A/N: This is a one-shot challenge fic from Prince Halliwell (a fellow FFN author). This is my second challenge fic and it is an AU (Alternate Universe) re-write of of the the season 5 episode, "The Day The Magic Died."
Prince Halliwell's Challenge - Phoebe managed to keep her and Cole's child from The Seer, and she and Piper are both heavily pregnant. But both children come premature and magic rests for one day to welcome The Twice Blessed Children, but Gideon revives The Seer and they team up to stop the birth of the children. It's up to you have they have girls, boys, or one have girl one have boy, and you can name them whatever you'd like.
The Day The Magic Was Born
The youngest Charmed One, a Halliwell by blood and a Matthews by adoption, shaded her dark brown eyes as she gazed out the rainbow colored stained glass window of the rose colored Halliwell Manor which had been passed down through the Warren witches for several generations. Her porcelain hand reached out and grasped the door handle connected to the door that led into the backyard, from the kitchen. "It's so much brighter than it was less than an hour ago," she announced as she met her very pregnant older sisters outside. She glanced up at the sky again and marveled at the green and lavender misty colors that were swirling around above her.
Phoebe Halliwell, or Halliwell-Turner by marriage, placed a heavy hand atop her eight-month pregnant belly and groaned loudly as her unborn child sent another powerful kick into her bladder. "It's like-like," she placed both hands on her lawn chair and struggled to her feet. "Well, it's like magic and science and fairy fales all rolled up into one." She smiled up at the swirling aray.
The half whitelighter, half witch, smirked as she walked over to her older sister and steadied her. "Actually, it's an ion speeding into Earth's magentic field and they collide with the air molecules."
"Okay, Smart Stuff," Phoebe frowned.
"Do you need help?" Paige offered, as she glanced down at Phoebe's swollen stomach.
"No, I'm good, I just need to get to the bathroom," the psychic Charmed One replied. Red, orange, and yellow flames exploded from the ground and began to dance around Phoebe until they'd engulfed her fully and she'd vanished from sight.
Paige swirled around to her eldest living sister. "So, how's it goin'?" Her slender form slid into Phoebe's lawn chair.
The eldest Charmed One, Piper, snorted. Her brown eyes traveled down to her enlarged seven-month pregnant belly. "You've got to be kidding me, Paige." Her voice was dry.
Paige opened and closed her mouth a time or two. "Right," she sighed, returning her delicate gaze to the sight above her. "Do you think it's kinda weird that the Aurora Borealis is happening the night before the Wiccan Festival of Lights?"
Piper's nose twitched, like Samantha from the hit television series, 'Bewitched,' and she ran her index finger and thumb across her chin. "To be honest, I've been so busy planning for the girls that tomorrow being the Sabbath totally slipped my mind."
"Yep, growth and rebirth!"
Piper's sugar brown eyes became the size of saucers. "Paige! Don't you dare say things like that!"
"What?" The witchlighter flashed her brown eyes innocently, making her look all the more guilty. In truth, however, she honestly had no idea what her sister was chastising her about.
"First of all, this kid doesn't need to get any bigger! If she does, I'll never get my shape back! I'll be like-like-like one of those pathetic stretched out rubber bands that can break easily! And two, magic does strange things, and I don't want you jinxing me into having to give birth twice." She waved a warning finger at the young witch. "Watching Charlotte do it was hard enough."
"Charlotte?"
"Melinda Warren's mother," Phoebe clarified, as she waddled outside. "Piper delivered Melinda when Prue, Piper, and I traveled back in time." She reached her baby sister and poked her. "Up Missy Paige, you don't want your nephew to get stressed, do you?"
Paige's mouth fromed into an upside down 'u,' as picked herself up from the lawn chair. "I thought this line has always had girls, why would we have a boy now?"
Phoebe plopped down into the chair and smiled in relief to be off her swollen ankles. "Change happens, Paige. Besides, we're due for a boy."
"But how do you know?"
"The Seer said that she saw a son for Cole and I."
The whitewitch frowned at the mention of the half-demon's name. "She was also evil, Phoebe."
"That doesn't discredit her power."
Paige, exasperated, threw up her arms in frustration.
"If you ask me, having a little Cole Junior around wouldn't be so bad," she grinned. "Little C.J." The psychic patted her massive belly.
Like we need another one of those. Paige thought, irritably.
"Paige, I really don't like you insulting my family," Phoebe warned.
"Phoebe, she didn't say-"
"Excuse me, thinking badly of my family," the middle Charmed One rephrased. "My son doesn't like it either and we wouldn't want him to hurl you through a window again."
"Is that a threat, Phoebe?" Paige asked.
"No," Phoebe sighed. "It's the hormones. But in all honesty, I feel his frustration when you talk, or think, ill about him and Cole. He kicks and it hurts, a lot."
"Yeah, sure, whatever," Paige hissed before she turned to walk inside. As she did so, she caught Piper pull her arms together. "Piper, are you cold?"
Piper quickly shook her head to indicate that Paige was incorrect.
"I think you were shivering," the witchlighter persisted.
"Was not!" Piper replied, defiantly.
"Piper!"
"I'm fine, Paige!"
"You don't look fine," Paige said as she changed directions and walked over to her sister. "You have goosebumps all along your arms and legs!"
"Yeah, well-well...Phoebe didn't look fine when she was bent over the toilet puking her guts out this morning! Nausea, headaches, goosebumps...it's all a normal part of pregnancy."
"Along with gas, heartburn, the constant need to pee," Phoebe added.
