“I’m not interested Mom, just leave me alone!” Kate yelled angrily at her mother and turned her back, her arms folded defiantly.

“I didn’t mean it Honey” Piper pleaded, walking further into the room towards her, “I was upset, I couldn’t handle it.”

“Couldn’t handle us you mean” she spat back. “You’ve hardly been near me or Poppy. You don’t want anything to do with us now that Dad’s not here.”

Kate forced Piper towards the door and slammed it angrily in her face. Piper didn’t have the energy to fight. She felt like it was a lost cause. There was no way she would get Kate to listen to her at the moment, not until she had calmed down.

Piper didn’t want to give up on her daughter. Not now, not ever. But Kate wasn’t exactly making it easy for her. Piper knew that it was her job to put things right but she just didn’t have the energy.

But walking away now would only confirm everything that Kate suspected about her mother. Piper felt she had to prove she would always be there.

Piper stood out on the landing, close to tears. ‘No’ she thought, ‘She’s going to listen to me, dammit. Even if it takes all day.’

Piper threw open the door. “Patricia Katherine Halliwell” she shouted, more out of pain and frustration than anger, “you listen to me.”

Kate was still stood in the same place in the middle of the floor. She jumped when the door was pushed open and looked shocked at her mom’s manner.

“I know you’re angry, but you will listen to me” Piper continued, in an effort to get through to her. “If not for me, then for your sister.”

Kate’s arms were still crossed defiantly but she began to crumble. She wouldn’t let her mother know that though, she was too stubborn.

“Poppy knows something’s wrong. Don’t you think that acting like this is going to upset her?”

New found anger began to bubble up inside Kate. “How dare you blame me!” She shrieked. “You started this.” She paused, taking in a long, deep breath. All the pain and anger she was feeling was funneled into one vengeful comment, seething with hatred and spite.

“Dad would never blame me” she spat. “He loved us.”

Piper just stared in wide eyed shock at her eldest daughter, tears collecting in the back of her eyes. Her voice was very small when she spoke.

She couldn’t believe her own child was intimidating her. But it was working. “I’m sorry.”

She finally spoke her feeble apology and reached for the door handle. She stepped solemnly out of the room and closed the door behind her.

Piper leant over the banisters and sighed. As she peered down into the living room below, she saw Poppy sleeping soundly on the sofa and collapsed into tears.

All of Piper guilt and anger ran free in a flood of emotion. Why was this happening to her? She had already lost one of the most important things in her life, and she was about to loose two more.

* * *

Phoebe sat at the kitchen table, cradling a mug of coffee in her hands. She was just staring into it, too worried and worn out to actually drink it. She had only made it for something to do to take her mind off things.

Paige entered the kitchen from the living room and sat down opposite her older sister. She sighed in defeat. “Kate left. I couldn’t stop her, I’m sorry.”

Phoebe nodded. “She’ll be alright, she’ll come back in an hour or so. I’m more worried about Piper.”

Paige’s face contorted with worry but she stayed silent. They both agreed. It was obvious Piper wasn’t coping, they didn’t need words to express that mutual feeling.

Phoebe broke the silence. “I knew she took Leo’s death hard” she said, “but I never imagined it would get this bad.”

“So what are we going to do?” Paige asked. It was the same question that had been asked so many times before. And it was the same reply every time.

“I honestly don’t know.”

* * *

Piper sat on her bed, holding a silver photo frame in her lap. She stared at the image. It brought back so many good memories.

But so many painful ones as well. A tear fell from her eye as she continued to look. It was taken 3 days after Kate had been born. Piper sat on the steps up to the manor, holding her new baby daughter in her arms.

Prue had insisted she take a photo. Piper had protested but eventually gave in, knowing her sister would never give her any peace until she did.

Piper stretched her arm over and replaced the frame on the nightstand. She sank back down, burying her face in her pillow.

I was a cliché. But it didn’t make it any less true. She just wished everything could go back to the way it was.

* * *

There was a knock at the door. Phoebe groaned and lazily stood up. Paige followed, putting their mugs on the counter as they headed to the front door.

Phoebe undid the latch on the large wooden front door and warily opened it. She was met by a smart looking, blonde haired man. He looked like he was in his early 30s.

“Gavin Clark” he said, offering them his ID. “Social services.”

* * *

Piper grudgingly lifted her head when she heard a knock at the door. She got off the bed and walked over to the door, opening it a crack.

She couldn’t explain it. She just had a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach and she knew something was wrong.

* * *

“We had a complaint about from one of your neighbours. Is miss Piper Halliwell in?”

“Uh, no!” Piper replied urgently, “She went out.”

The man didn’t look convinced but carried on anyway. “Can I have a word with you two please? What is your relationship with miss Halliwell?”

“We’re her sisters” Paige replied cautiously, shooting a questioning glance at Phoebe.

The man nodded. “It’s regarding two children that live here. Can I come in?”

Phoebe stepped aside to let him in, not saying a word. He walked though the door and wiped his shoes on the mat.

Phoebe shut the door and turned to Paige. “Can you take Poppy upstairs please?”

Paige looked confused but obeyed anyway. She scooped up the sleeping child in her arms and carried her up the stairs. Phoebe stood, watching them go then lead the way over to the sofa.

“Phoebe Halliwell” she offered and the man shook her hand.

He nodded and wrote something down on his clipboard. “Somebody rang us with concerns that your nieces were not receiving proper care. I’m just here to see if that really is the case. I’m sure you understand that every complaint has to be followed up?”

Phoebe said nothing.

“We’ve had to be called out before, is that correct?”

Phoebe rubbed her forehead with the palm of her hand, sighing. “Yeah.”