Once again, I don't own "Charmed" or its characters, etc. If I did I'd be rolling in the dinero.,,and the show would still be on with better writers.
This fluff piece takes place at the end of "A Witch's Tale". Basically it's an extended scene of Piper and Leo on the bed with the baby pictures. Their thoughts about the day's events, etc. Solely P/L focused.
Keep writing P/L fics, people. I can't be the only one!
Piper Halliwell raised the remote for the stereo and lowered the volume. The song – something about the weather man – continued softly in the background. A light night breeze ruffled the bedroom curtains and Piper's dark hair. She smiled. The wind felt like a warm, peaceful, gentle hand on her cheek. Almost angelic in a way.
"How are you doing?" A voice asked gently from the doorway. Piper looked behind her. Speaking of angels, she thought as she smiled at her whitelighter husband, Leo.
"Better. Still a little tired though," Piper replied. She scooted further up on the bed. She patted the mattress behind her. "Want to keep my company?"
"You don't even have to ask," Leo grinned, sitting behind his wife. He snuck his hands around her waist and rested his chin on her shoulder.
"Still going through baby pictures?" he asked, nodding at the stuffed shoe boxes scattered in front of her.
"Yeah. With all these photos, you would have though Grams would have tried to stick them into albums or something."
"Well, we'll do a better job with our baby," Leo replied.
Piper sighed and leaned back into her husband's chest. It had been such a stressful few days. She had panicked about becoming a mother which had caused her to freeze up in a battle with a sea hag. Phoebe had been turned into mermaid and hadn't wanted to come home. Then Piper had almost gotten herself killed by an nearly immortal demon named Necron. Everything was at it should be now. Except Piper thought she and Leo could use a year long vacation in the Bahamas.
"Penny for your thoughts?" Leo asked, his voice a whisper against her ear. It still sent seductive shivers down her spine.
"I still can't believe Mom went though the same thing I'm going through. It's something I've always wanted – to be a mother – but now that I am – it just amazes me."
"Are you still afraid?" Leo asked, worrying sneaking into his voice. He was probably thinking of how her fear had caused her to cast a fearless spell on herself – a spell that had almost cost her and the baby's life.
"A little. I'll always be afraid and worried. I think that just goes with the job description. And besides –" she said, turning to kiss Leo. "I'm not alone."
"You better believe it," he said with a gentle laugh. He lifted her chin to look seriously into her brown eyes. She saw nothing but the deepest love in his green eyes. "You know I wouldn't let anything hurt you or the baby."
"I know," she whispered, leaning again into his chest. "And I wouldn't want it any other way."
"Good," Leo said, grinning. He softly nuzzled her neck. "I love you."
"I love you too," she murmured, closing her eyes. She moved to placed Leo's hands over her abdomen and then placed her own on top of his. She wondered if the baby could sense the amount of love that generated from the arms surrounding it. Piper may have lost her mother at a young age, but she was damned if she'd leave her baby the same way. Hell itself would have to crawl out of the bogs of the earth to kill her first. At least, living in this house, all the Halliwell love would protect the baby. Piper could only hope it would be enough.
"It's still pretty amazing," Piper said with a snort.
"What is?" Leo asked, smiling at Piper.
"That the baby can heal me from the womb. I just better not start orbing all over the place."
Leo laughed. "Well, if you do, I'll gladly track you down. You know this baby will be a daddy's girl."
"And you'll spoil her rotten."
"Naturally. Though if any whitelighter comes sniffing around the house to date her –"
"Oh, you'll scare him away, huh?" Piper asked with a snort.
"What? You don't think I can?" he asked, tickling Piper's side. She giggled and tried to stop his hands.
"Well, I do like it when you get aggressive. Remember the time you fought that guard when we went back to the Middle Ages?"
"If I remember right," Leo murmured, kissing her earlobe. "You didn't let me forget about it for weeks."
