*Disclaimer. Sensitive subject matter. Read at your own risk*
Paige was in a bar downing shot after shot. She heard her phone go off in front of her and reached for it.
*Piper Calling*
She hit the decline button.
She threw back another shot.
Her phone rang again.
*Phoebe Calling*
She rolled her eyes and hit decline.
Her phone buzzed again.
It read *2 new voice mails*
Paige rolled her eyes again and poured herself another shot, obviously she must have told the bartender to leave the whole bottle, then she threw it back and clicked on her voicemail to hear them.
*Paige. Hey, it's Piper. We haven't heard from you in weeks and you know how worried I can get. Um, I don't even know if you listen to the messages we leave you, but if you do call us back sometime, or just, ya know, come back home.* She heard Piper sniffle. *Come home, Paige.*
Paige moved the shot glass off to the side and took a swig straight from the bottle. The bartender gave her a look so she slapped down enough money for the bottle and left.
When she got outside she listened to the voicemail left by Phoebe.
*Paige, it's been weeks. Whatever is bothering you we can talk it out if you'll just come home. Piper is worried. I mean freaking out. And I'm starting to freak out too! You won't answer when we call and we haven't seen you in so long. We're sorry about everything! We truly are! Just please come home!*
Paige rolled her eyes and deleted the messages, then she drank down the rest of the bottle and smashed it against the brick wall of an alley.
She scoffed. "If I wassstill I Sharmed one I'd be worried bout Demons." She slumped down in the alley. "Only thing I worry bout now is how to get more money." She muttered.
"Need money?"
Paige looked up at a man in a purple suit with half lidded eyes. "Yeah."
"Let's talk. I think I have an offer you might consider." He smirked.
Paige held out her hand for him to help her up. She swayed and her put his arms around her to steady her.
"What's your drug of choice, doll?"
"Jusss alcohol."
He grinned. "Well, If you work for me I can get you something harder. It'll really numb whatever you're trying not to feel." He winked.
Paige smirked. "Soundss like a deal."
"Take a walk on the wild side, doll." He pulled a little baggie out of his suit pocket. "I'll give you a little taste, but then you gotta work for your meals. Deal?" He smirked and she opened her mouth. He dumped the contents of the baggie onto her tongue. "You're gonna love it."
Paige's eyes turned almost as black as a demon's then her phone fell from her hand and hit the concrete.
*Piper Calling* was flashing across a small cracked screen while Paige stumbled away in the arms of the man who gave her drugs and looked like a pimp from a 1980s movie.
Phoebe felt like the vision was ending, but then it jumped ahead.
Leo appeared an a dark alley. He wasn't able to sense Paige because they didn't have their powers anymore so they had Darryl track her down and when he found anyone whose description sounded like her Leo would go to check it out.
At first Piper and Phoebe went along, but they couldn't take the feeling of their hope being crushed when it turned out to not be her or maybe it was her, but she had already left. There was too much disappointment so Leo started going alone to check out the leads Darryl sent. Sometimes their lives didn't feel much different from chasing down demons and tracking a missing innocent. Leo sighed.
"Paige?" He looked around. He saw a night club that was all lit up with flashing neon lights. It looked like the place Darryl mentioned so he went in and looked around.
Half naked woman and hollering men litter the entire place.
"Excuse me, I'm looking for Paige Matthews. Have you seen her?"
"Who might you be?"
"I'm her bro-" Something told Leo the truth would get him thrown out. "I'm her biggest fan. I heard she worked here and I was hoping to see her." Leo gave the bouncer his best sleezy grin even though it made him extremely uncomfortable to do that.
"I get it." He smirked. "Well, that name doesn't work here, but Cherry Darling does." He winked. "Pay the man in the yellow suit and ask for a back room. Trust me, she don't disappoint." He grinned and slapped Leo on the back as he walked in.
Leo gulped. He walked over to a man in a yellow suit. "Excuse me, can I see.. Cherry Darling please?"
"500."
Leo gaped at him. "Dollars?!"
"No, poker chips." The man rolled his eyes. "Of course dollars! I'm running a business here, not a charity." He scoffed. "Money up front. 500 per hour." He stated.
Leo didn't bring any money with him. "I don't have any money."
The man stood up. "You come to my club and you ain't got no dough?!"
"I wasn't aware where I would find her. She's my sister-in-law. If I could just see how she's doing and talk to her, then I promise I'll leave."
"No." He glared at Leo.
"Please, my wife is pregnant and very concerned. She stays up late worrying every night. If I could just give her some peace of mind by talking to her sister. Anything."
"How much you got? And don't say nothing." He growled at Leo.
"I have an antique watch. You can pawn it. Just let me talk to her." Leo spoke with authority. He may be a pacifist, but he still wouldn't back down from a fight if someone he cares about was in trouble. "Please."
"I'll take the watch." He held out his hand. "It ain't enough for a room, but I can tell you that after she gets off work around 4am she'll be at Motel 69 in room 303. It's my room, so don't take too long. I need to destress after a long work day if you get my drift." He winked at Leo.
It took everything in Leo to not punch the man and make a scene. "I understand. Thank you very much."
Once again Phoebe thought she would come out of the vision, but this time it slipped through, like a montage of future moments.
*Paige arguing with Leo*
*Paige throwing Leo out*
*Leo telling her and Piper what he found out about Paige and consoling them, especially his wife.*
*Paige and that man doing drugs*
*That man hitting Paige*
*Paige leaving that man*
*Piper put on bed rest for stress*
*Paige living on the streets*
*Phoebe finding Paige*
*Paige running away from her*
*Paige doing more drugs*
*Paige drinking while doing drugs*
*Darryl finding Paige*
*Paige running from him*
*Piper going into labor*
*Paige found in an alley*
*Piper giving the baby a middle name to honor her lost sister*
*Paige going to rehab*
*Piper and Phoebe visiting*
*Paige ignoring them*
*Piper and Phoebe visiting again*
*Piper freaking out*
*Piper and Phoebe getting banned*
*Paige signing herself out*
*The cycle repeats with new men, new drugs, and lots of drinking*
*Piper and Phoebe getting the call that their baby sister OD'd*
*Piper and Phoebe going to another funeral for another sister*
*The Elders informing Leo that since Paige went down the wrong path and couldn't find her way back that she couldn't become a whitelighter*
Phoebe was finally pulled from the vision. She collapsed in a fit of tears in the arms of her eldest sister.
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry I had to show you that." Prue whispered holding her younger sister close to her. "You needed to see it, to understand how bad it will get if you and Piper can't bridge the gap between the two of you and Paige." She rubbed her younger sister's back as Phoebe sobbed in her arms. "You can still help her. It's not too late." She soothed. "Just bridge the gap."
"I don't.. know.. how." Phoebe forced the words out in between sobs. "What can I do?! How can I prevent this horrible future?!"