Chapter one

Surprise Surprise

It was New years' eve and suppertime was approaching. Of course, the Halliwell's had planned a party but it wouldn't be starting for another couple of hours. Piper Halliwell, a witch from the Warren line, had just served her son's their evening meal and seated herself down at the table beside her inactive white-lighter husband Leo Wyatt. Their five-year-old son Wyatt was eating neatly and behaving nicely as usual, as was their four-year-old son Chris...which was a nice surprise. Their twenty-one-month-old daughter Melinda was in her high but not eating. She was too busy looking out the back window because the neighbor's dog could be heard barking at god knows what. Piper's sister Phoebe, who was also a witch, and her husband Coop who was an active Cupid, were also seated at the table. Phoebe reached for her cup before nausea settled in her stomach. She tried to ignore it but ended up running off the bathroom. Morning sickness...definitely not one of Phoebe's favorite things about being pregnant. Her and Coop's existing child, their daughter P.J., was seated in her high chair munching on dried banana slices. (P.J. was fourteen months old.) Piper and Phoebe's younger half-sister Paige Matthews, who was a white-lighter-witch hybrid, got up from her chair and brought her empty plate to the sink. Her mortal husband Henry Mitchell was still at the table and hadn't quite finished his supper yet. Their eighteenth-month-old twin daughters Tamora and Katalina (Kat) Mitchell were both seated in their high chairs throwing their spaghetti onto the floor finding it amusing. Paige left the kitchen to collect her six-month-old adopted son Henry Mitchell Junior from the playpen.

"Tamora, Kat. Stop that," their father warned them. The twins looked at their dad and then both tossed more of their supper onto the floor while keeping their eyes on him. Henry got up and removed them from their high chairs. He placed them on the floor and they both started crying because they didn't want to be on the floor, they wanted to be in their high chairs where they had access to their food and could continue to throw it on the floor. (Unlike their cousins, the twins and their little brother didn't have any powers. With Henry junior, it was because he was mortal, but the twins were white-lighter-witch hybrids like their mother and most of their cousins. However, after Tamora had gained a dangerous power and set fire to her teacher, her and Kat's powers had been bound. This could be undone at any time.)

It was just before seven that night when the guests had started to arrive for the party. Grams along with Patty and Prue were the first guests to arrive. They were all deceased and had been summoned by Piper so they could attend the party. (Patty was the mother of Prue, Piper, Phoebe, and Paige, and Grams was her mother. Patty had been drowned by a water demon when her girls had been young. Grams had fallen down a staircase while suffering a heart attack, and Prue had been killed by a high-level demon named Shax. Prue was the oldest sister.) Sam Wilder was the first living guest to come. (He was a white-lighter, had once been Patty's white-lighter, and was Paige's father.) Sam wasn't very present in Paige's life but was slowly starting to make more of an effort. Victor came along a few minutes later. (Victor was mortal and was Prue, Piper, and Phoebe's father. He treated Paige as though she was his daughter too.) Next to arrive was the family's closest friends: the Morris family. The Morris family were mortal and included Darryl, his wife Sheila, and their two sons. Mikey was nine and Darryl Junior was almost seven. Darry worked as an inspector for the San Francisco police department and Darryl Junior was Wyatt's best friend. After the Morris family had arrived, Billie soon followed. (Billie Jenkins was a witch in her early twenties and a close friend to the Halliwell family.) This year, Phoebe had also invited her boss Elise who happened to also be a friend of hers. (Elise Rothman was a mortal who like the Morris family knew about magic.)

Wyatt and Chris had taken Darryl Junior up to their room wanting to show him a cool toy they had gotten for Christmas. Melinda was chasing Tamora and Kat around the living room while P.J. sat in a corner ripping up a book unnoticed. Henry was crawling around with no particular destination in mind. The adults were seated around the living room on the couch or on the chairs that had been put out for the party. Mikey sat next to his mother playing on his Gameboy. "Congratulations on the pregnancy," Elise said looking at Phoebe. "Thanks," Phoebe replied. She was absolutely glowing. "How far along are you?" Asked Sheila. "About seven weeks." She looked at her husband and they smiled at each other. They were very excited and were very much looking forward to the new addition to their family. "Well, I bet P.J. will be a great big sister," Victor predicated. "That's what we hope but we all thought Wyatt was going to be a great brother to Melinda and um..." The adults looked over at the kids as Melinda attempted to hug Wyatt who pushed her away.

"I still say their relationship has improved," Piper insisted.

"Piper..."

"No seriously. Wyatt wouldn't even acknowledge her when she was a baby."

"True enough," Pheobe agreed.

