Part 2

Piper stood at the top of the stairs with her eyes closed. Feeling a little dizzy she took a deep breath and descended the stairs into the abyss. One, two, three, four, five, six steps. Opening her eyes she saw nothing but blackness. Her vision cleared in the darken room. Turning her head she shouted out, "All right everyone back to work! The Boss has returned!"

"Piper!" called out Allison, the head bartender at P3.

"Hiya, boss," called out Paul, her assistant manager and occasional bartender.

"Hey, how are you doing? Everything OK?" asked Jackie one of Piper's regular waitresses. Piper just looked up and nodded.

Another waitress just looked on from the far corner and went back to her work.

It was early afternoon and as expected Piper found everyone at P3 busy getting ready for the evening crowd. Her presence had stopped the crew cold. Everyone surrounded Piper.

"Welcome back, Piper!" said Allison smiling broadly.

"Thanks. It's good to be back. Everything shipshape? How's business? Staring off bankruptcy?" asked Piper kidding a bit.

"Great! We've really picked up since we put in that new jukebox. Not a bad week since. We have a good crew here. And you?" asked Paul sounding worried.

"Fine. Better. I'm ready to get back to work. Need to keep busy. Got to move on," sighed Piper. Just getting back to her regular life was a big step for Piper.

Jackie remarked, "You look good. We've barely even heard from you since the ..um funeral. I'm really going to miss your sisters."

"Thanks. Me too," said Piper patting her arm and looking down.

"Ever find out what they were doing down by the bridge so early in the morning? It's a good thing that you weren't there, Piper," said Allison. Piper never told anyone that she had been there. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"No. About all that can be said, has been said. They were where they probably shouldn't have been doing something we should have never picked up in the first place. Phoebe was always trying to help people and I think she went one step too many and ..well. Anyway I've got to get back to my life. Leo and I bought a house north of here in Mill Valley. New house. New life. And I've joined the commuter set. One other thing, Paul," said Piper looking more like her old self.

"Yea, boss?" asked an eager assistant.

"Where the sign in the front hallway says Proprietress: Piper Halliwell'. Call the sign company and change that to Piper Wyatt'. Moving on, you know. No more Halliwell's hanging around here. That'll be just another part of my healing process. Prue and Phoebe's spirits may always be hanging around here, but P3 is not turning into a mausoleum. Who's the blonde in the corner?" asked Piper tilting her head to one side and pushing her hair back.

"Winona Goetz. Hannah quit so I replaced her. Do you want to meet her?" asked Paul.

"No, I'll meet her later. Just a short day for me today. I just want to check over the books and inventory and then I'm out of here. Tomorrow you can fill me in on what been going on. The place looks great, Paul. Thanks for keeping us solvent," said Piper now smiling just a bit. "Now where can a lady get a good cup of coffee? Hmm?"

"Screech!" screamed the brakes as a red and green moving truck pulled up at 1164 Redwood Terrace. Piper came running out wearing her cleaning day clothes with her hair up in a bandana.

"Whoa, that was fast. I haven't even finished cleaning out our bedroom yet," Piper called out waving.

"Traffic was light, Mrs. Wyatt. You finish your cleaning and I'll run down for a cup of coffee. Leon!" explained the driver as he pulled out and headed for the 7-Eleven.

"That's Leo!" Piper called out to him. "Can't he ever get that straight? We should have found another mover. He hasn't gotten your name right once. Of course if you had orbed everything over here, we wouldn't have had to PAY HIM!" quipped Piper giving Leo a hug.

"That's was fine with your first list. Remember, you only wanted a few things from the Manor? Then when you wanted all of our old room furniture AND your Gram's bedroom furniture. Then came all the antiques! I didn't think the Elder's would have like it. Ever try orbbing with a mattress?" Leo said smiling at her.

"Never thought of it? I'll sleep on that one. Ha. Yea. OK. Come on, Angel Boy. We have some dust bunnies to vanquish. We have to get this stuff unloaded before the club opens tonight," replied Piper anguish to get moved in.

"There that's done. Just move that trunk into the attic," Piper exclaimed pointing to the last item in the bedroom.

