Once again with the Monday upload... I don't think you guys mind though, right? ;) Enjoy!
Oh, and please don't hate me for the character killin' that will occur... O:-)
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October 19th 2024 – Halliwell Manor
"You sure you're ready?"
"Mom, I gotta. You've been really good to take me back in these past few months, but I have to move back home eventually. I can't stay here forever." Paige smiled and hugged her daughter.
"I don't know, this house can hold more people than you think…"
"Mom."
"I know, I know. What can I say, I worry about you…" Helena kissed her cheek and Paige laughed. "Go check on your sisters for me, will you?"
"Sure," she nodded and started for the stairs as the doorbell rang. She circled back and went for the door. "I'll get it!" When she opened it, she gasped. "Michael, what happened to you?" Michael Morris stood there, his uniform, his hands covered here and there with blood, his body shaking but not as much as his eyes, which were threatening to spill over any second now.
"My father… he's… he's been… There was a hostage situation. We were both there. He… saved me, but he… he's gone." It was almost frightening to see this man, usually so strong and collected, broken to pieces like this. At the same time the news he brought was sending the women into a sudden and overtaking sadness. "I wasn't sure where to go… Can't see them…" he shook his head. Helena hugged him just as he finally began to cry.
"C-Come in," Helena told him, leading him toward the living room. "Your mother…"
"Shana and Bryan have been called, they're on their way to see her. I had to… stick around for a while, then I was told I could go home… I didn't want to be alone, so I thought about going to my parents' home… I wasn't ready…"
"It's okay, Michael, you can stay as long as you like." Helena looked to her mother.
"I'll go make us some tea. Helena, will you help me carry it in when it's ready?" She nodded.
"I'm sorry about just coming…"
"Hey, it's okay…" she placed her hand on his shoulder. "I mean, I… sort of know what this is like." He looked at her. "Sort of," she tilted her head with a pained look on her face.
"Your father was a cop, too. He was killed on duty, wasn't he?" Helena nodded. Her mother had long held that as fact, but she knew it wasn't the case. She knew her mother well. If she didn't want her to know then it must have been really bad. "What happened?"
"He chased a guy in a building. He had guns, a gang…" She lowered her head for a moment, her face crumpling just a bit before she looked up at him again. "I was only a week old so I don't remember him but… I've spent my life hearing about him from others, how great he was… I… I miss him… a stranger…" There was a moment of silence. "You'll be okay… in the end… I guess that's what I'm trying to say."
"Thank you," he nodded. "I just keep seeing his face… he was trying to be strong, but he knew it was coming… he was terrified."
"I'm… so sorry, Michael…" she cried with him.
At this time, Prue & Keely's home
"So what's this big news I've been hearing so much about?" Prue asked her friend.
"Well…" Keely hesitated. "Tristan and I are moving in together, a small place near work… I almost said no…" Prue smiled to herself.
"Why?"
"I didn't want to leave you guys…"
"Don't worry about us, we'll be fine. As long as you're happy then I've got nothing to say except 'I'm gonna miss you.'" Keely's face quivered and she gathered Prue into a hug.
"I'll miss you too! But I'll be around," she pulled back, "You won't get rid of me so easily." They laughed. Keely had met Tristan a few months ago when Prue had rescued him and taken him back to the apartment. He was a witch, and he and Keely were just about an instant item.
After Keely ran off to meet Tristan to shop paint colors, Prue got to preparing the girls. Molly and Olivia were a breeze, but Persia was another issue. The girl was a n odd one, that was for sure. She was very aware of things for her age, but at the same time she was just a regular kid. It was something hard to explain, but understood by those who knew Persia. Quite recently she had discovered her orbing abilities. So now if she didn't want something she simply orbed to another room. Eventually Prue would get her to cooperate, but that could take a while. On the days she went to Piper's place though, she was in more of a hurry than Prue. After dressing her and brushing her hair, Prue got ready herself and the four of them were off.
When they got to the apartment, Persia found the hidden key and opened the door herself, running in. "Cara!" she called. The girl in question came in and she looked kind of fidgety.
"Hey, you're early." Prue observed her mother. She was hiding something, and the look on her face told Prue it was something big.
"Uh, yea, had to be up to make sure Keely got up on time." Suddenly…
"Daddy!" Persia announced happily.
"Daddy?" Prue repeated, confused, following her glance. On Piper's couch, Leo slept soundly. "Hang on," she took the girls into the other room, where they would be within sight but out of earshot. "Mom? What's going on?"
"Well…"
JUNE 25TH 2024 – C/PIPER'S APARTMENT
"Here, drink this…" Leo handed her a cup of something that smelled great and appeared to be very hot.
"Thanks," she took it. So tired and exhausted though, her hands were shaking. He placed his hands over hers, steadying her grip so that she was able to bring the cup to her mouth and drink. When she was done, he put the cup aside and she settled down.
"You should rest…" he started to stand, but she grabbed his hand.
"Leo, wait… sit." They remained motionless for a minute before he finally relented. "Did… did you always know?" He looked at her, and she knew in him a shaking sadness.
"I didn't, not really. But my heart must have because I loved you. I couldn't bring myself to admit it, to you and myself because… I felt like I'd be betraying you…" She tried not to cry. "Now I know I always only loved you." And now she cried.
"Leo…" Before she could go on, both of them were orbed up, finding themselves standing before a row of seated Elders. "I knew this was gonna happen…" she sighed.
