The Past Can Always Haunt You

a/n: Paige recruits Piper to try and help one of her clients at work in the hope that it will help her get passed the mistakes she had made in the past. The word for for this chapter is Harmony. Enjoy! :)

Chapter 4

Paige was in her office getting ready for her next appointment. It was with Carolyn. The poor woman had lost custody of her son because of drug use and a violent ex. Paige had finished packing all the files she needed and lifted her purse. "Matthews are you going off to your meeting?" Her boss asked her.
"Yes I am. Won't be long." Paige responded before leaving the office and heading to her car.

Paige was now getting very distraught, it had been half an hour and still Carolyn was adamant that she was never getting her son back. "Carolyn. You are doing great, you are clean and sober, you have a good job at the police station. And with your ex no where near you there is no reason for you to be doubting that you will lose the custody battle. Which is why we are here in the first place." Paige had run out of options, after this meeting she could go home. To where her sister was facing almost the exact same metaphorical demons as Carolyn was. "Carolyn can I be honest with you? The battle to regain custody with a child is not easy. There are so many things that have to be considered. But you cannot give up on yourself or your son. It will not do anything good for either of you." Paige told her.
"I don't want to give up on myself. I have to get my son back, and I need your help to do so Paige." Carolyn took Paige's hand in her own.
"I think I know somebody that both of you can benefit from talking to each other." Paige didn't mention anything to Carolyn that Piper was her sister, it was unprofessional to do so. But still explained that their situation was nearly the same. When they had made arrangements the two ended the meeting and went their separate ways.

Paige came into the kitchen where Piper was making meatloaf for dinner that night. "Piper, if I were to ask you to talk to one of my clients and give her advice about how to look forward and not back, would you?" She asked.
"Are you?" Piper answered. Paige nodded. "I don't know. I guess I could try and squeeze it in somewhere." Paige was glad that Piper had went with it.
"I am supposed to be working with Carolyn again tomorrow at my office. Could you be there about two o'clock?" Piper nodded.
"Can you go and ask Ben to wash up for me?" Paige did as she was told and went to rally up her nephew.

The next day Piper walked into the South Bay Social Services office and went over to Paige's desk. "Hey Missy Paige." Piper said as she sat down.
"Hey Piper. Did you get everything that needs done, done."
"The only thing I haven't done is clean the gutters and I will get my handy husband to that for me." Piper responded. Paige nodded her head.
"Well are you ready to meet Carolyn?" Paige asked her sister. Piper sat down in one of the chairs opposite her sister.
"About as ready as I'll ever be." Piper replied. Paige stood up and pointed out Carolyn before taking the two women into a private area where they could chat.

After five minutes of silence Carolyn spoke out. "Do you really have experience with drugs?" Piper was so taken aback by this question that she didn't know how to answer. After thinking a little Piper spoke herself
"I started on smoking weed and skunk in high school, but the addiction got worse as I got older and I ended up on cocaine and heroine. I nearly died from my drug abuse, but honestly I doubt that I would have come off them at all if it was for my Benji." Carolyn smiled at Piper for the first time since arriving.
"You have a son?" Piper nodded at the question.
"He will be nine in two months."
"My Son will be five in a couple of weeks." Carolyn responded.
"What is your story?" Piper asked in return.
"Pretty much the same as yours only mine involves a dirt-bag ex-boyfriend that beat me bloody, causing me to loose custody of him." Piper was shocked, sure her life hadn't been easy recently, but at least her son was still around. Piper done what Paige had done the day before and put her hand in Carolyn's "You know, I don't have an easy life and living with past mistakes isn't a walk in the park, but at the end of the day I can say that I still have my family. Paige was right you do need to look forward to the future and not look into the past."
"Do you think that I have a chance of regaining custody of my son."
"Maybe, Paige said that you are clean and sober and that you have a stable job, that and you kicked your ex to the curb. I cannot see why the judge shouldn't give you custody."
"Thanks Piper, you know you are just as good at giving advice as Paige is. I guess that what happens with sisters right." Piper narrowed her eyes at the woman in front of her.
"How did you know that we are sisters?" Piper asked.
"I guessed. You have the same eyes and nose." Carolyn shrugged her shoulders.

Nearly half an hour later Paige entered the room. "Hey girls, are we getting along?" Piper looked at her watch. Then realised the time.
"I need to go and pick up Ben from school." Standing up Piper shook hands with Carolyn. "It was a pleasure meeting you. I hope you do get your son back soon. I am running late now so I really need to leave. See you at home sis." Piper practically ran from the small room to her car outside. And still only just made it to the school on time.

Nearly a week later and Piper was having a quiet coffee somewhere in town when Carolyn walked up to her. "Carolyn, hi how are you?" Piper asked. "Take a seat." Carolyn sat down.
"I cannot believe we are meeting here like this." Carolyn commented when her bag had hit the floor. "But I need some advice, so I am actually glad that I bumped into you."
"What's the matter, I am all ears." Carolyn looked at Piper as if something was terribly wrong.
"What do you do if you think that you are going to loose your kid for good?"
"Listen Carolyn, I thought that I was going to loose my son the second I found out that I was pregnant with him. I stayed in the hospital for five months after finding that out. And most of that was spent in a rehab facility. I am not going to lie to you about that part, but the point is I never lost hope that I would get to keep him and he is now nearly nine and growing up so fast. You cannot loose hope at the possibility of seeing your son again. It isn't fair on you and it certainly isn't fair on him.
"His name is Kyle."
"Well, it isn't fair on Kyle if you give up on yourself." Piper looked in her eyes and seen tears threatening to spill over. "Look I'm sorry for being so harsh about this, but I was only saying that you need to keep hope alive for both of you. Is there any way that you can get to see him?"
"I could ask Paige for visitation rights, but it would have to go through courts." Carolyn answered. Piper looked saddened.
"You will get your son back, it will take a lot of hard work and determination." Piper reassured her. Carolyn looked like she was feeling a lot better about herself, but still looked insecure about her past.
"Thank you Piper, I just feel like I am a complete waste of space sometimes. I better go before someone you know sees me with you." Carolyn said looking sad, but really not wanting to over stay her welcome.
"Stay and talk if you want to." Piper reassured her. Carolyn insisted that it was better if she left now. Eventually Piper grew tired of the argument and let her go.

After finishing her coffee Piper was heading back to her car to go to work when a hand covered her mouth and pulled her back into the alley. Piper felt a needle go into her arm and something being injected into her blood. Her eyes glassed over and she was disoriented. The attacker saw this as his opportunity to knock her out...

a/n: There is chapter four. I finally managed to finish it. Next chapter soon (hopefully).