Disclaimer: I make no $. I own nothing. Not even the spell used.

Dominiquel--Maybe Piper can help...just wait and see. ;)
PiperLeo4eva--I just couldn't resist them meeting. It's not going to be what you expect though.
ChrisHCharmedFreak--I will try to keep posting ASAP
CaliforniaChick--Glad u r into it.
Calen--Maybe, maybe not. You'll have to wait and see...
P3charmed4eva--sometimes I feel like I go on and on. :)
AngelQueen2002--hey my goal is to keep people guessing!
DoRK47--Thanks, that's always nice to hear.

Chapter 8

For a moment all Piper could do was stare dumbly at the young woman who had only

seconds ago called her mom. Chris had never said anything about having a little sister. Besides

he had almost ruined his own conception, she doubted he would jeopardize his sister's too. Still,

she was so familiar. The long brown hair, the deep chocolate brown eyes. Even the voice. But

her daughter? Was it possible? Melinda? The little girl she never thought she would have?

"H-how?" Mel took a shaky breath. "You...you can't be." She instinctively backed

away in fear, thinking Piper was actually a demon with the ability to glamour. She opened her

mouth to scream, but was cut off by Piper.

Once the eldest Charmed One regained her senses, Piper held up her hands defensively.

"Whoa, whoa! Hold on there. I know this must be confusing. Maybe you think it's a trick or

something, but I am Piper Halliwell. I'm from the past. Please, just don't scream. I didn't want

anyone to know I was here."

Melinda had only been eight when her mother died. Sometimes the images in her mind

were fuzzy and she worried the memories would fade and she would never remember the sound

of her mom's voice, or the smell of her perfume. Right now, she was being bombarded with all

the memories of Piper she had. She remembered being tucked into bed at night, how her mom

braided her hair in the morning, she remembered the times she and her mom baked cookies, even

the arguments when she and her mom would team up against the boys about what movie to

watch. She remembered things she had thought lost forever. And in her hormonal state all she

could do was cry.

Piper instantly was at her side. This was her Melinda, she knew it was. Her baby needed

her, and she was going to comfort her the best she could. She held her daughter close massaging

her back gently. "Shh...it's okay. I know this must be hard. I'm sorry. I am so sorry." Before

she knew it, Piper was in tears too.

She had always been afraid of abandoning her children, and in the end she did. She died

early just like her own mother had, and now her children were going through who knows what

kind of troubles and she wasn't there for them. Melinda was going to be a teenage mother! She

needed guidance, the kind a mother can give. The fact Piper was not alive to help her kids

was what caused the tears to fall.

After a moment, Melinda pulled away. She wiped away her tears and shook her head in

confusion. "The past? W-why are you here?"

"Uh," Piper's mind raced for something she could say that wouldn't cause too much

alarm. "Pheobe had a premonition, and it told her I wasn't around anymore, and well, I thought

maybe you guys might need me?" It sounded lame even to her. She just kept smiling though.

Mel frowned but didn't question the answer. Instead she turned away. "Just so you

know, we are all okay. Wy and Chris took it harder than me; I was pretty little. I still didn't

get the whole death thing yet. It hurts more now. Seeing you is both a miracle and a curse.

Mostly because I know you can't stay."

Piper moved to her side again. This time Mel did not accept it though. She shook her

head. "I've gotten used to not having a mother. The guys are so wonderful to me. I have never

had a reason to complain. Until now. Seeing you makes me remember all the things I loved

about you. I don't want to remember! I want to block it out so that when you are gone in a few

hours I won't have to mourn for you a second time." With that Mel ran from the room, leaving

one pained Piper behind her.

Courtney thumbed through the book of Shadows as quickly as she could looking for any

spell that could counter act the black magic her father was intending to use on her. She needed a

way to get her powers back using white magic so she could defend herself and the baby without

falling into his trap. She knew she didn't have much time either. The Halliwells probably knew

the book was gone by now, and would be coming after her for it any second. Plus her father was

already searching for her and however many of his minions too. She couldn't let them get her. If

he got to her before she could find the right spell, he would poison her magical energy. She

would not let that happen!

A spell had to exist in the Charmed One's Book of Shadows that would restore her

powers. She had figured out the only way her father could control her was if he used that dark

spell combined with the potion she had taken all those years ago when she had thought she was

stripping her powers. The combination was supposed to bind her magic, even her will, to her

father. If she used a white magic spell to get her powers, he couldn't force her hand anymore.

The baby. Would her demonic powers influence or harm the child currently growing

inside her? It was obvious the baby was taking after its father for now. That was good. If she

was going to have a magical baby, she wanted it to be white magic. Would calling back her

powers change the baby's magical energy? She didn't want to risk tainting her own baby. Still,

if her father got to her first, she and the baby would be defenseless.

A horrible thought occurred to her. What if her father found out about the pregnancy? If

he knew she was carrying a child of a Halliwell he would tell his allies and more demons would

be after them than already were. He would want to use the child for leverage against the

Charmed family, or...raise the child as a demon. The Halliwells were the all powerful ones

raising one of them to be evil would be so like her father. She couldn't, no, would not let them

take her child. She would die first. That would involve fighting back, and in order to do that she

had to get her powers restored.

She turned a few more pages and finally found a spell she thought would work. She

glanced down at her stomach. "Okay, just to fill you in, yes, mommy is a demon, well half

anyway. That means her magic is dark, and well, just know that I love you and that I want you to

keep holding on to all that light energy your daddy passed on to you. I'm doing this for us, Little

One."