"Sounds fun," Paige added sarcastically. Suddenly a loud, scratchy sound pierces Paige's ears and she looks down at her feet to find something glittering in the grass. She bends down and picks up a heavy, oval shaped object. She rolls her eyes and hands the object to Piper. "Another solid gold goose egg."
"You'd think the magical community could find something else to give Prudence," Piper frowned.
Paige smiled. Although she'd never known Prue and had often felt jealous of her mysterious older sister after she'd joined the Charmed circle shorting after Prue's death, she still felt that it was a good contribution to the great witch.
"You mean the good magical community," Phoebe interjected. "They shy away from me and C.J."
Ever wonder why? Paige thought to herself.
"Paige!" Phoebe thundered.
"Well tell your kid to stay out of my head!" Paige fired back. "Besides, can you blame them? I'm sorry, Phoebe. But your child was destined to be the next Source! I don't blame them for not wanting to praise it."
"Him!" Phoebe snapped, angrily. Her eyes blazed, fortunately not in the literal sense, and then she left in a very literal blaze.
"Always so dramatic," Paige mumbled under her breath.
"What?" Piper asked, taking her eyes off the golden goose egg.
"Nothing," Paige quickly replied. "You know, if you don't need that-"
"No, Paige!"
"But Piper! I could make a great golden ring out of this hunk-a-junk," the whitelighter-witch protested.
"We are not keep-"
"Goosy, goosy, goosy..." Leo cut in, as he orbed in behind the white goose. He dove at the goose, who jumped out of the way, causing Leo to land on his face.
Piper and Paige burst into hysterical laughter, as the whitelighter pulled to his feet and proceeded to chase the goose inside, but not without a warming red face. The Charmed Ones continued to giggle, until Piper placed both hands atop her belly.
"Are you okay?" Paige asked, suddenly alert and very worried.
"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine," Piper sighed. "Look, Paige, as much as I'm enjoying this little display, we have to send everything back. My dad is coming over tomorrow and he gets so Darren Stephens about magic."
"Like father like daughter," Paige quipped, before quickly ducking out of the way of a slap by her annoyed elder sister. "But before you go and get rid of this stuff, I think we should have Leo check with The Elders about returning magical gifts. We wouldn't want to look a magical gift horse in the mouth and then end up cursing the family or something." She looks lustfully at the golden egg.
Piper places a hand over the egg, keeping it from her baby sister's line of vision. "More than we already are?" Piper asked, raising a brow. "Yeah, yeah, I guess you're right." She glanced over at the house. "Leo!"
Moments later a shower of blue and white sparkling lights fill up a portion of the air, illuminating the area, and then Leo Wyatt appeared. The whitelighter smiles warmly at his wife. "Yes?"
"How's the goose hunt going?"
Leo's face was flushed, but it soon became brighter with embarrassment. "Uh-uhm, what did you say you needed?"
"We were going to ask you to check The El-"
Leo looks upwards. "Ooh, sorry honey, They're calling."
"Well fine, you go Up There and ask them what they want and I'll go upstairs." She stands up and wobbles, feeling very dizzy. "Or I'll stay here," she mumbled as she collapsed into her chair.
"Piper!" Leo and Paige gasp in unison, as they raced to her aid.
"Leo, hurry!" Paige snapped.
Leo placed his hands over Piper, but nothing happened.
"What's wrong?"
"I don't know!"
"Then we have to get her to the hospital!"
Leo pulled Piper into his arms and orbed off.
Paige stood up and orbed off after them.
1 Hour Later----
Piper's brown eyes fluttered open to reveal seering white lights. She blinked a few times and as her sight came back, she saw the outlines of four dark figures surrounding her. "Leo?" She muttered.
"You gave us quite a scare."
Piper's pale lips formed into a smile at the sound of Phoebe's voice. "I guess I'm not that invincible, am I?"
"Guess not," Leo answered, as he gave her a small kiss on the cheek. "I told you to take it easy."
"Don't rub it in," Piper grumbled, as she realized that Paige and Cole were also there and unfortunately pretending to get along for Piper and the baby's sake.
The pristine white door flings open and a woman in a white lab coat comes in. She was wearing white shoes and black slacks. Her long, red curls were pulled back into a tight ponytail and she carried a wooden clip board with a mound of information attached to it. "Piper Halliwell?"
Piper raised a weak hand.
"How are you feeling, Ms. Halliwell?"
"Mrs. Halliwell," Piper corrected. "And I'm feeling really weak and tired."
"Well, I have your test results, but unfortunately someone's misplaced your chart. Can you tell me when you're due?"
"Eight weeks," Piper replied, tiredly.
"And who is your regular?"
"My regular doctor?" Piper asked.
The woman nodded.
"We don't have one," Phoebe jumped in. "Paige, our younger sister, is training to be a midwife." She pointed to Paige.
"No OB/GYN?"
"No, we've been seeing alternative medical practioners," Leo replied.
"Well, I'm always open to all forms of medicine, but a woman in her third trimester should've had an ultrasound and blood work done by now. A medical doctor in your field could've caught your condition sooner."
"Her condition?" Leo, Cole, Phoebe, and Paige echoed.
"Toxaemia," the redhead replied.
"Toxaemia, are you sure?" Cole asked.
"It's all right here," the doctor replied.
"What is it?" Phoebe asked.
"It's a form of high blood pressure in pregnant women," Cole answered. "A wife of a colleague of mine had it with her second child."