Leo looked confused. "Isn't that all your sisters' things you had me pick up last month?"

"Uh huh. And we're putting them away with all the rest of my memories. They'll still be cherished, but I just don't want daily reminders of all the pain. They can just be.. I don't know. Ooooo. Let's not get into that. I'm keeping a few of Piper and Prue's keepsakes."

Piper walked over to the trunk and opened it. Inside were many of the special knickknacks and souvenirs that meant something special to her sisters. An old Baker High yearbook, the varsity sweater that Andy gave Prue, Phoebe's old teddy bear that had still sat on her bed, Grams' collection of wedding rings, her Mother's wedding album. Underneath an old family comforter Piper found the picture of the three of them Grams' had taken just before she died.

Piper's eyes got a little misty. "Maybe just this one thing. Just a reminder of our times before; before all this madness began. Put this on our mantelpiece where it belongs. I'll help you with the trunk." Up the stairs went the trunk as Piper finally put to rest the last little bit of her old life with the Charmed Ones.

Leon looked up at his beloved. "Ah Piper. You are the love of my life. I love you from the first moment I saw you all those many years ago even though you never saw me. Then it grew even more as we got to know each other. It pained me each time we seemed to get together and were ripped apart again. And again I had to see you lose both your sisters. For such a sweet wonderful girl, your life has been full of enough sorrow for
a dozen lifetimes. Now we are together and I pledge to you that to make he rest of your life a happy and safe time. And Piper I know you're hiding a little secret from me that I as a white lighter I already know about. Keep your secret darling. Tell me when you are ready. I will be here waiting for you."

Piper wandered into the living room in a daze with just a hint of a smile on her face. Her unexpected sighed sounded almost like a schoolgirl giggle in it. Leo had out a screwdriver and was adjusting the hinge of the front door.

"Being a former handyman does have its advantages when you're a home owner. At least I am contributing something to our little union since we white lighters don't have much of a benefits plan. There. Now it should swing close when you want it to, Piper," said Leo as he gave it a push and it swung shut without a sound. Lowering himself back to the floor he looked very satisfied.

"Leo.." said Piper more demurely than usual. "Um, you know that little bout with stomach flu I had over the weekend? I went to see the Doctor Adams about it."

"Everything all right?" asked Leo putting down his tools looking worried at Piper.

Piper bit her upper lip and looked down. "Well, it wasn't that. I didn't have that "thing that's going around" Doctor Adams usually says that it is. Nope. Though it is a little something. About this big!" exclaimed Piper now beaming.

"No! You mean we're.." exclaimed Leo brightening up like the sun.

"..going to be parents. You and me, Daddy!" squealed Piper grabbing onto Leo. Piper had never felt as happy or as giddy in a long time. Or this NORMAL either. "I'm as pregnant as they come!"

"That's wonderful, darling," reeled Leo grabbing her and spinning her around while kissing her very hard.

"Whoa," exclaimed Piper pushing back from him. "Easy on the merry-go-round bit. Um. I'm sitting down after that." Leo helped her over to the couch.

"Easy there. Piper. You OK?" asked Leo holding her tightly.

"Uh huh, I'm just a little taken aback. I mean new kid, new life, responsibility, etc. Whoa. First, none of that stuff is there and then BINGO. The whole enchilada. Um. That sounds good. This being a chef and all these whacked-out cravings may be a problem. Join me ..uh ..the kitchen. Maybe something with guacamole. Um."

"Let me put my tools away, Piper sweetie," Leo smiled at the glow that Piper had. She deserved her little moment in telling him. Being a white lighter he not only felt his child's new life force, but he knew it would be his new daughter Melinda. Mortal she may be, but he remembered that she is also the daughter of a whiter lighter. Leo put away his tools and headed for the kitchen. Something more than Mexican food was cooking in the air.

"RRIINNGGGGGGG!" sounded the doorbell one bright crisp November morning. A cute blond with an unturned nose answered the door of the Wyatt residence.

"Yes, can I help you?" she asked.

"Hi, I'm Darryl Morris and I'd like to speak to Piper Wyatt please," replied Andy's former partner and family friend.

