Chapter 5 - Settling In
Phoebe hopped up and down on one foot as she watched Prue add the final touches to her makeup and hair. "You look great, Prue."
Prue glanced in the mirror and bit her lip nervously. "Do you think so?"
Phoebe nodded. At that moment Piper clmbed the stairs and Phoebe called her over. "Piper! Come tell Prue she looks fab-u-lous!!!" she said, emphasizing each sylable in the word.
Piper obliged, looking Prue up and down. Her glossy black hair was done up in an elegant french twist with a few strands down by her face and she wore a pair of black jeans that fit like they had grown on her. With it, she wore a dusky blue silk shirt with a low scooped neck and an open back that was held by two thin strings. She wore a delicate ruby red lipstick and a dusty blue eyeshadow and sapphire eyeliner that brought out the blue of her eyes and emphasized their long, cat-like grace.
Piper nodded and grinned. "You look great. If you're not careful you're gonna knock poor Ares dead, looking like that."
Prue let out a long breath of relief, happy that she looked good. "Okay. I just wanted to make sure I looked okay."
Piper laughed. "You look wonderful, honey. Don't worry. Now, I have to go look in the Book of Shadows and see if I can find anything more on Mercedes or those damn annoying Vipers that keep attacking us."
Prue looked sideways at her sisters and said hesitantly. "Are you sure I shouldn't stay and-"
"No!" Piper said quickly, cutting her off. "You go out! Have fun!"
Phoebe nodded and added. "Stop thinking about being a witch for an evening and go have fun with Ares."
Prue sighed. "Okay." Then she turned to run downstairs as the doorbell rang. "That must be him! Bye guys!" she cried as hopped down the last few steps and then stopped to catch her breath and fix her hair real quick before answering the door.
Ares stood on the step in faded blue jeans and a snow white button down shirt with the sleeve cuffs unbuttoned and rolled up to his elbows.
Prue's heart gave a little thump of excitement as she saw him and she smiled, trying not to let her eyes wander into forbidden territory. "Hi."
Ares gave what Phoebe called his "deep, black, velvety smile" as he looked at her and said in his beautiful, soft, deep voice. "You look beautiful."
"Thank you very much," she said softly, thanking god he didn't know that she had nervously searched around her room for nearly two hours to find the perfect thing to wear and then spent another hour doing her hair and another half of an hour to apply her make-up just right.
Ares smiled to himself, thinking of how his sister had reported the many hours she spent getting ready for their little date. He chuckled softly and then lead Prue down to the midnihgt blue convertible he had waiting at the curb. "We're off," he said with a smile as he started the car and drove down the street.
*
Bri sighed and looked over at Brett as she watched Prue and Ares drive away. "When we got here mom and dad hadn't even met. And now that they have they seem to be getting on just fine. What did the elders mean by saying they weren't falling in love?"
Brett looked at Bri, and for a moment he was silent. Finally though he sighed and spoke up. "You came back into the past before they met, yes. But it is a few more weeks maybe months into the future that they start showing signs of growing apart."
"Why can't we just tell them that they're supposed to be together?" she asked planitively.
Brett shook his head and ran a hand through his silky black curls. "You know we can't do that. It would break the natural course of things. What isn't natural isn't charmed."
Bri sighed and dropped onto the loveseat. "This is just so complicated. We can't tell them they're supposed to be together because it isn't the natural course of things and we can't tell them about Ebony......" she let her words trail off into a silence that became painful.
Finally Ebony looked up, her dark, cat-like eyes shining with mystery as they always did. "Don't worry about it right now, Bri. When Aunt Prue and Uncle Ares start showing signs of breaking apart we'll deal with it then. Meanwhile, it's becoming harder and harder to control my attacks and it's to dangerous to tell them. We need to find a private place to practice so I can get in control."
Biancae looked at her cousin and shook her dark head, the sun cast a golden sheen of light over her hair and her eery, light amber eyes glowed with concern. "That could be pretty dangerous though. Couldn't it?"
Ebony nodded her head. "It probably is dangerous but I can do it. We can make a potion to end it if things get to intense."
