::Paige stops outside the door with Azura and looks at her.::

"This is it."

::She looks at the door for a while, then at Azura.::

"I still want this place to open, even though I won't be there to see it happen. And... well, I was hoping you might be willing to help out."

::She opens the door. Inside is the most astonishingly huge library you've ever seen. It's just gigantic. It's clearly been magically enhanced and has ornate wooden chairs at the side, some hovering. Paige smiles at them. They fly - some books are really far away. Looks like the whitelighter might've heard one or two of the things Azura said to her.::

"I know it's not the same, but... well... I could just picture you sitting at the desk there... with these little glasses on... getting all annoyed and telling the kids to be quiet."

:: Azura is astonished by the enormity of the library. She has never seen one as big before, and she has been to quite a few libraries in her time. The witch had no idea that Paige heard anything she said to her before she came back, she hadn't considered it, she was too shocked by her return.::

"This place is beautiful."

:: It isn't the same, but it's close, and these are books on magic, some of them ancient no doubt, she couldn't do that in a normal shop. She looks at Paige, smiling now.::

"You know me too well."

:: She obviously loves it, she likes books, likes them a lot and having a library this size full of them...::

"Hm."

::Paige smiles.::

"I still want you to take a class."

::She glances up at the grandfather clock.::

"Which Jasmine will tell you about, I guess. Once this is over."

::She takes Azura's hands in hers and then bends down and kisses them. She straightens and runs her tongue across her teeth.::

"I guess I should go to them."

:: Azura isn't sure how good she will be at teaching magic to others, she doesn't even know what the class is, but still, she knows enough to feel unsure.::

"Paige-"

:: There's one more question on her mind.::

"Why were you... afraid to tell me about all of this?"

::Paige purses her lips for a while, searching for the best way to explain.::

"I just... felt... so terrible."

::She looks down at her hands. They're fidgeting with one another.::

"Everything I'd done. It weighed on me. I couldn't stop thinking about it. And... Prue seemed fine with it all. Maybe because she'd managed to avoid hurting the people she loved so well."

::Paige smiles, a bittersweet smile.::

"She's always been good a watching out for herself and others."

::Realising she's digressing, she gets back onto the topic of why she sneaked around.::

"By doing all this it was like a redemption. Like... if I gave the magical community something it could really use then maybe I could forgive myself. And I couldn't tell you, because... because I was so ashamed that I couldn't let myself off in the first place when you'd tried so hard to help me. So I went behind your back, behind everybody's back. It was gonna be my big surprise. My gift. My... apology..."

:: Azura quiet at first, even after Paige has finished explaining. She gazes around the vast library again before settling on her fianceé once more.::

"I think everyone is really going to appreciate what you have done, especially after all that has happened."

:: She turns her body into Paige.::

"I promise to help out, perhaps not... straight away, but I will help. You want this to work, and I will help ensure that it does."

:: Now, she leans into the whiteligher and speaks much more softly.::

"Paige, please do not go into this having not forgiven yourself for everything. I do not want you to, I do not want you to... die with it weighing on your mind."

"I've made my peace with the past."

::Paige looks sombre while she says this.::

"Even that dumb, dumb, stupid choice I made on the moon."

::She smiles slightly and tickles Azura's cheek.::

"That really was a lapse in your, normally, better judgement. You would think that your were trying to get out of your commitment to me."

:: Azura is trying to lighten this awful, awful situation.::

::Paige laughs.::

"Yeah, totally. I was willing to spend eternity on some rock just to get rid of you."

::The memories of what she had gone through in that decision are coming back to her, and even though whitelighter training has taught her to be okay with what she chose, the process of that itself is still something horrible to the dark-haired woman.::

"Ah, Az. I've been such an idiot in the past."

::Paige cups Azura's cheek for a while, looking at her features.::

"I hate how it's only until after the fact when you're looking back that you get to realise that."

:: Azura is all teary again, she can't help it, she cries easily.::

"Life is supposed to be a learning process. At least you got to come back having realised all of this, even if only for a little while."

"Heh. Yeah."

::Paige swallows and looks around the room. She takes a breath and lets it out anxiously.::

"Whew. This is no fun."

::She's starting to feel even more nervous now.::

"We need to get the others. Not that I necessarily want them to see this, but they need to be there with Piper in case Majora decides to go crazy."

