Chapter 4: Oh the Way Things Go By

Piper stood in the kitchen of the manor, her home. It was her home her whole life. Yes, she was kind of sick of it, but she also couldn't leave it. She was examining a cook book and writing a list of ingredients. She was in the middle of writing something when her husband walked in behind her and kissed her on the cheek with his arms wrapped around her. Piper stopped writing and smiled. She turned to face Leo and kissed him. "Hi stranger…"

Leo smiled and kissed her again. "Hi…What are you doing?"

"I am making a grocery list of all the food we need for dinner tonight."

"Dinner? Is this just a you and me dinner?"

"No…it's a dinner for the whole family."

"Oh…" a little bummed out. He walks over to the sink and leans against it as Piper continues to write her list on the island.

"I haven't made a decent meal in ages! And it has been forever since we all have seen each other."

"You mean since we have seen our kids."

"What does that mean?"

"Piper, do you know what our 3 lovely children were up to all last night and this morning?"

"No…what?"

"A demon vanquish."

"Not again."

"Yes…we have got to slow them down. They seem to be vanquishing more demons than you and your sisters ever did."

"Well…things have changed since me and my sisters were vanquishing demons. And if any of them were in serious danger they would need me. I know. I am still a Charmed One."

"Yes, but you and your sisters have given up the ropes. You only step in when you need the power of three and that is less and less each day."

"Because our kids are more powerful than us!"

"Oh come on. You know that's not true."

"Oh yea? The 9 of them created a spell to duplicate the book of shadows. We all have one in our house! That's pretty damn amazing if you ask me…"

"Piper, it's not about simple spells. It's about the bigger picture. Combined, they are still weaker than you."

"Well, we are going to have them be prepared when…it's time."

"Oh stop."

"What? We aren't going to live forever Leo."

"I know…"

"Leo, you aren't an angel anymore."

"So…Our kids still have my white lighter powers."

"So what? You think there still might be some white lighter left in you?"

He shrugged, "Maybe."

Piper smiled and leaned over the island to kiss him. Leo met her in the middle for the kiss. "I know how much you loved helping people. But I thought you had moved on."

"I have, sort of."

"Leo…you helped put magic school back into order. You run the damn place now! You can't tell me that doesn't mean something."

"It does…I don't know. I just think we should talk to the kids about all the demon hunting they've been doing."

"Especially Parker…I sent her to her room last week and she orbed to the underworld. I swear I could've killed her!"

Leo smiles, "Yea…we do have some feisty ones on our hands."

She smiles and nods in agreement. Just then Wyatt had walked into the kitchen, "Hey guys, what's up?"

"Oh, nothing. How was the vanquish this morning?" Piper asked.

"Uh…" He smiled at his mom. "I love you?" She glared at her son like, don't even try it. Wyatt let out a sigh, "Ok fine, but it had to be done. But why don't you ask Chris? He practically did it himself."

"What does that mean?" She questioned.

"Nothing, he just knew which demon it was and made the potion and that was that."

"So, what's the problem?"

"Nothing, I guess. It's just-How does he do it? He knows so much about each demon! I know a lot about powers and spells and everything else, but Chris barely has to look at the book."

"Well, Chris always has been one to just go with his gut." Leo explained, "And he learned that his gut is normally right. You should try that instinct sometime."

"Dad, stop. Don't try to be my white lighter right now."

"I'm not trying to be! I'm trying to be your father!"

Wyatt rolled his eyes, "Yea, yea…I gotta get going."

Piper looked at her son, "Where are you going?"

"Out," He sighed and walked out of the back door.

"Ok, why is it, I can never do anything right as a father?"

Piper gave him a sympathetic look. "That's not it. They just can relate to me better. I have sisters, powers, etc. Don't worry, Parker hates my guts, so she should be knocking on your door soon."

Leo responds sarcastically, "Yes!" They both laughed and Piper finished her list and went to the store to get food for dinner.

RING

RING

RING

"Phoebe Halliwell speaking…" Phoebe answered her phone and listened to a writer talk about space for their column. Phoebe nodded as she listened to the problem and took in a deep breath to answer. "Don't worry Evan, I will make sure the picture of the jumping dogs don't get in the way of your column space. Just write as much as you want and we will worry about space later. Ok?" She smiled at his response and hung up. She faced her laptop and began working on her column again. She really loved working at the Bay Mirror. It really was her niche.

"Knock, Knock."

Phoebe looked up from her work at the voice in the door and smiled, "Hold on just one second and then we can leave."

Paige smiled and walked into Phoebe's office a little more. "Ok…"

Phoebe fiddled with something on her computer and took her glasses off and set them on her desk. She stood up, grabbed her purse and was ready to go out to lunch with her sisters. "Where's Piper?"

"She called and said she had to run to the store, but will meet us there."

"Ok…" The two walk to the elevators and Phoebe pushes the down button. "So…how's it going?"

"Oh you know, the usual."

"How's your cold?"

"It's getting better. The kids have tried to be really nice and quiet, but they end up fighting more when I'm not around."

"Oh…that sucks."

"Yep…" The two take Paige's car to a small café called The Bay. Phoebe and Paige park and when they reach the café they see Piper already at a table. The smile and greet her and take a seat.

Piper greets them with a smile, "Let's order!"

"Amen!" Phoebe replies throwing her hands in the air. Paige smiles as the waiter comes by. They all order their usual.

Piper leans back in her chair, "So…Phoebe, tell us. How is it being a big assistant Editor?"

"It feels pretty busy…" she replies.

Paige frowns, "What? Too much work?"

"No, I just don't ever see my kids. I think Pam is a little mad with me about how busy I've been."

Piper nodded, "Yea, but she's Pam. She always has a lot of responsibility."

"I know, but she just seems to be getting sick of it. And I totally understand. She is a 17 year old girl."

Paige responds, "Yea, how is she such a loner?"

"I don't know. It seems so, not me. It seems more like…"

"Me," Piper finished for her sister.

"Yea…I mean, Parker. She is so out there! With all that confidence!"

Paige nodded in agreement. "Yea, Peyton seems to take after Parker. She uses Parker as a role model and that scares me just a little…no offense Piper."

"Oh no, it scares me too. I mean, I sent Parker to her room last week and she orbed to the underworld. She just doesn't realize how dangerous it is. I feel like she takes after Billy." Paige looks down a little. "Oh, I'm sorry Paige."

Paige looks up and tries to put on a smile. "Sorry about what? It's ok."

Phoebe looks at her little sister, "Paige, she was your charge. You can't just look past it. We all cared about Billy."

Piper chimed in, "And we all miss her too…"

Paige sighed, "Yea, well…did we come here to talk about the past or about what's going on?"

Piper, ready to change the subject, "Well, Leo is feeling powerless."

Phoebe sighed, "Not again."

Paige looks at Piper, "Do you keep reminding him about magic school?"

Piper nods, "Yes. But he just doesn't want to hear it."

Phoebe thinks and then answers, "So, what are you going to do?"

"I don't know. Just hope this feeling of his passes over." Phoebe and Paige nod in understanding and their food arrives. The 3 eat and chat and catch up on each others lives for another hour or so.