Paige sighed. Hanging around down here wasn't going to get her anywhere, let alone home.
She walked over to the basement stairs and quested up them. She had no idea what she was going to find at the top. If the basement was anything to go by the rest of the house could be practically unrecognisable.
But it wasn't. It looked the same as it always had. A new front door, a few new paintings. A lot of kids lounging on the furniture in the living room. But other than that it looked about the same.
She did a double take. She had noticed the kids the first time, but not taken them in. This time she did.
There were 3 of them. Ranging from about 7 to 12, in her estimate anyway. She could tell straight off that they were definitely related to her. There was a resemblance to Piper and Leo in the smallest girl, Phoebe in the other girl and the last one, a boy, looked like the guy who had been in the photo with her. Jesse.
God. Their family was obviously kinda big now. Three kids down here, Kyra, Jordyn and Wyatt on top of that! And who knew, there could be more.
The one who looked like Jesse fixed a glare on her as she walked into the room. He was the oldest. The one who looked about twelve. "What'd you do to Jordi?" he demanded. "She ran upstairs crying."
Paige bit her lip. She hadn't meant to upset the poor kid.
He continued before she could say anything. "You didn't mention mom again did you? You know how upset Jordi's been since she died"
Paige felt all of the colour drain out of her face. Jordyn's mom had died recently. That explained the being upset.
Paige couldn't bear this. If Jordyn's mom was dead, and she was Jordyn's mom, then that meant that she was dead. God, she was dead. But how? When?
The boy looked at her in concern. "God, you look like you just saw a ghost. I didn't mean to upset you or anything" he stopped for a moment and a look of nervousness passed over his face. "Um, you didn't did you? See a ghost I mean? 'Cause the last one was really freaky, and if you did we don't have the aunts to help 'cause they're still working."
Paige stared at him. Ghosts? Why would she have seen a ghost? Ghosts didn't invade the Manor, or they didn't in her time anyway. Maybe things were different now.
She realised the boy was still looking at her nervously. "No, I didn't see any ghosts" she assured him.
He looked relieved and turned back to the TV, which he was watching.
Paige just stood there, shell-shocked. It couldn't be true. No. She couldn't be dead. What about the Power of Three? And if she was dead, what had killed her? How long ago had it been?
She shook her head, attempting to rid herself of the unwanted thoughts. Her own death was not something she wanted to have buzzing through her head. Although she doubted she was going to be able to stop it doing so.
Paige wandered into the kitchen in a daze, still in shock. Most people didn't have to deal with the reality of their own death over 15 years before it happened. She couldn't really help being shocked.
The sight that met her in the kitchen jolted her to a standstill. The hunk from the photo she had found was standing at the bench, preparing sandwiches.
Although 14 years older than he had been in the picture he was still extremely handsome. But shadows of obvious grief haunted his eyes. Shadows she presumed were caused by the death of his wife, the future her.
He smiled at her, although a worried look crossed his face at the same time. Paige guessed he had noticed the shock she knew was still etched on her features.
"Hi Sweetie" he greeted, then followed the greeting up with a concerned "what's up?"
Paige was touched by his concern for his 'daughter'. He was so sweet. She would be so lucky to meet him in a few years.
But how should she answer his question? Telling the truth would just make the poor guy think his daughter had lost it..
"It's just, well, you know" she said, trying to sound like she didn't want to talk about it, and letting him draw his own conclusion as to what 'it' was.
Jesse shot her another look but let the subject drop. "Okay Ky, but if you wanna talk you know I'm here, right?"
Paige nodded and smiled at him. "Yeah, I know" she said.
He smiled back. "Good" he answered. Then he thrust a bag of bread and some sandwich fillings across the bench to her. He grinned impishly. "And the payment for that little conversation is helping me with lunch"
Paige did exactly what she would have done when she was 14. Stuck her tongue out.
She picked up a knife and started preparing sandwiches.
"Do you know why Jordi went rushing upstairs earlier?" Jesse suddenly asked.
Paige winced. He'd seen that had he? What was she supposed to tell him? She couldn't exactly say Jordyn had broken down when Paige had told her who she really was.
"I mentioned Mom, and I guess it was too much for her" she said, uncomfortable about referring to her own death. And of course about referring to herself in the third person. It was just weird doing that.
Jesse sighed. "Oh Ky" he groaned. "I thought we were trying to avoid talking about that around Jordi"
Paige tried to look apologetic. "It just slipped out" she muttered.
"It's hard I know sweetie," Jesse said. "But Jordi's taken it so hard, we've got to give her time."
He smiled at her again, obviously wanting to soften his comment, and turned back to his growing pile of sandwiches.
He and Paige continued in silence for a while, until there must have been over 20 sandwiches piled on plates.
"Okay, I think this should hold the gang" Jesse declared, eyeing the piles before him. "Ky, can you go and get everyone? Jordi and Clayre are upstairs and I think Jamie's watching the littlies out the back"
Paige controlled her amazement until she was out of his sight. How many kids were there in this family?
She walked out into the yard and was immediately tackled by two little kids. "Ky, come play!" the small, blond boy demanded. The slightly larger girl joined in the cry.
"Can't kiddos" she said. "Lunch's ready, you better come before the others eat it all" The two little whirlwinds rushed excitedly inside.
They were followed at a more sedate pace by a boy who looked around ten. "Ky, can you watch them after? I gotta do some math homework," he asked.
She felt herself nodding. "Sure, I've got nothing else to do" she told him, hoping it was true and she wasn't causing Kyra to miss doing any of her schoolwork.
He smiled in thanks and jogged after the little kids.
Paige sighed and steeled herself. She couldn't avoid it any longer. She was going to have to face her 'twin' and make up with her if she could.