Soul Exchange

Halliwell Manor- Paige's Bedroom- Early Morning

         Paige was in the process of crawling back into bed after feeding Peyton when she heard Phoebe's shout through the adjoining wall. She bolted for the bedroom door, wincing as it bounced off the wall, and praying it wouldn't wake Glenn or Peyton. "Phoebe, honey, what's wrong?" Paige asked as she entered her older sister's bedroom to find Phoebe sitting straight up in bed, breathing hard and clutching her blankets to her chest. "Calm down, baby...I'm here." Paige soothed as she sat beside Phoebe and put a comforting arm around her. "Did you have a bad dream? You called for Mom." Paige informed her sister, as Phoebe snuggled into Paige's side and began to cry. "I miss her so much!" Phoebe choked. "I know you do, sweetie," Paige murmured. She hugged Phoebe tightly and allowed her to cry for a short while before asking softly, "Do you want to talk about it?"

Phoebe let out a shuddering breath before saying, "I had a dream that my dad was the one who died and it was Mom that left us with Grams and took off...I must have been calling her to come back."

"This is because Piper and I went to see Jason," Paige moaned. I told her it was a bad idea."

"No, Paige...I'm grateful that you guys went. I have proof now that he really does care. Otherwise the Banshees would not have targeted him, " Phoebe explained. "You and Piper are going to have to do a 'Banshees 101' session with me later on today, when we're all awake and thinking clearly," Paige stated. "Piper said she'd tell me when we got back from Hong Kong, but that's when things 'hit the fan' around here, so to speak," she finished with a grin.

Phoebe smiled at her baby half-sister through her tears and said. "Yeah, things did get pretty crazy, didn't they?" she paused for a breath and then continued, saying. "You can go back to bed, Paige; I'll be okay."

"I don't want to leave you," Paige stated softly. "You need your rest, honey," Phoebe reminded her. "Are we getting into 'mother mode' already, sis?" Paige queried with a smirk. "Gotta practice on someone," Phoebe answered. "And after all, you are younger than me, so scoot. I can handle myself."

"Are you sure?" Paige asked. "Yes, I'm positive." Phoebe answered. "Are you really, really sure?" Paige continued to push stubbornly.

"To bed, I say!

Into your bed and lower your head;

So get some sleep, without another peep."

Phoebe delivered her rhyme with a giggle. Before Paige could open her mouth to speak her smarty retort, stars of white magic carried her off from Phoebe's room. Phoebe panicked, as it was an unintentional spell. She gasped in a low-toned questioning voice, "Paige?" Remembering the words she had said, Phoebe realized that Paige never let out another peep. "To bed," Phoebe said to herself. Phoebe decided to get out of the bed to investigate. As she peeked into the doorway of Paige and Glenn's room, which still stood wide open from when Paige had torn out of the room earlier, Phoebe found Paige under the covers, sprawled out like a beached whale as she slept soundly. "Nice little spell," Phoebe whispered. "If I do say so myself." She gently closed the bedroom door, whispering, "Goodnight."

Halliwell ManorDining Room-That Afternoon

"Come on, Peyton... try some carrots for Momma." Paige pleaded as she held out a spoonful of pureed carrots to her daughter. Peyton's lips remained firmly closed as she gave her mother a look, as if asking. 'You have to be kidding, right?'

"No, I'm not kidding, young lady. Now open up!" Paige snapped, quickly losing patience with her daughter.

"Paige, she's just a baby." Piper reminded her sister as she looked up from feeding Garrett. "If she doesn't want to eat carrots, give her something else instead. Mom has it written in my baby book that I didn't like them, either." Garrett, seeing that his mother was distracted, reached out and swatted at the bowl, launching it into the air. Piper instinctively threw her hands out, freezing the bowl as it began to overturn. Paige sighed frustratedly as she observed Piper using her powers. "Garrett, that was very naughty," Piper admonished her son. "Very naughty and not the least bit funny, little man," she added as Garrett began to chortle.