"Sure, please come in. In Samantha Denver, her next door neighbor. It's a pleasure to meet you. Piper is in the living room. Please come in," she said smiling graciously. "Piper, you have a visitor."

In the bright and cheery living room lay Piper on the couch.

"Darryl! Wow. Long time no see. How's your wife and kids? Shannen must be high school by now," asked Piper as she lay on the couch.

"Everyone is fine. I see you've been busy too. When's the big day?" asked Darryl who leaned over and gave her a hug.

"Six more weeks! And not a day too soon!" sighed Piper.

Samantha sat down next to her. "You love every minute of it! You can't speed up time, you know."

"I wouldn't be so sure of that. So what brings you out to the burbs in the middle of the week, Inspector Darryl," inquired Piper as she adjusted her sitting position for the fourth time that morning.

"Business," replied Darryl looking very grim.

Piper pulled herself up looking more uncomfortable after words. "Business like I have an overdue parking ticket?"

"No, Piper. I'm in a bind and need some advice," said Darryl shaking his head. He cringed a bit as Piper began to turn pale.

"Not the kind of business we used to help you with back when we lived at the Manor? Tell me you don't mean THAT," exclaimed Piper as her eyes bulged out. Her heart skipped several beats and her breathing became heavy.

"I'm afraid so," said Darryl shortly.

"Piper, are you all right? What kind of business would upset up so?" asked Samantha holding her hand.

"Banking! I used to be a teller and Darryl would ask me for advice. You know, investment stuff. Ah, this is kind of confidential like, Samantha. Could you please?" asked Piper.

"Sure. But call me when later. I want to know you're OK. All right, sweetie?" asked Samantha as she headed for the door.

"You bet. Thanks for worrying, and thanks for helping me with that cleaning. I'll call. By, Sammy!" waved Piper still sounding nervous. After the door closed, Piper turned to Darryl. "Uh, what did you come to see ME about?"

"There have been some murders, Piper," Darryl replied ominously.

"OF course. What makes you think that their magical related?" asked Piper.

"In each case, four times, it was a young woman. Each time the same symbol had been carved into her right arm. Each time it was on a Tuesday near midnight. No physical human evidence could be found. Just the dead body. I hadn't seen anything like it since I'd worked with you and your sisters. And one other thing. The coroner never found any hemoglobin left in the body. Otherwise no real reason she should be dead."

"So your cases have lost some of their weirdness since then?" asked Piper

Darryl agreed.

"I guess the Charmed Ones really were demon magnets pulling all this evil into San Francisco. Another good reason to have quit. Not only safer for my own family, but all those other innocents. Darryl. I really don't know what else I can do. Though that does enter the weird category on Jeopardy, I don't do premonitions and my magical ability is good and gone. The Wicca shop was permanently close!"

"Not even any advice?" asked Darryl.

"Find yourself a real witch! Glinda is retired!" exclaimed Piper raising her voice just a bit.

Darryl looked down and then backup. He felt he had just asked too much of her as since she had lost her sisters. There must be more to this magical reality than he thought. "I'm sorry Piper. I certainly didn't mean to upset you. I'll let myself out. Good luck with Melinda is it? So long Piper," waved Darryl she got up.

Piper's mind was racing. Innocent people were being killed and maybe she could help. Wrestling with her own internal demons, the pros and cons circled round and round in her head making her dizzying and her stomach noxious. Through her eyes her world spun around finally landing on a image of her two sisters taking on that final demon. For them. Maybe just once for them.

"Wait!" she called out.

"Yea, Piper?" asked Darryl spinning around on one foot.

"There might be a way. I can't very well take on the whatever it is, but maybe I can ID him for you. We'll have to go back to the Manor. Can you give me a lift?" asked Piper struggling to her feet.

"Piper, are you up for this?" asked Darryl going over to help her out

"Probably not, but if I can save one more life, then what it's worth it. Give me a lift to the ..a ..a MANOR?" replied a nervous Piper.

Even though the yard was still regularly cut, the bushes and flower gardens were overgrown with weeds. Grams would have been appalled, thought Piper. She was always so proud of her rose bushes and now just look at them!

