A Chance in A Million
Hey guys. It took a while but finally thanks to your reviews here is the sequel to One Last Chance. I suggest you read that first – it won't take long as it's just a one shot. Anyways for the rest of you Paige / Kyle lovers here is the sequel fic. It takes place a week after One Last Chance.
Piper Halliwell hummed as she flipped the pancakes in the frying pan. She watched as she flipped them into the air and then deftly caught them. As usual she was the first person in the house to wake up. Leo had woken soon after her and was busy getting the boys up and dressed while Piper made breakfast.
"Mommy, pancakes for me?" Wyatt Matthew Halliwell asked bouncing into the kitchen ahead of his father who was carrying baby Chris.
Piper turned around and beamed. She had never been this happy, she and her sisters were closer than ever, P3 was a huge success, Phoebe's column was going from strength to strength and Paige had was as much a part of the family as Piper's kids were.
"Yes sweetie, mommy has special chocolate chip pancakes for Wyatt", she replied stooping down so he could give her a morning kiss.
"Does daddy get a morning kiss too?" Leo teased setting baby Chris down in the baby booster.
"Yeah, daddy's allowed a kiss too", Piper laughed as Leo wrapped his arms round her waist and planted a kiss on her lips. Piper laughed harder when Wyatt made a face.
"Hey buddy why don't you go wake Aunt Phoebe and tell her to come down for breakfast", Piper smiled as her son raced out of the room. She then turned once more to her husband kissing him again now that she had his full attention. "Do you wanna go and wake your other sister in law for me?" she pleaded.
"Sure thing honey but you know how dangerous it is to wake Paige up early", he teased heading up the stairs. He could hear Wyatt laughing and peeped in the door to find him bouncing on top of Phoebe in the bed.
"Wyatt Matthew Halliwell did your mommy send you up here to wake me?" she asked pretending to be annoyed but not succeeding. She could never be annoyed with someone this cute. Phoebe groaned as she rolled out of bed and gave her nephew a hug. She loved how he wrapped his little arms round her.
"Ok, go tell mommy I'll be down in a few minutes", Phoebe patted him on the head as she headed for the bathroom.
Leo walked up to Paige's room and knocked on the door, waiting to hear her grumpy reply. After a few seconds silence he knocked again and called.
"Come on Paige, breakfasts ready and I don't feel like being blown up before it cos I couldn't get you out", he called rolling his eyes. After yet more silence he poked his head in the door to see his youngest sister in law buried under the covers.
Sighing, Leo turned round. "Wyatt, come here little guy. Why don't you go and see if you can coax Auntie Paige out of bed", Leo held the door open for him, watching to see how Paige would react. Wyatt skipped in the door and quick as a flash started jumping on Paige's bed.
"Wake up Auntie Paige, wake up, wake up", he chanted with each time he bounced.
"Oh, Wyatt sweetie, Aunt Paige isn't feeling well. Tell mommy I'm just going to stay in bed for the day."
"Aunt Paige sick?" Wyatt asked and stopped bouncing immediately. He sat down thoughtfully beside her and then proceeded to give her a hug.
"Wyatt, why don't you go and tell mommy bout Auntie Paige and I'll follow you down in a minute, ok?" Leo said thinking Paige probably just wanted to sleep. It wasn't often she missed breakfast.
"Paige, you ok?" Leo asked concerned for the youngest charmed one. She hadn't really been herself lately but Piper had mentioned that it was at this time last year that Kyle had died.
Paige didn't answer but Leo saw her nod her head weakly under the covers. "Ok, well if you need anything just call", Leo told her in a low voice being gentle in case she had a headache.
He quietly closed the door and went downstairs to find Phoebe had joined Piper and the boys in the kitchen. Piper was serving up the pancakes and Phoebe had the morning's newspaper out and was reading it.
"Reading the advice column", he teased her.
"Well I hear the writer gives excellent advice", Phoebe smirked back.
"Yeah well here's some advice for you. Eat up before it gets cold", Piper cut in grabbing the paper from her sister's hands.
"Hey", Phoebe complained dragging the word out.
"Phoebe ……. Impressionable nephews here ya know. They need to learn that meal times are for eating and talking and not for reading and video games", Piper knew the best way to get a point across to Phoebe was to mention Wyatt and Chris.
The family ate in silence for a while, each trying to wake up and prepare for the day. Leo would be spending the day in magic school with the boys. Piper was going into Quake and was quite looking forward to it. A friend of hers had a caterer cancel at the last minute and had asked Piper to help her out. It had been years since Piper had worked at Quake but she loved working as a chef as much as ever. Upon hearing that Paige wasn't feeling well Phoebe had offered to work on her column at home. She didn't think Elise would mind since she had been at work every day that week without any "family emergencies".
After breakfast Piper packed a small bag for her boys and Leo orbed off to magic school with them. Piper told Phoebe that there was lasagne in the fridge from the previous night if she was hungry later and then left for Quake. Phoebe began working in the living room downstairs. She had her feet up on the couch beside her and rested her laptop in her lap. Halfway through "lonely in long beach" she heard footsteps upstairs. She stopped typing and listened harder to discover Paige throwing up. Phoebe shuddered, it sounded like Paige was violently sick, but by the time she went to check on Paige she was on her way back to bed. She looked deathly pale.
Phoebe sighed and returned to her letter but not soon after she heard Paige dash for the bathroom again. Closing her laptop Phoebe ran upstairs and found her leaning against the wall in the bathroom. Tears were running down her pale cheeks and she barely noticed Phoebe walk in.