Biancae shrugged her shoulders wearily and sighed again. "Yah. I suppose you're right. We'll just have to be careful."
Suddenly Ebony sat up and shouted, "Bri! Watch out!"
Just in time Bri ducked as a Viper went flying over her head. It landed on the floor and did a smooth roll, turning up and quickly getting to it's feet in one fluid movement.
Bri's eyes sparked a little as she sent a wave of telekenetic energy at the Viper and sent it crashing into glass cabnit against the far wall.
It quickly got up and jumped into the air, lunging at her but she ducked and turned around ready to send another wave of energy at the snakey thing when Biancae put her hands out and a barely seeable translucent shield spread from her fingers and wrapped around the Viper quicker than the blink of an eye. Immediately the Viper was caught in mid air, unable to move inside the grip of the time shield.
Ebony gathered a small ball of fire in her hand, and with an aim that was true sent it flying at the Viper who dissapeared in a burst of dust and an agonized wail.
At that moment Leo, Piper, and Phoebe came crashing downstairs, just in time to see the end of the fight.
Piper growled. "Another one! That's it!" she said firmly. "I want Cole to go tell those damn demons to send something besides those sneaky little Vipers!"
Phoebe shook her head and patted Piper's arm. "You're stressed Piper. Maybe you should lay down."
"Arghhh!" Piper growled and then turned and stalked back up the stairs.
"Where you going?" Phoebe shouted up after her.
She stopped and turned around, her light, silky brown hair falling over her shoulders as she leaned over the railing and said impatiently. "I'm going to look in the Book of Shadows."
Phoebe shook her head and looked at everyone with her always merry and mischivous, rich coffee brown eyes. "Is everyone okay?"
Bri nodded. "Yah. We're fine."
Phoebe sighed as she turned toward the stairs. "We're lucky to have such powerful girls to follow us up." She said as she started up toward the attic, thinking of that day over a week ago when they had first appeared in the very spot of her destination. When they had fought their powers didn't show all that they really were.
Bri's power to move things telekenitically looked just like her future mother's, Prue. But when they found out that her power of telekenisies went beyond that to psychic powers they had been blown away.
On the other hand, Biancae's shield had looked completely different from Piper's power to stop time but it had turned out that it was a time shield. She could use it as a shield to protect herself or others or she could use it to encompass a thing or an area and stop time, much like her mother only she did it in a slightly different manner.
But her own future daughter, Ebony, seemed a complete mystery to them all. Phoebe felt as though she should know her best but she remained an enigma, a puzzle where none of the pieces belonged together.
She was an undoubted leader. She was the middle cousin but most definately the one in charge. She had varying moods and personality's that came and went seemingly with a will of their own, until they bordered on the point of skitsophrenia.
One minute she would be lighthearted and frivoulous, so much so that Phoebe feared it was the strong bleach she used to dye her dark hair, frying her brain. When Phoebe had mentioned this to her, Ebony had simply laughed, and since her hair had stayed a satiny sunkissed hue without the least trace of darkening at the roots she obviously bleached her hair often enough so that if you didn't know her well you would think blond was her natural color.
However, the next moment she could turn dark and mysterious, brooding quietly in a corner and sometimes being downright cold to anyone who looked at her wrong.
Still the next moment she might suffer an attack of epilepsy as had happened twice more since the first attack on the day she had appeared.
But then there would be moments when she was neither one extreme nor the next. She would simply be Ebony, and Phoebe was begining to suspect that Ebony was a metaphor for her own self.
Dark, mysterious, and inscrutible which was easily seen; it was the first thing you noticed. You noticed dark, sexy, mysterious. But then you noticed that it was partially hidden, attention kept off of the darkness by the shiny light that glossed the dark surface. The darkness was there but it added to her appeal, as an ebony is black which is noticeable since it is it's foundation color but even in the dullest light it is glossed with a lusterous shine that makes it pleasant to look at or have.
Phoebe sighed again as she pushed open the attic door and Piper looked up. Immediately concern was etched into every corner of her beautifuly structured face. "What's wrong Phoeb's?" she asked in a voice that indicated she had obviously calmed down.