With Darryl's help, Piper walked up the steps to the front door surrounded by all the multi-colored window class. Facing all of her fears, Piper inserted the key into the lock and turned the key. Inside she was hit by a musty order as the whole house smelled like the basement, damp and stale. The furniture had been covered with tarps when Leo closed up the house. Piper left a series of footprints behind her since everything had a layer of dust on it.

"Whoa. Phoebe always complained how spooky this house was. Now the Manor really qualifies as a haunted house. HEL-LO? Any ghosts in here?" Piper called out to an empty house. "Come on in Darryl. Let's get this over with. We need to head ALL the WAY up to the attic!"

"This looks just like an attic?" remarked a surprised Darryl after walking through the attic door.

"Yep. This was just our witchy place not some Wiccan altar. Now where did that book fly off to?" asked Piper surveying the room. The book wasn't on the bookstand where she might have expected it and Piper had blotted out the details her last demon fight. "Darryl. Would you please open up that trunk?"

Darryl leaned over and lifted the lid on an ancient traveling trunk. Inside he found the ancient green bound volume with the tricheta figure on the front. "Is this what you're looking for?" he asked lifting it from its resting place.

"Uh huh. Put it on that stand and take a seat. I'm out of practice and this may take a while," explained Piper offering Darryl a seat on the settee. "Hemo-hemo-hemogloblin…" Piper hummed quietly to herself.

"Phoebe, why didn't you ever index this thing? Wait a minute! Here's something that draws the life essences from the blood of young women. That's the one. Darryl, according to our little witchy encyclopedia, you're up against a warlock named Darius and I have both a summoning spell and a vanquishing potion. Standard stuff. Piece of cake! What is it with me and food?"

"That's wonderful, Piper. We can take care of him.." started Darryl.

Piper interrupted him sitting down beside him. "No, no, no. Got no powers, but I know a pretty powerful witch that runs the Rose Garden Wiccan Shop on the south side who can help you. Morana really knows her magic."

"As you really sure about her?" asked a skeptical Darryl.

"Absolutely. She's the most powerful witch that I know of in the Bay Ar..Ar..re..aa. WHOA! Oh God!" moaned Piper as she grabbed her stomach. "That can't be gooooooooooood. OOOOOOOOH!" Piper moaned again and rolled onto the floor.

Piper rolled again on the floor as Darryl stood their stunned. "Piper, I'll get an ambulance."

"Make it, ohhhh, quick! Ooooowww. I don't think I have too looooooooong!" cried Piper.

"Emergency! This is Inspector Morris of the SFPD. Dispatch an ambulance to 1329 Prescott Street. We have an emergency childbirth situation. Priority One!" exclaimed Darryl gripping his cell phone tightly. In the next moment he almost dropped it as Piper slowly rose from the floor.

"All right! Whose doing the Houdini act!" cried Piper in her most exasperated voice. "Put me dooooooooooown!" she flinched in the air and started moving toward the attic door. "Watch me head whoever you are!"

"Piper what if anything can I do?" asked Darryl slowly following her down the steps.

"Just catch me if this invisible gurney gives out!" yelled Piper. She slowly went down the steps and floated down the hallway. Piper looked all around as her trip was amazingly quiet except for an occasional kick or pain.

"Just keep calm. Piper. Keep calm," called out Darryl who was almost as nervous as Piper.

Piper turned at Phoebe's old room and was gently deposited on the bed.

"Thanks, whoever you are!" called Piper.

"You're welcome Piper," replied Prue from another plane.

Phoebe stepped closer to Prue. "You all right? You look kind of drained!"

"A little. I don't know how Grams did it. Trying to keep Piper steady really zonked me out," replied Prue.

"Ya, but we get to see our little niece being born. I wish we could be there for her!" whined Phoebe.

"We are, Phoebe. We gave her all the help and comfort we can from here. She's on her own now. And her troubles are just beginning!"

In the Manor, Piper could feel that the baby was due very soon. Huffing and puffing she began to control the pains while they come faster and faster. A brilliant light surrounded Piper following Leo.