"We were told a lot of things that were pretty much what they told us the first time we got together. Of course there were some things that were different because I'm human this time. Then they said they'd 'deliberate' on the situation and get back to us. They sent us back and that was that. So the past couple months we've been waiting to see what'd happen. Yesterday they told us what they came up with. If we want to be together… he has to give up his wings. So we decided this: We'll be… friends… for a while, and when we're ready to go for it…"
"Wow… That's great!" Piper laughed. "So… he's known about you for months and you didn't tell me?"
"Well…"
"I'm not mad or anything, it's just all this ducking around I had to do around him and it was all unnecessary." Piper laughed again. "Does he know about the other two?"
"What other two?" Prue clasped her hand to her mouth, looking to her father, who'd risen. Then he grinned.
"Okay, that is NOT funny," she hugged him. "You still haven't explained to me how come he was on the couch though."
"Well after they told us, we talked for a while and he fell asleep after while we watched TV, so…"
"I see…" she nodded. "Well, I have to get to work. Don't do anything crazy while I'm away, alright?" she winked before going to the other room to say goodbye to the girls. She'd been hearing some giggles for a minute or two now and she'd wondered what it was all about at first but eventually let it go. Stepping into the room now though she found out just what had been so funny. As the girls watched mesmerized, a dog stood on its hind legs, balancing a bright red ball on its nose. Only when Persia realized she was there and turned to look at her big sister, the dog and ball disappeared. "C-Cara, Dad, I think you better come in here."
Shortly after, Halliwell Manor
"Aunt Paige!" Prue called out as she orbed in. After the development with Persia, she'd called in to work and told them she wouldn't be in that day. Things needed to be addressed, plus she had the strangest feeling something else had happened. She walked into the living room to find Michael Morris standing at the window, wearing what it took her half a second to recognize as some of her father's old clothes. "Hey, what are you doing here?" she smiled. "And in those clothes?" He turned to look at her and the look on his face made the hair on the back of her neck rise. She heard steps coming from the kitchen.
"Prue? What are you doing here?" Paige asked. Helena looked to her cousin, so emotionally charged the thought all but rocketed into Prue's mind. She gasped, her voice shaking as she tried to keep her composure for Michael.
"I-I… Helena?" She nodded. Without another word, the two went into the kitchen and Paige went to sit with the grieving son of Darryl Morris.
A few days later, Michael called Helena. The department wanted to put together a special memorial for his father and they needed pictures and other things. He'd been almost forced, by himself, to take on the task. But he asked her for help. She told him to put everything in a box and come over, they'd go through it together.
When he arrived, she took him to the attic. She'd been sure to put away the Book and other things before he arrived. She felt like after all those years, and now especially, he should know about them. But she knew it was only selfish on her part. Ignorance would be safer.
"Who's that?" Helena asked, looking at a picture of Darryl and another man. Michael looked.
"That's my dad's old partner, Trudeau… Andy." Helena remembered something.
"Right, right. My mom told me about him once. She never met him herself of course, her own knowledge of him was slim. She did tell me he dated my aunt Prue at a time… and then…" They became quiet. Michael put the picture with the others they'd selected thus far. They continued to look through all the things Michael had brought over. The whole experience was awkward in general, so they had to learn to deal with it. "Look…" she smiled then, holding up a picture of Darryl with Michael (then 11), Shana (3), Sheila, and a newborn Bryan.
"The day Shana was born, my father told me there may come a day when I would have to look over her and mom. I didn't really understand what he was getting at then… He told me again when Bryan was born." He paused for a second. "Maybe two days after, he was shot… in the shoulder. Mom took me to see him. I looked at him and it hit me what he'd tried to tell me. It scared me to death. He was okay, he recovered, but still after that things changed. And for some reason… that's when I knew I'd be a cop too. It was just something I knew. I didn't know why I'd do it but I knew I would."
Helena stood and picked up a tin box sitting on a nearby table. "I've never shown this to anyone before… didn't want anyone but me to know about it. I guess I was afraid I'd lose it, lose him." She placed the box on the ground between them. She pulled back the top, placing it in her lap as she revealed the contents. "Started this when I was… eight, I think. Everything I could find on him, pictures, letters, articles…" She reached to the bottom, pulling out a smaller box. "You said you knew you wanted to be an officer, like your father…" she began to cry then, opening the small box and turning it toward Michael so he could see – a badge. Eric's badge. "I've felt it too. Almost… all my life. But I can't…" she broke down. Michael gathered her close into his arms, letting her release this burden she'd been holding on to all those years.
"Shh, it's okay. What do you mean you can't?"
"My… my mother. I know what dangers I'd be facing, I know… I could end up like my dad. And my mom, she's lost so much, not just him… I couldn't do this to her."
"Hey, look at me," he pulled her back so they could see eye to eye. "I know what you're saying. Of all the people in your life I'd say I know more than anyone. But if this is what you really want, what you want to do, then you have to do it. Not for anyone else but yourself. Alright?"
"Yeah," she nodded as a smile crawled out from within the sadness. "I'm the one who should be doing the comforting…"
"You did," Michael assured her, handing her a tissue. What came next happened though they were never sure how, only that it happened. Their eyes locked for a second before both leaned in, exchanging a short and gentle kiss. Silence set in, the two of them pulling back to work at looking through the pictures without a word. After a few minutes of stolen glances and wandering thoughts, the pictures were tossed aside and Michael and Helena kissed once more, this time for a while longer, the struggle of emotions they'd been feeling fueling the clinging embrace.
The next day – October 24th 2024 – Cemetery
The service came and went. Darryl's loss had affected them all so, and the service had been awkward for it.
As the gathered began to leave, Glen looked up. It was then he spotted him, walking through the gravestones… Peter… Eric. Excusing himself, he followed. He found him at last standing before a grave – his own.