The remainder of the party had gone by smoothly and everyone had happily welcomed a new year. The next morning brought the official start of 2009, and it started off with a bang. The morning had started like every morning at the Halliwell manor. Hungry babies banging on their high chairs as they demanded their breakfast. Chris having woken up too early which had put him in a grouchy mood. Breakfast had been served and most of it spilled all over the table and floor. Kids had been bathed and dressed. It was currently still morning but noon was slowly approaching. The family was gathered around the kitchen table playing a game of Candyland, except for the babies who were taking their morning naps. Chris picked his card, it was a double blue. This was unhelpful to him and caused him to be unable to advance. Wyatt went to take his turn when their attention was caught by someone orbing in.

All eyes turned to the visitor as Leo, Piper, and Phoebe's mouths opened in shock. In their kitchen stood a man, a man Piper and Phoebe had once known well. A man with dark brown hair and dark brown eyes. A man who had died in the Halliwell manor ten years ago. "Andy? What the hell!" Piper shouted. Phoebe jumped up from her chair and ran over to him for a hug. "Surprise!" Phoebe returned to her seat. "Andy, you cannot just appear like a white-lighter after being dead for ten years and just say surprise," Piper stated. "Oh. Sorry. I thought the Elders had told you. Leo? They didn't talk to you?" Leo shook his head. "I'm not an active white-lighter anymore. Still have the powers but no charges. I teach at magic school." Andy didn't know what magic school was but chose not to ask. "Can someone explain who this is?" Henry asked, confused. Paige had heard of Andy but Coop and Henry had no idea who he was. "Andy's a childhood friend. He dated Prue for a while and he helped us when it came to staying out of the police radar. He was killed by a demon named Rodriguez in 1999," Phoebe explained. "It devastated Prue when we lost you, it devasted all of us," Piper told him. "Well as you must have figured out, I'm a white-lighter now. I was going to be reborn this year and instead, I was rewarded for all the help I gave the charmed ones," Andy explained. "And um...I didn't come alone."

"What do you mean?" Piper asked.

"The Elders, they wanted to thank you for your services all the years."

Andy turned his attention to the entrance of the kitchen, so everyone turned their eyes there too. Piper Phoebe and Paige covered their mouths with their hands to prevent themselves from screaming as tears came streaming down their cheeks. Walking into the kitchen was a beautiful woman with long dark hair and brown eyes. A woman they cared about so deeply and had lost to a demon seven years ago. Their oldest sister. Prue. Sobs started coming from Piper's throat as she and Phoebe ran over to Prue and wrapped their arms around her, all three of them crying like babies. "Are you a white-lighter too?" Piper asked, sobbing. "No. I'm human again. A witch again. The Elders, they resurrected me." Prue turned to Paige who still sat in her chair unsure if she was welcome to this emotional reunion. Prue opened her arms to her and Paige, in tears, ran over to her. They shared a hug. "I look forward to really getting to know you," Prue said. "Me too," Paige replied. Piper and Phoebe just stood there in tears. Wyatt and Chris couldn't understand what all the fuss was about. They had just seen her yesterday.

"We need to celebrate! Let's all go out for ice cream!" Piper decided.

"Piper, it's winter...and the babies are still asleep," Phoebe pointed out.

"Oh right. Once the babies are up we will go to P3."

"You don't open till eight and it's a nightclub, we can't take kids there," Paige pointed out.

"Let's have a small gathering next Saturday. We'll call dad and Darryl to let them know and we'll celebrate next Saturday," Prue suggested.

Piper nodded and turned to look at Andy. "You need to stay, we have so much catching up to do." Andy nodded. He walked over to Prue and took her hand. "One more thing you should know," he said. Leo got up from his chair. "Do the Elders know about this?" He asked. Prue nodded her head to answer him. "They gave us their blessing. As long as our relationship doesn't interfere with his duties as a white-lighter." Prue looked at her sister. "You changed the rules, Piper. You and Leo have made the Elders reconsider the rules for relationships between different species." Phoebe walked over to the counter and retrieved the cordless phone. She dialed her father's home number. Henry and Coop led the boys out of the kitchen.

"Hello."

"Dad get over here quick!"

"Phoebe? What's going on? Are you okay?"

"Just get here, actually, I'll send Paige to come get you."

