Ficathon Entry: Way More Than Sixteen Candles (Charmed)
Title: Way More Than Sixteen Candles
Author:lunarknightz
Written for:ligia_elena
Fandom:Charmed
Pairing:Piper/Leo, with mentions of Chris/Bianca, Phoebe/Coop, and Paige/Henry
Rating: PG
Disclaimer:These goggles! They make me own nothing! This is for fun, not for zee profits!
Author's Note:Set after series finale.
Summary: It's Piper's birthday, and nobody's remembered.
She didn’t expect a ticker tape parade or to be serenaded by a brass band as she entered the kitchen. They would have been nice, but she certainly didn’t expect them. (Stranger things had happened in her life than a spontaneous parade in the kitchen.) No, Piper merely expected at least one of her family members to look up from their breakfast and Sunday Morning paper and say hello, if not even, “Happy Birthday!”.
”Garfield must be awfully darn funny, this morning, huh?” She sighed as she saw a Pop Tart rise up from a plate in the middle of the table and fly over the sports section to her oldest son.
“How many times do I have to tell you, NO FLOATING PASTRY!” Piper growled. “We have rules in this house, you know.”
Wyatt looked sheepish as he put the paper down. “Sorry, Mom. Would you believe that they taste better after they’re airborne?”
“Seriously, that’s the best you can do?” Chris laughed at his older brother. “Lamest excuse ever.”
“You could do better?”
“Just say that you were vanquishing a taste demon or something. Works every time.”
Melinda, who was now twelve years old and certain that she had the world figured out, rolled her eyes. “Mom, tell me they both were adopted. There’s no way that I can be related to people who are so LAME.”
“I’ll tell you what’s lame. Not saying good morning to your one and only mother, the person who carried you for months and kept you from harm, who changed your dirty diapers for years, who spent hours upon hours of grueling labor…”
“Sheesh, Mom.” Chris frowned, “You’re getting guilt all over my favorite sweater. And the coupon section!”
“I think I can live with it.” Piper poured herself a bowl of cereal and sat down at the kitchen table with her children. “So where’s your father?”
”He left early today.” Melinda shrugged. “Said that he had stuff to do.”
“He said that he was going fishing.” Wyatt insisted. “He had a tackle box and those pants that look really stupid on.”
“They’re called waders.” Chris said. “And yeah, they’re like a million types of dorky, but they’re actually quite practical for aquatic activities…”
“You are such a nerd.” Wyatt laughed.
“And yet, I’m the one that has a steady girlfriend.” Chris grinned. “Figure that one out.”
“That’s easy. Bianca’s pretty, but she’s got to be criminally insane if she’s dating someone like you…”
Piper was in no mood to watch her boys fight. Knowing all too well which direction this spat would take, she used her powers to freeze time for a moment. She kept them frozen as she ate her Cheerios in peace.
As she put the dish in the sink, she unfroze her kids. “Enough” she said, effectively ending the fight. “What’s on everyone’s agenda today?”
”Library.” Wyatt sighed. “Another meeting of that SAT study group I’m part of. Schools are going to be begging me to come after I cream that stupid test.”
“I’ve got a date.” Chris said. “There’s a classic Tom Hanks festival going on at the movie theatre, and Bianca’s never seen Cast Away. Isn’t that a tragedy?”
”What about you, Melinda?” Piper said hopefully. “We could call up Aunt Phoebe and Aunt Paige and hit the spa. Massages, and that really good smelling oil, and a facial, and we could get our nails done…”
“Sounds great, Mom” Melinda said, “But I promised Amy I’d meet her at the mall. She’s got to go to her brother’s wedding next weekend and has, like, nothing to wear. Can I get a rain check on the spa?”
”Sure.” Piper shrugged. “Whatever.”
“Ugh. Look at the time. Chris, Melinda, if you want me to drop you off, we’d better hustle. Study groups wait for no one.”
Her children left in a hurry, and Piper found herself alone with dirty dishes and a crumpled newspaper. “Happy Birthday to Me.” She said dejectedly.
She didn’t expect a big fuss. But some fuss would have been nice. Hell, it would have been nice if they’d just remembered.
______
”Do you think she’ll like it?” Leo said, looking around the dining room.
“I’m sure she’ll love it.” Phoebe said with a grin. “She’ll be furious at you for keeping the secret, but she’ll adore the surprise party.”
“You told me this was a good idea.”
“I told you that I was thinking of throwing her a surprise party. I do it, she thinks I’m being the cute little sister. You do it, and she’ll come in here thinking that you’d rather spend the day wearing rubber pants than be with her. She’ll get over it, though.”
“Why do I listen to you?” Leo groaned. “You think that by now I would know better.”
“And yet, you don’t.” Phoebe grinned. “Face it, you need someone with imagination to do something super special for Piper, and I have imagination in spades.”