"I knew you'd come," P/Eric spoke without turning. "You have questions."
"Well… yes. It's been… four months, you haven't explained anything."
"This isn't the easiest thing to do. Especially with you." Finally he turned to face him. "I want you to know… I won't do anything to stand between you and Paige. Even if I wanted to, I wouldn't be allowed. I want her to be happy and she is. I couldn't ask for more."
"Why the sneaking around then? Why don't you just tell them?" P/Eric turned his face to the headstone.
"It's not as easy as that. I'm not allowed."
"You told me."
"You were on my trail. I saved you the trouble." He turned back to Glen. "In a way, maybe it'll make things easier."
"What do you mean?"
"You can be my eyes and ears… tell me how they are." Glen accepted, seeing the sadness in the man's eyes.
Two days later, Prue's home
"Can I talk to you?" were the first words out of her cousin's mouth as she was let in, before Prue could even place a word.
"Uh, of course Len. What's going on? Is everyone okay?" she asked, suddenly fearing the worst had happened.
"Y-yeah, everybody's fine. I just wasn't sure who to go to about this…"
"What's going on?" Prue asked as they sat.
"I sort of… have a date."
"Well that's great!" Prue smiled, not understanding why Helena was being all fidgety about it.
"With Michael…" she went on. Prue stopped. Going through her "internal rolodex" she found only one person it could be.
"Michael… Morris?" Helena nodded. "H-how… when did this happen? How?" she repeated.
"W-well… we sort of made out." Prue was shocked, and that was an understatement. She kept it cool though.
"Now… I know that this doesn't have much weight coming from someone whose father had time to live AND die well before her mother was born but… you do realize the age difference, right?"
"It's only ten years…" Helena shrugged.
"Len, when you were born he was already finishing fourth grade." Prue closed her eyes for a second. "I'll try to be open though. How…" Helena looked down.
"We had this… connection… our fathers. It just sort of happened."
"He just broke up with Marissa like a month ago, didn't he? What if he's not ready?"
"It's just something we have to do, Prue…" the girl told her cousin, quickly regaining the pain she'd felt the first time she'd understood her father wasn't just "on a trip".
"Oh Len…" she put her arm around the girl's shoulders, letting her head rest on her own. "It's okay. I understand." They were silent.
"Prue?"
"Yeah?"
"Do you remember that day when Dad was killed?"
"Yes," she spoke slowly. "I was three, but it's not something you forget so easily."
"Tell me?"
"Okay," she spoke after a pause. "We were in the living room, you, me, your Mom. I had you in my lap… playing peek-a-boo." Both managed a smile. "And then… there was a great noise. Your mom told me to orb upstairs with you. So I did, I called my mom, then hid with you in the closet." She paused again, and Helena sat up to look at her. Prue sighed. "I tried to keep you calm, singing whatever lullaby I could remember. Then… I heard Aunt Paige scream. I was too scared to sing at that point, so I just held you close… hoped she was okay. Then a few minutes later Mom found us. Aunt Phoebe was with her. I didn't question it at the time, but I later found out our mothers switched powers. My mother orbed to get Phoebe, and your mom… she went after the warlocks. When Mom and Aunt Phoebe found us, they did the best they could to cheer us up, but I think… we just knew what was going on. I knew I wouldn't get to play with my uncle anymore, and you…" Silence fell over them once more. "He'd want you to be happy. No matter how… we all do." Helena, now crying, hugged her cousin tightly.
"Thanks, Prue…" She nodded. "So…" she started, wanting to find a new topic. She didn't like much crying in front of people, even though she seemed to do it more than she'd like. "How's everyone? Molly, Persia, Olivia…" Prue smiled.
"You know, with the past few days… I haven't been able to tell you guys."
"Tell us what?"
"Persia got a new power…"
Somewhere
"… She does? That's amazing!" said the first girl.
"It surprised me too," the second one added.
"Well what is it?"
"I'm not sure. It looks like she can… project images from her mind."
The shadowy figure waved his hand over the puddle of water, and the image disappeared.
"Our suspicions have been confirmed. The threat is real."
"Do we pick her up?" another man asked.
"No. Not yet. Let's wait to see what the child does with this power first."
A few months later – December 2024
"I think it's time I told them…"
"Who, your parents?"
"Well, yeah. You think it's a bad idea?"
"That's not it, but… it's been going so well. Things are nice the way they are."
"It's not like they don't know you."
"Look, it doesn't matter. If you want to tell them, then we'll tell them."
"Hang on now, this isn't right and you know it… We'll wait one more month. But that's it!"
"Thank you," Michael hugged her as they sat on his couch.
"Yeah, yeah, you're welcome," Helena smiled, snuggling in closer, his strong arms wrapped protectively around her. Nothing could hurt her there, not while he held her.
One month later – January 2025
"So how's it going with you two?" Prue asked Helena as they walked toward the magic shop.
"Good, good," Helena nodded. Prue looked at her. She could read her cousin like a book.
"No it's not."
"No, it's not." Helena sighed. "It was really, really great at first, I mean he's such a great guy."
"But…"
"He still doesn't want us to tell. It's like he's afraid of what they'll think… like it'll shame him… like I'll shame him."
"You do remember the part where you're eighteen, that he's twenty-eight… Do you realize the trouble he could get in?"
"Hey, it's not like we're… well, you know." Helena blushed. Prue couldn't help laughing slightly.
"Yeah…" She hooked arms with her. "So… what are you going to do? Break up with him?"
"Oh, I don't know! No matter what, I still really care about him."