Phoebe shook her head and rubbed her temples as she moved to stand by Piper. "I'm just thinking."
Piper said solemly. "You shouldn't do that so much. You're no good at it anyway."
Phoebe looked at her sister and closed her eyes for a moment.
Piper made a face and said in a typical concerned Piper voice. "Uh-oh! This is serious. What's wrong?"
Phoebe shrugged and shook her head again. "I'm just trying to figure Ebony out. Bri and Biancae seem so much more open and easy to understand. Bri obviously has some little secret that I believe the others know but I think it's hers and Biancae is taking after you in the respect that she's falling for her White Lighter. Not that I blame her. Brett is pretty cute and he seems to shy and sweet when we do see him. But still, those are just little things. A secret here or there is human nature and falling for your White Lighter seems to run in this family. But Ebony I can't figure out at all, and she's supposed to by my future daughter!"
"Ahhh," Piper nodded in understanding. "I see now." Then she smiled and gave Phoebe a little squeeze of affection. "Don't worry. You'll find out more about her in time. She's a different kind of girl but that happens when you're a Halliwell."
Phoebe gave a wan smile and nodded. "Yah. I guess so."
Piper smiled and said empathetically. "I know so!"
*
Mercedes lifted glowing eyes and then let out a little chuckle as she shimmered into the shadow of a large oak tree. Then, in the blink of an eyes she shifted until her image was that of a human women of about 27 or 28 years old.
Completely unadorned, her lusteruous black curls fell in riotous abundance to the middle of her back. Huge almond eyes of a limpid, luminous gray were framed in jet black lahes and fine black eyebrows. Her tiny nose and full pouting lips adorned a delicately chisled face. A porcelain smooth, milky complexion completed her human appearence.
She stepped out of the shade and looked around. An elderly man walked by with a snow white labradore on a leash.
As he went by the dog stopped dead and growled. The man had to tug hard on the dogs leash to get it to budge. He smiled at Mercedes and apologized for his dogs behavior.
Mercedes smiled icily and then looking around she quickly walked toward the police station, her black open toed heels clicking as she walked.
*
Bri yawned as she peeked out the window again. Finally! Prue and Ares drove up and he helped her out of the car.
They walked up toward the door and Bri opened the window a little so she could hear muted sounds of their conversation.
For a moment it looked like Prue was going to just turn around and go inside without anything happening. Panic rolled over her like a wave and she sent a jolt of telekentic energy at her, causing Prue to loose her footing a little.
Ares caught her and she looked up at him, her eyes shining and was about to push away when Bri closed her eyes and tiny pink sparks danced on her fingertips as she prepared to make Prue kiss Ares.
But suddenly a hand rested on her shoulder and opened her eyes, turning to see Brett looking at her she sighed and the pink sparks on her fingertips dissapeared. "I know. I'm not supposed to but I can't just sit around and watch my parents not becomf my parents."
Brett sighed softly and said in his gentle purring voice. "I know you want them to be together but we'll deal with together in the proper way when the time comes."
Bri closed her eyes for a moment and then opened them again. She lokoed out the window and saw that the porch was empty. She sighed as she ran a slender hand through her black hair. "Okay. But if it doesn't work......" she shook her head. "Never mind. I'm going to bed."
Brett shook his head, wishing he could say something comforting to Bri but what did you say to someone who might not exist next month?
Suddenly a hand touched his shoulder and he turned to see Biancae, her extrodinary, light eyes were startling against her insanely long, dark lashes and they shone with something that he knew was reflected in his own black eyes.
She lifted a hand and gently stroked his jaw. "She'll be okay, Brett. I know her. She's strong."
Brett smiled tiredly. "I know she's strong," he said. "I know. But I'm worried about her." He replied.
Biancae smiled tenderly and Brett felt his heart lighten. How could he be down with her smile to light up his life?
He leaned down and kissed her gently, a small brush of his lips against hers. She put her arms around his neck and pulled him closer. He took the liberty of deepening the kiss as he let the sweet, honeyed taste of her wash away his worries and she, likewise, let her love for Brett calm her.
