Thank you to CharmedWriter11 for beta'ing!
Nine years after the Ultimate Power was vanquished, demon activity had greatly diminished. The Powers that Be let Prue and Andy visit the Charmed Ones from time to time. Piper had a baby girl named Melinda a few months before turning forty. On the morning of her birthday, Phoebe and Paige orbed in, only to find Leo and Piper making out.
"Happy birthday!" they shouted to the now surprised Piper. She stopped mid-kiss and smiled at her sisters. They placed five candles on the floor in a circle. Together, they chanted, "Hear these words, hear my cry, spirit from the other side, come to me, I summon thee, cross now the great divide." Prue appeared in ethereal form. She was a ghost until she stepped out of the circle.
"Prue!" the sisters said happily and hugged her.
"Hey, guys! Wait, you can feel me? I have a body?"
"Yes," Piper said.
"Cool, I'm finally getting the hang of this!"
"Yeah, you are," Phoebe agreed. "So...Piper, we have a surprise for you...all three of us." She gestured towards herself, Prue, and Paige.
Piper looked skeptical. "Last time you tried to surprise me for my birthday, there was a food fight because we fought for Prince Charming. I have my own prince, thank you very much."
"We didn't make a perfect man for you. We...um...well, here, read for yourself." Paige tossed Piper an envelope. She ripped it open and slowly read it to herself. She frowned.
"Wife Swap? Really, guys?"
"Told you she wouldn't like it," Prue muttered.
"Oh, come on! It'll be fun!" Phoebe exclaimed.
"Yeah, you get to change a family's life or something," Paige added.
"You're taking me away from Leo for two weeks to live with some other man and his children? A strange woman will be in this house...around my husband and my children! Not to mention...what if I accidentally use my powers because I'm nervous?"
"We'll spend the day with you for your birthday, but tomorrow, you and that woman will switch homes. Don't worry about using your magic...you can always call for Paige in the bathroom if you get panicky. She can bring me and whoever else you want to see," Leo replied.
"You knew about this too?"
"Yes...I noticed that you need a break from magic and don't you want somewhat of a normal life? This is a chance for you not to run into any demons."
"Was this supposed to be a prank?"
"Yes," the sisters said together.
"I guess I'll make the best of it."
The next day, there were tearful goodbyes between Piper and her loved ones after she wrote a list of information about the Halliwells for the new wife. She and Leo kissed for a long time and then she took the plane to Forks, Washington, where she'd meet a family called the Cullens.
...
"Do we all have to go to meet this woman who we don't even know?" Chris complained when they got to the airport.
"Yes, and be polite to her when you see her," Leo said as he jiggled Melinda in his arms.
Wyatt rolled his eyes. "Okay, Dad." He held up the huge sign that said Cullen in big, black letters.
Leo would miss Piper terribly, but Wife Swap sounded exciting and new for them. A woman with curly brown hair quickly walked over to them while waving. The boys gaped at her, but Leo stuck his hand out politely to shake hers. He jumped at the temperature of her skin.
"Hi, I'm Esme Cullen. Sorry about the coldness, the airplane was freezing."
"Quite all right. It's nice to meet you. I'm Leo Wyatt."
"I thought your last name was Halliwell."
"The women keep their last names in our family. These are my sons Chris and Wyatt, and my daughter Melinda. Boys...say hi."
"Hey," they chorused.
"Hello. Oh, hi, cutie!" she cooed at Melinda.
Leo took them home and gave Esme a grand tour of the manor. She noted that she liked the style.
"Thanks. It's Victorian...it's been around for many years. It housed many generations of Halliwell wi-women...my wife and I live here now with our children, but it used to be that she and her sisters lived here...and before that, the girls' grandmother and their mother lived with them until they passed on."
"I see. Well...it's as big as mine and my husband's mansion back home. So...where did your wife put the guidebook?"
Leo showed her and then let her be on her own.
...
Esme read what the Halliwell wife had written.
Hi, my name is Piper Halliwell. I've just turned forty and I have a husband named Leo. We have three children, Wyatt is the oldest at twelve, Chris is eleven, and the baby, Melinda, is three months old. Wyatt is very much like my husband, sweet, always happy, and helpful. Be careful though, he might spill your secrets! Chris is more like me...he's protective, sarcastic, and a bit shy at times. Melinda is a combination of both of us. She's a cheerful little girl and rarely cries. Wyatt and Chris go to school with their dad, he teaches there. I own a restaurant called Halliwell's Kitchen. From time to time, my sisters, their husbands, and their kids visit us at the manor. Don't be overwhelmed by all the chaos...it's a full house, but I'm sure you can handle it. You can always go outside to take a breather if you need to. You'd just be missing out on all the love going around. Don't be afraid if there's loud noises at random times...that happens a lot here, but my sons and my sisters will be there to protect you. One last thing...you cannot, I repeat, cannot, go into the attic. It's complicated. Leo and I both run the house, and I'm not there, so if you need anything at all, Leo is always a call away, and he can get me on the phone too. Good luck!
"Well, that's the first place I'll go, then," Esme murmured to herself. "As a vampire, I'm used to strange things."