"Have you been under a lot of unusual stress lately?" The redhaired doctor asked, looking at Piper.
"Very unusual stress," Piper replied, rubbing her bulging belly. "Is this serious?"
"Toxaemia restricts blood flow, food, and oxygen to the placenta. It can result in a small baby, premature delivery, or it can even lead to other complications. Fortunately you need to worry about none of these, because most women respond wuickly to treatment."
"Okay, fine, give me the treatment," Piper replied, attempting to sit up but failing and sliding back into her hospital bed.
"The treatment involves a no salt diet, lots of bed rest, and absolutely no stress! Do that and the symptoms should reverse," she turns to leave. "I'll be back to check on you later."
"Wait!"
The doctor spins around, looking at Cole. "Yes?"
"Could Phoebe possibly have that too?"
"Has she had the symptoms?"
"Well, there is a lot of unusual stress in our lives," Phoebe muttered.
"Then it is possible. If you'd like to come with me, I can squeeze you in for a blood work sample."
Phoebe and Cole exchange looks, then turn to the doctor and nod.
"We can to be safe, especially if Piper already has it," Cole said.
"Understandable."
Cole walked over to his wife and gave her a kiss on the lips. "I'll be right here when you get back."
"Okay, I love you," Phoebe replied as she walked over to the door.
"I love you too," Cole replied as Phoebe and the doctor left.
"That's probably why I couldn't heal you," Leo replied. "High blood pressure isn't a physical defect, it's more like a state of mind.
"No stress and bed rest, do you think that's possible?" Paige asked.
Piper nodded, as she gazed at her stomach. "I'll do anything for her."
"So will we," Cole said, nodding at his sister-in-law.
A small, flickering fire crackled deep in the woods. The smell of smoke permeated the air as a young man walks up to the fire and tosses on another arm full of wood, causing the fire to hiss and become brighter. He turns to face another man, an older man with a black goatee.
"I have waited a lifetime for this," the older man grinned as he stared lustfully at the swirling shades of green, lavender, and now rosy pink above him.
"The Aurora Borealis is a rare sight indeed, sir," the young man agreed.
"It's much more than that! Two centuries ago when I became a higher power, I devoted my life to keep the balance! Do you know why I did that?" He paused and before the young man could answer, he continued. "In the hopes that an ancient prophecy that my mentor kept hidden, would one day come to pass." The older man's eyes were wild with excitement and his voice raced with energy.
"Has it?" The younger man inquired.
"Look up, boy!" The older man waved his hands at the colorful sky. "The signs are converging! The future of magic hangs in the balance and until this moment, I was the only one who knew it! But now you know too and you should be proud!"
"I am, sir, I am!"
"And that's why you'll help attack The Charmed Ones tomorrow with fireballs!" His face looked wild in the flickering flames.
"Fireballs? But sir, nobody stands against those witches! Certainly not with just fireballs!"
"Actually, you'll be lucky to have fireballs to attack them with, tomorrow."
"It sounds like a death wish."
"A death wish? No, it's a sacrifice, my boy. We, no, you have an opportunity to gain the power over good forever! It's a once in a lifetime opportunity and only you have it! A mission like this will make your name live on in infamy!"
"Really?" The young demon looked to the man with the goatee, as the flames cackled between them.
"What's your name, boy?"
"Stanely."
"Yes, Stanely, you'll be known as a legend!" He strokes his hand across Stanley's face. "This is your legacy."
"Yes, sir!"
A cloud of orbs formed into Paige, she was covered in mud and holding a muddy bucket, filled with a vile scented gooey brown stubstance. "Greetings from the Dead Sea!"
Phoebe is trying to light a candle from Piper's rocking chair.
"Good Goddess, Paige! What did you have to eat?" Piper asked, holding her nose from her bed.
"It's not me, it's the mud."
"You sure she isn't Nessie?" Phoebe asked Piper, as she lit the candle and placed the lighter down on Piper's dresser, before leaning back in the rocker.
"Naw, she looks more like a Tessie," Piper smirked, referring to Lake Tahoe's infamous, 'Tahoe Tessie.'
Paige glared and held up the bucket, causing her sisters to plug their noses again. "It's the sulpher in the mud, it's got healing properties! You should be greatful, people come from all over the world to get this stuff!"
Phoebe waved her hand, attempting to swish away the fowl smell. "We want a spa, Paige, not a sewer."
Paige frowned. "I only want what's best for you, Pipes."
Piper grinned. "I know, sweetie and I thank you for trying. But that," she pointed to the bucket and shook her head. "Sorry."
"Do you mind if I..."
"Go for it," Paige sighed as she tossed the bucket into the air.
Phoebe threw out her hand and a funnel of flames errupted from her palm, incinerating the vile smelling bucket until not even ashes were left from the magical flames. "Good baby," she praised.
Phoebe and Paige walk over to each side of Piper's bed and the sisters share a quick hug.
Suddenly loud squawks startled the sisters and they turned to see Cole standing in the doorway, struggling to hold three geese in his arms. There wasa loud thud and a golden egg falls from one of the geese and landed on Cole's foot. He yelped and stepped back. "I presume that these are for you?"
"I thought we were going to get rid of these?" Piper asked, placing her hands on her hips.
Leo walked up, holding another goose.
"Yeah, weren't you supposed to ask about the magical return policy?" Paige asked, pointing to her whitelighter brother-in-law.
Piper threw up her hands. "You know what? Nevermind. It's fine. I'm not gonna let this or anything else bother me, for the sake of Prudence."