"Are you happy?" Helena sighed, looking around.
"It's all these secrets! We all live secrets, all the time, and I'm sick of it! Lie to mom and dad about Michael! Lie to Michael about our secret! Lie to my friends about why I always do that 'shudder and run routine'! What's the point? Why do we have to keep our lives only half open to everyone? Don't you hate that?"
"Yeah…" Prue spoke solemnly. Helena sighed again.
"Someone give me a sign? Please?" It was then that Prue put her arm before Helena, stopping her in her tracks.
"Helena? Is that who I think it is?" She looked, and she couldn't believe her eyes.
"If you're thinking Michael's ex, then you're right on the spot," she observed the woman walking along across the street.
"How long ago did they break up? Like, five months ago?"
"Uh-huh."
"Now if I remember from my time, she looks about, what, six months along?"
"I should know not to make demands aloud like that…" Helena winced.
The next day, Marissa Roberts' apartment
There was a knock at the door and Marissa stood from the couch, putting her book on the coffee table as she walked toward the door. The knock came again. "Just a second!" she called to the impatient person. She looked through the peephole and recognized the girl after a few seconds. She wasn't sure what to do.
"Marissa, it's Helena. It's okay, I know." She was confused, but she opened the door. Helena tried not to stare, but it was hard. "Come in," Marissa sighed. The two went to sit.
"D-does Michael know?" she asked, focusing to look into her face. Marissa held on to her round belly sort of protectively.
"No. He doesn't know."
"Why didn't you tell him?" The woman sat back.
"I didn't know when we broke up. I only found out… maybe two weeks after. At first, I had every intention to tell him. But then… I don't know. I just didn't."
"Why did you break up? If you don't mind…"
"It was silly, really," Marissa shook her head. "We had this stupid fight and we yelled and yelled and then I left, slammed the door. We spoke once since then. It was the next day. We decided maybe we needed some time apart… it's been five months."
"Do you still… love him?" Marissa looked at Helena for a second, then away again.
"Of course. But… I heard he has a new girlfriend. I wouldn't want to intrude, I mean, if I show up now what do you think they'll believe my reason is? That I still love him, or that I'm looking for child support?" Helena was feeling something she hated – guilt.
So after she left Marissa's place, she headed to Michael's. She knew it was his day off. She let herself in and found him sleeping on the couch. She sat on the edge and gently shook his shoulder. "Michael?"
"Mmm…" he reached up to place his arms around her and she let out a little squeal as she fell down, their faces only inches apart. He opened his eyes and smiled. "Morning." Helena sighed.
"Honey, we need to talk."
"About what?" he asked, still partly in 'goofy mode'. He helped her sit up as he did the same.
"Well, about us, and about Marissa." That got his attention.
An hour later, Marissa's apartment
For the second time that day, there was a knock at the door. She sure was getting a lot of visitors that day. She opened the door, and the gulp was audible. "Michael… W-What are you doing here?" It was at that point she spotted Helena standing behind the man she loved. "Oh. Uh, come in."
"Marissa, why didn't you tell me?" he asked, taking her hands in his. Her eyes blinked back tears.
"I didn't want to impose. I heard you had a new girlfriend…" At that point, Helena cleared her throat and shyly led up her hand.
"Well, we sort of… broke up," Michael explained. He wouldn't tell her this break up had happened less than an hour ago, not yet anyway. It would be too complicated. "Marissa, I was such an idiot to let you go. I know that can't make up for everything, but I'll take care of that too. I love you, Marissa."
"Michael…" she lost it at that point, hugging him close. "We were both idiots. I'm so sorry…"
"No, don't be." She smiled.
"I love you too." They kissed briefly before remembering Helena was still standing a few feet away. They looked at her and found she was crying her eyes out. It didn't seem like she was sad. She looked more like someone watching a particularly touching scene in a romantic movie. Michael and Marissa laughed a little, both so grateful to her for bringing them back together.
"Marissa… I want to do this right, for you and…" He wasn't sure how to refer to their child.
"Him. It's a boy."
"A son…" he breathed, and the waterworks continued. He got down on one knee. "Please, Marissa… Will you marry me?"
"Yes…" she whispered. They kissed again before Marissa's face lit up and took his hand and placed it on her belly. Their boy was kicking, greeting his father for the first time. The look on Michael's face was priceless. That boy would have two loving parents caring for him, and that made things even greater for Helena. She'd done the right thing.
She left the happy couple shortly after, having accepted Marissa's request that Helena would be her maid of honor. She made her way to the cemetery. She'd been doing it more often since Darryl's death. She went and she talked to her father's gravestone. Deep down she knew she was just hoping to get an answer to the question she'd been asking herself for months.
"Hey Dad, it's me. So… what's new? Well, I broke up with Michael. I'm okay though. He'll be much happier back with Marissa. And that'll be less lying, right? At least we're still going to be friends." She paused. "And I think I've decided to go for it… I'm going to become a police officer. Any clue on how I can break it to Mom?"
"Helena…" The girl's face froze. She turned slowly, confirming it was indeed who she thought it was.
"H-hey… Mom. H-how long have you been standing there?" Paige came to sit next to her daughter.
"Long enough to find out a few things." Helena's face got red. "Honey, why didn't you tell me about this?"
"I don't know, I don't know," she sniffled. "I didn't want to worry you."
"Froggy… I'll be worried no matter what you do. I'm your mother, it's all part of the job description. But I'd never want that to keep you from doing what you really want to do. You just do what your heart tells you, and I'll be the proudest mom ever."
The women hugged for a while. A distance away, the one they came to mourn here watched them, glad the women he loved were happy.