"Sweetie, come on. You should go back to bed", Phoebe extended her hand and helped her younger sister up. Paige wobbled unsteadily and Phoebe helped her back into bed, covering her up and smoothing back her hair. She left the room briefly and returned with a glass of water and two tablets.
"Phoebs, I don't think I'll be able to keep it down", Paige moaned when she saw what Phoebe was holding.
"Paige, you have to try. As you are you keep throwing up and there's nothing to throw up with", Phoebe took her hand and put the tablets in it. She watched as Paige swallowed them and then handed her the water.
Paige swallowed and lay back down under the covers. Phoebe sat up beside her and pushed the hair back out of her eyes. They sisters stayed in silence for a while and when it seemed that Paige couldn't get back to sleep Phoebe decided to question her sister. She hadn't time in the bathroom cos she had been too concerned with getting Paige back to bed and helping her to feel better. Now though she had remembered that Paige had been crying when Phoebe found her in the bathroom.
"Paige, honey, is something the matter. You haven't been yourself in a while", Phoebe turned and studied her sister carefully.
Avoiding Phoebe's eyes Paige took a breath and answered "No, I'm fine Phoebe. I just don't feel well. Probably just a bug"
"But Paige, you were crying earlier…." Phoebe began but Paige interrupted her "I had just thrown up Phoebe. I always cry when I throw up"
This didn't ring true with Phoebe and she persisted "Paige, we've hardly seen you in the last two weeks. We all miss you, especially Wyatt." At these words Paige's eyes began to well up again.
"Paige, sweetie, talk to me", Phoebe took her sister's hand and squeezed it. Paige turned over so she had her back to Phoebe but Phoebe kept hold of her hand. This made Paige cry more and as much as Phoebe hated to see her sister upset she stayed as she was hoping Paige would confide in her. The plan didn't seem to be working however and when Paige sat up to grab a tissue Phoebe embraced her in a hug. She didn't know what was causing Paige to tear up so much but eventually Phoebe looked down and Paige had fallen asleep in her arms.
Phoebe sighed and stroked her sister's hair. She seemed hot but more relaxed now that she was asleep. Moving as softly as she could Phoebe laid Paige back down in bed and covered her. As she left the room she could sense great sadness coming from it. Whatever was bothering Paige was tearing her apart. Her sister's heart was breaking and Phoebe didn't know why but she was determined to find out.
Phoebe went back down to the kitchen and concentrated on getting the rest of her letters answered but she was having trouble concentrating. She was pretty happy when Piper returned home as this was a welcome distraction.
"Hey Piper, how was Quake?" Phoebe asked following her sister into the kitchen.
"Like I'd never left it but you know Phoebs, I miss it. Yeah, I mean its hard work but it's fun at the same time and so rewarding when you see people enjoying their meal after you cook it", Piper replied passionately and Phoebe hoped she wouldn't have to put up with Piper rambling on about cooking for ages.
"Sounds…..um good Piper. I'm glad you had a good day", she smiled at her older sister.
"How's Paige?" Piper inquired, already getting food out of the presses and fridge in order to prepare dinner.
"Not great, she was sick all morning and she's really upset about something", Phoebe continued to tell Piper about the events of the day.
"I thought Paige had begun to confide in us", Piper mused.
"Oh, she has, we're as close as ever the three of us but whatever this is, it's something big and its breaking her heart. I guess it hurts her to speak about it", Phoebe sat down at the island, watching her sister move efficiently around the kitchen.
As the sister were talking Leo orbed back in with Wyatt and Chris. Wyatt was as chirpy as ever and his first thought after greeting his mother was to check on his Aunt Paige but before he could make a run for the stairs Piper called him back. She patiently explained to him that Aunt Paige was asleep but that he might be able to go and see her later "if he was a good boy".
Pleased with this Wyatt directed his attention on his other favourite aunt and started telling her a new poem he learned at the crèche that day. Phoebe positively beamed at her nephew labelling him a genius. She scooped him up in her arms and gave him a big hug.
After a while Piper had dinner ready and the family sat down to eat, Phoebe still babbling about how great Wyatt was and how baby Chris was going to be just as clever as Piper and Leo looked on and smiled. When dinner was over Leo offered to wash up and suggested Piper and Phoebe go see how Paige was doing. The sisters quickly agreed and after putting Chris up to bed for a nap they approached Paige's room.
They could hear her crying as they listened at the door and received no answer when they knocked. Not waiting any longer Piper pushed the door open and Phoebe followed her into the room.
"Sweetie, what's the matter?" Piper asked, immediately wrapping her arms round her baby sister but Paige just shook her head.
"Paige, Piper asked you a question", Phoebe stated firmly trying to make eye contact with Paige.
"Nothing Piper, I'm fine, I – I just have a bad – a bad headache", Paige choked out. Piper and Phoebe exchanged glances.
"No, Paige. Look, we can see that this is tearing you apart. We want to help you Paige, you know we'd do anything for you – wouldn't we Phoebs?" Piper began in a gentle but firm voice.
"You don't even have to ask that Piper. We're sisters, best friends for life", Phoebe's voice cracked as she answered and her eyes too brimmed with tears as she moved closer to her two sisters.
"Right, Paige it kills us to see you like this. Please help us to help you, honey. We're all worried about you", Piper pleaded and pulled away from Paige so they could see each other.
They waited in silence for a while, Paige just sobbing her heart out, but eventually the silence was broken.
"He's alive, he came back", was all she could say before she collapsed into her sister's arms crying.
Well guys, that's chapter one. Hope you like it. Please read and review if you want chapter two Until next time check out my other story if you have time and thanks for reading. --- Missy Paige