

"It's your birthday present from Leo and me." Piper said, "I…We really did buy it as soon as we found out about your birthday. Paige…We really did get to busy and forget but I'm not using that as an excuse…We should have never of forgotten."

"What is it?" Paige asked skeptically as she opened the box, carefully to find a set of keys.

"I've noticed how much trouble you had with your car before you moved in here and realized you probably didn't have enough to fix it." Piper said, "Those are the keys to your new car, it's a green Jeep Liberty that's parked out at the road."

"That's mine?" Paige asked shocked. That Jeep was sitting out there for almost as long as she lived here and any questions about it always brought the same response that it must have been broke down or something. Was…Was Piper really telling the truth?