"Maybe we should pen them up?" Paige suggested. She turns to look at Leo and Cole. "Why don't you pen them up? Phoebe and I have to guard the house from demons, while Piper's in this fra-"
"I'm not a doll, Paige, I just can't do the dirty work right now," Piper interjected.
Paige rolled her eyes and ushered everyone out of Piper's room. "Get some sleep, honey, we love you."
Piper snorted. "Uh huh, just leave so I won't hear you. I can always cast a spell, you know!"
"You wouldn't, personal gain, remember?" Paige grinned as she shut Piper's door and pushed everyone down the hall.
Phoebe waddled to a stop, next to her old room, which would soon to Prudence's room. "Okay, okay, you're right. We should take turns guarding the Manor. Who knows what kind of weirdo stuff might show up next." As the words left her mouth, a loud stopping noise sounded from the kitchen. "What the..."
The group heads to the stairs, down them, and directly into the kitchen. Cole and Leo stood staring, while Paige's mouth dropped into an 'o' shape, and Phoebe gaped.
"I spoke too soon!"
"That is so cool!" Paige grinned, staring at a majestic, pure white unicorn with a twinkling white horn and four solid hooves.
"It's a unicorn!" Phoebe exclaimed, backing up.
"Another present for Piper's baby?" Cole asked, looking at Leo.
Leo shrugged, stilling holding a goose.
"Yeah, in our kitchen!"
"Actually, not your kitchen, Pheebs. You and Cole live in in the Penthouse, remember?"
"I grew up here, Paige, it's the same difference!" Phoebe shook her head. "This has got to go!"
"No way! This is like the best present yet!"
"She isn't even born!"
"She can grow into it!"
"I don't think so! Look at those hooves," Phoebe said, as she pointed to the silver hooves on the unicorn.
"Oh, you're just jealous."
"Not funny," Phoebe snapped. "Besides, how are we ever going to baby proof a horn?"
Paige walked over to the unicorn and gently patted it. "You're such a sweetie! Hey, maybe that's what we'll call you?"
"Paige!"
The whitelighter-witch's dark eyes travel to the unicorn's neck and she spots a card. "Hmm.."
"What've you got?" Leo asked.
"A card, I think." Paige wrinkles her nose. "It's partly torn, but from what's here, it says, 'From El,' but who is that? Do we know any Spaniards?"
"I don't care who it's from, Paige. Just get it out of here. Orb it or something!"
"Unicorns are mythical beasts from another world, Phoebe. Where do you propose I orb it to?" The witchlighter crossed her arms across her slender chest and rose her eyebrows, looking daringly at her sister.
"I don't care where you orb it, just orb it."
Paige sighed and touched the unicorn. Blue and white orbs sprout in the air and begin to surround them, then they vanish, leaving Paige and the unicorn still there.
"What happened?"
"I can't."
"What?"
"I can't orb, it's not working."
"Okay, stand back."
Paige takes a step back.
"Take this beast, before I end her, ship her back, return to sender!" Phoebe waits, but nothing happens. "Uh, why aren't my powers working?" Phoebe looks at Leo.
Leo shook his head. "I can't orb, either." He looks to Paige.
Paige looked at a bowl of fruit on the island. "Apple." Nothing happens.
"Uhm-uhm..." Phoebe closed her eyes, then opend them. "I'm grounded, no levitation, and I can flame either." She looked to her husband, who is now powerless from when they finally extracted and vanquished The Source from inside him.
Cole shook his head. "I don't know what's going on." He bent down, placing the three geese on the floor and letting them waddle away. "But we should assume whatever's going on, it's also gotten Piper."
Piper waddled into the kitchen. "Why is everybody down here?"
"Why are you out of bed?" Paige quickly coverd.
"You didn't answer my-"
"Time to go," Cole cut in, taking her hand and leading her away before she could realize that a large unicorn was hogging the kitchen.
"Alright, Paige, you put the magical farm animals in the basement, Phoebe and I will take care of things out there," Leo instructed, before he placed his goose on the floor and left the kitchen with his pregnant sister-in-law.
Paige spun around to face the unicorn. "Andale!" She clicked her fingersbut the unicorn didn't move. The geese, however, squawk and scatter.
"Leo!"
Cole placed his hand on Piper's shoulder. "He'll be here in a minute!"
"What's going on?"
"Nothing!" Leo poked his head into the room. "Honey, you just need to relax."
"Relax? Relax! How come everybody keeps telling me that!"
"Because it's the only way to get your blood pressure down," Leo replied in a calm tone.
"Don't treat me like a baby factory!" Piper's brown eyes began to fill with clear liquid, as a stingingly salty feeling forms behind her eyes. "Everything is happening too fast! All these fears, our magical baby, secrecy, and Paige being a midwife! You know what? We were wrong!" Streams of salty water begin to run down her flushed cheeks, as she waves her arms.
Leo and Cole exchange looks, before Cole silently departed.
Piper buried her head in her hands.
"How can you say that?" Leo wrapped his arms around his naturally beautiful wife.
"Because somewhere during this thing, we forgot about the most important thing of all, what's best for our daughter!"
"Piper, that's not fair. A lot of people decide to have their children at their home."
"Yeah, maybe so, but I wasn't one of them, Leo. I don't want that. Prudence isn't even here and I'm already screwing up!"
"You haven't done anything wrong, honey."
"Yes I did! I threatened my daughter's life! If I'd just did what I'd felt was right in the first place, this could've been avoided!"
