Soul Exchange

Halliwell Manor- Foyer- Several Nights Later

         "Piper, just go." Paige commanded her sister. "Garrett will be just fine. He's not running any fever, he's only thrown up once, and you and Leo are long overdue for a night out. You know how difficult it was to get reservations, honey. Besides, wasn't it you who told me that I need to learn how to deal with a sick child?"

"Paige, I can't," Piper protested. "Yes you can," Paige stated firmly. "Now beat it, lady."

"Paige, he needs me!" Piper insisted. "No, he doesn't!" Paige argued, and then gasped when she realized how horrible that statement sounded. "Let me rephrase that..." she begged with a wrenched face. "What I meant to say is that he's sleeping, and he most likely won't even know you're gone. You owe it to yourself and your happiness to have a dinner out somewhere... one that was made by someone other than yourself or your sisters. Now get lost already, and I mean it."

"Fine, I'm going!" Piper snapped testily. "If anything happens, you call me, or it's your ass, kiddo!"

"You're still here." Paige answered in a singsong voice as she pushed her sister into Leo's waiting embrace.

"Thank you, Paige." Leo said gratefully as he opened the door and guided Piper onto the porch. Paige breathed a sigh of relief as she heard the Jeep's engine roar to life. She watched until the SUV had left the driveway, then closed the door and walked into the living room.

"I never thought they'd leave." Paige remarked as she entered the room. "So I heard." Glenn answered as he looked over the back of the couch at her. "How is our little angel?" Paige asked as she rounded the couch.

"Just about asleep." Glenn answered in a low voice as he looked at his daughter, resting in his arms. "You love your daddy, don't you, my sweet baby girl?" Paige queried as she stroked her daughter's cheek. Peyton offered her mother a sleepy smile around her pacifier as she reached up a tiny hand and wrapped it around Paige's finger. Paige smiled back and began to sing a lullaby to her daughter. Moments later, Peyton was sleeping soundly. "I'm gonna take her upstairs and put her to bed." Glenn whispered as he got to his feet. "Goodnight, my little princess." Paige murmured as Glenn held the baby down so Paige could kiss her. "See you in a few." Glenn said. He kissed Paige, and then straightened up as he walked out of the room.

Seconds after Glenn had left, Paige swayed as a wave of dizziness washed over her. "Whoa!" she gasped as she leaned forward, putting her head between her knees. "So not a good idea," she muttered as her stomach lurched, followed by a wave of nausea. She then changed positions so that she was lying flat on her back on the couch. "Gotta be pre-wedding jitters," she told herself as she rested her left foot flat on the floor. "Okay, that helps a little, but how do I get the room to stop spinning? Maybe if I close my eyes it will help?" Paige closed her eyes and found that it helped a little bit.

Suddenly, her peaceful state was shattered as she heard Glenn ask, seemingly from far off. "Paige? Baby, are you okay?" Her hazel-brown eyes snapped open to find Glenn's worried blue-gray gaze mere inches from her own. "I'm fine," she lied. "I'm just...really tired. Peyton decided it was playtime after her 2:00AM feeding this morning, so I had to bring her down here and make an herbal sleep remedy for her. She learned how to make a new, very loud noise, and decided to broadcast the fact at 3:00AM," she informed her soon-to-be husband in a tone that let him know she was not happy with their daughter's latest trick.

"I didn't hear her." Glenn informed his fiancée. "You never do." Paige replied, a tad more sharply than she had intended. "I'm sorry." she added remorsefully. "It's okay." Glenn soothed as he brushed Paige's strawberry blonde hair back from her forehead. "You sure you're okay, honey?" he pressed in a worried tone. "You feel kind of clammy."