Biancae pulled away a little and whispered. "We shouldn't be doing this."
Brett kissed her jaw and agreed. "I know," he whispered as he pulled her closer and they continued to kiss.
Suddenly someone cleared their throat and Brett and Biancae pulled away quickly and spun around.
Piper stood in the doorway looking not in the least surprised. "Am I interupting something important?"
Biancae blushed and Brett shook his head. "No Piper," he said politely as he orbed away with a sheepish look on his face.
Piper smiled at her future daughter and laugehd a little. "Hey, don't worry. I won't tell. I promise," she said. "Remember, I married my white lighter."
Biancae smiled. "Brett and I want to get married but the elder are sceptical. Even though you and Leo work out that dosn't mean Brett and I would work out and they don't want to endanger the second generation of charmed ones by straining our relationship in any way. Especially now....." she said with a sigh as she let her though go unfinished.
Piper smiled kindly. "Don't worry, honey. It'll work out for the best. It always does."
*
Bri looked up as Prue walked in and smiled. "How was your date?" she asked.
Prue sat down and looked over Bri. "It was great. Ares is amazing."
Bri wondered if she looked as relieved as she felt, but then her face fell as she remembered what Brett had said about Prue and Ares not growing apart until a few weeks or monthes later. "Well, I hope it works out," she said.
Prue smiled. "Me too."
Bri sighed as she thought. "I really hope it works out. More than you know."
When Prue finally left Bri stayed where she was, looking vacantly out the window, up at the black quilt of the sky, embroidered with scarlet nebulas and glittering stars. She sat there, staring out the window until the moon set and the sun rose, painting the sky delicate shades of rose and crocus. She crept outside and by the time she reached the porch the air was as soft as velvet, as fragrant as a bed of violets, and as golden as amber.
She could hear the silver singing of frogs somewhere in the distance and she wondered where they could be in this neighborhood. She made a silent vow to enjoy every bit of beauty she came across, just in case she didn't have another chance.
Phoebe hopped up and down on one foot as she watched Prue add the final touches to her makeup and hair. "You look great, Prue."
Prue glanced in the mirror and bit her lip nervously. "Do you think so?"
Phoebe nodded. At that moment Piper clmbed the stairs and Phoebe called her over. "Piper! Come tell Prue she looks fab-u-lous!!!" she said, emphasizing each sylable in the word.
Piper obliged, looking Prue up and down. Her glossy black hair was done up in an elegant french twist with a few strands down by her face and she wore a pair of black jeans that fit like they had grown on her. With it, she wore a dusky blue silk shirt with a low scooped neck and an open back that was held by two thin strings. She wore a delicate ruby red lipstick and a dusty blue eyeshadow and sapphire eyeliner that brought out the blue of her eyes and emphasized their long, cat-like grace.
Piper nodded and grinned. "You look great. If you're not careful you're gonna knock poor Ares dead, looking like that."
Prue let out a long breath of relief, happy that she looked good. "Okay. I just wanted to make sure I looked okay."
Piper laughed. "You look wonderful, honey. Don't worry. Now, I have to go look in the Book of Shadows and see if I can find anything more on Mercedes or those damn annoying Vipers that keep attacking us."
Prue looked sideways at her sisters and said hesitantly. "Are you sure I shouldn't stay and-"
"No!" Piper said quickly, cutting her off. "You go out! Have fun!"
Phoebe nodded and added. "Stop thinking about being a witch for an evening and go have fun with Ares."
Prue sighed. "Okay." Then she turned to run downstairs as the doorbell rang. "That must be him! Bye guys!" she cried as hopped down the last few steps and then stopped to catch her breath and fix her hair real quick before answering the door.
Ares stood on the step in faded blue jeans and a snow white button down shirt with the sleeve cuffs unbuttoned and rolled up to his elbows.
Prue's heart gave a little thump of excitement as she saw him and she smiled, trying not to let her eyes wander into forbidden territory. "Hi."