"So what're your instincts saying now?"
"To have Prudence Melinda in a hospital."
Leo ran his fingers across the Charmed One's cheek, wiping away her painful tears. "Then that's what we'll do." He leaned in, giving her a passionate kiss on lips. "I'll go make the arrangements."
"But Leo.."
"Yeah?"
"What if she's born in swaddling orbs?"
"Then we'll deal with it when she comes. For now, we have to make sure that you and she are safe and feel secure."
Piper smiles, but their moment is interupted when the telephone began to ring. Piper reached out and grabbed the cordless phone from her nightstand. "Hello?" She handed the phone to Leo. "Since when do your charges use the phone?"
Leo blushed. "Uh, since I've been ignoring them for my family," he quickly covered by placing a hand over Piper's large belly. Then he took the phone. "Excuse me." He planted a kiss on her face before walking out with the phone.
The witchlighter tied a large piece of tan colored rope to a rusty pipe and stepped back. "There ya go." She pursed her lips. "Sorry for the arrangements, but we can't risk my sister going into early labor."
The unicorn stomped her silver hoove.
"I know, I know." Paige spun around to make sure that the geese were still in her makeshift pen, which happened to be a lot of old junk shoved together around the wall of the basement. She watches as another golden egg was lain and a few more geese squawked. She walks up the stairs and back into the kitchen, where she sees Phoebe waddle in with the Book of Shadows. "Let me take that for you."
"No, no! I've got it," Phoebe grumbled, as she placed the large, leather bound family heirloom on the shiny white tiled island surface. She flips through the pages. "Look at this! They're all blank!"
"What the hell? How could that've happened?"
"I dunno! It's like when Prue, Piper, and I gave up our powers! The spells and everything went with it!"
"But we haven't given up our powers!"
"Someone musta found a way to erase our magic!"
"Or magic all together. I mean, Leo can't even orb!"
"You know," Phoebe began, "this all started then El arrived."
"El?"
"The unicorn."
"Oh, Sweetie, yeah?"
"Maybe she's a Trojan unicorn? Sent to steal our magic?"
"No! Unicorns are the essence of good magic, Phoebe. They give powers, not steal them! What about the Sabbath and the Northern Lights? Could that be a sign?"
"Don't mystical signs usually come in threes? Where is the third?"
"Well, I was reading horoscopes and it said that Jupiter, Mars, and Saturn are all in Gemini, which happens only once every three hundred years."
"Holy Hannah! It's like the universe is screaming to get our attention!" Phoebe exclaimed, rubbing her belly at she rested herself at the kitchen table.
"What the question is, what's she trying to say?"
Suddenly a man, Stanely, runs into the kitchen.
"Hey! Who the hell are you!" Phoebe waddled to her feet.
"They call me Stanley!" A fireball appeard in the young demon's hand, but then it snuffs out. "I was afraid of that."
"At least it's a level playing field," Paige retorts, landing a spin kick in the side of the demon and sending him sliding across the floor.
Stanley stumbles to his feet and grabs a chair, swinging it at Phoebe.
"Phoebe!" Paige cried out, running at her pregnant sister.
"Like that spell would've worked," Piper said, rolling her eyes at the television witch. Suddenly her eyes widen as she hears a thump. "Leo?"
"Yes?"
"What was that?"
"What?" Leo asked, smiling as another thump sounds.
"That," Piper replied, narrowing her brown eyes.
"Oh, that," Leo answered, biting his lower lip and rising to his feet. "Probably Paige, trying to get those darn geese. Uh, I'll go help her! You stay here and rest!" He kissed her forehead and headed out the door.
Phoebe was holding her stomach in pain, behind the island.
Paige hurled a knife at Stanley and it hit him in the chest.
"My name will h-haunt you till your grave!" Stanley cried, as he dropped to the ground in a puddle of brown blood.
Leo ran in. "Paige, Phoebe? Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," Paige replied as she led Leo over to Phoebe. "Pheebs, are you good?"
Phoebe rubbed her belly. "I-I think we're good."
"Did the baby get hurt?"
"I don't know," Phoebe whispered.
"Demons, but no powers. At least demons don't have powers. This is bad, really bad." Paige rambled.
"And I got a call from one of my charges, she's down too."
"It's magic has crashed everywhere," Phoebe noted. "Great! Just great!"
"I unplugged the phone, so we won't get anymore phone calls that could upset Piper."
Suddenly the doorbell sounded.
"It must be dad," Phoebe noted.
"Why don't you and Paige take care of him," Phoebe pointed to the dead demon, "and I'll get dad?" She winced.
"Are you sure that you're okay?"
"Yes, I promise!" Phoebe grinned, pulling to her feet. She waddled out of the kitchen.
"Okay, let's get young and ugly out of here," Paige said as she grabbed the limp arms of the demon. "Take his legs."
Leo sighed, grabbing the legs of the demon and moving him into the closet with Paige's help.
"Daddy!" Phoebe grins, as she pulls an aging middle aged man into her arms, unfortunately she couldn't get in a good hug with her large belly in the way.
"Phoebe, darling!" Victor Bennett grinned, as he kissed his youngest daughter on the cheek. "And how's my little granddaughter doing?"
"It's a boy, daddy."
"Oh-oh!" Victor's smile broadened. "How's my little grandson doing?"
"Wonderful!" Phoebe announced, as a blonde woman walked in. Phoebe placed her hand in front of the woman. "And who are you?"
