A Life Not So Charmed

Midlife Crisis Bites.

"You're not going to win a Pulitzer with this rubbish."

Piper yelled at me?

"What the hell are you going on about?"

I replied. "The damn politics, Phoebe. What do you do know about economics and sociological issues? You're a head shrinker, you didn't graduate in the field you're now talking about."

I sensed this wasn't about what i had written, this was about Leo, she missed him terribly, but she was too stubborn to admit it. Piper still hadn't approached a divorce lawyer in a serious manner, she sought advice, but it didn't go any further. I decided to pull her aside and ask. Piper sits down and she begins sobbing uncontrollably, this wasn't like her, she's usually stoic, but she finally admitted it.

"I miss him, Phoebe, i want him back."

I sure as hell was expecting those words, i said, "then get off your ass, go and knock on his door and tell him to come home. If you don't do it now, Leo will meet someone new."

Piper asks, "is that from a premonition?"

To freak her a little, i replied, "it could be or a dream? It's been a few days since i had it."

Piper exploded, "sheesh, why didn't you say something?"

"Woah woman, i don't know if it even was a dream or premonition? But he's young, good looking, i see women checking him out all the time." I answered.

Piper ran to her en suite, we all have one now, the house is a tad cramped. Piper showered and raced in her car over to Leo's apartment, from the story she told when she returned, Leo told her that he wants some space and then he will think about it. I told her to give him space, but he won't wait long. I was right, he sent her favorite flowers the moment she arrived home.

Melinda was thrilled, she is like me, Paige, Prue and her mom. Melinda possesses all our powers, she's like Melinda Warren reincarnated. Melinda had a secret, i sensed it, she knew this would happen, but she kept us all in suspense as she had to, that's the Wiccan in her, she would only tell us things if they put us in danger.

We were all sat down having a family meal, when Melinda exclaimed, "set a place for dad, he's on his way."

We rearranged the seating and Leo comes in with a huge bunch of flowers, he looks at Piper and says, "I've decided, I'm coming home. If you still want me?"

Piper runs into his arms and squeals with delight, "of course, you're the love of my life, i haven't been myself lately."

Then it hit me, Piper is having a midlife crisis? I talked it over with Cole and Paige and they both said "well that would be about right, she is around the age for it?"

Cole agreed, he said, "even as Balthezor i went through it?" I looked at him, then responded, "you a demon went through a midlife crisis?"

I couldn't help myself, but i laughed, "Phoebe my love, we still had hormones, at least those of us that were half human, half demon. Why do you think we bled red? We had half a soul, we were half human, we still had all those messy human emotions."

"Wow baby, i had no idea." I replied.

"That's because we never talked about stuff like this, we were deep in the past, but we never discussed anything as deep as this. I know what Piper is going through, you will too, as will Paige and Prue. Prue on the other hand may be older, but she died young and came back the same age, technically she's the youngest now. It won't hit her for at least two decades, Leo will begin as well, he's human now. The white lighter side shielded him from all this. No longer, I'm afraid."

Cole said that the advice that he will pass on, will need to come from me. Piper won't let Cole discuss personal things with her. I promised to speak with Piper when i sensed she was in a better frame of mind. The next morning was weird, Piper was dressed like she was going out for a night on the tiles.

I looked at her, "hey sis, you're a little over dressed for 6am. Where you off to dressed like that today?"

Piper smiled, "I'm off to The Return or whatever it's called now. it needs a makeover, Leo will be helping me bring it back to life, it's about time we started loving her again."

"But Piper, it's 6am, you're dressed like you're going on a night out, are you ok?" I asked?

Piper sighed, waved her hand and said, "tell Leo when he gets up, I'll be at the club, I'm meeting with new managers, the place needs revamped."

"Sure, I'll pass on the message. Have fun."

Piper skipped out of the house like she did when we first got a loan for it, i waited for Leo to wake up and tell him she was at the club waiting for him.

Leo came down, he said, "has Piper left already?"

"Yup, she's dressed to kill to boot." Leo looked at me strangely and said, "what is it Phoebe?"

I replied, "sit down and I'll tell you."

Leo sits down on the stool in the kitchen and says, "come on Phoebe, out with it. What's going on?"

I sit down beside him and say, "she's going through a midlife crisis, she thinks she's in her twenties when the club was at its height. Sure, the club is still doing well, i know it needs some love and care, we have all neglected it, but this goes deeper than that. This is the psychologist talking, not as a sister. I think you need to talk to her."

Leo gulps down his coffee and heads to the club. Leo then said, "it was revamped a while ago, we've even changed the name."

I called Piper and told her Leo was on his way, she replied, "about dang time, i not staying alone with this creep."

"What creep?" I asked curiously.

"The damn man I've hired to revamp the club, he's looking at me strangely."

I said, "Piper, you're dressed like you're off on a date, he probably thinks that you're coming onto him."

"I'm dressed appropriately for the venue, you wore next to nothing back in the day. Remember all those handkerchief tops?"

Piper replied. "Sure, but it's 6:30am, you never dressed like that so early."

I responded. "Ok Piper, but as your sister, I'll tell you something, when you dress this provocatively, you're going to have strange looks from men. I hope he understands the word, 'no?'"

As soon as i said that, i felt awful, that was like victim blaming. We are all looked at in ways that I've imagined, but i said it out loud and shouldn't have. I apologized to Piper.

Piper replied, "well it's fine, you're probably right anyway, but to be honest with you, i like what I'm wearing, even if I'm overdressed for this time of day. I need to get the club back to how she was, remember the big names we've hosted here?"

I did, i remembered how we used pick up the phone to Pat Benatar and she was in San Francisco in haste. We already seen big names on a waiting list after the last revamp. I will speak to Piper about her midlife crisis, but I'll let Leo watch her a little, to confirm my fears. It's been a struggle lately, it's like karma is trying to kick our butts for pulling away from Wicca.

Prue always said, "things will work out when they're right." I know deep down she's right, but damn, i feel so helpless right now. Prue is worried, Paige too, but we agreed to give her a wide berth until she's ready to face reality. I sure hope this crisis can be averted as, we've heard news of people being attacked in the mountains, The Adirondacks to be precise and if it's Sheila and Sonja, well Pipers midlife crisis is the least of our concerns. Paige and Prue are heading up there tomorrow on a fact finding mission. We sure hope it's not the case, as we will have to leave the couple as slaves to the shadows.