Wow, can't believe I forgot this before. I don't own Charmed, etc. Plus, the song NOT AN ADDICT is performed by K'S CHOICE in real life.

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"To you who have never died, may I say: Welcome to the world."
-Clive Barker-

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P3 was busy tonight.

As usual Friday night was the biggest night on the town for P3. A lot of things had been bought, paid for, and celebrated because of the never lacking business always packed in front of the clubs doors. Of course, tonight was a little bit too busy because the new bartender, Val, the Swedish trainer and bartender on the side was started to look like he was going to go into a nervous breakdown at any minute.

So, of course, Piper being the only one around at the time instantly went into the little bar and started grabbing as many orders as she could. Finally, when things did slow down she quickly exited the booth and sat down on a black stool. Her feet were sore and she swore she was going to end up paying for the speed she had just used with the baby later.

Victoria appeared beside her a moment later and then sat down on the black bar stool right beside her. Piper gave her a look out of the corner of her eye as she sucked down a gulp of bottled water and gave a brief smile.

Victoria was dressed to kill. If there was anything she had found out about the girl in the brief time she knew her it was that she always was dressed to kill.

Right now she wore a long black leather skirt that had a sharded cut up the side. Her white-red top was slightly see through showing off her red trimmed black top underneath and on the fringes of the long sleeves as well as the bottom of the shirt was an Indian blood red glittered design. Her reddish brown hair was back in a long, simple ponytail that went down her back and her violet blue eyes were glittered in black eyeliner.

Piper had to admit she hadn't really cared about her own clothes when she had come into the club. She had only thrown on a slightly dressy pair of black pants and a dressy business woman's white top.

She hadn't had her appearance on her mind when she had come to the club. Instead, she had been worrying about the new band that was going to play in few minutes. She had taken her sights to a locally famous band instead of looking for a hot famous Hollywood band for once she knew she had picked the right band. This band, Red Helter, was getting a lot of coverage for just being local and not signed on to any label.

Tonight, she thought, might actually get them signed.

"So, how's my future mother in law faring with the baby and the club and the overly crowded music goers?" Victoria asked, cheerily as she plopped down on the seat.

"Wait! What? Mother in law?" Piper squawked, almost falling out of the stool.

"Oh, geez. Don't have the baby now, Piper. I was kidding." Victoria laughed as she placed a hand on Piper's arm to calm her.

"Kidding, right," Piper responded with paranoia spread over her face.

"Yeah, I am way to young to get married." Victoria said, rolling her violet- blue eyes.

"Uh, right. Wait, weren't you the one that almost got married this very day last month?" Piper asked, waving her hand.

"Um, yeah. Temporary insanity. You know with the curse and all. I'm all better now. Thank god," Victoria said laughing. Then she turned to the bartender. "Hey, Val. How about a pink D.N.A. ?"

"Sure, Vic. Coming right up," he replied going for the drink.

"Hold on, Val." Piper said to her bartender with a wave of her hand, and then to Victoria she said, "You aren't 21 yet."

"Oh, Piper. Come on," Victoria pleaded. "Victory drink since it's been a whole month today that I've lived through the curse?"

"Oh, no. I will not be the one to offer underage drinking at my club. I also won't be the one to get my son's girlfriend all liquored up either." Piper told her with a warning finger up as she wagged it at Victoria.

"Fine," Victoria said, leaning her arms on the bar and resting her head in her hands.

Piper shook her head and grinned away from Victoria so she wouldn't see it.

It had been only a month that she had known the girl and yet they somehow were completely on good terms with one another. It had been awhile since Piper could admit being on good terms with anyone outside of the family. Besides the fact that Victoria was years younger then her and her son's girlfriend, she still thought of her as a friend.

When she'd first met Victoria she well.. She hadn't met her really before she had tried to kill her with her own bare hands. Victoria had attacked her oldest son, Wyatt, she had blown the front doors out of the house, and then she had bested the rest of Piper's family with her powers.

At first, she had thought that Victoria was the enemy. Of course, she had ended up being the exact opposite. She had ended up being an innocent.

The girl that she had first met had been such an angry, confused, and grief stricken girl. She had tried to kill Wyatt just to get her revenge on him for killing everyone she loved on her wedding day. She had even admitted later on when they had all been in the same room together that she had done it all as a suicide mission. The girl Victoria had used to be, the one with the cryptic speaking, the non nonsense I'll kill you if you don't get out of my way girl, was gone. Victoria now was becoming a new person right before her eyes.

Piper had to admit she really liked this girl better.

For one thing, Victoria was slowly getting over the death and disaster of her old life. Now, she was trying to move while standing on her own two feet. She was so much happier now.

Piper had to give Chris credit. He could bring out the best in people if he had the chance to. Piper had to admit it had to be his sensitivity that really had been a good thing for Victoria. Sure, they all had tried in their own ways to help her get over everything that she had lost and everything she was still reeling from that the curse had thrown on her.

It wasn't the easiest thing to do with the girl though. She had something with standing on her own two feet that Piper had never really had in her life. She had done it herself many times. When Grams had died and everyone had went their own separate ways and then when Prue had died and she had to bring the family back together. It had been hard, and she hadn't really wanted to do any of it, but she had to. So she had.

