The younger Paige moaned. She felt like a wall had fallen on her. It
hurt even to blink. For a second she couldn't remember who she was, or
where she was. Then she remembered everything.
She turned onto her stomach and gingerly pushed herself up onto her hands. Someone in her family might've been hurt. Crawling along, she saw a hand peeking out of the rubble. Still in pain, Paige dug and felt tears sting her eyes when she found the younger Phoebe not breathing.
" No no no," Paige breathed. She took a deep breath, collecting all her magic. Then Paige placed her hands on Phoebe's stomach. It didn't stir. Paige poured her magic into Phoebe and her unborn son, until Phoebe's eyes sprang open and she coughed.
" Phoebe?" Paige whispered.
" I'm…all right." Phoebe smiled so weakly Paige was afraid the effort might kill her. "Go…check…Cole and Peter."
When Paige found Cole, he was covered in dust and rock, and his leg was broken. The younger Leo healed him. Peter was another story. His face was covered in bloody scratches, like a cat attacked him. He was all right thought. Paige winced when she spotted a pile of ash next to him, topped with two eyeballs white as snow.
" How are you?" asked a familiar voice. Paige turned and looked at her older self. She knelt beside her nephew and placed her hands on his twisted arm. Peter grinned faintly, like his mother. " There goes…" he coughed. " Going out for pitcher."
Uncertainly, Paige looked at herself. " So…" The question she wanted to ask sounded stupid.
" We can astral project and read minds."
" How did you-never mind," Paige muttered. Behind her the younger and Older Piper sat with Melinda One, who had barely gotten hurt.
" I'm sorry I called you hear, Mom. Past Mom, I mean," Melinda said, refusing to look either in the eye.
" It's all right, honey," the younger Piper cooed, pushing a piece of hair behind Melinda's ear. " You did what you thought was right," older Piper agreed. Both looked at each other and smiled. On the other side of the cave sat Prue, covered in bruises; Melinda Two, with twisted ankle and massive headache; and Older Phoebe, with a mild concussion. Older Leo was there, healing their wounds. When she was healed, she ran to Peter. " Peter," she cried, and threw her arms around him. " I was so worried…" Tears rushed down her face.
Although Peter didn't cry, Paige could tell how relieved he was. " I'm alright Mom," he said. "I'm alright."
***********************
" Well, I'm not as worried about the future as I was before," Piper joked back at the manor. Her older self gave her a wry look. " What? I've got a restaurant, a loving husband, two adorable daughters-" Prue's ears perked up and she grinned at her "Past Mommy". Melinda Two also smiled (Melinda One had disappeared into her own time period). The older Leo threw his arm around his wife just as the younger own did.
Paige shook hands with older counterpart. " So I don't get married?"
" Marriage? Ha!" The elder Paige laughed. " And settle down like these old ladies?"
" You watch your mouth," threatened older Phoebe. She turned back to younger Phoebe. " Watch out for our son." Peter beamed. " Oh, uh, Mom? Younger Mom, I mean."
" Yes?"
" If, uh, say if when I'm eight years old, and I accidentally break the dining room window playing football, go easy on me, 'kay?"
" We'll see." The family headed up to the attic. The younger sisters and Leo stood together and said their last good-byes. They recited the spell once again, and bright golden light shone, blotting everyone's vision. When the golden mist dissipated, the young Charmed Ones and Leo were gone.
**********************
" Our life looked pretty nice, didn't it?" Piper said.
" I think so," Leo agreed as he got into bed.
" I mean, we're not exactly the normal, perfect family, but we come close."
" As close as you can get for a family of witches and Whitelighters." Piper smiled and laid her head on Leo's chest.
In their bedroom, Phoebe and Cole were having a similar discussion. Cole slipped into his bed beside Phoebe. Her face wore an odd brooding. "What's wrong?" he wondered. She looked down at her belly.
" Oh Cole," Phoebe sighed. " You saw our future. You will die within the next seven years. We won't bind Peter's powers. What if something else goes wrong?"
He had been mulling this over, too. " Well," he began, " for starters we will bind Peter's powers. OK?"
" OK."
" I promise to always where a bulletproof vest. OK?"
