Paige arrived on Lucy and Kevin's doorstep after her flight was delayed by a mysterious bright light that hovered over Port Charles. Kevin was overjoyed to see his long-time friend, someone he had not seen since their days in Europe nearly twenty years earlier. Lucy appeared troubled by Paige's beauty, saying repeatedly that she didn't look like she had aged a day since her 20s. Lucy took it upon herself to find out what Paige was using to keep looking so young.

Paige's secret was revealed in mid-January 2002 -- she was an angel who returned to earth to complete her life's mission. Paige had married her husband, Will, but she was unable to get her first love, Kevin Collins, out of her mind. One night The Smiths decided to travel from Europe to Port Charles so that Paige could let go of the love she had for Kevin. On the way to the airport, Paige swerved her car to avoid hitting something that had darted into the road. The car went down an embankment and Paige's husband was killed. Paige died several weeks later. Will asked that Paige find a way to continue her mission so that she could love him in death the way that she could not love him in life.

Paige and Kevin grew close as Kevin painted her portrait. Paige decided to have the life that Lucy had, manipulating Christina to see her a mother. When Kevin was teetering near death after being electrocuted, Paige appeared to him in angel form and implored him to die, to be on the other side with her. Kevin resisted, left with a fuzzy memory of what had happened. He and Ian began investigating Amy and Paige's pasts, and discovered Paige had actually died in the car crash which killed her husband. Seconds before Paige confessed she was an angel, Ed beamed her, Rafe, Amy and Casey upstairs to warn them to keep their secret. He specifically forbade Paige to stop manipulating Christina and Kevin. The 4 angels also learned of a fifth chair, a living Port Charles resident who would join them after the 3 months had ended.

Since Paige vanished without explanation, Christina was left alone. Livid, Lucy threw Paige out of the house. Christina, already ill, fell into worse health and was rushed to the hospital after passing out. Kevin overheard Paige telling Christina she could give up if she wanted to, and began putting two and two together. His memory of her as an angel returned.

Christina recovered, and Lucy agreed to let Kevin finish painting Paige's portrait. When he completed it, Lucy (determined to find out what had brought Paige to Port Charles) bought herself, Kevin and Paige airline tickets to London. Paige reluctantly agreed, and they traveled to her ancestral home to hang her portrait along with the portraits of her family. While there, Lucy discovered a gap in the row of paintings. The nameplate read Rebecca Smith Barrington. Lucy insisted Paige must be related to Alison and the Barringtons of Port Charles. Meanwhile, Rafe and Allison found Rebecca's portrait in Alison's attic, and Rafe was shocked to discover Rebecca was a dead ringer for Paige.

Although Paige was initially hesitant, they told her how wonderful Alison was and she realized this might be the reason she'd come to Port Charles. Alison went to the barn where Alison and Rafe were staying, but Rafe was convinced Paige wanted to take her to fill the fifth chair, and ran away with Alison.

Heartbroken, Paige returned to the Lighthouse to say goodbye to Kevin and Christina. Kevin thanked her for teaching Christina to love him, swore they would meet again someday, and gave her a goodbye kiss.

Soon after, Alison was distraught over Rafe's departure, and didn't notice a train rushing towards her until it was too late. In the nick of time, Paige pulled Alison off the tracks and to safety. The relatives shared a brief face-to-face meeting before Paige was beamed upstairs.

Walking through the portal after giving a grateful and apologetic Rafe a pep talk, Paige happily went on to her destiny, because she had accomplished her goal in saving Alison's life.