It was just weird for her to see Victoria doing it all on her own. She had no one there for her family wise like Piper had had. She had herself to live with and herself to pick up the old pieces of her past. Piper had watched everyday surprised that Victoria had the strength to sell the very house that she had grown up in to get her own, then she'd sold the stuff she didn't find any need of that belonged to her family, and then she had moved into her own place. It was a surprise that she had been able to do that all on her own without really breaking down as much as Piper knew she would have if it had been her in Victoria's shoes.

Sometimes, when she looked at Victoria she could see a little Prue inside of her. Sure, they had no relation to each other but the clear determination to give up what she couldn't fix and right everything else that she could was all Prue. Piper had a feeling if Prue had lived to see this she would have probably adopted Victoria for her own daughter since they had a lot of qualities alike. The dressed to kill look also was a bit of Prue's forte too.

Piper just hoped that with her new chance at life Victoria didn't take it for granted and did everything with it that she wanted. She doubted that she would take it for granted after everything she was already doing with it. It hadn't been a day cold of the Victoria selling her old home that she had proclaimed that she was going to go to college. Sure, she hadn't picked anything yet to be when she grew up but the first two years didn't really matter for that anyways.

They all had told Victoria that if she needed any help with anything to just come to them. Maybe, had been her response, but at least it was something. Right now, Victoria needed to go through things alone just to find some closure with everything, but one day it wouldn't be so easy. Piper just wished she wasn't so against asking for help. Of course, they all had an insider to Victoria's life, Chris would tell them if their help was needed. Hopefully, it never really was.

"Piper?" Victoria asked as Piper realized she had drifted away in her own thoughts.

"Hmm?"

"Well, are you sure you should be here? You're pregnant and all and it's like the month where the baby could be born at any moment. So, why of all places are you in a bar? Shouldn't you be at home resting?" Victoria asked.

"It's the first night ever that I've let a local band play here. I just wanted to make sure everything was okay for it." Piper told her.

"Oh," Victoria said and winced.

"Why? You trying to get rid of me so that Val will get you a drink?" Piper asked, kidding. She hadn't seen the slight wince go through Victoria as she looked back to her tired bartender.

"Oh, yeah. He and I, we've got a deal. He gives me free drinks and in return I.."

"You what?" Chris asked appearing out of no where.

"Well, I can't say I know what you are referring to. Hey, don't you think your mom should be at home resting?" Victoria asked , leaning against Chris as he looked down at her face.

Chris then looked over at his mother. It was like he was noticing her for the first time. Piper almost felt like last nights leftovers, but then she didn't care. She was happy to see her son there for once and ready to have a good night on the town instead of at home studying up on any possible threats.

"You know, you're right. We really should be getting her home. It's way past her bedtime as it is," he agreed.

"Hey, now you two. I am not going anywhere. I have responsibilities here, and I'm not going to leave the club up in the air while you two get as many free drinks as you can," she told them folding her arms over her chest half serious about the whole thing.

"Damn," Chris mumbled. "She knows the plan."

"Yeah, I think you let it slip last time you were intoxicated." Victoria told him raising her eyebrow.

"Last time?" Piper asked, still genuinely amused.

"Yeah, well. What can I say?"

"Peer pressure made me do it, I believe the words were." Piper told him with a smirk.

"Hey, I was like sixteen," Chris whined.

"Yeah, and I wasn't pregnant. What does that have to do with anything?" Piper laughed.

Piper stopped laughing as she saw how pale Victoria's face had gotten.

Of course, Victoria had always been pale, but she looked deathly white as she leaned onto the bar. The whole time Chris and Piper had spoke to each other she had started shaking. Now, as all eyes fell on her she just shook her head and tried to smile. Somehow the shaking subsided as she took a deep breath and looked at both of them as if they were making a big thing out of nothing. There never was nothing in their situations.

"I'm fine. I just was cold for a second," she told them in a steady voice.

Chris tried to warm her arms with his hands. Piper watched Victoria as she dropped her gaze from theirs and looked down. There sure as hell was something wrong, but she wasn't going to tell them. As this realization came to Piper's mind, Victoria picked up her head and gave them both a brilliant smile that almost could wax away all their worries. She was a good actress, Piper thought vacantly as she looked at her.

"Now, don't you guys go off and change the subject. I wouldn't mind a D.N.A," she called lightly over her shoulder.

As she said this, Piper just shook her head. She was never going to give up. She laughed along with her son as she looked at the stage in front of them. The band had quit setting up, and sound check was finally over. Now, they were ready to go and do their show. The crowd had all gone up to the stage and waited for the band to start. Piper inwardly hoped the band was as good as its following.

"Hello, all. We're Red Helter." the petite blond called down to them. She gave a brief nod to her band members and then turned her head back to the microphone. "This is our first song. It's called Not An Addict."

The singer started moaning in the microphone as Piper watched hoping that that wasn't the whole song as the guitar started in behind the moaning and then the drums started. Piper looked at the crowd hoping for something good to come of inviting a local band there. The crowd showed nothing yet as they listened to the song. Chris took a few steps out to see the singer better as the song began.

Then the words started.

"Breath it in and breath it out, And pass it on, it's almost out," the singer sang in her alto voice

At least there's words, Piper thought happily.

It was then that Victoria who had been sitting on the bar stool beside her a moment before pitched backwards into the crowd in a dead faint.