" OK." She wasn't convinced. Gently Cole kissed his wife. " I promise, when a promise arises, we'll deal with it then. When our future comes, we'll be ready."
She turned onto her stomach and gingerly pushed herself up onto her hands. Someone in her family might've been hurt. Crawling along, she saw a hand peeking out of the rubble. Still in pain, Paige dug and felt tears sting her eyes when she found the younger Phoebe not breathing.
" No no no," Paige breathed. She took a deep breath, collecting all her magic. Then Paige placed her hands on Phoebe's stomach. It didn't stir. Paige poured her magic into Phoebe and her unborn son, until Phoebe's eyes sprang open and she coughed.
" Phoebe?" Paige whispered.
" I'm…all right." Phoebe smiled so weakly Paige was afraid the effort might kill her. "Go…check…Cole and Peter."
When Paige found Cole, he was covered in dust and rock, and his leg was broken. The younger Leo healed him. Peter was another story. His face was covered in bloody scratches, like a cat attacked him. He was all right thought. Paige winced when she spotted a pile of ash next to him, topped with two eyeballs white as snow.
" How are you?" asked a familiar voice. Paige turned and looked at her older self. She knelt beside her nephew and placed her hands on his twisted arm. Peter grinned faintly, like his mother. " There goes…" he coughed. " Going out for pitcher."
Uncertainly, Paige looked at herself. " So…" The question she wanted to ask sounded stupid.
" We can astral project and read minds."
" How did you-never mind," Paige muttered. Behind her the younger and Older Piper sat with Melinda One, who had barely gotten hurt.
" I'm sorry I called you hear, Mom. Past Mom, I mean," Melinda said, refusing to look either in the eye.
" It's all right, honey," the younger Piper cooed, pushing a piece of hair behind Melinda's ear. " You did what you thought was right," older Piper agreed. Both looked at each other and smiled. On the other side of the cave sat Prue, covered in bruises; Melinda Two, with twisted ankle and massive headache; and Older Phoebe, with a mild concussion. Older Leo was there, healing their wounds. When she was healed, she ran to Peter. " Peter," she cried, and threw her arms around him. " I was so worried…" Tears rushed down her face.
Although Peter didn't cry, Paige could tell how relieved he was. " I'm alright Mom," he said. "I'm alright."
***********************
" Well, I'm not as worried about the future as I was before," Piper joked back at the manor. Her older self gave her a wry look. " What? I've got a restaurant, a loving husband, two adorable daughters-" Prue's ears perked up and she grinned at her "Past Mommy". Melinda Two also smiled (Melinda One had disappeared into her own time period). The older Leo threw his arm around his wife just as the younger own did.
Paige shook hands with older counterpart. " So I don't get married?"
" Marriage? Ha!" The elder Paige laughed. " And settle down like these old ladies?"
" You watch your mouth," threatened older Phoebe. She turned back to younger Phoebe. " Watch out for our son." Peter beamed. " Oh, uh, Mom? Younger Mom, I mean."
" Yes?"
" If, uh, say if when I'm eight years old, and I accidentally break the dining room window playing football, go easy on me, 'kay?"
" We'll see." The family headed up to the attic. The younger sisters and Leo stood together and said their last good-byes. They recited the spell once again, and bright golden light shone, blotting everyone's vision. When the golden mist dissipated, the young Charmed Ones and Leo were gone.
**********************
" Our life looked pretty nice, didn't it?" Piper said.
" I think so," Leo agreed as he got into bed.
" I mean, we're not exactly the normal, perfect family, but we come close."
" As close as you can get for a family of witches and Whitelighters." Piper smiled and laid her head on Leo's chest.
In their bedroom, Phoebe and Cole were having a similar discussion. Cole slipped into his bed beside Phoebe. Her face wore an odd brooding. "What's wrong?" he wondered. She looked down at her belly.
" Oh Cole," Phoebe sighed. " You saw our future. You will die within the next seven years. We won't bind Peter's powers. What if something else goes wrong?"
He had been mulling this over, too. " Well," he began, " for starters we will bind Peter's powers. OK?"
" OK."
" I promise to always where a bulletproof vest. OK?"
" OK." She wasn't convinced. Gently Cole kissed his wife. " I promise, when a promise arises, we'll deal with it then. When our future comes, we'll be ready."