Oh, and please don't hate me for the character killin' that will occur... O:-)
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October 19th 2024 – Halliwell Manor
"You sure you're ready?"
"Mom, I gotta. You've been really good to take me back in these past few months, but I have to move back home eventually. I can't stay here forever." Paige smiled and hugged her daughter.
"I don't know, this house can hold more people than you think…"
"Mom."
"I know, I know. What can I say, I worry about you…" Helena kissed her cheek and Paige laughed. "Go check on your sisters for me, will you?"
"Sure," she nodded and started for the stairs as the doorbell rang. She circled back and went for the door. "I'll get it!" When she opened it, she gasped. "Michael, what happened to you?" Michael Morris stood there, his uniform, his hands covered here and there with blood, his body shaking but not as much as his eyes, which were threatening to spill over any second now.
"My father… he's… he's been… There was a hostage situation. We were both there. He… saved me, but he… he's gone." It was almost frightening to see this man, usually so strong and collected, broken to pieces like this. At the same time the news he brought was sending the women into a sudden and overtaking sadness. "I wasn't sure where to go… Can't see them…" he shook his head. Helena hugged him just as he finally began to cry.
"C-Come in," Helena told him, leading him toward the living room. "Your mother…"
"Shana and Bryan have been called, they're on their way to see her. I had to… stick around for a while, then I was told I could go home… I didn't want to be alone, so I thought about going to my parents' home… I wasn't ready…"
"It's okay, Michael, you can stay as long as you like." Helena looked to her mother.
"I'll go make us some tea. Helena, will you help me carry it in when it's ready?" She nodded.
"I'm sorry about just coming…"
"Hey, it's okay…" she placed her hand on his shoulder. "I mean, I… sort of know what this is like." He looked at her. "Sort of," she tilted her head with a pained look on her face.
"Your father was a cop, too. He was killed on duty, wasn't he?" Helena nodded. Her mother had long held that as fact, but she knew it wasn't the case. She knew her mother well. If she didn't want her to know then it must have been really bad. "What happened?"
"He chased a guy in a building. He had guns, a gang…" She lowered her head for a moment, her face crumpling just a bit before she looked up at him again. "I was only a week old so I don't remember him but… I've spent my life hearing about him from others, how great he was… I… I miss him… a stranger…" There was a moment of silence. "You'll be okay… in the end… I guess that's what I'm trying to say."
"Thank you," he nodded. "I just keep seeing his face… he was trying to be strong, but he knew it was coming… he was terrified."
"I'm… so sorry, Michael…" she cried with him.
At this time, Prue & Keely's home
"So what's this big news I've been hearing so much about?" Prue asked her friend.
"Well…" Keely hesitated. "Tristan and I are moving in together, a small place near work… I almost said no…" Prue smiled to herself.
"Why?"
"I didn't want to leave you guys…"
"Don't worry about us, we'll be fine. As long as you're happy then I've got nothing to say except 'I'm gonna miss you.'" Keely's face quivered and she gathered Prue into a hug.
"I'll miss you too! But I'll be around," she pulled back, "You won't get rid of me so easily." They laughed. Keely had met Tristan a few months ago when Prue had rescued him and taken him back to the apartment. He was a witch, and he and Keely were just about an instant item.
After Keely ran off to meet Tristan to shop paint colors, Prue got to preparing the girls. Molly and Olivia were a breeze, but Persia was another issue. The girl was a n odd one, that was for sure. She was very aware of things for her age, but at the same time she was just a regular kid. It was something hard to explain, but understood by those who knew Persia. Quite recently she had discovered her orbing abilities. So now if she didn't want something she simply orbed to another room. Eventually Prue would get her to cooperate, but that could take a while. On the days she went to Piper's place though, she was in more of a hurry than Prue. After dressing her and brushing her hair, Prue got ready herself and the four of them were off.
When they got to the apartment, Persia found the hidden key and opened the door herself, running in. "Cara!" she called. The girl in question came in and she looked kind of fidgety.
"Hey, you're early." Prue observed her mother. She was hiding something, and the look on her face told Prue it was something big.
"Uh, yea, had to be up to make sure Keely got up on time." Suddenly…
"Daddy!" Persia announced happily.
"Daddy?" Prue repeated, confused, following her glance. On Piper's couch, Leo slept soundly. "Hang on," she took the girls into the other room, where they would be within sight but out of earshot. "Mom? What's going on?"
"Well…"
JUNE 25TH 2024 – C/PIPER'S APARTMENT
"Here, drink this…" Leo handed her a cup of something that smelled great and appeared to be very hot.
"Thanks," she took it. So tired and exhausted though, her hands were shaking. He placed his hands over hers, steadying her grip so that she was able to bring the cup to her mouth and drink. When she was done, he put the cup aside and she settled down.
"You should rest…" he started to stand, but she grabbed his hand.
"Leo, wait… sit." They remained motionless for a minute before he finally relented. "Did… did you always know?" He looked at her, and she knew in him a shaking sadness.
"I didn't, not really. But my heart must have because I loved you. I couldn't bring myself to admit it, to you and myself because… I felt like I'd be betraying you…" She tried not to cry. "Now I know I always only loved you." And now she cried.
"Leo…" Before she could go on, both of them were orbed up, finding themselves standing before a row of seated Elders. "I knew this was gonna happen…" she sighed.