Ares gave what Phoebe called his "deep, black, velvety smile" as he looked at her and said in his beautiful, soft, deep voice. "You look beautiful."
"Thank you very much," she said softly, thanking god he didn't know that she had nervously searched around her room for nearly two hours to find the perfect thing to wear and then spent another hour doing her hair and another half of an hour to apply her make-up just right.
Ares smiled to himself, thinking of how his sister had reported the many hours she spent getting ready for their little date. He chuckled softly and then lead Prue down to the midnihgt blue convertible he had waiting at the curb. "We're off," he said with a smile as he started the car and drove down the street.
*
Bri sighed and looked over at Brett as she watched Prue and Ares drive away. "When we got here mom and dad hadn't even met. And now that they have they seem to be getting on just fine. What did the elders mean by saying they weren't falling in love?"
Brett looked at Bri, and for a moment he was silent. Finally though he sighed and spoke up. "You came back into the past before they met, yes. But it is a few more weeks maybe months into the future that they start showing signs of growing apart."
"Why can't we just tell them that they're supposed to be together?" she asked planitively.
Brett shook his head and ran a hand through his silky black curls. "You know we can't do that. It would break the natural course of things. What isn't natural isn't charmed."
Bri sighed and dropped onto the loveseat. "This is just so complicated. We can't tell them they're supposed to be together because it isn't the natural course of things and we can't tell them about Ebony......" she let her words trail off into a silence that became painful.
Finally Ebony looked up, her dark, cat-like eyes shining with mystery as they always did. "Don't worry about it right now, Bri. When Aunt Prue and Uncle Ares start showing signs of breaking apart we'll deal with it then. Meanwhile, it's becoming harder and harder to control my attacks and it's to dangerous to tell them. We need to find a private place to practice so I can get in control."
Biancae looked at her cousin and shook her dark head, the sun cast a golden sheen of light over her hair and her eery, light amber eyes glowed with concern. "That could be pretty dangerous though. Couldn't it?"
Ebony nodded her head. "It probably is dangerous but I can do it. We can make a potion to end it if things get to intense."
Biancae shrugged her shoulders wearily and sighed again. "Yah. I suppose you're right. We'll just have to be careful."
Suddenly Ebony sat up and shouted, "Bri! Watch out!"
Just in time Bri ducked as a Viper went flying over her head. It landed on the floor and did a smooth roll, turning up and quickly getting to it's feet in one fluid movement.
Bri's eyes sparked a little as she sent a wave of telekenetic energy at the Viper and sent it crashing into glass cabnit against the far wall.
It quickly got up and jumped into the air, lunging at her but she ducked and turned around ready to send another wave of energy at the snakey thing when Biancae put her hands out and a barely seeable translucent shield spread from her fingers and wrapped around the Viper quicker than the blink of an eye. Immediately the Viper was caught in mid air, unable to move inside the grip of the time shield.
Ebony gathered a small ball of fire in her hand, and with an aim that was true sent it flying at the Viper who dissapeared in a burst of dust and an agonized wail.
At that moment Leo, Piper, and Phoebe came crashing downstairs, just in time to see the end of the fight.
Piper growled. "Another one! That's it!" she said firmly. "I want Cole to go tell those damn demons to send something besides those sneaky little Vipers!"
Phoebe shook her head and patted Piper's arm. "You're stressed Piper. Maybe you should lay down."
"Arghhh!" Piper growled and then turned and stalked back up the stairs.
"Where you going?" Phoebe shouted up after her.
She stopped and turned around, her light, silky brown hair falling over her shoulders as she leaned over the railing and said impatiently. "I'm going to look in the Book of Shadows."
Phoebe shook her head and looked at everyone with her always merry and mischivous, rich coffee brown eyes. "Is everyone okay?"
Bri nodded. "Yah. We're fine."
Phoebe sighed as she turned toward the stairs. "We're lucky to have such powerful girls to follow us up." She said as she started up toward the attic, thinking of that day over a week ago when they had first appeared in the very spot of her destination. When they had fought their powers didn't show all that they really were.
