Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters, sorry, just borrowing
Spoilers: some for "A Witch's Tail", this story takes place right after
that
episode, then diverges into AU
Coven
Piper woke with a start. It took her a moment to remember where she was. She'd been so tired after the whole 'Phoebe is a mermaid and there's a skeletal demon after her' fiasco. When they'd all gotten home, she'd fallen asleep on the couch. Leo must have carried her upstairs.
Why was the bedroom so cold?! Dark was understandable, but-- "Oh, for-- Leo, I swear, one of these days--" she grabbed the edge of the comforter, and tugged. To no avail. Leo was a wonderful husband, no argument; yet, he had a few very irksome habits, even in bed. Like stealing the covers.
"Mmm? Sorry, honey," he mumbled. He shifted, unwrapping himself from the pile of comforter and sheets he'd cocooned himself in. Piper drew the blankets over herself. Leo fell back asleep . Piper thought about snuggling in next to him, deciding against it. Her husband didn't sleep all that soundly most nights. She wondered, not for the first time, just how much Leo could sense about his charges. Judging by what had happened two years ago when they encountered Eames, his awareness of other witches was more like one of the five senses than a skill he had to work to exercise. He felt their emotions, pain, fear, need, could locate a witch over considerable distance....what else?
Piper hadn't wanted to ask. As far as she was concerned, the Whitelighters' 'calling' was a mixed blessing. The job took up enough of Leo's time; when he was here, unless they were both working, she wanted to let him just be Leo, if he wanted. He did enjoy relief from his work.
But if our baby is going to be a 'Lighter too, I need to know more than he's telling me, she thought. She considered. Ok. But I know his elders are probably going to tell him not to "tell me everything", once he reports in to them again. I hope they appreciate how loyal he is, she seethed . They don't do a whole lot to deserve it, seems to me! "Piper? You're not still annoyed with me, are you?" Leo's soft voice held a mix of surprise and concern. "Do you want another blanket?" "No, I'm okay. I thought you were asleep." She sat up, looking over at him. " I...need to talk to you, though."
He held out his arms , an invitation she didn't hesitate to accept. Drawing her close, he kissed her. She shivered. "Um. Leo, I can't--thinkwhenyoudothat-- "
"That's the idea," he whispered, trailing soft kisses along her neck. It was several minutes before Piper could get her mind back on the conversation she'd been trying to hold. Leo's eyes held amusement as he deliberately licked his lips. "Mmm. I shouldn't be surprised that a chef ....has good taste."
Piper blushed a vivid pink. Even after all this time, Leo was capable of getting under her skin. How had she ever gotten so lucky?
"I love you," she said, squeezing his hand.
His face softened. "And I, you," he answered immediately. He lay back, watching her, waiting for her to speak. "About you....and the baby. Leo, I've been trying not to pry. I don't want to fight with you, and I definitely don't want to get the Elders pissed off at us again. But...there's stuff I need to know, after all this. "
"The Elders aren't listening to us right now. Anyway, you're the one carrying this baby. If anyone's entitled to hear our 'deep dark secrets'--such as they are-- it's you. If they have a problem with that, too bad."
"All right. First up-- I'm glad the baby has your healing power too. Does that mean she'll be like Paige, able to orb too, and sense witches?"
"I'm not sure," Leo said. "I'm not trying to be evasive, Piper. I don't want to say definitely 'yes' or 'no' when I'm still speculating. The healing a Whitelighter does is an enhanced form of the natural healing a person's body does, accelerated so that it takes only seconds or minutes. It's almost instinctive to us, all we really have to do is put energy into it, and want to heal badly enough. So it doesn't surprise me that the baby's able to do it. Orbing's a bit more complicated, and takes abstract reasoning. I don't think you're going to be doing that anytime soon. The baby's hopefully comfortable where she is. As for sensing witches, I don't know how we'd tell if she does or not, until she's born. I can sense her, very clearly, and I believe she's aware of you and me on some level--but she didn't react to Necron's presence, or to Paige's and Phoebe's, that I could detect."
"Sense her--as another Whitelighter, or--?"
"Whitelighter and witch. Witches don't--feel the same, but I don't really know how to put it in words. She's both. That I am certain of."
"Is she...." Piper hesitated. "Leo, is she mortal?"