“Among other things.” Coop said softly, as he walked by, carrying a banner.
“I heard that!” Phoebe said, and took off after her husband.
Paige walked in, her arms full of cloth grocery bags. She was big into saving the environment at the moment. Henry trailed behind her, as the twins and Henry Jr. spotted Phoebe’s kids and ran over to them. Paige set the bags down on the table.
”Honey, can you unload this stuff?”
“Sure thing.” Henry said with a smile.
“Because of you,” Paige greeted Leo, “I had to turn my phone off. Do you have any idea how many times Piper has called me today? I had to invent phantom Girl Scout meetings and an extra game for Henry Jr. I finally turned off my phone because I know she’d look up the team on the web and call me on it if I didn’t. Keeping a secret from her is absolutely exhausting!”
“Yeah.” Leo shrugged. “I’m getting that.”
“So when will she be here?”
“Any time now. The kids are calling in their excuses for supper as we speak.”
_____
Piper was fed up.
A storm had held Leo up on his fishing trip. He wouldn’t be home until late.
Wyatt’s car had broken down, and he was at the shop, trying to get it fixed. He wouldn’t be home for dinner.
Chris had been called into work. He wouldn’t be home until the store closed.
Melinda won free tickets to go see a movie at the mall. Which, of course she was seeing with her best friend Amy.
Paige was busy running her kids around to various activities. Phoebe was out on a book tour, and she’d taken advantage of the school holidays and taken the kids and Coop along.
All of her friends were busy. She called and got awkward excuses, or more often, voice mail.
She was close to digging out her yearbooks to look for an idea of someone to call when Piper decided to stop feeling sorry for herself.
Yes, it was her birthday. And yes, she was alone, abandoned by all her family and friends. But that didn’t mean that she had to be miserable.
She had some rare truffles at the restaurant- she’d been saving them for a special dish to put on the menu. Screw the customers- this was her birthday. If she was going to dine alone, she was going to dine in style tonight. She’d closed the restaurant for tonight, in anticipation of celebrating her birthday. Piper would have the place all by herself.
When she arrived to the restaurant, Piper opened the door. She hung up her purse behind the front counter and walked to the main dining room, and turned on the light.
”SURPRISE!” The room was filled with her friends. “Happy Birthday, Piper!”
Piper stood, totally frozen.
“Happy Birthday Sis.” Paige stepped forward with her family. “I feel really bad about the whole game thing.”
“I knew he didn’t have a game today.” Piper muttered.
“Guilty.” Paige shrugged. “You’ll forgive me once you get your gift, believe me.”
“Hey, that’s my line.” Phoebe said, walking up and hugging Piper. Coop and the girls were right behind her. “Believe me, this was totally not my idea. No matter what anyone says.”
”I thought you were on a book tour…”
“Of Northern California.” Phoebe shrugged. “Even though I’m a best-selling author, do you really think I would miss your birthday?”
“I guess not.”
”Hey Mom.” Wyatt walked up to her with a grin. “You’d be amazed at how fast they fix your car when it’s not even broken! He gave her a big hug. “Happy Birthday!”
“The movie stunk, so I snuck out early.” Melinda said, appearing beside Wyatt. “And besides, I’d never miss a party for a stupid movie that’s not even rated PG-13!”
Piper felt a tap on her shoulder, and she turned around. “Happy Birthday, Mom!” Chris said with a smile. “I lied about working tonight.”
“Obviously.” Piper smiled, “But why?”
“I asked him to.” Leo worked his way through the crowd to his wife. “So we could surprise you. It’s a surprise party.”
“Indeed.” Piper nodded. “And you got me good, believe me. I was going to celebrate my birthday alone with truffles.”
“We’re better than truffles!” Phoebe declared triumphantly. “And besides, we’re your family. Did you really think we’d let you get away that easy?”
____
After the cake had been cut and the birthday song sung, soft music began to play through the sound system at the restaurant. All over the place, couples were beginning to couple up. Phoebe and Coop, Paige and Henry, Chris and Bianca. Wyatt was dancing with Melinda, while Henry Jr. was dancing with both of Phoebe’s daughters. Paige’s twins were dancing with each other.
“Can I have this dance?” Leo said. Piper nodded.
“So I really fooled you?”
“I was too busy throwing myself a pity party to think that you were up to something.”
“So if I want to get away with something, I need to make you absolutely miserable?”
“I wouldn’t advise it.” Piper frowned. “All’s well that ends well, but let’s not push things, huh?”
“Point made.” Leo pulled Piper closer. “Happy Birthday, sweetheart.” He kissed her forehead. “Did I ever tell you that I love you?”
“Oh, one or two…million times.” She smiled. “I’d always like to hear it again, though.”
“I love you.”
“I love you, too.” Piper leaned in and kissed Leo on the lips.
