Soul Exchange

Halliwell Manor- Paige's Bedroom - 2 weeks later- 2:30PM

"Admit it, Piper, you were wrong." Paige demanded as she looked up from folding one of Peyton's tiny sleepers. As Piper hesitated, Paige continued to pester her sister, saying. "Admit it, you were... what's the word, Peeper? That's right WRONG!!!!" she finished with a gleeful smile. "I'm never wro...wrrroo.... incorrect," Piper protested. "I'm just mistaken, that's all. Never wrrr.... that's not really a word until someone else does it. Because I'm generally always right." As Paige stifled a giggle behind her hand, Piper shot her a death glare and continued in a growl, saying, "And those who irritate me I just freeze."

"'Generally', huh? That means there's a margin for error, there, lady." Paige retorted, choking on a giggle that fought to escape her. "Gimme one recent event that I've been "wrong" Paige," Piper challenged her sister. "Let's see... how much time do you have? You may want to sit down for this... could take awhile," Paige remarked.

"Get to your point." Piper commanded, in a tone of voice that said she didn't have all day for Paige's shenanigans. "Pick one."

"Hmm, that's a tough choice... just one?" Paige asked. "And I know what you're thinking, and that you're gonna throw it in my face," Piper stated. "Oh, do you, now?" Paige asked slyly. "Almost 2 years ago now." Piper prompted her baby sister. "What ever could you mean?" Paige interrupted with a sweet smile. "And you still haven't let any of us live it down," Piper continued. "The worst part about it is that you don't even have to say anything."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Paige asked, a look of total confusion evident in her large hazel-brown eyes. "I'm talking about Cole," Piper announced. "Oh yes, Cole." Paige answered. "Now do you REALLY want me to open that can of worms?"

"Not a day goes by where I don't hear your voice echoing in my head and see myself wasting away in P3...feeling guilty and sorry for myself." Piper revealed in a pained whisper. "Yeah, and I remember your bitching at the hangover cure I made you drink because it cleansed all the toxins from your system," Paige said.

"Yeah, well, that was just nasty!" Piper shuddered. "If you have any sense, missy, you'd better never give me something like that ever again." Piper warned. After taking a deep breath, she continued, saying. "Go ahead, you know you wanna say it...still."

"Hey, I stayed with you in the bathroom and held your hair out of the way at least. I could have left you there to choke." Paige reminded her sister. "And yes, you were all wrong. Nobody listens to airhead Paige... she's just jealous."

"Dammit Paige!" Piper shouted through gritted teeth.

"Pay-g?" Garrett said questioningly as he held out his arms and walked unsteadily toward his aunt. "You see Piper! Are you happy? Your son's first words are a rebound of hearing you scream 'Dammit Paige,' all the time at me." Paige rebuked her sister as she scooped Garrett up from the floor and snuggled him to her chest.

"Pay-g" Garrett repeated as he laid his head contentedly on Paige's shoulder and began to suck on his fingers. "You didn't even get to hear Mommy first." Piper got a blank look of horror on her face, and then muttered, "Oh God. What have I done?" Before Paige could form an answer, Piper was gone from the room.

Halliwell Manor- Attic- A Short Time Later

"Piper?" Paige called as she ascended the staircase. "You up here?" As Paige opened her mouth to call again, her sister's voice floated down the stairs to her ears. "Mommy. Can you say 'Mommy', Garrett?"

"PAY-G!!!" came Garrett's shout. "Yes, Sweetie. I know you hear Auntie Paige, but who am I? Can you say 'Mommy' for me?" she pleaded. "PAY-G!!!" Garrett shouted a second time. As Piper sighed in frustration, her baby sister appeared in the attic doorway. "Yes, Paige?" Piper asked, turning to face her sister.

"Um, I was just wondering if you wanted me to start something for dinner?" Paige inquired timidly.

"I can do it myself." Piper answered in a tight voice. "If you can watch your nephew, that is... seems to love you more, anyhow," she added in a low mutter. "Don't say that!" Paige scolded. "Garrett loves you so much, Piper. I know he does. I'll keep an eye out for him, and I promise you, I'll get him to say Mommy," she vowed. "We with the Halliwell stubborn streak ourselves know how to get past it."

"Keep telling yourself that, sis." Piper answered as she got to her feet and stormed out of the attic. "Piper! Piper, wait!" Paige shouted to her sister's quickly retreating back. Paige knew she wouldn't be able to catch up to Piper if she had to walk across the attic to retrieve her nephew first. She took a deep breath and said quietly, so as not to alert her sister and incur her wrath again, "Garrett!" Paige smiled as her nephew's body dissolved into orbs and re-formed seconds later in her arms. "Let's go get your Mommy, little guy." Paige said as she orbed out with her nephew.

Halliwell Manor Kitchen- Moments Later

Piper let out a squeal of fear as Paige materialized on the other side of the island counter, with Garrett in her arms. "NO ORBING IN THE HOUSE!!!!" Piper shouted angrily. "You could scare the life out of someone doing that!"

'Who are you; Cole the Source?' Paige thought to herself. As she looked in Piper's direction, the sight of her older sister, who was wide-eyed, with contorted high raised eyebrows, confronted Paige. "Sorry." Paige said sheepishly as she grimaced, upon seeing the expression on Piper's face. "But when someone takes off on you, you want to be sure they're okay."

"If you weren't holding my son, missy, I'd really hurt you right now!" Piper vowed. "Piper, I'm really sorry that he didn't say 'Mommy' first," Paige stated softly. "Sure you are, half-breed," Piper retorted. "Keep it up, sis... maybe that will end up being Peyton's first word," Paige remarked dryly. "If she's raised by you, we can only pray that her first word isn't an expletive, Paige," Piper countered. "I can see you're not in the mood to be civil at the moment, sis, so Garrett and I will be in the nursery." Paige said over her shoulder as she left the room.

Halliwell Manor- Garrett's Nursery

"C'mon, little guy." Paige pleaded softly as she held out Garrett's book of family photos. "Who is that?" she asked, pointing to a picture of Piper. "Is that Mommy?"

"Mama!" Garrett shouted, and then chortled loudly as Paige swooped in and kissed him on the cheek. "Good boy!" Paige praised. "That's your Mama." Then Paige turned to the doorway and bellowed. "Piper! Come quick! He said Mama!"

"Really?" Piper said happily as she skidded into the room. "Yep, he did." Paige assured her sister. "Garrett? Who is that, buddy?" she asked her nephew. "PAY-G" Garrett shouted. "I'm telling you, Piper, he just said 'Mama,'" Paige insisted. Piper left, shaking her head in disbelief and rolling her eyes at Paige. "How could you sell me out like that?" Paige asked Garrett. "You know darn well who that was, now who was that?"

"Mama-Mama-Mama!" Garrett babbled. "Piper, come quick! He just said it like 3 times really fast!" Paige shouted.

As Piper barreled into the room a second time, she looked to her son and asked. "Who am I?"

"Pay-g...." Garrett replied. "Dammit Paige! Quit lying!" Piper shouted angrily. "PAY-G!!!!!!" Garrett hollered.

"You know what Piper; shove it!" Paige told her as she orbed out of the nursery. Piper sighed heavily and started out of the room to find Paige when she heard her son's tiny voice say. "Mama?"

"Yes, I'm your Mama!" Piper cried with a smile as she gathered Garrett up from the floor and showered his face with kisses. "Mama!" he repeated as he grabbed at her hair. "That's my boy!" Piper said happily as she carried him down the stairs in her arms.

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