Leo let out a breath of air. Even a Whitelighter had the possibility of becoming tired if they were overworked; this was the third time in the last week he had to use his powers to repair the Halliwell Manor, heal his charges, Andy and Aviva. Though at least when Paige wasn't too hurt she could heal her own charge.
"So it seems the demons who knew how I died are out to get me, and all the rest want us dead like normal," Prue said, rubbing a sore elbow from where she had been thrown against a wall. Leo had healed all major injuries, but was forbidden to heal anything minor. "They are not happy with the idea of there being a Power of Four."
The Elders were worried about this as well. As four, their powers combined would be far too powerful for their bodies to sustain, but the Elders had a fix for that, at least they hoped so. If the sisters took things slowly and used meditation, they could learn to harness and control their newfound power. They just had to be extra careful.
It was helpful having Aviva around; fire could vanquish most garden variety demons and some higher level demons as well, so the sisters did not have to attempt any Power of Four spells, and only use their individual powers.
So far. They would eventually have to if they were attacked by a demon that could only be killed that way. Leo had to be quick on his feet whenever his witches spent too much power. He wasn't going to let one of them die again. Not on his watch.
"They sure don't seem to care that I'm back," Andy said, trying to lighten the mood. All he got instead was a glare from Piper.
"Andy, I'm sorry if I sound harsh, but you need to remember that rushing in with a gun will not do anything," Piper told him, trying to sound reasonable, after all that was how Andy got killed in the first place.
Andy grimaced. "I know. Damn it. It's instinct." The girls might as well be his family. He grew up with Piper, Phoebe and Prue. He barely knew Paige or Aviva, but he liked them enough to want to protect them, and Leo could now be considered a brother figure.
Phoebe smiled. She understood what he meant. "It's obvious that you love us, so we're not ungrateful."
"Can you actually feel my love?" Andy wasn't too prone to blushing, but the idea of her being able to sense such personal emotions made him feel vulnerable. Phoebe knew a lot about them; the secrets she must be keeping.
"Yes, I can, and it is so sweet," Phoebe said with an exaggerated giggle, playing the annoying little sister role by teasing him. "You're our big teddy bear protective brother." She walked over to him and tried to squeeze his cheeks like Gram used to do when they were younger.
Everyone laughed. It was nice to be able to laugh when things were so hectic from all the demon attacks, and the seriousness of them getting adjusted to two people being back from the dead.
"Knock it off Phebs." Andy pushed her away, though he laughed with the others.
"You be nice or I will make Piper freeze you again." Phoebe referred to when they were children and how often Piper would freeze Andy when he saw the sisters use magic. Grams altered his memory, but now that he knew about the magical world, the sisters had tried to undo some of their grandmother's blocking spells. Andy remembered some things, though not everything.
"With how my magic has been acting, I'm bound to blow him up instead." Piper had strict orders from the Elders to use her magic only when necessary; they needed to figure out what caused them to act up so much lately. The Elders ruled out magical interference and believed her illness had to do with her mental health. How could she be so mentally bothered by something and not even know the cause? Nothing made sense, but she was constantly sick and it was making her magic do unpredictable things.
Before the doctors told her her chances of getting pregnant were slim to none she would have thought these were signs of a baby, but they couldn't be. Her scarring was too severe. All the pregnancy tests were negative as well. She firmly believed when the Angel of Destiny brought Prue and Andy back it was in trade of her, Phoebe and Paige ever having children. It made sense in a way. Two lives in exchange for any possible future lives
Just thinking about it made Piper's eyes fill with tears. She loved Prue and Andy, but she wanted to be a mother. Her chest hurt; it felt like someone reached in and squeezed her lungs. Piper walked away from everyone, going to stand in the doorway that led to the kitchen. Before she could get fully inside, she dropped to her knees, tears finally streaming down her cheeks.
Normally Leo would have sensed Piper's distress, but with four of his charges in the same room, he only sensed Phoebe who was channeling so much from everyone else. The feelings coming from Piper were so forceful they made Phoebe cringe in pain as she fell to the ground. Phoebe felt everything Piper felt; each wave of sadness, pain or fear coming from her sister sent sharp stabs through Phoebe's mind.
Leo was at Phoebe's side at once and because she was behind them, nobody noticed Piper.
"Phoebe!" Aviva also knelt down next to her, holding her in her arms. Leo was trying to heal her, but there was nothing to heal. Aviva looked up and looked around, noticing Piper in the doorway to the kitchen. Aviva did not have empathy powers, but it seemed clear Piper just broke down and Phoebe could not handle how strong her sister's emotions were.
Piper did not notice Phoebe; she was lost in her own world, eyes glazed over, hands on her stomach.
All the feelings. So many feelings. Phoebe moaned, rolling over, getting closer to Aviva, curling into a ball in her lap. Too overwhelming. Please stop. Please stop. Oh Piper, sweetie, I can't take it, your grief is shattering. Why are you so sad?