Phoebe looked over at her younger sister who nodded and orbed out. Within seconds she had orbed back with Victor. "Okay, what's all the urgency about?" Victor asked. "Hi, dad." As though Prue was supposed to be there, Victor walked forward and they shared a hug. "So, what's going on?" Victor asked. "What...you don't get it?" Phoebe asked. Her father shook his head. "Prue's alive again, dad." Victor took a step back looking even more confused now. "What? When was she dead?" That's when Prue remembered there was one more thing she hadn't yet mentioned. "The Elders, they made it so I had never died. At least to mortals. That way there wouldn't be any questions when someone saw me walking into Target." "So dad doesn't remember you died?" Prue shook her head. "What are you talking about? Prue?" Prue looked over at her dad. "I died, dad. I died back in 2001." Victor's face went pale white. He had to sit down before he fainted. "This means Darryl also doesn't remember you dying. Andy, did the Elders do the same for you?" Phoebe asked. Andy shook his head. "Not exactly. They knew I'd be living here with Prue and therefore would be seen around town. They made it so mortals remember me simply leaving town and transferring to another job. Darryl, he won't remember that I died." Phoebe looked over at Piper. "Do you think we should tell him?" Piper shook her head. "You know how Darryl is about magic. I don't think he'd take it well if he knew his memory was messed with." Phoebe looked at Andy. "I think it should be your call." Andy took a moment to think about it. "Can't you use a spell on him? Make him remember what happened. That way he won't know his memory was ever messed with?" Phoebe nodded. "I think we can do that."

"Is there anything else we should know?" Piper asked.

"Just one more thing. To make it believable that I never died, Andy and I, our ages were caught up. We are the same we would be now if we hadn't died.

"So you're what? Thirty-nine?"

"Yep, and so is Andy."

Arguing could be heard now from the living room. Piper sighed and left the kitchen, her sisters and Leo and Andy following her. Wyatt and Chris were seated on the couch arguing over an ugly big-bird toy. "Piper? What did you do with the TV?" Prue asked, noticing the absence of the living room television. "She blew it up," Phoebe informed her. "Yea, most mothers just ground their kids from the TV but Piper blows it up," Paige added. "Well normal children don't conjure things from the screen...like dragons and cartoon characters," Piper pointed out in her own defense. Prue couldn't help but let out a laugh. "The new one is being delivered sometime this week," Phoebe informed.

Once again the family was gathered around the table. This time it was because the evening meal had been served. The four toddlers in their high chairs and the baby in his playpen. The meal was steak with mashed potatoes and veggies. Of course, none of the kids were too excited about the vegetables on their plates. For the kids, the steak had been cut into bite-sized pieces.

"Chris, do you want to color with me after supper?" Wyatt asked his brother.

"Okay. Melinda? Do you want to colour with us too?" Chris asked his sister.

"Yes."

Phoebe smiled at her nephews. It wasn't often they got along and even rarer that they and Melinda spent time together. "I really hope P.J.'s going to get along with her new sister," Phoebe stated. "How do you know you're having a girl?" Piper asked. Phoebe was only seven weeks along, it was much too early for her to know the baby's gender. Phoebe shrugged. "We aren't exactly known for having boys now are we?" Piper looked at her sons. "We currently have three little boys in this house," Piper pointed out. "And four girls," Phoebe reminded her. "Oh wow, big difference in numbers." "Grams had one child, a girl. Mom had four children, all girls. Wyatt was the first boy to be born in our entire family line." Piper rolled her eyes. "And though baby Henry is just as much part of this family as we are, he doesn't count. He's not from our bloodline."

"Who wants to bet, Prue and Andy are going to have some kids," Paige said.

"I'll take that bet," Piper agreed.

"Woah, hold on there. We're not even officially dating yet," Prue reminded them.

"Close enough," Phoebe said.

The adults had worked together to clear the table and now Wyatt and his brother and sister were seated at the table colouring. Melinda in Chris's old booster seat. Wyatt had picked a drawing of a dinosaur and was doing a good job colouring inside the lines. Chris had chosen a picture of an elephant and was attempting to colour inside the lines but wasn't doing so very successfully. Melinda had decided on a drawing of a puppy and was scribbling all over the picture with a red crayon. The other children and all of the adults were in the living room. The children playing on the floor with their toys. It had been quiet and calm until Tamora had decided to wack her sister with a book she had been chewing the corner of. Kat started crying and Paige scooped up the culprit. "Tamora, we do not hit," Paige told her sternly. She placed her back down and said, "play nice." Kat waddled over to her father and climbed up onto his lap. She lay her head on his chest.

"Must be nice to have kids who can't orb out to avoid getting into trouble," Piper remarked.

"The twins haven't come into their powers yet?" Prue asked.

"We had to bind them for the time being," Paige replied.

"We don't have to worry about kids orbing out of time-out now anyways, now that we have that magic Proof timeout room, which Chris loves so much," Leo stated.

Phoebe started to laugh and beamed out. She beamed back a second later and looked at everyone's confused faces. "P.J. must have beamed me out. She does it all the time the little sneak." She laughed it off but the rest of the adults looked over at her daughter. "I don't think it was her, honey. She's pretty interested in that book. Sorry about that Piper. She's been getting into everything." Coop got up and walked over to his baby daughter, scooping her up into his arms and leaving the book behind as P.J. dropped it. He seated himself back down on the couch and placed his daughter on his lap. "Well if it wasn't her then what happened?" Phoebe wondered. "Phebes, when mom was pregnant with you she had access to your power of premonition. Maybe the baby already has her first power...beaming." Phoebe smiled at the revelation but then she frowned. "This is going to cause problems at work. What will everyone think if I just beamed in and out of my office all day? What if I beam right into the main room, it doesn't appear as though I have control of the baby's powers." She was very concerned this pregnancy would expose herself as a witch. A witch who was pregnant with a half-cupid baby. "Maybe you should work from home. Elise will understand if you explain the situation. It's best if you stay here until you can control it or until the baby's born," Piper suggested. "Yeah, you're right. It would be awesome if I could control it though. I'd never half to take my car again... during the rest of my pregnancy."

