Out of Balance

Prologue

"Have you decided yet," Cole asked Prue as he entered the bedroom. Prue sighed and continued staring out the window. "I know this if difficult, it is your life after all."

"It's not my life I'm worried about it's his existence," Prue replied indicating the little boy sleeping in the bed. "I'm choosing between my sister's soul and my son's existence. Aren't you worried about Rejic?"

Cole shook his head. "Why are you so concerned about Rejic after what he did to your little boy?" Cole indicated his nephews many injuries.

"He's still my nephew."

"No, he not," Cole said in a barely audible voice.

"What do you mean?"

"The seer manipulated everything. Rejic is not mine or Phoebe's, he was always hers. She created him so she could rise to power and become the new Source." Cole smiled wryly. "Guess her visions weren't powerful enough to see him destroying her. But he's been using Phoebe since the day he was conceived, trying to tap into the Charmed power and use it for evil. Phoebe's never been able to see that. She carried him to term and gave birth to him. It's an unbreakable connection." Cole looked up at Prue. "I loved Phoebe as a good witch. Her love brought me back to the person my father wanted me to be. She lost herself trying to save me. I have to make this right somehow, but I don't want to cost you your son. He was meant to be, I know that."

"I hope so," said Prue.

"Does that mean you've decided to go through with this?" asked Cole.

"Almost, I just need to ask the Angel Of Destiny one more thing."

"What about your sisters?"

"I haven't told them anything and I won't."

"Don't they have a right to know?"

"If I tell them, Paige and Piper will never let me go through with this."

"Prue."

"Cole, you can't say anything to them either. Even if it's a chance to get Phoebe back…Look, they'll see it as sacrificing one sister to save another…"

"Mommy?"

"Yes, baby?" Prue knelt at her son's side and caressed his forehead. He opened his eyes, they were grayish green just like hers.

"I'm gonna throw up."

"Okay sweetie, I'll get you to the bathroom." Prue gathered him into her arms, carried him to the bathroom and held him over the toilet. The boy vomited for about a minute then went into a fit of dry heaves. Tears welled in Prue's eyes. He'd been too weak to walk or even sit up since Rejic had attacked him. Leo had tried his best, but hadn't been able to heal him. Prue had considered calling Andy, thinking that a fatherly connection would somehow do the trick; But Andy didn't know he had a son, and if Leo, an Elder, couldn't heal him, what would Andy be able to do as a White Lighter?

"Is he alright?" asked Piper as she entered the bedroom followed by Paige. They looked at their sick nephew with identical expressions of concern. "Hey Peanut," Piper said as she knelt next to Prue and squeezed her nephew's, which felt very weak in her own. "I guess that soup I made wasn't so great, now was it?" The little boy smiled.

"No, it was really good, Aunt Piper. I'm sorry I threw it up," the boy replied with a sad look in his eyes.

"Don't be sorry, Chris. This isn't your fault," said Piper as she caressed his face. Prue stood up, carried Chris back to his bed and tucked her son in. Piper had nicknamed Chris 'Peanut' when he was born. For some reason he only tolerated the term of endearment when Piper used it. That had never particularly bothered Prue. Piper and Leo had always treated Chris like he was one of their own children. From the day their mother died, Prue's role in the family had been it's ever-diligent protector. When they lost Phoebe to evil, Prue's determination to protect Piper had increased tenfold. When they found Paige and the Charmed Circle was reformed, Prue found even more energy to protect her newly found baby sister. If that wasn't enough the births of Wyatt, Melinda, Henry Jr., and her own son Chris took Prue's obsession with defeating evil to a whole new level. There was a new demon hunt almost every day. If a demon or warlock had even the slightest potential to harm her family, it had to be dealt with immediately.

"Hey," said Paige as she put an arm around Prue's shoulder. "We're going to beat this. I don't know how, but everything is going to be as it should be. Destiny has a way of making things right."

"That's a good point," said the voice of an old man in blue robes. Prue looked around and noticed that everyone in the room was frozen. "Have you made your decision?"

"Almost," Prue replied. "I just need to ask you something first."

"What would you like to asked?"

"If we change history so that Leo helps Phoebe escape from the underworld…and he…and he…doesn't get back in time to save me…Well, what about Chris?