The First Son

Part 2: A Reunion

One week after Leo had brought the fateful news, Piper and Rueben were released. Leo made a spectacle of them all by showing up with the Jeep covered in 'It's a Boy!' stickers. Piper placed her son in the new Eddie Bauer car seat and buckled him in securely. Leo drove with Paige in the front, while Piper and Phoebe stayed in the back to coo over the baby. Nothing could have ruined that day for them, and nothing did, even when Leo was called away momentarily by the council. Piper had only a few minutes to fume, and then he was back with a big grin on his face and some incredible news.

"Prue wants to see him."

All three sisters immediately stopped what they were doing. They gave him a blank stare, then looked at each other and screamed.

"Oh my God!"

"I can't believe she's coming back!"

"Will I really get to meet her?"

Everyone began talking at once, the decibels increasing with each word. Rueben joined in and started to howl, drowning them all out. Piper picked him up and walked briskly around the room, bobbing as Leo had before. "I'm sorry, Rueben. Mommy's sorry. She's just a little excited... and scared. God, Leo. They're really let her visit?" Leo nodded, still smiling insanely. "Well, then. Let's get cleaned up."

There was a stampede towards the door as both Paige and Phoebe tried to get out at the same time. Leo came from behind and pushed them through, and then he shut the door after them. "We need a bigger house."

Piper laughed and slowed down her bobbing. She was quiet for while as Leo changed into a fresh shirt, then she spoke. "I'm scared, Leo."

He went over to her and wrapped his arms around her and his son careful not to disturb him. "I know, honey. It'll be all right, though. It'll be better than all right. It's going to be great."

"But it's been three years, Leo. We've changed, and what if she doesn't like the change? What if she doesn't like Paige? I don't know what'll happen then." Piper laid her head on his broad chest and sighed. "I've missed her so much. And now she comes, after all this time. God, I've just missed her."

Kissing the top of her head, Leo nodded. "I know." That was all he could say. "I know."

***

Hear these words, hear my cry

Spirits from the other side

Come to me, I summon thee

'Cross now, the great divide

The sisters read aloud from the book, watching the arranged candles flicker in the dusk hour. A choking tension filled the room as golden orbs began to circulate within the circle of candles, and a form took shape. It was faint, nearly transparent, but it grew into an opaque figure, clothed in a white silken gown that dragged beautifully on the floor. Her pale skin contrasted sharply with her raven hair, and as she lifted her head, you could see the wonder in her bright blue eyes.

"Prue."

The figure nodded and stepped out of the circle towards Piper. She didn't speak as she reached for the precious parcel that her sister held. Piper let the baby gently into Prue's awaiting arms, in case she was only dreaming and her child might fall. But no. Rueben settled calmly into the steady arms of his deceased aunt, and closed his eyes to sleep.

"He's beautiful, Piper," Prue whispered as she stroked a finger along his brow. "Even if he isn't a girl."

Piper laughed shakily and nodded towards Paige. "I think there's someone you ought to meet."

The youngest Halliwell stepped out from behind Phoebe and stood next to Piper, her head lowered slightly in the presence of her eldest sister. "I-I… I'm P-Paige."

Prue smiled. "I know. It's great to finally meet you." She handed Rueben back to Piper and hugged Paige tightly around the shoulders. "Welcome home." She went next to Phoebe and kissed her on the cheek before hugging her. "You're not the baby any more. So I can't call you my baby sister, but I can say that I was wrong, about you and Cole. He's a great man, Phoebe. Don't ever doubt him. He'll be faithful." She winked and walked over to Leo. "Ah, the man of the hour. I knew you knock my sister up sooner or later, but couldn't you have waited to give her a boy? They're so messy." She squeezed his hand and smiled as she moved onto her final relative. "I'm sorry I left you, Piper. I'm sorry you had to bear the burden of the oldest sister when you weren't ready for it, and I'm sorry that I wasn't there when your child was born. I'm-"

Piper held up her hand. "No. Don't. I don't want you to apologize to me, for anything. I just want you to stay for a little while longer, so you can be my sister again." A crystalline tear fell softly from the corner of her eye as Prue reached out and cupped her cheek gently. "Say you'll stay, if only for a little while."

"Yes, I'll stay."

***

"I've missed you guys."

Prue, Piper, and Phoebe were all gathered in a tight circle on the floor of the attic, while Paige sat in the over-stuffed armchair in the corner, watching. Prue was even more beautiful in person than in her pictures. The perfect contours of her face made her eyes stand out so they seemed the size of half-dollars. It just made Paige all the more shy when it came to socializing with her sisters.

"We missed you, too. It's been three years, Prue. Three years of hell without you. But we did it. We vanquished the Source." Piper pointed at the handmade wooden bassinet by the window where Rueben lay asleep. "And then he came along. It was an amazing feeling, Prue, having a life growing inside of you. I don't think I've ever been as happy… or as sad."

Prue frowned. "Leo told me. I'm sorry he's powerless Piper, but think. He'll have a normal life now. Free from all the hassles that some with being a witch. Free from all the dangers…"

"I'm not sure whether or not I like that he doesn't have any powers, but at least I know that demons won't want to kill him because he's a threat." Piper leaned against Prue's shoulder, while Phoebe placed her head on the eldest's leg so she could sprawl out on the bed.

"But a demon might want to kill him to hurt you," Paige said quietly from her corner. "You're still a Charmed One, after all."

Prue looked up over Piper's head. "What's that honey? Why don't you come over here. This is a sister conversation and you are our sister, so get you skinny ass over here."

Paige hesitated but ambled over to the bed slowly. She sat down on the edge stiffly, but Phoebe grabbed her arm and pulled her back into the pile of people.

"Hey!"

"When we have sister talks, we sit in a pile. So find a leg or an arm and get comfy. 'cuz we might be here a while." Prue held her hand through the night as they babbled long past dawn and into the next morning. The sun was high in the sky when Rueben cried for the first time, louder and louder as he clamored to get his mother's attention. Leo pushed open the door to get his son only, to find all four women jumping to be the first to hold him. The baby was passed around from sister to sister to brother-in-law/husband and back again, until he was too tired to do anything but whimper.

"Put him back to bed. Let him sleep." Prue brushed out her gown and stood by the door. "The next time I come maybe he'll be a little more talkative."

Silence gripped at the throats of the group. She was leaving again.

"God, I wish you could stay," Piper embraced her sister firmly, burying her face into the silk of Prue's dress. She cried in silence, her body shaking softly as the other two reached around her to do the same thing. "Promise you'll come back."

Prue's tears were muffled by the mass of bodies around her, but she nodded into them. "I promise." One by one the girls let go, and they watched their sister wave as she vanished in a shimmer of golden light.