Before There Were Four

*** *** *** *** ***

Piper was lingering in the bathroom. She sighed, waiting for the news to come. She had felt the signs, and was now trying to find it out. If it was true.

She looked at the white device she was holding, as it slowly revealed to her what she had been wishing for a long time.

"I'm…"

*** *** ***

"Pregnant."

Phoebe and Paige sat on their seats, speechless.

And suddenly they shrieked in surprise.

"Piper!! Congratulations!"

"That's great! Oh my God!"

"Have you told Leo?"

For a moment two sisters celebrated as Piper sat in her chair, mulling over her own thoughts. Stopping in her outburst, Phoebe immediately sensed something amiss.

"Piper, what's wrong?"

Piper sighed, looking up to her sisters with a sad smile. "I just don't know if I can do this. I mean, I have been waiting for this all my life. It's what's been filling my dreams for years now. But when we became witches, I just didn't know what I wanted anymore. With all the demons, and warlocks and everything. How can I have a baby at the same time?"

Phoebe kissed her older sister, giving her a tight hug. "Piper… Honey, you know we will always be here for you. You've always been wanting something normal in life, and you got what you wished for," Phoebe said, "and we won't let anything take that away."

"Yeah," said Paige, also giving her sister a hug, "we're sisters for sisters. We'll help you through this."

Sparkling light began to appear near the three sisters. As it settled, the light formed into the man Piper loved more than anybody, her husband, Leo.

"Hey. I heard someone call my name?"

*** *** ***

In a place where the cries of torment were never far away and evil ever-present, a hooded figure sat in a throne of ebony and bone. He stretched out a pale thin hand at his servant, who was standing near.

"Get me the Seer," he ordered, his slave exiting the cavern they were in. A few seconds later, he came back with a seductive, beautiful demonness, who had chains about her wrists. The Seer.

"Ahh, so this must be the new Source," said the Seer, a smile of mockery forming her lips.

"The Seer. They have told me much about you. Your beauty. And your betrayal."

She pretended to be shocked. "My betrayal? Surely you have heard lies. I simply told my last master the truth. Never have I been a traitor."

"Be careful, demon. I can see through your lies. I can kill you anytime I want."

The demonness sneered. "Oh, but you haven't. You can't deny my power. I am the only demon to have vision of the future."

"I can get demons and warlocks to steal a mere witch's power. Precognition is no stranger to me. I have felt its power before."

"No witch can compare to me. Only I have ever harnessed the power of the K'roeh Crystal. Most witches cannot call on a vision by will. As you may not know."

The Source fashioned a fireball in his hand and threw it at the Seer. She fell to the ground, her robe being consumed in flame. The Source snapped his fingers, and the fire disappeared.

"Do not get cocky with me, sister. You know all too well what I can do."

"And what you cannot. You can't destroy me, brother. My death will also be yours."

It was the Source's turn to sneer. "Who said anything about killing anyone? There are worse things, my sister. Do not argue with me again. Now, news of the Charmed Ones?"

The Seer's amber eyes sent daggers at the Source, as she turned to her crystal.

"Hmm, Piper, the eldest. She carries a child. As the child's father is a whitelighter, the child will be welcomed into the world sooner than most other humans."

The Source was getting impatient. "Is this of any importance to me?"

The Seer glared at her brother. "The Charmed Ones will be paying more attention to their sister, and the child she brings. You know not of human ways. This may lead to your downfall, brother."

The Source laughed. "Do you see this in the crystal, sister?"

"No. But if you make the correct choices, you will be able to defeat the Charmed Ones."

The Source was immediately interested. "How?"

The Seer sighed. "The crystal will not tell me. It will only show me possibility of a future, not of a certain event itself." She sensed her brother's sudden anger. "You are wise, brother. You will find a way," she added, hoping to soothe his ego.

Fortunately, it worked. "I have heard enough. You may go." He sent a ball of fire at the chains which held his sister, turning it into ash. Now freed, the Seer disappeared.

"Yes," said the Source, smiling. "I will find a way."

*** *** ***

Piper was in the manor kitchen, mixing cookie dough. It had been a while since she had put aside time for cooking. It seemed as if she had lost her touch. Her earlier baked cookies were too thin and crisp, and she preferred thick and chewy. Now, she was confident that her next batch would be perfect.

Smiling to herself, Piper remembered the moment she told her husband Leo that she was carrying a child. His outburst of joy had made her heart skip a beat, and as he lifted her up in his arms, she almost thought that she was going to have the baby right there and then. She had never seen Leo so happy.

Leo had explained that their baby would develop faster than normal human babies. "It's because of the whitelighter healing abilities," he had said, "that would manifest while the baby was growing."

Piper was thankful she had only told her friends that she was pregnant, and not how far off she was. According to Leo, she had only about seven months.

That was two weeks ago.

Phoebe and Paige had veered her away from work, letting Piper's best employee take over P3 for the moment. She would still be getting money for her club, and with Phoebe's rather famous advice column and Paige's job in social services, they were pretty well-to-do. Of course, they had not forgotten what they would need eventually: baby food, baby diapers, baby clothes, baby everything. Both sisters put in extra hours in their work. And what with the demon-vanquishing and innocent-saving, life was hectic in the Halliwell household.

Pulling away from her thoughts, Piper returned to her baking business, when she sensed something – no – smelled something…

"Oh no!" Piper hurriedly put on mitts as she took her burnt goods out of the oven.

"They're ruined," Piper muttered to herself. She got a spatula and began to scrape off the cookies into the garbage.

Leo orbed behind her, sniffing the air. "I smell cookies." He put his hands on his wife's shoulders, kissing her cheek.

"Unfortunately, you won't be able to taste them. Some are burnt, and the others aren't my best. I'm making a new batch," she replied, turning around and smooching him on the lips. "So what brings you here? You just remembered you had a wife to take care of?"

Leo put on a frown. "Piper… It's not like I'm not here all day. I check on you every few minutes. You know I have other charges."

"Can't you take, like, a day off? I mean, I'm carrying a child here. Don't the Elders know that?"

"They do. That's why I've come here to tell you that-"

The doorbell rang, interrupting Leo. "I'll get that," said Piper.

"No, wait, I have to tell you something first." Leo bounded after his wife, who was quickly nearing the front door.

Piper opened the door to show three people on the front porch.

"Hi," said a familiar voice. "Leo called us here."

Piper tried to remember who this young woman was. Suddenly, it clicked. "Your'e-"

"Yeah," she said, smiling. "Aviva. Hello Piper."