It was the year 2027. Piper was in the kitchen cooking dinner. Her face had a few more lines and her hair was a little shorter, but other than that she looked the same as she did when she was in her early thirties. She smiled as she heard the familiar sound of her husband orbing in. She turned to him and looked at him lovingly.

"You're early," she said surprised.

"I wanted to make sure I was here in plenty of time – are they here yet?" Leo asked looking around.

"No, they're not here yet," she said mockingly as she walked over to him and gave him a kiss and hug, "you seem nervous."

"I'm not nervous," he said putting his arms around her enjoying the moment, "it's just Chris seems very serious about this girl – he's never brought one of his girlfriends home before."

Piper smiled, "It's great that in spite of everything he's still trying to lead a normal life," she said.

"Taught by the best!" Leo joked.

"What?" she said, playfully smacking him, "we've done okay."

"You've been amazing," he said staring into her eyes.

She smiled back at him accepting the compliment, "Yeah?" but before Leo could reply their moment together was interrupted by something boiling over on the stove.

"Crap!" Piper yelled as she reached for the stove.

"I'll go and clean up – I'll be back soon" Leo said thinking it best to leave Piper in peace.

"Before you go," Piper called to him, "I saw Phoebe today."

"Have the visions changed?" Leo asked before Piper had a chance to continue. He then answered his own question; "of course they haven't otherwise you would have told me already." Piper turned the heat down under the big pot and stirred it.

"No, they haven't changed, but…" she turned to look at him, "she thinks they're getting stronger."

"Stronger?" Leo exclaimed, obviously alarmed.

"We've got to make sure we're ready Leo, make sure everything that can be done has been done … we'll only have one chance at this."

"I have done everything possible, all the Elders and I have, you, Phoebe and Paige have as well. We are as prepared as we ever will be." He paused as his mind wandered back in time.

"What is it?" Piper asked softly.

"He's already died in my arms once, Piper … I know it was more than 23 years ago, but to me it is as clear as if it happened yesterday. I will not let that happen again – I promise."

She looked at him and smiled "I know," she consoled, "the hard part is not knowing when it is going to happen. If only we knew exactly how old he was when he came to us from the future, we could work out his exact age when Gideon…." Piper trailed off, even after all these years she did not want to finish that sentence.

"We will be ready, Piper," Leo reassured her, placing a consoling hand on her arm.

"We're lucky we know at all. Phoebe's powers have grown so much stronger. I would never have thought Gideon's spell on the athame would have covered time travel." Piper said.

"Well, it was meant for Wyatt, and Gideon was so obsessed with stopping him that he made sure we couldn't just go back in time and prevent it from happening. As soon as he attacked Chris with that athame he was always destined to die at that age – it was powerful magic, but we've had a long time to come up with a counter spell." Just then they both heard the front door open and a familiar voice call out.

"Mum? Dad?"

"I'll be back in a minute" Leo said as he orbed out. Piper took off the apron she was wearing and quickly tossed it in the laundry. She completed a quick check of everything on the stove and then headed out to greet her second son.