"What? I just-- oh. You mean, will she age . Yes. That's not....it's less a power than a-- a change imposed on us. We...the Elders, and the Whitelighters to a lesser extent, manipulate energy. Time is one form of that. When someone becomes a Whitelighter, they're-- their bodies are put into a kind of stasis, they don't grow older, don't suffer natural illness or decay. That's why no one ever thought that one of us might be able to have a child. Obviously it's not total-- I need to eat, to rest, to breathe-- The only way for her to not age would be to die. As I did. It's necessary. Not just so a Whitelighter can do their job without worrying about health or old age, but because of the 'drift' between here and 'upstairs'. A day there is like a month or longer here. We'd be constantly out of sync with the Elders and each other if time affected us normally. Sorry, wandering off the subject."
"It's okay. I think you've answered most of the questions I have." She hesitated, then, "I've been thinking...I...I'm not afraid anymore, the way I was. But...I want to be this baby's mother for real, Leo, not just when it's 'safe' or 'reasonable'. I think we need to make some changes. I know we can't ignore our work, abandon it....what I'm thinking is--if you and I, and I hope someday Phoebe and Paige, want families, that needs more than the four of us."
He looked thoughtful. Raised his eyebrows in a silent question. "I need to ask Grams about this. However...we're the only Charmed Ones, that's not the same as 'we're the only witches descended from Melinda Warren.' And certainly not the only good witches in San Francisco. Aunt Gail told us--and Dad mentioned this too--that Grams wasn't a solitary practitioner. She left her coven after Mom died. We might be stronger if we worked together at least sometimes--us, and San Francisco's other protectors. "
"You want to reform the coven, or found one of your own?"
"Our own. I'll see what the Book of Shadows has to say on the subject tomorrow, and maybe I'll ask her or Mom for advice."
"Check your family tree," Leo suggested. "Melinda had only one daughter, but Prudence had several children. At least some of your cousins are born witches too."
"Are any of them your charges?"
"No." "Ok. Grams. Tomorrow. For now...." She smirked a little as she leaned over him. "Where were we...? Oh right..." Piper slid her hands up onto his shoulders, and lowered her mouth to his.
TBC soon....
Coven
Piper woke with a start. It took her a moment to remember where she was. She'd been so tired after the whole 'Phoebe is a mermaid and there's a skeletal demon after her' fiasco. When they'd all gotten home, she'd fallen asleep on the couch. Leo must have carried her upstairs.
Why was the bedroom so cold?! Dark was understandable, but-- "Oh, for-- Leo, I swear, one of these days--" she grabbed the edge of the comforter, and tugged. To no avail. Leo was a wonderful husband, no argument; yet, he had a few very irksome habits, even in bed. Like stealing the covers.
"Mmm? Sorry, honey," he mumbled. He shifted, unwrapping himself from the pile of comforter and sheets he'd cocooned himself in. Piper drew the blankets over herself. Leo fell back asleep . Piper thought about snuggling in next to him, deciding against it. Her husband didn't sleep all that soundly most nights. She wondered, not for the first time, just how much Leo could sense about his charges. Judging by what had happened two years ago when they encountered Eames, his awareness of other witches was more like one of the five senses than a skill he had to work to exercise. He felt their emotions, pain, fear, need, could locate a witch over considerable distance....what else?
Piper hadn't wanted to ask. As far as she was concerned, the Whitelighters' 'calling' was a mixed blessing. The job took up enough of Leo's time; when he was here, unless they were both working, she wanted to let him just be Leo, if he wanted. He did enjoy relief from his work.
But if our baby is going to be a 'Lighter too, I need to know more than he's telling me, she thought. She considered. Ok. But I know his elders are probably going to tell him not to "tell me everything", once he reports in to them again. I hope they appreciate how loyal he is, she seethed . They don't do a whole lot to deserve it, seems to me! "Piper? You're not still annoyed with me, are you?" Leo's soft voice held a mix of surprise and concern. "Do you want another blanket?" "No, I'm okay. I thought you were asleep." She sat up, looking over at him. " I...need to talk to you, though."