"Can I help it that I think you're sexy?" she whispered, turning her head as Leo placed soft, sweet kisses along her jaw.
"I'm glad someone does," he growled. His lips sought hers for a passionate, yet sweet, loving kiss. "I love you. Mommy."
"I love you, too. Daddy," she murmured, kissing him back. Her hand began to run softly through his short, dark hair as Leo deepened the kiss. Suddenly a familiar jingle was heard on the air.
"Man, now?" he grumbled in frustration. He continued to kiss Piper, but she pulled away. She patted his strong bicep.
"You'd better go, honey. We don't need to get the Elders upset with you so they pile on the work. Our baby would like to see her father when she's born."
"Well, I want to see her mother when I come back," Leo said, kissing Piper on the cheek.
"Mommy will be right here. Love you."
"Love you, too," he murmured and kissed her again. Leo then moved from the bed. They shared one more smile before Leo orbed into the heavens.
Piper sighed. The room always seemed empty when Leo orbed away to work. Sure, it was his job – his calling – to aid other witches. She couldn't force him to give it up. Yet, she still missed him every time he left. She missed his gentle touch, his unique scent, his toothy smile, his green eyes, his boyish laugh. Even now she could still smell him on her skin. It made her smile as her heart continued to throb for him.
"You are so loved, baby," Piper murmured, patting her still-flat stomach. Straightened her shoulders, she pulled the boxes of pictures closer to her. On the top of the first box was her own baby album and the new white one she had bought for the baby.
She opened her old baby book at random. The page before her showed a picture of her and her mother, Patty. Her mother was caught on film as she read to a young Piper.
Piper smiled. She lightly caressed the photo with her fingers. How would her life have been if Patty had lived to raise her daughters? She thought of her mother's words in the ocean. Piper had fallen into the water, her foot trapped, after the sisters had vanquished Necron. She had sensed – no, tasted – her own impending death. Then her mother had appeared to her, surrounded in a golden halo of light. She had taken Piper's hand and had freed her.
Piper took out the photo of her and Patty. Her mother had told Piper that she had to have faith that her destiny would be different from Patty's. She had to hope that she would not leave her baby too soon. Piper smiled. She did believe it. The whole family did. Nothing would harm this child.
She placed the photo of her and Patty into the first page of the new baby book. As soon as she stuck the photo in the corner tabs, a whirl of golden light abruptly filled the bottom of the page.
"Grandma and Mommy"
Piper stared at the writing as tears filled her eyes. She closed the book and looked up at the ceiling. The people in the manor weren't the only ones who would protect this baby. Generations of Halliwells from above would lend their magic as well. Patty, Penny and maybe even Prue.
"Thanks, Mom," Piper said quietly, one hand on her belly.
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Later that night, the manor was silent with the sounds of sleep. All the occupants lay quiet, their dreams filling their heads with safe adventures.
Leo orbed quietly into the darkened bedroom. Even in the dark, he could see Piper's sleeping form. She was curled up on his half of the bed, which was her custom when he was away. It touched his heart every time he saw it.
Quickly, yet quietly, he changed into a t-shirt and pajama pants. He then slipped quietly under the covers, moving until he lay with Piper's back against his stomach. He tightened his arms around her waist and she leaned instinctively back into him.
"I love you," he whispered. "Daddy's two favorite girls."
Suddenly, as if in response, a faint glow lit the dark bedroom. Leo looked down. It was the yellow light he used to heal his charges. He removed his hands, but it wasn't coming from him. It was coming from Piper's stomach.
"I love you too, baby," he whispered with a grin. The glow faded again to nothing. Already the baby had somehow sensed that love was the trigger for that power. Leo decided to wait till morning to tell Piper. He didn't want her to panic that she'd suddenly glow at random times. It would make her feel like a walking night light, he knew.
Grinning again, Leo pulled Piper closer to him as he fell into a gentle sleep. Together, he knew, everything would be alright.