So here's another chapter that I hope will settle you over for the time being. I've been pretty busy and will be for the next few weeks – essays galore, projects and exams (yikes!) – So I hope that you all will bear with me. I'll try to update as often as I can, but know that I haven't forgotten.
As always, I hope that you review whether you like it or not. I really appreciate and take to heart all that you super people have to say.
Other than that, I hope that you enjoy!
"So do you want to explain what exactly you were doing in there?" asked an angry Paige as she dragged Phoebe down the stairs by her wrist, leaving Cole alone in the room for an important sisterly meeting.
"I, uhh... well... what did it look like we were doing?" Phoebe fumbled in response.
"Well, it looked like you were throwing your life away again," Paige spat in reply. "I honestly don't know what you see in that jerk."
Phoebe came to a sudden stop and pulled her arm almost violently out of Paige's tight hold. While tenderly rubbing the sore area, Phoebe said, "Ok, seriously Paige, you need to stop. I know that you hate Cole, but like it or not, he's the father of my daughter. And as for what you saw in there... it was nothing more than a simple thank you kiss."
"Somehow, I don't think that's altogether true," Paige mumbled bitterly.
"Well it is," Phoebe continued as she stared coldly at her younger sister with her hands placed firmly on her hips. "Anyways, I didn't ask for you to suddenly appear. This is a house, Paige, it has doors. Why don't you learn how to use them?"
"Oh doors," Paige replied with a flick of her wrist. "Who needs them? They are so overrated."
"God I've forgotten how communal this house is!" Phoebe yelled in frustration, while throwing her hands up and looking at the ceiling, exasperatedly questioning to no one in particular, "Where's the privacy?"
"Welcome home, sweetie," came Paige's sarcastic reply. "Just remember that we never asked for you to come back. You just showed up on our doorstep – out of nowhere, might I add – expecting us to put our lives on hold for you. I think that you'd actually make our lives a lot easier if you'd just walk back through that door again and leave us for good this time. Go ahead, the offers open! At least if you leave now, it will spare us the agony of when you disappear some twenty years from now."
"Ouch," Phoebe winced at Paige's harsh words. "I guess I deserved that. But - -"
"You know what Phoebe?" Paige cut in bitterly. "You can save it. I was trying to help you out, and you can't even have the decency to be nice to me? And then, to make matters worse... I catch you sucking face with Cole."
"Sucking face! What are we, twelve?" Phoebe shot back.
"Whoa, girls! Just settle down a minute, will ya? It's sounding a little like the eighth grade in here – and I for one, do not want to relive those awful years... Need I remind you both that we're closing in on the big Four-O? 'Cause at the moment, it sure doesn't sound like you two are full grown adults," Piper interrupted as she jogged into the hall. She pulled Paige aside, questioning her through clenched teeth, "Paige, what the hell are you trying to do?"
"I'm sorry Piper," Paige started violently, not even attempting to hide her voice from Phoebe's traveling ears. "But I can't just stand here and pretend like nothing's happened! I appreciate that you and Phoebe have had your cute little heart to heart, but I'm still pissed off. I can't just up and forgive her, on the snap of your fingers... And quite frankly, I'm surprised you have. I mean, you were the one who was the most hurt and angry about this whole situation, and now your acting like everything's all better!"
"I haven't forgiven her," Piper defended herself in a quiet and hesitant voice. "But, I think that I just understand her - -"
"Yeah, Hello... Girls?" Phoebe cut in a little bitterly as she waved her hand, trying to grab their attention. "She's still standing right here!"
"Hmph... Unfortunately," Paige muttered under her breath.
"Alright – Girls! Enough already!" Piper yelled in exasperation. "You don't have to get along or even like each other. All I ask is that you act remotely civilized to one another, at least for the time being. We're really going to have to get our asses in gear if we want to stop this whole Halloween, demonic take over thing from happening. And you, Phoebe, need to help your daughter. At this point in time, I really hope that she's more important than this childish fight you're having with Paige."
Phoebe looked at her feet with embarrassment as she quietly responded, "Of course she is. Paisley's my world. I... I just... don't know how to help her."
"Maybe you should just start by talking to her. Tell her the truth – who her real father is. It's time for you to stop hiding, Phoebe, and there's no better place to start than with your daughter," Piper suggested. "She's in the kitchen."