He held out his arms , an invitation she didn't hesitate to accept. Drawing her close, he kissed her. She shivered. "Um. Leo, I can't--thinkwhenyoudothat-- "
"That's the idea," he whispered, trailing soft kisses along her neck. It was several minutes before Piper could get her mind back on the conversation she'd been trying to hold. Leo's eyes held amusement as he deliberately licked his lips. "Mmm. I shouldn't be surprised that a chef ....has good taste."
Piper blushed a vivid pink. Even after all this time, Leo was capable of getting under her skin. How had she ever gotten so lucky?
"I love you," she said, squeezing his hand.
His face softened. "And I, you," he answered immediately. He lay back, watching her, waiting for her to speak. "About you....and the baby. Leo, I've been trying not to pry. I don't want to fight with you, and I definitely don't want to get the Elders pissed off at us again. But...there's stuff I need to know, after all this. "
"The Elders aren't listening to us right now. Anyway, you're the one carrying this baby. If anyone's entitled to hear our 'deep dark secrets'--such as they are-- it's you. If they have a problem with that, too bad."
"All right. First up-- I'm glad the baby has your healing power too. Does that mean she'll be like Paige, able to orb too, and sense witches?"
"I'm not sure," Leo said. "I'm not trying to be evasive, Piper. I don't want to say definitely 'yes' or 'no' when I'm still speculating. The healing a Whitelighter does is an enhanced form of the natural healing a person's body does, accelerated so that it takes only seconds or minutes. It's almost instinctive to us, all we really have to do is put energy into it, and want to heal badly enough. So it doesn't surprise me that the baby's able to do it. Orbing's a bit more complicated, and takes abstract reasoning. I don't think you're going to be doing that anytime soon. The baby's hopefully comfortable where she is. As for sensing witches, I don't know how we'd tell if she does or not, until she's born. I can sense her, very clearly, and I believe she's aware of you and me on some level--but she didn't react to Necron's presence, or to Paige's and Phoebe's, that I could detect."
"Sense her--as another Whitelighter, or--?"
"Whitelighter and witch. Witches don't--feel the same, but I don't really know how to put it in words. She's both. That I am certain of."
"Is she...." Piper hesitated. "Leo, is she mortal?"
"What? I just-- oh. You mean, will she age . Yes. That's not....it's less a power than a-- a change imposed on us. We...the Elders, and the Whitelighters to a lesser extent, manipulate energy. Time is one form of that. When someone becomes a Whitelighter, they're-- their bodies are put into a kind of stasis, they don't grow older, don't suffer natural illness or decay. That's why no one ever thought that one of us might be able to have a child. Obviously it's not total-- I need to eat, to rest, to breathe-- The only way for her to not age would be to die. As I did. It's necessary. Not just so a Whitelighter can do their job without worrying about health or old age, but because of the 'drift' between here and 'upstairs'. A day there is like a month or longer here. We'd be constantly out of sync with the Elders and each other if time affected us normally. Sorry, wandering off the subject."
"It's okay. I think you've answered most of the questions I have." She hesitated, then, "I've been thinking...I...I'm not afraid anymore, the way I was. But...I want to be this baby's mother for real, Leo, not just when it's 'safe' or 'reasonable'. I think we need to make some changes. I know we can't ignore our work, abandon it....what I'm thinking is--if you and I, and I hope someday Phoebe and Paige, want families, that needs more than the four of us."
He looked thoughtful. Raised his eyebrows in a silent question. "I need to ask Grams about this. However...we're the only Charmed Ones, that's not the same as 'we're the only witches descended from Melinda Warren.' And certainly not the only good witches in San Francisco. Aunt Gail told us--and Dad mentioned this too--that Grams wasn't a solitary practitioner. She left her coven after Mom died. We might be stronger if we worked together at least sometimes--us, and San Francisco's other protectors. "
"You want to reform the coven, or found one of your own?"
"Our own. I'll see what the Book of Shadows has to say on the subject tomorrow, and maybe I'll ask her or Mom for advice."
"Check your family tree," Leo suggested. "Melinda had only one daughter, but Prudence had several children. At least some of your cousins are born witches too."
"Are any of them your charges?"
"No." "Ok. Grams. Tomorrow. For now...." She smirked a little as she leaned over him. "Where were we...? Oh right..." Piper slid her hands up onto his shoulders, and lowered her mouth to his.
TBC soon....