This was way better than a ticker tape parade.
Author:lunarknightz
Written for:ligia_elena
Fandom:Charmed
Pairing:Piper/Leo, with mentions of Chris/Bianca, Phoebe/Coop, and Paige/Henry
Rating: PG
Disclaimer:These goggles! They make me own nothing! This is for fun, not for zee profits!
Author's Note:Set after series finale.
Summary: It's Piper's birthday, and nobody's remembered.
She didn’t expect a ticker tape parade or to be serenaded by a brass band as she entered the kitchen. They would have been nice, but she certainly didn’t expect them. (Stranger things had happened in her life than a spontaneous parade in the kitchen.) No, Piper merely expected at least one of her family members to look up from their breakfast and Sunday Morning paper and say hello, if not even, “Happy Birthday!”.
”Garfield must be awfully darn funny, this morning, huh?” She sighed as she saw a Pop Tart rise up from a plate in the middle of the table and fly over the sports section to her oldest son.
“How many times do I have to tell you, NO FLOATING PASTRY!” Piper growled. “We have rules in this house, you know.”
Wyatt looked sheepish as he put the paper down. “Sorry, Mom. Would you believe that they taste better after they’re airborne?”
“Seriously, that’s the best you can do?” Chris laughed at his older brother. “Lamest excuse ever.”
“You could do better?”
“Just say that you were vanquishing a taste demon or something. Works every time.”
Melinda, who was now twelve years old and certain that she had the world figured out, rolled her eyes. “Mom, tell me they both were adopted. There’s no way that I can be related to people who are so LAME.”
“I’ll tell you what’s lame. Not saying good morning to your one and only mother, the person who carried you for months and kept you from harm, who changed your dirty diapers for years, who spent hours upon hours of grueling labor…”
“Sheesh, Mom.” Chris frowned, “You’re getting guilt all over my favorite sweater. And the coupon section!”
“I think I can live with it.” Piper poured herself a bowl of cereal and sat down at the kitchen table with her children. “So where’s your father?”
”He left early today.” Melinda shrugged. “Said that he had stuff to do.”
“He said that he was going fishing.” Wyatt insisted. “He had a tackle box and those pants that look really stupid on.”
“They’re called waders.” Chris said. “And yeah, they’re like a million types of dorky, but they’re actually quite practical for aquatic activities…”
“You are such a nerd.” Wyatt laughed.
“And yet, I’m the one that has a steady girlfriend.” Chris grinned. “Figure that one out.”
“That’s easy. Bianca’s pretty, but she’s got to be criminally insane if she’s dating someone like you…”
Piper was in no mood to watch her boys fight. Knowing all too well which direction this spat would take, she used her powers to freeze time for a moment. She kept them frozen as she ate her Cheerios in peace.
As she put the dish in the sink, she unfroze her kids. “Enough” she said, effectively ending the fight. “What’s on everyone’s agenda today?”
”Library.” Wyatt sighed. “Another meeting of that SAT study group I’m part of. Schools are going to be begging me to come after I cream that stupid test.”
“I’ve got a date.” Chris said. “There’s a classic Tom Hanks festival going on at the movie theatre, and Bianca’s never seen Cast Away. Isn’t that a tragedy?”
”What about you, Melinda?” Piper said hopefully. “We could call up Aunt Phoebe and Aunt Paige and hit the spa. Massages, and that really good smelling oil, and a facial, and we could get our nails done…”
“Sounds great, Mom” Melinda said, “But I promised Amy I’d meet her at the mall. She’s got to go to her brother’s wedding next weekend and has, like, nothing to wear. Can I get a rain check on the spa?”
”Sure.” Piper shrugged. “Whatever.”
“Ugh. Look at the time. Chris, Melinda, if you want me to drop you off, we’d better hustle. Study groups wait for no one.”
Her children left in a hurry, and Piper found herself alone with dirty dishes and a crumpled newspaper. “Happy Birthday to Me.” She said dejectedly.
She didn’t expect a big fuss. But some fuss would have been nice. Hell, it would have been nice if they’d just remembered.
______
”Do you think she’ll like it?” Leo said, looking around the dining room.
“I’m sure she’ll love it.” Phoebe said with a grin. “She’ll be furious at you for keeping the secret, but she’ll adore the surprise party.”
“You told me this was a good idea.”
“I told you that I was thinking of throwing her a surprise party. I do it, she thinks I’m being the cute little sister. You do it, and she’ll come in here thinking that you’d rather spend the day wearing rubber pants than be with her. She’ll get over it, though.”
“Why do I listen to you?” Leo groaned. “You think that by now I would know better.”
“And yet, you don’t.” Phoebe grinned. “Face it, you need someone with imagination to do something super special for Piper, and I have imagination in spades.”
