FOUR
"Well," said Piper, holding up the finished potion, "it's done.
I guess I should go ahead and take it."
She raised the vial with the potion in it and started to drink
it.
"Piper, don't," said Phoebe, coming into the kitchen.
She told Piper and Paige about what she had heard Leo and Justin
saying. She, of course, couldn't tell them what the secret was. But
it seemed clear they were hiding something. And it apparently had to
do with the baby.
"That doesn't make any sense," said Paige. "Leo wouldn't put
the baby in danger, no matter what the Elders said."
"No, he wouldn't," said Piper. "But that doesn't explain what
he's hiding. Or why. Come on. I'm going to get some answers before
I drink this concoction."
Phoebe and Paige followed Piper into the living room. Justin
smiled as she came into the room.
"Everything okay?" he asked.
"You tell me," said Piper, putting the vial down on the coffee
table. "What does this do? Besides what you've already told me?"
"Piper, what's going on?" asked Leo.
"Phoebe overheard you two talking," said Piper. "She told me
what you said. What is it you AREN'T telling me?"
"Phoebe just misunderstood, that's all," said Justin.
"No I didn't," said Phoebe. "Leo said he had never kept
anything from Piper before and hated doing it now. You said there was
no choice because the Councils' rules were very clear on the matter.
Tell me that's not what you said."
"I can assure you," began Justin.
"I don't want your assurances," said Piper. "Leo, is there
anything about this potion that Justin hasn't told me?"
Leo looked at Justin. He was clearly torn. Between answering
Piper's question and something that was between him and Justin.
"It's a very minor thing," said Justin. "Not even worth
mentioning."
"Let's mention it," said Piper.
"It's nothing really," said Justin. "A side effect of the
potion allows me to read the baby's aura."
"Her aura?" questioned Paige. "Why would you need to read the
baby's aura?"
"I didn't say I needed to," said Justin, "I said it allows me
to."
"So why not tell me about it?" asked Piper.
"I didn't think it was important enough to mention," said
Justin. "It really won't affect you or the baby."
"Then why do I get the feeling there's more to it than that?"
asked Piper. "Leo, I want you to tell me the truth. What exactly is
going on here?"
"Piper," said Leo, a look of pain on his face, "I can't answer
your questions."
"I'm your wife," said Piper. "This is our child. You'd better
start answering my questions honestly. I'm not touching that potion
until I know exactly what's going on."
"Piper, you're putting Leo in a very difficult position," said
Justin. "He can't say anything. If he does, he'll be stripped of his
powers and made a mortal. No White Lighter can answer your questions.
It's forbidden."
"Now you're scaring me," said Piper.
"Okay, officially confused," said Phoebe, raising her hand.
"First, you say it's not important enough to mention. Now you tell us
that if you say anything, you'll be stripped of our powers. How can
it be both?"
"The side effect of the potion was not important enough to
mention," said Justin. "Asking Leo or me about why will get any White
Lighter stripped of his powers."
"Why?" asked Paige.
"This is getting more complicated that it was supposed to be,"
said Leo.
"I'm going to the Elders," said Justin. "There has to be a way
to satisfy Piper and still not violate the edict. I'll be back as
soon as I can."
Before anyone could say anything, Justin orbed out of the manor.
"Well," said Piper, holding up the finished potion, "it's done.
I guess I should go ahead and take it."
She raised the vial with the potion in it and started to drink
it.
"Piper, don't," said Phoebe, coming into the kitchen.
She told Piper and Paige about what she had heard Leo and Justin
saying. She, of course, couldn't tell them what the secret was. But
it seemed clear they were hiding something. And it apparently had to
do with the baby.
"That doesn't make any sense," said Paige. "Leo wouldn't put
the baby in danger, no matter what the Elders said."
"No, he wouldn't," said Piper. "But that doesn't explain what
he's hiding. Or why. Come on. I'm going to get some answers before
I drink this concoction."
Phoebe and Paige followed Piper into the living room. Justin
smiled as she came into the room.
"Everything okay?" he asked.
"You tell me," said Piper, putting the vial down on the coffee
table. "What does this do? Besides what you've already told me?"
"Piper, what's going on?" asked Leo.
"Phoebe overheard you two talking," said Piper. "She told me
what you said. What is it you AREN'T telling me?"
"Phoebe just misunderstood, that's all," said Justin.
"No I didn't," said Phoebe. "Leo said he had never kept
anything from Piper before and hated doing it now. You said there was
no choice because the Councils' rules were very clear on the matter.
Tell me that's not what you said."
"I can assure you," began Justin.
"I don't want your assurances," said Piper. "Leo, is there
anything about this potion that Justin hasn't told me?"
Leo looked at Justin. He was clearly torn. Between answering
Piper's question and something that was between him and Justin.
"It's a very minor thing," said Justin. "Not even worth
mentioning."
"Let's mention it," said Piper.
"It's nothing really," said Justin. "A side effect of the
potion allows me to read the baby's aura."
"Her aura?" questioned Paige. "Why would you need to read the
baby's aura?"
"I didn't say I needed to," said Justin, "I said it allows me
to."
"So why not tell me about it?" asked Piper.
"I didn't think it was important enough to mention," said
Justin. "It really won't affect you or the baby."
"Then why do I get the feeling there's more to it than that?"
asked Piper. "Leo, I want you to tell me the truth. What exactly is
going on here?"
"Piper," said Leo, a look of pain on his face, "I can't answer
your questions."
"I'm your wife," said Piper. "This is our child. You'd better
start answering my questions honestly. I'm not touching that potion
until I know exactly what's going on."
"Piper, you're putting Leo in a very difficult position," said
Justin. "He can't say anything. If he does, he'll be stripped of his
powers and made a mortal. No White Lighter can answer your questions.
It's forbidden."
"Now you're scaring me," said Piper.
"Okay, officially confused," said Phoebe, raising her hand.
"First, you say it's not important enough to mention. Now you tell us
that if you say anything, you'll be stripped of our powers. How can
it be both?"
"The side effect of the potion was not important enough to
mention," said Justin. "Asking Leo or me about why will get any White
Lighter stripped of his powers."
"Why?" asked Paige.
"This is getting more complicated that it was supposed to be,"
said Leo.
"I'm going to the Elders," said Justin. "There has to be a way
to satisfy Piper and still not violate the edict. I'll be back as
soon as I can."
Before anyone could say anything, Justin orbed out of the manor.