Leo's POV
I sat down on the over stuffed chair and leaned my head back against the back of the cushion and closed my eyes. I very much wanted to be in the attic when Piper learned about Patty's affair with her whitelighter Sam, perhaps even finally learning that Paige was her half sister because of the affair. But I had a deep sure feeling that any evidence concerning Paige would not be found in the box at this present time. Because I knew Paige didn't want her sisters to know the truth yet; and I knew that she had told everyone to keep mum about it. So I knew that the Elders made a way of making the evidence of Paige's existence disappear from the box. But I also knew that the evidence was still in the box; but that Piper would not be able to see or touch it. Not yet.
"Paige," I said softly and I sensed her beside me. I slowly opened my eyes to see the concern in her eyes.
"Leo, it's not safe for me to be here right now. Piper doesn't want me here." She whispered darting her eyes quickly around.
"She's upstairs in the attic. She is finally ready to open the box." I said softly lifting my head.
Paige had a pleased look on her face and she sat down on the end of the coffee table and leaned forward.
"She's scared to death, Paige." I said looking her straight in the eyes. "She knows that what she finds out will change her life for good."
"You don't think she'll hate mommy do you?" Paige asked her eyes widen in sudden fear.
I shook my head. "No, she'll be angry and hurt by Patty's betrayal of course. But she'll forgive her. In time." I sighed as I looked towards the staircase. "I just wish that Victor was up there with her as she discovers the truth."
Piper's POV
I reached in and pulled out a photo album and set it down on my lap. I ran my hands over the cover and felt tears at the corner of my eyes. I slowly lifted the cover and saw myself looking into a young version of my mother. I laughed and sobbed all in one breath.
"Mommy, how I miss you. I can't believe that you were taken from me. Why." I slowly ran my hands down the glossy page carefully so not to destroy it. I repeated it and just simply ran my hand down my mother's smiling face. I could see the love shining from her eyes and it was just a photograph.
I paused as something caught my eye on the opposite page. A letter. My eyes picked up 'PIPER' in my mother's hand. I slowly reached and took the folded note and opened it. 'My darling Piper, I always known that it would be you who would open the box first. Darling, what you are about to discover will shock and disappoint you. It will lower your extreme of me. But darling I have to tell you right here and now, before you discover my dark secret, is that I don't regret my decisions that I had made in this matter. I know I had hurt so many people because of my decisions, your father most of all, but darling if I had to do it all over again, than I would.
I love your father, and I always will. He truly is my soul mate. He has forgiven me and accepted my short comings, and in time I hope and pray that you do also. I hope that when you do find this letter, that you are old enough to understand. I hope that I am beside you so I can help you realize that everything has it reasons and everything had to take place as they have.
But if I'm all ready gone and you are ready this, than I hope that either your father, or your very own soul mate is beside you. To offer the comfort and love that I wish that I could myself. Always remember that I love you, your sisters and your father and that will never change. Your loving mother, Patty.'
I blinked back my tears as I fully understood that my deepest fear was about to be faced. I put the letter aside and looked down at the photo of my mother once more. "How could you ..." I swallowed around the lump as I felt my hand on the page ready to flip it.
I flipped through several pages not really seeing the pictures until one picture captured my attention. I put my hand on the page and carefully traced it. It was a photo of mommy holding me on her lap and daddy behind her with his arms around both of us. Prue was sitting beside them with Phoebe in her arms. All of us were smiling and happy.
I lifted the album off of me and put it onto the couch next to me, leaving the page opened. I reached into the box and pulled out a bundle of letters in my mother's hand writing. I noticed that there were at least twelve letters.
I set the letters down on my lap and lifted the first letter and slowly unfolded it ...
Paige's POV
"I wish that also." I said following Leo's eyes to the staircase. I wished that I orbed to the lake to bring daddy back to the manor before I orbed in when Leo called me. I knew that he was calling me to let me know that either Piper had learned the truth, or was on the verge of learning it. But I had stupidly asked daddy to remain at the lake until Piper and Leo joined them there.
But than I suddenly felt at peace. "Don't worry, Leo, Mommy is up there with her right now."
Leo looked questioning at me.
"Not where Piper can see her, just her spirit." I said with a soft smile. "Piper was meant to be alone when she found out the truth. Mommy's spirit was meant to be there beside her."
Leo sighed.