"How is P3 going?" Prue asked Piper, changing the topic.

"Good," Piper replied.

"Do you think you will open a restaurant like you've always wanted to?"

"Maybe one day. With three kids my life is pretty hectic right now."

"So you're going to wait until your kids are all grown?" Paige asked

"I'm going to wait until they're at least old enough to be left home alone. So it won't happen for at least another eight years."

Wyatt came into the living room. "Mom?" Piper turned her head in his direction. "Melinda scribbled all over my picture." Wyatt lifted up his drawing to show the proof. "Oh. Sorry about that. She's still very little and doesn't know any better." Wyatt looked at his drawing and shrugged. "You're right. She's just a baby. I can make another drawing." Piper nodded to him and watched him return to the kitchen. Piper then looked over at Phoebe. "See, told you. Their relationship is much better." Phoebe shrugged. "Or Wyatt is just getting older and more mature," she suggested. "He's five," Piper replied. "Almost six," Phoebe pointed out. "Wow," Piper stated. Her sisters and the guys turned their attention to her. "I hadn't realized until now that Wyatt's turning six this year. He's going to be in first grade this fall. Huh."

School was back in session and it had been a few days since Andy and Prue's surprise return from the dead. The kitchen counter filled with small plastic bowls of cheerios. Two of which had milk and a spoon in them as they were for the two oldest children. Chris and Melinda had arrived in the kitchen at the same time, and apparently, Melinda was walking too slow for Chris's liking and he decided to deal with the problem by pushing his one-year-old sister down. Melinda started crying and Chris told her to shut up and stop being a big baby. "Chris, can't you just be in a good mood for once and not hurt your siblings?" Piper asked her son. Chris shook his head in reply. "Try a different answer or you can sit in the magic-proof room." "I'll be nice," Chris muttered. Chris walked over to the table and took his usual spot. Piper picked up her daughter and gave her a cuddle. Melinda immediately stopped crying. Coop came in with his daughter and placed her in her high chair. Piper placed Melinda in hers and walked over to the counter to get Melinda and P.J.'s bowls. She served the bowls of cheerios to them as Tamora ran in followed by her mother who held her half-asleep sister in her arms. Piper lifted Tamora into her high chair and walked back to the counter to get Tamora and Kat's bowls of cheerios. Paige placed Kat into the remaining high chair. (Baby Henry wasn't old enough for a high chair yet. He was still asleep at the moment.)

Wyatt was seated with his classmates in his classroom on the red carpet. Mrs. Hudson came along with a little boy Wyatt had never met before. "Class, we have a new student with us today. This is Wesley and I expect all of you to be nice to him." Welsey sat down on the carpet next to Austin. Mrs. Hudson went through the morning routine with her class before sending them to their tables. Wesley had been placed at Wyatt's table. "Hi. I'm Wyatt." Wesley looked at him and stuck out his tongue before putting his attention on the task at hand. Wyatt was confused but put it in the back of his mind and concentrated on his task. He had to write his name, something he still had a bit of trouble with. W.H.Y.I.T. Thinking he had spelled it right, Wyatt was proud of himself. That was until Mrs. Hudson came to check on the kids at his table and kindly told him he had spelled his name wrong. Wesley laughed. "Haha, loser. You can't even spell your name. You're dumb." Wyatt's eyes teared up and his teacher wasn't about to let bullying slide. "Wesley, go sit in time-out." Now looking mad, Wesley got up and walked towards the time-out chair his teacher had pointed at. Mrs. Hudson turned her attention back to Wyatt. "It's okay. Everyone makes mistakes. You got the first letter right. Your name is spelled W.Y.A.T.T." Liking his teacher a bit more now, Wyatt neatly wrote his name correctly. "Good job. Now keep writing it and eventually you will remember how your name is spelled." Wyatt nodded and started writing his name again.

"Mrs. Hudson," Wyatt called out as his teacher was walking away.

"Yes, Wyatt?"

"How do you spell Matthew?"

"Why do you want to know?"

"That's my middle name."

"Oh. How do you think it's spelled?"

"M.A.T.H.U?"

"Almost. M.A.T.T.H.E.W."

"Oh. OKay. Thank you. How about my last name?"

"We are going to learn how to spell our last names another time."

"Okay."