"We were told a lot of things that were pretty much what they told us the first time we got together. Of course there were some things that were different because I'm human this time. Then they said they'd 'deliberate' on the situation and get back to us. They sent us back and that was that. So the past couple months we've been waiting to see what'd happen. Yesterday they told us what they came up with. If we want to be together… he has to give up his wings. So we decided this: We'll be… friends… for a while, and when we're ready to go for it…"
"Wow… That's great!" Piper laughed. "So… he's known about you for months and you didn't tell me?"
"Well…"
"I'm not mad or anything, it's just all this ducking around I had to do around him and it was all unnecessary." Piper laughed again. "Does he know about the other two?"
"What other two?" Prue clasped her hand to her mouth, looking to her father, who'd risen. Then he grinned.
"Okay, that is NOT funny," she hugged him. "You still haven't explained to me how come he was on the couch though."
"Well after they told us, we talked for a while and he fell asleep after while we watched TV, so…"
"I see…" she nodded. "Well, I have to get to work. Don't do anything crazy while I'm away, alright?" she winked before going to the other room to say goodbye to the girls. She'd been hearing some giggles for a minute or two now and she'd wondered what it was all about at first but eventually let it go. Stepping into the room now though she found out just what had been so funny. As the girls watched mesmerized, a dog stood on its hind legs, balancing a bright red ball on its nose. Only when Persia realized she was there and turned to look at her big sister, the dog and ball disappeared. "C-Cara, Dad, I think you better come in here."
Shortly after, Halliwell Manor
"Aunt Paige!" Prue called out as she orbed in. After the development with Persia, she'd called in to work and told them she wouldn't be in that day. Things needed to be addressed, plus she had the strangest feeling something else had happened. She walked into the living room to find Michael Morris standing at the window, wearing what it took her half a second to recognize as some of her father's old clothes. "Hey, what are you doing here?" she smiled. "And in those clothes?" He turned to look at her and the look on his face made the hair on the back of her neck rise. She heard steps coming from the kitchen.
"Prue? What are you doing here?" Paige asked. Helena looked to her cousin, so emotionally charged the thought all but rocketed into Prue's mind. She gasped, her voice shaking as she tried to keep her composure for Michael.
"I-I… Helena?" She nodded. Without another word, the two went into the kitchen and Paige went to sit with the grieving son of Darryl Morris.
A few days later, Michael called Helena. The department wanted to put together a special memorial for his father and they needed pictures and other things. He'd been almost forced, by himself, to take on the task. But he asked her for help. She told him to put everything in a box and come over, they'd go through it together.
When he arrived, she took him to the attic. She'd been sure to put away the Book and other things before he arrived. She felt like after all those years, and now especially, he should know about them. But she knew it was only selfish on her part. Ignorance would be safer.
"Who's that?" Helena asked, looking at a picture of Darryl and another man. Michael looked.
"That's my dad's old partner, Trudeau… Andy." Helena remembered something.
"Right, right. My mom told me about him once. She never met him herself of course, her own knowledge of him was slim. She did tell me he dated my aunt Prue at a time… and then…" They became quiet. Michael put the picture with the others they'd selected thus far. They continued to look through all the things Michael had brought over. The whole experience was awkward in general, so they had to learn to deal with it. "Look…" she smiled then, holding up a picture of Darryl with Michael (then 11), Shana (3), Sheila, and a newborn Bryan.
"The day Shana was born, my father told me there may come a day when I would have to look over her and mom. I didn't really understand what he was getting at then… He told me again when Bryan was born." He paused for a second. "Maybe two days after, he was shot… in the shoulder. Mom took me to see him. I looked at him and it hit me what he'd tried to tell me. It scared me to death. He was okay, he recovered, but still after that things changed. And for some reason… that's when I knew I'd be a cop too. It was just something I knew. I didn't know why I'd do it but I knew I would."
Helena stood and picked up a tin box sitting on a nearby table. "I've never shown this to anyone before… didn't want anyone but me to know about it. I guess I was afraid I'd lose it, lose him." She placed the box on the ground between them. She pulled back the top, placing it in her lap as she revealed the contents. "Started this when I was… eight, I think. Everything I could find on him, pictures, letters, articles…" She reached to the bottom, pulling out a smaller box. "You said you knew you wanted to be an officer, like your father…" she began to cry then, opening the small box and turning it toward Michael so he could see – a badge. Eric's badge. "I've felt it too. Almost… all my life. But I can't…" she broke down. Michael gathered her close into his arms, letting her release this burden she'd been holding on to all those years.
"Shh, it's okay. What do you mean you can't?"
"My… my mother. I know what dangers I'd be facing, I know… I could end up like my dad. And my mom, she's lost so much, not just him… I couldn't do this to her."
"Hey, look at me," he pulled her back so they could see eye to eye. "I know what you're saying. Of all the people in your life I'd say I know more than anyone. But if this is what you really want, what you want to do, then you have to do it. Not for anyone else but yourself. Alright?"
"Yeah," she nodded as a smile crawled out from within the sadness. "I'm the one who should be doing the comforting…"
"You did," Michael assured her, handing her a tissue. What came next happened though they were never sure how, only that it happened. Their eyes locked for a second before both leaned in, exchanging a short and gentle kiss. Silence set in, the two of them pulling back to work at looking through the pictures without a word. After a few minutes of stolen glances and wandering thoughts, the pictures were tossed aside and Michael and Helena kissed once more, this time for a while longer, the struggle of emotions they'd been feeling fueling the clinging embrace.
The next day – October 24th 2024 – Cemetery
The service came and went. Darryl's loss had affected them all so, and the service had been awkward for it.
As the gathered began to leave, Glen looked up. It was then he spotted him, walking through the gravestones… Peter… Eric. Excusing himself, he followed. He found him at last standing before a grave – his own.