Victor beamed as he reached out for the woman. "Phoebe, this is Doris. Doris, this is my youngest daughter, Phoebe. Sweetie, Doris is your new stepmother and my new wife!"
Phoebe's jaw dropped.
Doris smiled. "Hi, sweetie!"
5 Minutes Later----
"We didn't even know you were dating," Cole said. He, Victor, Leo, Phoebe, Paige, and Doris were making their way up the stairs.
"We met on a singles cruise," Doris interjected. "It was all very fast."
"Wait, the trip to Mexico was a singles cruise?" Phoebe asked, irritation was evident in the psychic witch's voice.
"Well I am a man of many mysteries," the graying mortal beamed proudly. "Where's Piper, I want to tell her the good news!"
"I don't think that's such a good idea, Victor. We just discovered that she has a blood pressure condition last night and we don't want to raise her stress levels."
Playing the part, Doris' expression changed to one of concern. "Is she okay?"
"She's fine, she just doesn't need added stress," Paige replied, looking curiously at the blonde.
"Poor dear. Young women today are under so much pressure. Is she eating enough garlic? It'll cause the blood vessels to dialate, you know." She hands her husband a black leather jacket.
"Oh, I'll take that for you," Cole offered, taking the jacket from Victor. "I'll go put it downstairs." He headed down the stairs and as he rounded the corner, he stopped dead in his tracks as he saw the unicorn next to him, eating away at the stair rail. "Phoebe! Paige!"
"Piper?" Victor popped his head into his middle daughter's room and smiled when he saw her brown eyes light up.
"Dad!" The Charmed One threw out her welcoming arms and enveloped her father in a tight hug, which was slightly interrupted by her belly.
"How are you?"
"Nauseated," Piper retorted.
"And how's my, um, the baby?" Victor asked, not wanting to be incorrect about the sex of the baby again.
"She's good," Piper smiled, patting her round tummy.
"She, yes," Victor nodded.
"What?"
"Oh, nothing."
At that moment, Doris poked her head in.
"Whoa!" Piper exclaimed, raising her hands.
"No, no!" Victor shook his head, grabbing his daughter's hands and putting them to her sides. "Piper, this is Doris, Doris, this is my other daughter, Piper."
The blonde headed over to her husband and daughter-in-law. "Hello, it's good to meet you, Piper."
"Um, who are you?"
"Piper, this is my new wife."
Piper's eyes became huge, but words refused to leave her lips.
"Okay, I got that taken care of," Paige announced as she climbed the stairs. "Unfortunately, it won't last long, that animal chews through everything."
"What animal?" Phoebe asked, as she came out of her old room.
"Don't you ever listen?"
"Not really."
Paige playfully slapped her older sister on the shoulder. "Nevermind."
Suddenly Phoebe clutched her stomach.
"Phoebe!"
"What's going on?" Victor asked, coming out of Piper's room.
"Phoebe?" Cole asked, coming out of the attic.
Phoebe slid to the floor, holding her stomach in pain. "C-contractions," the psychic witch murmured.
"But it's only eight months!"
"I don't care, I know what they are!"
"It's time," Victor announced.
Cole looked at Victor, his eyes becoming huge, and he raced to his wife.
Victor reached into his pocket and he pulled out a small handful of glittery dust, which he tossed over his head. Moments later a transparent man walked out of Victor's body and turned solid, becoming a tall man with short black hair and a black goatee, wearing a long black cape and black dress shoes. Then Victor fell to the floor, unconscious.
"The the hell..." Phoebe began, before she let out a scream as another contraction hit.
The man reached into Victor's pocket and pulled out a small velvet pouch, similar to the one's whitelighters carried their memory dust in, and stuffed it into his own pocket. Then he began to walk towards Phoebe.
"Get away from her!" Paige said, stepping inbetween the man and her sister.
"I can't let you do that," the man hissed. He reached into his pocket and pulled more dust from it, throwing it at Paige and Cole, causing them to fly across the room. Then he bent down and grabbed Phoebe's hand, sprinkling some more dust upon himself and Phoebe, then they disappeared in a swirl of white dust.
Paige rubbed her head and looked up, seeing that Cole was out cold. He'd hit the banister head first. "Leo!" She pulled herself to her feet and ran towards Piper's room, but when she got there, the door was wide open. She gasped as she saw the tall man sprinkle a white powder over Doris and The Seer who'd attempted to turn Phoebe evil and steal her child, stepped out of Doris, while Doris fell to the floor.
The Seer smiled at Paige. She reached into the pocket of her red dress and pulled out a handful of black ashes, which she blew at Paige.
Paige ducked out of the way and watched as the wall behind her exploded. When she tried to enter the room, she was thrown back by a force field, then the wooden door slammed in her face. "Leo!" She screamed.
"Oh, we already took care of him," a male voice echoed through the air.
Paige looked around, her eyes wild. She ran at the door again, but she felt her body blast backwards and fly down the hallway and past Cole, down the stairs to the living room. There she fell to her knees and let the tears fall from her brown eyes. The once powerful whitelighter-witch was now powerless to save her family from a resurrected Seer and an unknown evil. Suddenly she felt a warm nose nuzzling her neck and she looked up to see the unicorn. She pulled herself to her feet. "What am I going to do?" A lone tear slipped from her pale face, landing on the forehead of the angelic white beast.
"We're going to save your sisters and deliver those babies," a gentle and yet strong male voice said from behind the witchlighter.