:: Azura nods, but she isn't ready to leave this room just yet, she wants a few more seconds alone with Paige. Her last seconds alone with her.::

"I love you."

:: She strokes her face, cupping it gently then leans in to capture her lips in a kiss.::

::Paige feels like she could melt and leans into Azura, prolonging their connection for as long as she can.::

:: Azura pours her heart into this kiss, and holds Paige tight. She doesn't want to let go, nor does she want to be the one to break it, but she also doesn't want Paige to feels she needs to be the one to do so. She pulls back and lays a kiss on the tip of her fianceé's nose, followed by her forehead.::

::Paige pulls in a long, slow, deep breath. She lets it out calmly, her eyes closed, then opens them.::

"Okay. Time to go."

::She thinks about how everybody's going to react. It's a scary thought. Maybe she shouldn't go get them. She's only going to get their hopes up and knock them down.::

:: Azura takes Paige's hands in her own and squeezes them, she'll be at her side throughout.::

"Jasmine is already aware."

:: She just felt her sister's psychic sweep.::

::Paige's face falls.::

"Do you want to... talk to her?"

:: Azura is now aware of how close her sister and Paige became.::

"Or, or I could?"

"I'm sure she'll get a word in somehow."

::Paige gives Azura a weak smile.::

"You know how she is."

"I know exactly what my sister is like."

:: Family traits are always fun.::

::Yes you do, because here she is! Jasmine bursts in with Sera, then holds back. It was all very well knowing, but actually seeing Paige is something else.::

"... should've known you'd take her here."

::Sera stares at Paige, the faintest glimmer of a smile on her lips. She glances at Azura but otherwise stays very quiet.::

:: Azura is doing her best not to look grim, she doesn't want Jasmine picking up on anything from her before Paige has had a chance to speak.::

"Well, it was about time she saw."

::Paige gives Jasmine a regretful smile, then nods at her.::

::Jasmine moves to Paige, then stops and looks from Azura to Sera.::

"This is platonic, I swear."

::She gives the whitelighter a long, tight hug and murmurs into her ear.::

"You're not staying, are you?"

::Paige breathes in shakily. Jasmine. She missed Jasmine.::

"I'm sorry."

"S'alright. I guess you've got..."

::Jasmine pulls away and plays with Paige's hands.::

"Hero stuff to do."

(Az, love, we've got to go.)

"That was Andrea, it is time to leave."

:: Azura looks at the three women, Jasmine being the last.::

(Thank you for helping her.)

:: And she just doesn't mean with the school, she means everything.::

"All right. Party."

::Paige swallows.::

"... maybe I should meet you guys there..."

::Paige gets called again, even louder and more painfully this time.::

::Wincing, Paige puts a hand to her head and makes several sounds of protest. Rude ones.::

"I don't know why they have to make it hurt!"

(They must know what I'm doing. Well they can... rack off.)

:: Azura places her hand on Paige's arm.::

"Perhaps you should go to your sisters before they can stop you."

::Paige smiles wryly.::

"Didn't think I'd hear a thing like that coming from you."

::Oh, you may be powerful, Paige, but don't forget who's fuelling those powers. Paige is suddenly taken away by force. It looks kinda sore.::

"... that didn't look good..."

"... no, no it did not."

:: Azura reaches out to the spot where Paige stood next to her only moments ago. She looks at her sister, at a loss for what they should do.::

"Should we go to the others now, or do, do we-"

:: She looks up, from the way she was taken it seems The Elders will do everything in their power to stop Paige from sacrificing herself. In a way she is glad, but she feels guilty for her selfish thoughts.::

"If Andso says we gotta go, we better go."

::Jasmine takes Sera's hand.::

"Paige'll do what she wants to. You know she will. She'll be back."

"Mm."

:: Azura nods, her gaze flitting to Jasmine and Sera's hands momentarily. It was hard enough her suggesting to Paige that she leave before The Elders stopped her. She doesn't look either women in the face as she passes them to make her way back up to the upstairs hallway. Not before taking one last glance at the library, that is.::

::Jasmine pulls in a deep breath through her nose and lets it out slowly, giving Azura a moment's start on them. She then squeezes Sera's hand and pulls on it.::

"Come on, then."

::She leads the girl another way, knowing the quickest routes through the house. They arrive in the parlour together.::