"Uh! What is it with you people? Doesn't anyone knock?" asked a gasping Darryl.

"Not when it's important!" said Leo turning to Piper. "I felt it was your time. How are you doing my love?"

"Woo. Woo. Woo. Wooooo. Been better. Woo. Woo. Woo. Woooo. OHHH! Hold my hand!" cried Piper reaching out as Leo gladly complied.

"What are you doing in this old house?" asked Leo holding a little tighter.

"Darryl. Woo. Woo. Wooooo. Needed some extra help. I swoooooooooooooooooore I'd said I'd never come back here and I was right. Woo. Woo. Woo. Wooooooooooo. Now this is my penitence. My daughter connected to this hoooooooooooouse as much as Phoebe was. Woo. Woo. Woo. Wooooooooo. I don't know if that's gooooooooood or not!" continued Piper.

"Everything will be fine, Piper! I'm here with you!" said Leo lovingly though his fear did not show through his smile.

"Ha! I can see it in your eyes. Things won't be good until this is oooooooooover. Woo. Woo. Woo. Woooooooo," huffed and puffed Piper. "How about a little white lighter help here, Leo DARLING!'"

"I can't help unless its demon related. Just hold on and push, Piper. Push!" exclaimed Leo squeezing her hand until it hurt.

"Um, anything a policeman can help you with?" asked Darryl looking very helpless.

"Go and wait for the medics, Darryl. They might not find us up here. I was trained for this," Leo assured Darryl looking up only briefly. Darryl ran for the stairs.

"Woo. Woo. Woo. So how many kids.. Woo. Woo. Woo. ..did you bring into this world?" asked an unsure Piper as the sweat dripped off her face.

"Ah. Ha-ha. One in 1938. But remember I was a medic, Piper," replied Leo.

Piper looked very peeved back at him. "Yea, during.. Woo. Woo. Woo. Woooooooooooorld War II! AHHHHHHHHHHH!"

"Piper, that's it. Keep on pushing. She's almost here!" yelled Leo sounding exuberant.

"AH! Where are those paramedics? AHHHHH! I don't care how old this is kid is. She's grounded for LIFE! OOOOOOOOOOHHHHH! And you too, Angel Boy! OOOOOOOOOOOOhhhhhhhh. Woo! Woo! Woo! Oh the hell with that. Pussshhhhhhhhhhh!" screamed Piper.

"There, there she comes. She's out, Piper. I've got her. I've got our little daughter. She's so beautiful. My daughter. OUR daughter!" cried Leo cradling her tightly.

Hyperventilating Piper pleaded to see her. The little baby cried out loud and was still drenched, but she was the still the most wondrous and beautiful person she had ever seen since she had first laid eyes on Leo.

"Melinda Wyatt. This is your Mommy!" said a VERY proud Leo holding up the balling infant.

Piper reached for her, but her arms fell to her side too weak to hold her. Leo just laid her next to her Mommy as Piper had a good cry.

"You're a very special baby, little Miss Melinda. Born here just like your Aunt Phoebe. Melinda Phoebe Wyatt? Is that all right, Leo? We were going to name her after your Mother, but.." said Piper looking tired.

"Yes, dear. Anything. Anything as long as you are all right. That's a beautiful name. She's a beautiful baby! You're my beautiful wife," sighed Leo holding them both very tight.

"Ha. I feel like I just did twenty rounds with the heavyweight champion or half an hour with some demon!" laughed Piper. "Oh, my beautiful little baby girl!"

Running noises came from downstairs announcing the arrival of the paramedics who came rushing in following Darryl.

"How the hell did you chose this place to have a baby?" exclaimed the male paramedics shaking his head.

"It sure does look haunted. Let me have the baby," replied his female partner.

"You'll never know," replied Piper now much more peaceful with their ride to the hospital having arrived. "Is she all right?"

"With those lungs? She looks perfect. Gentlemen, please help the Mother unto the gurney. We have to get these two brave souls to San Francisco Memorial!"

And Piper was carried out of Halliwell Manor with her firstborn daughter carrying with her the first happy memories from that house in a long time. Maybe she will return someday. Maybe.