Paige, on alert, spun around. Her eyes stared curiously at the handsome bright blue eyed, dark haired man in a nice suit and a pair of worn sneakers, holding a brown sack. "Who are you?" Paige asked, stepping behind the unicorn.
"A friend."
"Who?"
"My name's Andy," the man replied. He moved forward, holding out his hand in a friendly gesture. "Andrew Trudeau. I've known your sisters their entire lives." He sat the brown package down.
"Trudeau," Paige repeated. She thought she could remember hearing the name before. Then it hit her. Piper or Phoebe had mentioned him once or twice, he'd been Prue's long time love and was killed by a demon the same year they had gained back their powers. "But-but how?"
Andy pointed towards the unicorn. "The horn of a unicorn is pure magic, Paige. It, like all mystical beasts, are uneffected by this magical shutdown."
"But how do they have magic?" Paige asked, pointing upstairs.
"The man, his name is Gideon. He's a corrupt Elder who wants to destroy Piper's child and hand over Phoebe's to evil, in order to restore the void filled by you vanquishing The Source. He resurrected The Seer in order to do so." His handsome blue eyes traveled toward Sweetie. "It was his idea to send Sweetie to you, so he would have an ever lasting supply of magic while he conducted his plan. The Seer, however, has a pouch of ashes from the Dark Phoenix. We need to stop them and you're the only one who can."
Paige hesitated.
"You can trust me, I promise."
Paige hesitantly held out her hand, "Okay."
Andy laughed, taking the witchlighter's hand. "You're just like Prue, not trusting of anyone."
Just like Prue. Paige thought, as she ran free hand across the horn of the unicorn and covered her hand in dust. "Let's go," she muttered, before they disappeared in a swirl of white lights.
"Come on, Phoebe! Push!" The Seer ran her chocolate colored hand across the psychic's stomach. "Your baby wants to take his place as the ruler of the Underworld."
"He won't rule the Underworld!" Phoebe cried out, just before another contraction gripped her body.
Gideon, on the other hand, loomed over Piper. He placed his hand into his pocket and extracted some dust, then a double edged athame appeared in his hand, out of the dust. "It's time to end this imbalance," he replied as he swung the athame down at Piper's bulging stomach.
"No!" Piper screamed. But as the athame's tip neared her stomach, the entire weapon vanished in a glittering swirl of lights. Her eyes became huge as she looked wildly across the room.
"No!" Gideon spun around. "Where are you?"
"Right here!" Andy yelled, appearing behind Gideon, as did Paige. He released the whitewitch's hand and sucker punched the Elder in the face, knocking him into the nightstand, and knocking him out.
"Andy!" Piper exclaimed.
Andy grinned. "Nice to see you again, Piper." He leaned down and gave the witch a peck on the cheek.
"Paige?"
"One moment," Paige replied, as she turned to face The Seer.
"You won't stop me," The Seer hissed as she threw a handful of black ashes at Paige.
Phoebe screamed in pain, this time her child was coming.
The Seer dove to Phoebe's side, ready to catch the child as it entered the world.
Paige held up her powdery hand and the ashes redirected themselves, flying back into The Seer and engulfing her in a mixture of red flames and white beams of light. Paige walked proudly over to her sister.
"Paige," Andy began.
Paige turned to see Andy's worried expression.
"Piper's in labor."
"What?" Paige gulped, just as Gideon came to his senses and threw out his arm, sending Andy flying across the room.
A large, pulsing red mound began to form on Andy's head as he wobbled to his feet. "Paige, take care of him! I've got Phoebe!"
Paige rubbed her hands together, the dust was slowly disappearing. She threw out her hands, sending a beam of sheer glittery power into Gideon, causing him to scream in pain as he shook like he was being electrocuted.
Andy knelt down next to Phoebe and positioned himself. "You're almost ready, Phoebe! Just one more push or two!"
"Paige!" The seven-month pregnant witch screamed in agony. Something was wrong. She'd only been in labor for a little over a half an hour, she couldn't be having Prudence now, could she? But then again, this was a magical pregnancy, with magical stress.
A blast of white lights flew through the room, as Gideon exploded into nothingness. Paige leapt to Piper. "Breathe, honey, breathe!"
"I am breathing!" Piper screamed, as she gave a big push and sweat poured down her brow.
"Come on Phoebe, one more good one!"
Phoebe let out a screech, before giving one final push.
Andy held out his hands, pulling a black towel from the floor that The Seer had planned to use, and holding it under Phoebe.
"Towel!" Paige yelled. In swirls of white lights, a towel appeared in Paige's powdery hands, and she held it under Piper.
Flames and dazzling orbs swaddled the children respectively, as they landed in the cushioned towels of Andy and Paige's hands, as the exact same time. Suddenly shrill cries errupted through the room, as the bloody and very premature infants screamed.
Paige held her powdery hand over the premature infant. A white light glowed from her hand and the infant slowly grew bigger and didn't look so premature. Then she waved a final hand and the umbilical cords were magically disconnected.
"You did well, Paige," Andy said as he walked over to Phoebe and placed the child in her arms.
"My little boy," Phoebe cooed.
"Actually, Phoebe, it's a girl."
"What?"
"It's a girl."
"But how?"
"Because Warren magic only passes onto girls," Andy replied. "I learned that from Prue a long time ago."
Phoebe stared into her beloved friend's blue eyes. "How'd you know?"
"Prue and I do more than just..." Andy blushed. "We watch you guys too, you know."
"Prue?" Phoebe's eyes brimmed with tears at the mention of her older sister's name.