Piper's POV
'Sam,
I miss seeing you. I wish you were here beside me once more. I understand why we can't be together. I do. I am married and a mother of three. I'm a witch and you are a white lighter. My whitelighter. I know the rules. That witches and whitelighters cannot not fall in love. I understand them, truly I do. But I can't help the way I feel for you. I'm in love with you.
I don't know how this can be, when Victor is back in my life and everything is going our way for a change. Prue and Piper are delighted to have their father back in their lives, and Phoebe of course adores her father.
I'm confused.
Patty'
'Sam,
It's been a few months since I wrote last. Victor and I had a fallen out and he has left me and the girls. I don't know if he will come back to us. I don't know if our love for one another can survive the supernatural adepts of my and our daughters lives. He has asked me for a divorce this time and I have accepted. I told him thats I wouldn't fight him on it. He was upset that he couldn't take his daughters with him; but I knew that he understood that it would be safer for the girls to remain at the manor with mother and I. We can protect them better than he can.
Patty'
'Sam,
I need to see you again. This afternoon wasn't enough for me. I need to be be in your arms once more. I need to feel you inside me. Our coming together was better than I ever dreamt about. It was pure bliss. I love you more now than I have in the past. When can we meet again?
Patty'
I lifted my tears streaked eyes because I could no longer see what I was reading. I gasped as I finally felt the sobs break through the huge lump that I had lodged inside my thoart without realizing it. Oh God mommy had an affair. Not only with another man whom wasn't daddy, but with her whitelighter.
Sam. It has to be the same man that Prue said she saw at the lake where mommy had died. I just couldn't believe what I was finding out about my beloved mother. I couldn't believe that my mother would betray and willing hurt my father like this.
Paige's POV
I sat forward suddenly as I felt such pain in my chest. I couldn't breathe. I felt tears overcome my eyes and roll down my checks. I closed my eyes and leaned into the arms that I suddenly felt wrap themselves around me. I wrap my arms around the board body and allowed the man in front of me to comfort me. This wasn't my own pain – no this was Piper's pain and I was feeling it along side my half sister.
Piper's POV
I felt my mother's presence surround me as I laid on the couch in a fetal position with my arms wrapped around my chest as I sobbed silent heart breaking sobs. I could feel her essence gather me into her and I felt her heart beat surround me. I allowed her to remain the way she was. I couldn't handle this on my own.
I finally got myself together and reached down and picked up the last letter in the pile and opened it,
'Sam, yes, you were clear. My eyes were open to the difficulties, the risks, but my answer is the same as it was when you were still here with me. No one understands me the way you do, no one can. What I wouldn't do for what other people consider ordinary. A conversation that gets finished, a night spent uninterrupted. A night with you.
'Patty
Oh God it's like I could have written this letter myself, not to Sam of course but to Leo. I picked up a letter that was pushed to the side and opened it.
'Sam
You can't be with me up at the lake. This demon is too strong and I can't risk losing, not for myself or the others you protect. They must as always come first. You know I'd never face this demon if I didn't think I'd be home in time for dinner to see my girls, to see you.
Patty'
Author's note: Ok the last two letters are taken word for word from the P3H20 episode. -- Paigethesuperwhitelighter.
I knew that I had read enough, that I had to get to the lake and be with my sisters. It was time to vanquish the sorry ass water demon that had stolen our mother from us. I would deal with my feelings of the betrayal at a later date. I had a feeling that mommy would be appearing and trying to explain her actions later tonight. I don't know if I'm going to allow her too.
I stood to my feet and gently packed away the items back in the box and carried the box down to my room. I don't know if I'm going to share what I found with Prue and Phoebe. They have to know about the truth about mom and Sam of course. There is no getting away from that, because I know that daddy knew I would learn the truth this afternoon. But I had a defiant feeling that neither Prue or Phoebe were meant to see what was in the box yet. That only I was meant to explore the box, alone.
Leo's POV
Paige finally pulled away and wiped her tears from her checks, "I best be going. Piper is coming." With that she orbed out. The last of her orbs died out just as Piper appeared on the stair case. I slowly stood to my feet and turned and waited.
Piper stopped on the bottom step. "You knew, didn't you?" She asked in a calm knowing voice.
I sighed deeply. "Like I said it wasn't my story to tell." I could tell that she didn't go completely through the box, "You still have much to learn." I walked over and held out my hands and I saw that Piper was healed of the poison ivy. "But that's for a later date."
Piper nodded tightly put her hand on my shoulder and she leaned into me and I orbed us to the lake.
END CHAPTER SIXTEEN