"I knew you'd come," P/Eric spoke without turning. "You have questions."
"Well… yes. It's been… four months, you haven't explained anything."
"This isn't the easiest thing to do. Especially with you." Finally he turned to face him. "I want you to know… I won't do anything to stand between you and Paige. Even if I wanted to, I wouldn't be allowed. I want her to be happy and she is. I couldn't ask for more."
"Why the sneaking around then? Why don't you just tell them?" P/Eric turned his face to the headstone.
"It's not as easy as that. I'm not allowed."
"You told me."
"You were on my trail. I saved you the trouble." He turned back to Glen. "In a way, maybe it'll make things easier."
"What do you mean?"
"You can be my eyes and ears… tell me how they are." Glen accepted, seeing the sadness in the man's eyes.
Two days later, Prue's home
"Can I talk to you?" were the first words out of her cousin's mouth as she was let in, before Prue could even place a word.
"Uh, of course Len. What's going on? Is everyone okay?" she asked, suddenly fearing the worst had happened.
"Y-yeah, everybody's fine. I just wasn't sure who to go to about this…"
"What's going on?" Prue asked as they sat.
"I sort of… have a date."
"Well that's great!" Prue smiled, not understanding why Helena was being all fidgety about it.
"With Michael…" she went on. Prue stopped. Going through her "internal rolodex" she found only one person it could be.
"Michael… Morris?" Helena nodded. "H-how… when did this happen? How?" she repeated.
"W-well… we sort of made out." Prue was shocked, and that was an understatement. She kept it cool though.
"Now… I know that this doesn't have much weight coming from someone whose father had time to live AND die well before her mother was born but… you do realize the age difference, right?"
"It's only ten years…" Helena shrugged.
"Len, when you were born he was already finishing fourth grade." Prue closed her eyes for a second. "I'll try to be open though. How…" Helena looked down.
"We had this… connection… our fathers. It just sort of happened."
"He just broke up with Marissa like a month ago, didn't he? What if he's not ready?"
"It's just something we have to do, Prue…" the girl told her cousin, quickly regaining the pain she'd felt the first time she'd understood her father wasn't just "on a trip".
"Oh Len…" she put her arm around the girl's shoulders, letting her head rest on her own. "It's okay. I understand." They were silent.
"Prue?"
"Yeah?"
"Do you remember that day when Dad was killed?"
"Yes," she spoke slowly. "I was three, but it's not something you forget so easily."
"Tell me?"
"Okay," she spoke after a pause. "We were in the living room, you, me, your Mom. I had you in my lap… playing peek-a-boo." Both managed a smile. "And then… there was a great noise. Your mom told me to orb upstairs with you. So I did, I called my mom, then hid with you in the closet." She paused again, and Helena sat up to look at her. Prue sighed. "I tried to keep you calm, singing whatever lullaby I could remember. Then… I heard Aunt Paige scream. I was too scared to sing at that point, so I just held you close… hoped she was okay. Then a few minutes later Mom found us. Aunt Phoebe was with her. I didn't question it at the time, but I later found out our mothers switched powers. My mother orbed to get Phoebe, and your mom… she went after the warlocks. When Mom and Aunt Phoebe found us, they did the best they could to cheer us up, but I think… we just knew what was going on. I knew I wouldn't get to play with my uncle anymore, and you…" Silence fell over them once more. "He'd want you to be happy. No matter how… we all do." Helena, now crying, hugged her cousin tightly.
"Thanks, Prue…" She nodded. "So…" she started, wanting to find a new topic. She didn't like much crying in front of people, even though she seemed to do it more than she'd like. "How's everyone? Molly, Persia, Olivia…" Prue smiled.
"You know, with the past few days… I haven't been able to tell you guys."
"Tell us what?"
"Persia got a new power…"
Somewhere
"… She does? That's amazing!" said the first girl.
"It surprised me too," the second one added.
"Well what is it?"
"I'm not sure. It looks like she can… project images from her mind."
The shadowy figure waved his hand over the puddle of water, and the image disappeared.
"Our suspicions have been confirmed. The threat is real."
"Do we pick her up?" another man asked.
"No. Not yet. Let's wait to see what the child does with this power first."
A few months later – December 2024
"I think it's time I told them…"
"Who, your parents?"
"Well, yeah. You think it's a bad idea?"
"That's not it, but… it's been going so well. Things are nice the way they are."
"It's not like they don't know you."
"Look, it doesn't matter. If you want to tell them, then we'll tell them."
"Hang on now, this isn't right and you know it… We'll wait one more month. But that's it!"
"Thank you," Michael hugged her as they sat on his couch.
"Yeah, yeah, you're welcome," Helena smiled, snuggling in closer, his strong arms wrapped protectively around her. Nothing could hurt her there, not while he held her.
One month later – January 2025
"So how's it going with you two?" Prue asked Helena as they walked toward the magic shop.
"Good, good," Helena nodded. Prue looked at her. She could read her cousin like a book.
"No it's not."
"No, it's not." Helena sighed. "It was really, really great at first, I mean he's such a great guy."
"But…"
"He still doesn't want us to tell. It's like he's afraid of what they'll think… like it'll shame him… like I'll shame him."
"You do remember the part where you're eighteen, that he's twenty-eight… Do you realize the trouble he could get in?"
"Hey, it's not like we're… well, you know." Helena blushed. Prue couldn't help laughing slightly.
"Yeah…" She hooked arms with her. "So… what are you going to do? Break up with him?"
"Oh, I don't know! No matter what, I still really care about him."
"Are you happy?" Helena sighed, looking around.