"Why didn't she come?" Piper asked weakly.
"She couldn't," Andy sighed. "It hasn't been long enough." He walked over to Piper and stared down at the little girl in her arms. "She'd beautiful. They both are, congratulations."
"Thanks to you," Piper replied.
"It was all Paige," Andy grinned, waving to the youngest.
"But what about-"
"It'll be fine," Andy said as he looked down at Doris. He watched her eyes flutter open and then moments later the door swung open to reveal Cole, Leo, and Victor.
"What happened?" Victor asked. "How did we get here?"
"Phoebe?" Cole asked, moving towards his bride and his new daughter. "Are you okay?"
"We're fine," Phoebe grinned, as she nuzzled her daughter.
"But the last thing I remember is some guy-"
"Gideon, my old mentor," Leo interjected. "He did this."
"He tried to reset the blance between good and evil," Andy relayed.
"How did you-"
"Sweetie. What he thought would help him was actually his downfall."
Leo walked over to his wife and sat down next to her, stroking her hair. Then he gently scooped his infant daughter into his arms. "She's amazing."
"She's perfect," Piper grinned.
2:00 A.M.----
"I'm sorry, but I really have to go," Andy sighed. He shook Victor's hand. "It was good seeing you again, Mr. Bennett. And it was nice meeting you, Doris," the former Inspector said to Victor and Victor's old friend who'd known him and Patty, as well as Patty's secret, for many years and was actually not Victor's new wife at all, just an unfortunate pawn in Gideon's plan to trick the sisters.
"It was good meeting you too, Andy," Doris smile. "Give Patty and Prue my best wishes."
"I promise," Andy replied with his signature grin.
"But we haven't even got to talk that much!" Phoebe protested.
"My time's up, I came for what I had to do! You guys, of all people, should know how this works."
"But you haven't even heard the girls' names yet," Piper replied, crossing her arms across her chest.
"Okay, what are they?" Paige asked, curiously. "Is Phoebe keeping the 'P' tradition?"
Cole plucked his daughter from her bassinet. "No, we're not."
Phoebe grabbed Andy's hand and pulled him towards the girls, each held by their father.
"Andy, meet Prudence Melinda Halliwell," Piper began.
"And Andrea Charlotte Halliwell," Phoebe finished.
"Pru and Andie," Paige giggled.
Andy felt his whole body relax. "Andie and Pru," he repeated, staring at his and Prue's namesakes. "I know Prue's looking down right now and she's so proud."
"Will you give her a hug for me?" Piper asked, her eyes on the verge of tears.
"Of course."
"And me?" Phoebe chirped.
"Most definitely," Andy replied, hugging both the sisters and shaking hands with the men that would've been his brothers-in-law if he and Prue had even been married. "May I?" He asked, still keeping his blue eyes locked on the infants. Without a word, Leo and Cole placed the cousins into Andy's arms. "You're safe, you're loved, and you're wise," he whispered.
Pru blinked her light blue eyes and then a globe of orbs appeared above Andy.
Paige walked over to Andy and held out her hand, the orbs vanished and a small camera fell into her hand. She held it to her face and took two shots; one for Andy to take back to the afterlife and one to stay at home. She fanned the two pictures in the air, allowing the white to fade into a picture, then she handed one to Andy.
"Thank you," Andy smiled as he handed the girls back to their respective fathers. "Paige, can I have a moment with you?" He grabbed the brown package in which he'd appeared with earlier.
Paige looked to her sisters who were now cooing over their children and she returned her attention to the man who'd helped those children get there. "Sure," she smiled as she took his hand and caused them to dissolve into orbs.
Paige orbed Andy and herself into her room, Prue's old room. "What did you need?"
"I needed to give you this," Andy said as he handed the brown package to Paige.
"What is it?"
"Something Prue wanted you to have."
"Prue?"
Andy smiled. "Yeah. She told me to tell you to check the left pocket."
"Why?"
"Just trust me."
Paige nodded. "Thank you, Andy."
"No, thank you," Andy grinned. He held out his hand and shook Paige's. "See ya around."
"You too."
Andy vanished in a swirl of white lights.
Paige sat down on her bed and began to carefully unwrap the brown package. When she'd opened it, she found a black leather jacket. "What's this?" She asked aloud. She spread out the jacket, it was beautiful. Paige reached into the left pocket and pulled out a small white note and unwrapped it. "'I'm sure you're probably wondering what this is for, aren't you? Paige, this jacket was given to me by Grams when I graduated and I've cherished it ever since. Unfortunately I can't be there to give it to you myself, so I asked Andy to do it for me. I want you to know that I'm so proud of you and that I love more than words can express. Thank you for taking care of Piper and Phoebe for me, you held our family together, and for that I'm in your debt. I hope we can meet one day, but until then, please keep this safe for me, okay? Love, Prue.'" Paige felt her eyes tearing. She went through all of the trouble to have Andy send this to me? The young witchlighter slipped on the warm, black jacket and stood up to look in the full length mirror. She tugged at the edge of the jacket, in the same fashion that Prue used to do,and smiled. Her head titled backwards as she stared at the ceiling. "Thank you, Prue." As she stared at the mirror.
Behind her the Book of Shadows appeared in a swirl of white lights, on the bed.
Paige noticed the Book through the reflection in the mirror turned around to see the Book fly open and flip to a blank page, then words began to magically appear, just like the day Patty had written to Prue after she was finally able to tell her sisters that she loved them.
'No, thank you Paige, and please send my love to Andie and Pru.'