Bri's power to move things telekenitically looked just like her future mother's, Prue. But when they found out that her power of telekenisies went beyond that to psychic powers they had been blown away.
On the other hand, Biancae's shield had looked completely different from Piper's power to stop time but it had turned out that it was a time shield. She could use it as a shield to protect herself or others or she could use it to encompass a thing or an area and stop time, much like her mother only she did it in a slightly different manner.
But her own future daughter, Ebony, seemed a complete mystery to them all. Phoebe felt as though she should know her best but she remained an enigma, a puzzle where none of the pieces belonged together.
She was an undoubted leader. She was the middle cousin but most definately the one in charge. She had varying moods and personality's that came and went seemingly with a will of their own, until they bordered on the point of skitsophrenia.
One minute she would be lighthearted and frivoulous, so much so that Phoebe feared it was the strong bleach she used to dye her dark hair, frying her brain. When Phoebe had mentioned this to her, Ebony had simply laughed, and since her hair had stayed a satiny sunkissed hue without the least trace of darkening at the roots she obviously bleached her hair often enough so that if you didn't know her well you would think blond was her natural color.
However, the next moment she could turn dark and mysterious, brooding quietly in a corner and sometimes being downright cold to anyone who looked at her wrong.
Still the next moment she might suffer an attack of epilepsy as had happened twice more since the first attack on the day she had appeared.
But then there would be moments when she was neither one extreme nor the next. She would simply be Ebony, and Phoebe was begining to suspect that Ebony was a metaphor for her own self.
Dark, mysterious, and inscrutible which was easily seen; it was the first thing you noticed. You noticed dark, sexy, mysterious. But then you noticed that it was partially hidden, attention kept off of the darkness by the shiny light that glossed the dark surface. The darkness was there but it added to her appeal, as an ebony is black which is noticeable since it is it's foundation color but even in the dullest light it is glossed with a lusterous shine that makes it pleasant to look at or have.
Phoebe sighed again as she pushed open the attic door and Piper looked up. Immediately concern was etched into every corner of her beautifuly structured face. "What's wrong Phoeb's?" she asked in a voice that indicated she had obviously calmed down.
Phoebe shook her head and rubbed her temples as she moved to stand by Piper. "I'm just thinking."
Piper said solemly. "You shouldn't do that so much. You're no good at it anyway."
Phoebe looked at her sister and closed her eyes for a moment.
Piper made a face and said in a typical concerned Piper voice. "Uh-oh! This is serious. What's wrong?"
Phoebe shrugged and shook her head again. "I'm just trying to figure Ebony out. Bri and Biancae seem so much more open and easy to understand. Bri obviously has some little secret that I believe the others know but I think it's hers and Biancae is taking after you in the respect that she's falling for her White Lighter. Not that I blame her. Brett is pretty cute and he seems to shy and sweet when we do see him. But still, those are just little things. A secret here or there is human nature and falling for your White Lighter seems to run in this family. But Ebony I can't figure out at all, and she's supposed to by my future daughter!"
"Ahhh," Piper nodded in understanding. "I see now." Then she smiled and gave Phoebe a little squeeze of affection. "Don't worry. You'll find out more about her in time. She's a different kind of girl but that happens when you're a Halliwell."
Phoebe gave a wan smile and nodded. "Yah. I guess so."
Piper smiled and said empathetically. "I know so!"
*
Mercedes lifted glowing eyes and then let out a little chuckle as she shimmered into the shadow of a large oak tree. Then, in the blink of an eyes she shifted until her image was that of a human women of about 27 or 28 years old.
Completely unadorned, her lusteruous black curls fell in riotous abundance to the middle of her back. Huge almond eyes of a limpid, luminous gray were framed in jet black lahes and fine black eyebrows. Her tiny nose and full pouting lips adorned a delicately chisled face. A porcelain smooth, milky complexion completed her human appearence.
She stepped out of the shade and looked around. An elderly man walked by with a snow white labradore on a leash.
As he went by the dog stopped dead and growled. The man had to tug hard on the dogs leash to get it to budge. He smiled at Mercedes and apologized for his dogs behavior.
