FIVE
Leo stepped into the kitchen. Piper hadn't said a word after
Justin had orbed out. She had simply gone back into the kitchen and
begun clearing the dishes from the table. The look on her face told
everyone she was not a happy camper.
"Piper, I'm sorry," said Leo.
"Are you?" asked Piper. "Leo, I know there are things you can't
tell me. Like things about your other charges, for instance. But
this isn't one of your other charges. This is my baby. OUR baby. If
whatever this is is about the baby, I have a right to know. More
importantly, I need to know. I can't believe you, of all people,
would keep something about our baby from me."
"It's not like that," said Leo. "It's not exactly about the
baby."
"What's that supposed to mean?" demanded Piper.
"It's complicated," said Leo.
"And you can't tell me," said Piper.
"No, I can't," said Leo. "And I can't tell you why I can't
without breaking one of the oldest White Lighter laws. You knew when
we got married there would be times I wouldn't be able to say anything
to you."
"Not when it comes to my baby," said Piper. "Leo, you're my
husband. When it comes to this baby, I'm damn well going to know what
it is."
"Like I said," said Leo, "it's not exactly about the baby. I
shouldn't even be telling you this but I will say this much. That
potion Justin gave you won't do anything except what he said it would
do. All magical babies are given if. It has to do with something
that happened a very long time ago. I can't say more than that."
"All magical babies?" asked Piper. "Did my sisters and I get it
before we were born?"
"No," said Leo. "You're mortals. This only applies to babies
who have one magical parent, such as a White Lighter."
"What about Paige?" asked Piper. "Her father was a White
Lighter."
"The Elders didn't know about her," said Leo. "So, no, she
didn't get it either. If the Elders had known about her, she would
have gotten it. And I can tell you it would have made absolutely no
difference. Everything would still have happened just as it did."
"Then why do it at all?" asked Piper. "If it doesn't change
anything, what's the sense in doing it?"
"I can't answer that," said Leo. "Piper, I know how upsetting
this is to you. But you know that, ordinarily, I would never keep
anything from you. Especially about the baby. But you have to
believe me. This is a very unusual situation."
"Excuse me," said Paige from the doorway. "Justin is back."
"Good," said Piper, storming out of the kitchen. "I'm going to
get some answers."
She stormed into the living room where Justin sat talking with
Phoebe.
"Okay," said Piper, "you better have something to tell me.
Otherwise things could start to get real unpleasant around here."
"Calm down, Piper," said Justin. "I've talked to the Elders and
explained the situation. Under the circumstances, they feel it would
be best if you knew exactly what was going on and why."
"Its' about time," said Piper.
"Really?" asked Leo. "I'm surprised they would decide that."
"They did," said Justin. "There are a couple of conditions,
however."
"There always are," said Paige.
"First," said Justin, "don't blame Leo. He was only following
an ancient White Lighter dictate. There's really nothing he could
have done about it.
"Second, what you're about to learn must never - and I repeat,
never - be mentioned outside the three of you. The White Lighter
dictate I mentioned expressly forbids any mortal person from ever
learning about this. That's why Leo and I couldn't say anything until
I got permission from the Elders."
"Fine," said Piper. "I can live with that. Now, what's so
important that you have to give my baby a special potion?"
"Sit down and I'll explain everything," said Justin.
Leo stepped into the kitchen. Piper hadn't said a word after
Justin had orbed out. She had simply gone back into the kitchen and
begun clearing the dishes from the table. The look on her face told
everyone she was not a happy camper.
"Piper, I'm sorry," said Leo.
"Are you?" asked Piper. "Leo, I know there are things you can't
tell me. Like things about your other charges, for instance. But
this isn't one of your other charges. This is my baby. OUR baby. If
whatever this is is about the baby, I have a right to know. More
importantly, I need to know. I can't believe you, of all people,
would keep something about our baby from me."
"It's not like that," said Leo. "It's not exactly about the
baby."
"What's that supposed to mean?" demanded Piper.
"It's complicated," said Leo.
"And you can't tell me," said Piper.
"No, I can't," said Leo. "And I can't tell you why I can't
without breaking one of the oldest White Lighter laws. You knew when
we got married there would be times I wouldn't be able to say anything
to you."
"Not when it comes to my baby," said Piper. "Leo, you're my
husband. When it comes to this baby, I'm damn well going to know what
it is."
"Like I said," said Leo, "it's not exactly about the baby. I
shouldn't even be telling you this but I will say this much. That
potion Justin gave you won't do anything except what he said it would
do. All magical babies are given if. It has to do with something
that happened a very long time ago. I can't say more than that."
"All magical babies?" asked Piper. "Did my sisters and I get it
before we were born?"
"No," said Leo. "You're mortals. This only applies to babies
who have one magical parent, such as a White Lighter."
"What about Paige?" asked Piper. "Her father was a White
Lighter."
"The Elders didn't know about her," said Leo. "So, no, she
didn't get it either. If the Elders had known about her, she would
have gotten it. And I can tell you it would have made absolutely no
difference. Everything would still have happened just as it did."
"Then why do it at all?" asked Piper. "If it doesn't change
anything, what's the sense in doing it?"
"I can't answer that," said Leo. "Piper, I know how upsetting
this is to you. But you know that, ordinarily, I would never keep
anything from you. Especially about the baby. But you have to
believe me. This is a very unusual situation."
"Excuse me," said Paige from the doorway. "Justin is back."
"Good," said Piper, storming out of the kitchen. "I'm going to
get some answers."
She stormed into the living room where Justin sat talking with
Phoebe.
"Okay," said Piper, "you better have something to tell me.
Otherwise things could start to get real unpleasant around here."
"Calm down, Piper," said Justin. "I've talked to the Elders and
explained the situation. Under the circumstances, they feel it would
be best if you knew exactly what was going on and why."
"Its' about time," said Piper.
"Really?" asked Leo. "I'm surprised they would decide that."
"They did," said Justin. "There are a couple of conditions,
however."
"There always are," said Paige.
"First," said Justin, "don't blame Leo. He was only following
an ancient White Lighter dictate. There's really nothing he could
have done about it.
"Second, what you're about to learn must never - and I repeat,
never - be mentioned outside the three of you. The White Lighter
dictate I mentioned expressly forbids any mortal person from ever
learning about this. That's why Leo and I couldn't say anything until
I got permission from the Elders."
"Fine," said Piper. "I can live with that. Now, what's so
important that you have to give my baby a special potion?"
"Sit down and I'll explain everything," said Justin.