"Stop!" Aviva yelled. "You're hurting her. Leo! It's Piper causing the most damage." Aviva pointed. Leo followed her finger and saw his wife, instantly feeling ashamed that he hadn't felt her sorrow. Phoebe moaned again; Leo was adding to her pain the more he worried about Piper.
"Please take Piper far from Phoebe. I'm sorry to be so blunt, Piper, but you need to talk to Leo and find some resolve for what you're feeling. Not only for Phoebe's sake, but for your own." Aviva was ordering everyone around, talking like she owned the place, but she cared for Phoebe too much to worry that the others would frown on her behavior. Aviva brushed her fingers through Phoebe's hair, whispering any soothing words she could think of.
"I might be speaking out of turn, but it is best everyone goes for a little while until we've all calmed down."
Prue remembered what it felt like to have empath powers and she was never meant to have them. Phoebe was meant to have them, but was still new to them. It did feel weird to have Aviva of all people suddenly bossing them around, but she did have a point.
"Come on guys, I know we're worried for Phoebe, but we should leave." Prue walked over to Piper and Leo and hugged them both, brushing her fingers through Piper's hair in a soothing manner. Paige orbed out of the room, after patting Piper on the head and a quick hug. Prue looked at Andy, then nodded her head toward Leo. Andy didn't understand at first, but then remembered. He walked over to the group and put a hand on Leo's shoulder.
With a shimmer of light, he orbed them away, leaving Phoebe and Aviva alone.
"Are my feelings too much?" Aviva whispered. "I can leave, too."
"No!" Phoebe yelled, groaning as she tried to stand up. Her head was clearing, the pounding wasn't as bad as before and her pain and despair was fading. She was still worried about Piper, because she knew the type of things she was feeling, but the emotions coming from Piper and the others were getting fainter and fainter the further away they were.
Aviva's presence, even her feelings were calming. They were welcome and they felt safe. Aviva had been a very emotional teenager, but she had learned how to control herself over the years, just as she had learned to control her magic.
"You don't hurt me," Phoebe said softly. "Please don't leave me alone."
Aviva smiled. "I won't"
The girls went to the attic to gather some crystals, then they went to Phoebe's room, putting up a circle of protection. It would keep out of any danger while they were home alone. Phoebe laid on her bed with her head in Aviva's lap.
Leo orbed Andy and Prue to an empty bathroom at a mall. He didn't even bother telling them where they were.
"Where do you think we are?" Prue asked. The mall was packed with teenagers. "They're looking older every day. When I was that age, I was playing with barbies."
"Not chasing boys?" Andy teased.
"Of course not. Maybe a little." Prue gave him a small smile, brushing her black hair out of her eyes. She and Andy had always had some sort of relationship ever since they were children, which started innocently enough until they got to high school. They walked through the mall, side by side, hands close together, but not touching, though they we're both trying to find the nerve to make a move. It was as if they were first dating all over again. New and exciting.
After some comfortable silence, Prue stopped walking and looked up at Andy. "What do you think is wrong with Piper? Her breakdown can't only be about us coming back. I mean we're doing fine, right? She should have no reason to be upset over us." Prue leaned her back against the cold glass of a storefront for infant clothes. "She loves us and wants us back, right? So why..."
"I have no idea Prue, but you're right. I don't think it is about us at all. Her stress might have been about us at first, but there is something more." Andy reached out and brushed some hair off Prue's cheek, his hand lingering longer in a soft caress. The movement felt natural, though they both blushed anyway.
"We're acting like school children," Prue mumbled.
Andy chuckled. "I know; it is all so-"
"Scary?" Prue suggested.
"Terrifying. What if we mess up again? What if a demon gets me, or you? We'd have come back for nothing."
"We shouldn't be wasting whatever time we have even if we are killed before we're old and gray." Prue glanced down at the floor. Why couldn't she just come out and tell Andy that she still had feelings for him and probably would for as long as she lived, no matter if she had one life, two or one hundred.
"Prue..."
"Andy..."
They laughed when they both spoke at the same time.
"It's just back when we did that truth spell and you said you could never take being with a witch… I-I.."
Andy grasped Prue's shoulders. "I was wrong, Prue. I wasn't given enough time to process everything and then I was dead before we could..." He stepped closer to her, forgetting that they were in a public place, nor did he care.
"Being with me is dangerous, you know that, considering everything that has happened to us."
"Being a police inspector is dangerous, too."
Prue wrapped her arms around Andy's neck. She wished she had Piper's powers so she could freeze everyone and live in the moment just her and Andy. Thinking about her sister brought her back to reality. She pushed him aside.
"This isn't the place or the time, because I'm worried about Piper and Phoebe. But Andy, we are going to talk about us. There is an us, right?"
"There will always be an us, Prue."