“Among other things.” Coop said softly, as he walked by, carrying a banner.
“I heard that!” Phoebe said, and took off after her husband.
Paige walked in, her arms full of cloth grocery bags. She was big into saving the environment at the moment. Henry trailed behind her, as the twins and Henry Jr. spotted Phoebe’s kids and ran over to them. Paige set the bags down on the table.
”Honey, can you unload this stuff?”
“Sure thing.” Henry said with a smile.
“Because of you,” Paige greeted Leo, “I had to turn my phone off. Do you have any idea how many times Piper has called me today? I had to invent phantom Girl Scout meetings and an extra game for Henry Jr. I finally turned off my phone because I know she’d look up the team on the web and call me on it if I didn’t. Keeping a secret from her is absolutely exhausting!”
“Yeah.” Leo shrugged. “I’m getting that.”
“So when will she be here?”
“Any time now. The kids are calling in their excuses for supper as we speak.”
_____
Piper was fed up.
A storm had held Leo up on his fishing trip. He wouldn’t be home until late.
Wyatt’s car had broken down, and he was at the shop, trying to get it fixed. He wouldn’t be home for dinner.
Chris had been called into work. He wouldn’t be home until the store closed.
Melinda won free tickets to go see a movie at the mall. Which, of course she was seeing with her best friend Amy.
Paige was busy running her kids around to various activities. Phoebe was out on a book tour, and she’d taken advantage of the school holidays and taken the kids and Coop along.
All of her friends were busy. She called and got awkward excuses, or more often, voice mail.
She was close to digging out her yearbooks to look for an idea of someone to call when Piper decided to stop feeling sorry for herself.
Yes, it was her birthday. And yes, she was alone, abandoned by all her family and friends. But that didn’t mean that she had to be miserable.
She had some rare truffles at the restaurant- she’d been saving them for a special dish to put on the menu. Screw the customers- this was her birthday. If she was going to dine alone, she was going to dine in style tonight. She’d closed the restaurant for tonight, in anticipation of celebrating her birthday. Piper would have the place all by herself.
When she arrived to the restaurant, Piper opened the door. She hung up her purse behind the front counter and walked to the main dining room, and turned on the light.
”SURPRISE!” The room was filled with her friends. “Happy Birthday, Piper!”
Piper stood, totally frozen.
“Happy Birthday Sis.” Paige stepped forward with her family. “I feel really bad about the whole game thing.”
“I knew he didn’t have a game today.” Piper muttered.
“Guilty.” Paige shrugged. “You’ll forgive me once you get your gift, believe me.”
“Hey, that’s my line.” Phoebe said, walking up and hugging Piper. Coop and the girls were right behind her. “Believe me, this was totally not my idea. No matter what anyone says.”
”I thought you were on a book tour…”
“Of Northern California.” Phoebe shrugged. “Even though I’m a best-selling author, do you really think I would miss your birthday?”
“I guess not.”
”Hey Mom.” Wyatt walked up to her with a grin. “You’d be amazed at how fast they fix your car when it’s not even broken! He gave her a big hug. “Happy Birthday!”
“The movie stunk, so I snuck out early.” Melinda said, appearing beside Wyatt. “And besides, I’d never miss a party for a stupid movie that’s not even rated PG-13!”
Piper felt a tap on her shoulder, and she turned around. “Happy Birthday, Mom!” Chris said with a smile. “I lied about working tonight.”
“Obviously.” Piper smiled, “But why?”
“I asked him to.” Leo worked his way through the crowd to his wife. “So we could surprise you. It’s a surprise party.”
“Indeed.” Piper nodded. “And you got me good, believe me. I was going to celebrate my birthday alone with truffles.”
“We’re better than truffles!” Phoebe declared triumphantly. “And besides, we’re your family. Did you really think we’d let you get away that easy?”
____
After the cake had been cut and the birthday song sung, soft music began to play through the sound system at the restaurant. All over the place, couples were beginning to couple up. Phoebe and Coop, Paige and Henry, Chris and Bianca. Wyatt was dancing with Melinda, while Henry Jr. was dancing with both of Phoebe’s daughters. Paige’s twins were dancing with each other.
“Can I have this dance?” Leo said. Piper nodded.
“So I really fooled you?”
“I was too busy throwing myself a pity party to think that you were up to something.”
“So if I want to get away with something, I need to make you absolutely miserable?”
“I wouldn’t advise it.” Piper frowned. “All’s well that ends well, but let’s not push things, huh?”
“Point made.” Leo pulled Piper closer. “Happy Birthday, sweetheart.” He kissed her forehead. “Did I ever tell you that I love you?”
“Oh, one or two…million times.” She smiled. “I’d always like to hear it again, though.”
“I love you.”
“I love you, too.” Piper leaned in and kissed Leo on the lips.
This was way better than a ticker tape parade.