Holding up the book she took a deep breath. "Well, here goes everything." She began

reading the spell. "Powers of the witches rise, course unseen across the skies. Come to me who

calls you near, come to me and settle here."

Well, she certainly didn't feel any differently. None of the demonic cravings she used to

have. No anger, no greed, no all consuming need for violence. She felt rather calm. Maybe the

spell didn't work. Why though? It was a Charmed spell, it should've. That's when she noticed

the golden light around her mid-section. It was the same that had surrounded her when her father

had tried to turn her.

"Hmm...?" She frowned. "You little...well, I guess I don't have to worry about anyone

tainting you. You've got some weird anti-black magic shield or something. I can't believe my

baby is blocking my powers because they're demonic." She sighed and looked down at her tummy

again. "Listen, you, you're part demon too. Don't go judging me. I was trying to protect us.

Now whose going to save us, huh?"

As if in response the familiar orbs surrounded her and Courtney found herself

transported, the Book of Shadows still in hand, to Halliwell Manor. Not only was she in the

manor, but the baby apparently knew who daddy was because she wound up right in front of

Chris. Needless to say, everyone in the room was a little surprised to see her.

"Courtney?" Leo and Wyatt exclaimed simultaneously.

Bianca was the first to notice the book. "I told you! Look! She stole the book right out

from under your nose, Wyatt!"

Chris frowned. "Those were orbs. Demons don't orb."

"How did you...?" Courtney paused noticing Bianca standing a little too close to Chris for

her likes. "Wait. Who are you?"

"Chris' real fiancee." Bianca glared at her. "If you think you can hurt him you are dead

wrong. I'll vanquish you myself before you can do anymore damage. Demon."

Leo moved a little closer to Courtney, concern written on his face. "It is true, then? You

are Belthazor's niece?"

She nodded. "Yeah, but Uncle Cole and I were never really close. He and Dad were

enemies. My dad was a full blood demon and both envied Belthazor for his ability to blend into

the mortal world, and reviled him for his emotions. He considered him weak in that regard.

When he found out about Pheobe, my dad's head nearly exploded. He felt disgraced. It gave me

hope for my own mortal soul, though. See, dad thought he could raise a half and half to be the assassin

Belthazor was, but with none of the risk of emotions. He even cast spells to make sure I couldn't

feel anything unless I summoned those feelings for a mission. What he didn't count on was the

fact I liked feeling human."

Wyatt shot Bianca a triumphant look. "See half demon. That means she is half human

and that proves she isn't the evil you thought she was! That she was really in love with Chris."

"Cole was half human and half demon and he killed hundreds of innocents." Bianca

countered. She grinned maliciously. "Plus you are half mortal half whitelighter and you were

ruler of all evil. Guess your little theory doesn't really pan out all that well, huh?"

Chris wasn't listening or he would have defended his brother again. Instead he kept

staring ahead with a confused and worried look on his face. "She orbed. Did no one else see

that?"

Leo was also slightly lost in his thoughts. He cared about this girl and wanted to trust

what she said. But he had made that mistake before. He had liked Cole once upon a time. He

wanted to believe the human half would win out in the end and that Cole really would become

part of the family. He had wanted to be friends with Cole, but everything ended up so messed up

in the end. So, could he trust her? Why did she take the book? He posed the question aloud.

"I needed a spell that would stop my father from manipulating my magic. Please, Leo,

you know I would never hurt anyone. I love this family. I feel like it is mine. I'm begging you,

Leo, just trust what you know in your heart. Follow the advice you so often give."

Meanwhile, Bianca and Wyatt were still sniping at eachother.

"I am not that person! You and my brother changed all that. I have never once hurt a

single living creature. You have no right to judge me based on a life I never lived!"

"You murdered me. I think I do have the right." Bianca shook her head.

"Nothing you can say will convince me I shouldn't."

Wyatt just frowned. "Fine. Don't believe that your sacrifices paid off. Remain bitter and

fearful. Just know that I wouldn't hurt anyone my brother cared about. As much as I hate to say

this, but he seems to care about you. A lot. Too much for his own good if you ask me."

"Good thing no one is asking then."

Chris shook his head. "I didn't just imagine it right? I mean I haven't completely lost it.

But whitelighters and their progeny are the only...ones...who...oh no." He jerked his head to the

right to look at Courtney. She was still deep in conversation with his dad.

Suddenly a talk he had with his mom popped into his head. She was asking about a

force-field. Said she had one when she was pregnant with Wyatt. Where was the one for Chris?

He hadn't had one. Wyatt was just stronger and his powers came out from the womb. So, if

Courtney wasn't doing the orbing, then... "You're pregnant?!?"

All speech abruptly ended. All eyes went immediately to Courtney. She paled drastically

and her eyes became wider with each passing moment. She struggled to find words to explain.

"Well, uh..."

"Piper?"

Now it was Leo's turn to get stared at. He didn't notice though. He was too focused on

the new figure at the entrance to the kitchen. He slowly moved his way through the crowded

room to where his wife from 23 years in the past was standing shocked at having heard several

confusing conversations and one incredible outburst. Before she could even open her mouth to

say anything, Leo had her in his arms and was kissing her with nine years worth passion.

Courtney used the distraction to slip out unnoticed.

TBC....