"It's all these secrets! We all live secrets, all the time, and I'm sick of it! Lie to mom and dad about Michael! Lie to Michael about our secret! Lie to my friends about why I always do that 'shudder and run routine'! What's the point? Why do we have to keep our lives only half open to everyone? Don't you hate that?"
"Yeah…" Prue spoke solemnly. Helena sighed again.
"Someone give me a sign? Please?" It was then that Prue put her arm before Helena, stopping her in her tracks.
"Helena? Is that who I think it is?" She looked, and she couldn't believe her eyes.
"If you're thinking Michael's ex, then you're right on the spot," she observed the woman walking along across the street.
"How long ago did they break up? Like, five months ago?"
"Uh-huh."
"Now if I remember from my time, she looks about, what, six months along?"
"I should know not to make demands aloud like that…" Helena winced.
The next day, Marissa Roberts' apartment
There was a knock at the door and Marissa stood from the couch, putting her book on the coffee table as she walked toward the door. The knock came again. "Just a second!" she called to the impatient person. She looked through the peephole and recognized the girl after a few seconds. She wasn't sure what to do.
"Marissa, it's Helena. It's okay, I know." She was confused, but she opened the door. Helena tried not to stare, but it was hard. "Come in," Marissa sighed. The two went to sit.
"D-does Michael know?" she asked, focusing to look into her face. Marissa held on to her round belly sort of protectively.
"No. He doesn't know."
"Why didn't you tell him?" The woman sat back.
"I didn't know when we broke up. I only found out… maybe two weeks after. At first, I had every intention to tell him. But then… I don't know. I just didn't."
"Why did you break up? If you don't mind…"
"It was silly, really," Marissa shook her head. "We had this stupid fight and we yelled and yelled and then I left, slammed the door. We spoke once since then. It was the next day. We decided maybe we needed some time apart… it's been five months."
"Do you still… love him?" Marissa looked at Helena for a second, then away again.
"Of course. But… I heard he has a new girlfriend. I wouldn't want to intrude, I mean, if I show up now what do you think they'll believe my reason is? That I still love him, or that I'm looking for child support?" Helena was feeling something she hated – guilt.
So after she left Marissa's place, she headed to Michael's. She knew it was his day off. She let herself in and found him sleeping on the couch. She sat on the edge and gently shook his shoulder. "Michael?"
"Mmm…" he reached up to place his arms around her and she let out a little squeal as she fell down, their faces only inches apart. He opened his eyes and smiled. "Morning." Helena sighed.
"Honey, we need to talk."
"About what?" he asked, still partly in 'goofy mode'. He helped her sit up as he did the same.
"Well, about us, and about Marissa." That got his attention.
An hour later, Marissa's apartment
For the second time that day, there was a knock at the door. She sure was getting a lot of visitors that day. She opened the door, and the gulp was audible. "Michael… W-What are you doing here?" It was at that point she spotted Helena standing behind the man she loved. "Oh. Uh, come in."
"Marissa, why didn't you tell me?" he asked, taking her hands in his. Her eyes blinked back tears.
"I didn't want to impose. I heard you had a new girlfriend…" At that point, Helena cleared her throat and shyly led up her hand.
"Well, we sort of… broke up," Michael explained. He wouldn't tell her this break up had happened less than an hour ago, not yet anyway. It would be too complicated. "Marissa, I was such an idiot to let you go. I know that can't make up for everything, but I'll take care of that too. I love you, Marissa."
"Michael…" she lost it at that point, hugging him close. "We were both idiots. I'm so sorry…"
"No, don't be." She smiled.
"I love you too." They kissed briefly before remembering Helena was still standing a few feet away. They looked at her and found she was crying her eyes out. It didn't seem like she was sad. She looked more like someone watching a particularly touching scene in a romantic movie. Michael and Marissa laughed a little, both so grateful to her for bringing them back together.
"Marissa… I want to do this right, for you and…" He wasn't sure how to refer to their child.
"Him. It's a boy."
"A son…" he breathed, and the waterworks continued. He got down on one knee. "Please, Marissa… Will you marry me?"
"Yes…" she whispered. They kissed again before Marissa's face lit up and took his hand and placed it on her belly. Their boy was kicking, greeting his father for the first time. The look on Michael's face was priceless. That boy would have two loving parents caring for him, and that made things even greater for Helena. She'd done the right thing.
She left the happy couple shortly after, having accepted Marissa's request that Helena would be her maid of honor. She made her way to the cemetery. She'd been doing it more often since Darryl's death. She went and she talked to her father's gravestone. Deep down she knew she was just hoping to get an answer to the question she'd been asking herself for months.
"Hey Dad, it's me. So… what's new? Well, I broke up with Michael. I'm okay though. He'll be much happier back with Marissa. And that'll be less lying, right? At least we're still going to be friends." She paused. "And I think I've decided to go for it… I'm going to become a police officer. Any clue on how I can break it to Mom?"
"Helena…" The girl's face froze. She turned slowly, confirming it was indeed who she thought it was.
"H-hey… Mom. H-how long have you been standing there?" Paige came to sit next to her daughter.
"Long enough to find out a few things." Helena's face got red. "Honey, why didn't you tell me about this?"
"I don't know, I don't know," she sniffled. "I didn't want to worry you."
"Froggy… I'll be worried no matter what you do. I'm your mother, it's all part of the job description. But I'd never want that to keep you from doing what you really want to do. You just do what your heart tells you, and I'll be the proudest mom ever."
The women hugged for a while. A distance away, the one they came to mourn here watched them, glad the women he loved were happy.