Mercedes smiled icily and then looking around she quickly walked toward the police station, her black open toed heels clicking as she walked.
*
Bri yawned as she peeked out the window again. Finally! Prue and Ares drove up and he helped her out of the car.
They walked up toward the door and Bri opened the window a little so she could hear muted sounds of their conversation.
For a moment it looked like Prue was going to just turn around and go inside without anything happening. Panic rolled over her like a wave and she sent a jolt of telekentic energy at her, causing Prue to loose her footing a little.
Ares caught her and she looked up at him, her eyes shining and was about to push away when Bri closed her eyes and tiny pink sparks danced on her fingertips as she prepared to make Prue kiss Ares.
But suddenly a hand rested on her shoulder and opened her eyes, turning to see Brett looking at her she sighed and the pink sparks on her fingertips dissapeared. "I know. I'm not supposed to but I can't just sit around and watch my parents not becomf my parents."
Brett sighed softly and said in his gentle purring voice. "I know you want them to be together but we'll deal with together in the proper way when the time comes."
Bri closed her eyes for a moment and then opened them again. She lokoed out the window and saw that the porch was empty. She sighed as she ran a slender hand through her black hair. "Okay. But if it doesn't work......" she shook her head. "Never mind. I'm going to bed."
Brett shook his head, wishing he could say something comforting to Bri but what did you say to someone who might not exist next month?
Suddenly a hand touched his shoulder and he turned to see Biancae, her extrodinary, light eyes were startling against her insanely long, dark lashes and they shone with something that he knew was reflected in his own black eyes.
She lifted a hand and gently stroked his jaw. "She'll be okay, Brett. I know her. She's strong."
Brett smiled tiredly. "I know she's strong," he said. "I know. But I'm worried about her." He replied.
Biancae smiled tenderly and Brett felt his heart lighten. How could he be down with her smile to light up his life?
He leaned down and kissed her gently, a small brush of his lips against hers. She put her arms around his neck and pulled him closer. He took the liberty of deepening the kiss as he let the sweet, honeyed taste of her wash away his worries and she, likewise, let her love for Brett calm her.
Biancae pulled away a little and whispered. "We shouldn't be doing this."
Brett kissed her jaw and agreed. "I know," he whispered as he pulled her closer and they continued to kiss.
Suddenly someone cleared their throat and Brett and Biancae pulled away quickly and spun around.
Piper stood in the doorway looking not in the least surprised. "Am I interupting something important?"
Biancae blushed and Brett shook his head. "No Piper," he said politely as he orbed away with a sheepish look on his face.
Piper smiled at her future daughter and laugehd a little. "Hey, don't worry. I won't tell. I promise," she said. "Remember, I married my white lighter."
Biancae smiled. "Brett and I want to get married but the elder are sceptical. Even though you and Leo work out that dosn't mean Brett and I would work out and they don't want to endanger the second generation of charmed ones by straining our relationship in any way. Especially now....." she said with a sigh as she let her though go unfinished.
Piper smiled kindly. "Don't worry, honey. It'll work out for the best. It always does."
*
Bri looked up as Prue walked in and smiled. "How was your date?" she asked.
Prue sat down and looked over Bri. "It was great. Ares is amazing."
Bri wondered if she looked as relieved as she felt, but then her face fell as she remembered what Brett had said about Prue and Ares not growing apart until a few weeks or monthes later. "Well, I hope it works out," she said.
Prue smiled. "Me too."
Bri sighed as she thought. "I really hope it works out. More than you know."
When Prue finally left Bri stayed where she was, looking vacantly out the window, up at the black quilt of the sky, embroidered with scarlet nebulas and glittering stars. She sat there, staring out the window until the moon set and the sun rose, painting the sky delicate shades of rose and crocus. She crept outside and by the time she reached the porch the air was as soft as velvet, as fragrant as a bed of violets, and as golden as amber.
She could hear the silver singing of frogs somewhere in the distance and she wondered where they could be in this neighborhood. She made a silent vow to enjoy every bit of beauty she came across, just in case she didn't have another chance.