Unable to say anything, Phoebe simply nodded her head with understanding before heading nervously into the kitchen. Upon entering the familiar room, Phoebe's gaze met the figure of her tiny daughter who sat silently on the floor, submerged within the pictures that she was creating. For a minute she just stood in the doorway, entranced by the site of her perfect little girl. Phoebe felt blessed to have such a tender and loving child, and often she questioned how she could have given birth to such a creature. To Phoebe, the little girl who sat on the tiled floor was nothing like her mother. Feeling like a screw up, who had spent most of her life running misguidedly and losing the people that she had loved the most, Phoebe felt that her daughter was the only piece of tranquility and soundness that she had within her life. She had no idea of how such a perfect little human being wound up with such a mess of a mother, but considered herself lucky. The tiny smile that had tenderly captured her lips quickly faded as Phoebe thought of all of the awful things that might be wrong with her precious baby girl. While taking a careful step forward, she quietly questioned, "What's the matter with you, baby girl?"
Upon hearing her mother's voice, Paisley happily snapped her head around quickly and while smiling, offered Phoebe a purple crayon and said, "Hi Mommy! Do you want to colour with me?"
"Hi my little ladybug," Phoebe said as she scooped up her daughter and placed a kiss on her cheek. She placed Paisley back on the ground and sat down beside her, glancing quickly over her pictures as she continued, "I'm afraid I can't colour right now, but those are beautiful pictures!... Now, Paisley-girl... I need to talk to you about something."
"Ok, Mommy," Paisley replied absentmindedly, showing no intent of leaving her precious colouring.
"But I need you to stop colouring for just a little bit, because what I'm going to say is very important and I need you to listen like a big girl," Phoebe explained as she lifted her daughter into her lap and carefully released the crayon from her hand. "I need to tell you about... your daddy."
"Oh, you don't need to talk about him, Mommy," Paisley smiled. "I already know all about him."
"Actually baby, I think you might be a little bit confused," Phoebe started as her daughter eyed her worriedly. Surprisingly, Paisley kept quiet, which was extremely out of nature, but it bought Phoebe some time to try to figure out how to explain the whole ordeal to her three-year old. "Baby, do you know that man that you met today, Mister Cole?"
"Yes! Mister Cole is my friend and I love him!" Paisley cried with glee.
"I'm very happy that you love him, Paisley," Phoebe started as she wrapped her arms around her daughter's warm body and held her tiny little hands within her own. "I actually met Mister Cole a long, long time ago, and I loved him very much. Actually, I loved him so much that we had a baby together – a little girl. Mister Cole isn't just your friend, Paisley-baby... he's your father too."
Paisley hesitated a moment before smiling into her mother's eyes and replying, "You're silly, Mommy! Mister Cole isn't my daddy!"
"Baby girl, I'm not being silly. Mister Cole is your daddy," Phoebe continued her face visibly strewn with lines of worry.
"No!" Paisley yelled, anger and rage inevitably capturing her sweet little face. "You're lying!"
Phoebe winced slightly at her daughter's uncharacteristic outburst. She couldn't understand why Paisley was so intent upon believing that some strange man was her father, and she was even more worried about her bizarre dreams. In the Wiccan world, dreams were much more than what they appeared to be. They often acted as signs of warning, almost like the premonitions that Phoebe inherited. Like her mother and all other Halliwell women before her, Paisley was naturally born with a stubborn personality. This trait, in fact, could be considered the family's downfall, but had also succeeded in creating a strong line of powerful women. In any case, Phoebe felt hopeless, knowing that her argument would go nowhere against her strong-minded toddler.
"Paisley," Phoebe began after a period of silence and her daughter's eyes looked searchingly into her own. "That man in the park today... he's your daddy?"
"Yup," Paisley replied simply, offering nothing more.
"How do you know?" Phoebe questioned curiously. "Did somebody tell, baby girl?"
"Mona and Lucy showed me a picture of you and me and daddy," Paisley explained without hesitation.
"Lucy and Mona..." Phoebe murmured to herself thoughtfully. They were two of the witches that she had befriended while living in Toronto, hiding from her family. She had trusted her life with these two women, and had often left Paisley in their care as she went demon hunting. But what Paisley was saying didn't make any sense. It couldn't be true. For one, they had no idea who her father was. That was one secret that Phoebe had successfully kept to herself. If it was true, if they had told Paisley that her father was some complete stranger, then what did it mean? And why would they do it? They always seemed like good and kind people. They had helped her master her craft and protect her daughter. How could they lie to Paisley... unless...
"Paisley, are you sure that it was Lucy and Mona that told you about that man? Do you cross your heart, hope to die?" Phoebe asked anxiously, feeling the tears well up in her eyes.
"Yes Mommy," Paisley responded while looking up into her mother's big brown eyes and sensing her pain. "Mommy, what's wrong?"
"Nothing, baby," Phoebe choked in reply as she lifted them both up and exited the room. "But we have to go."
A big thank you again to all of you wonderful reviewers! Love y'all and ciao for now!