Phoebe

"I can't stand the waiting," I complained hours later. We were waiting for the baby to be born. I wished that we could see Melinda being born, but that wasn't possible. Instead, we had to stay in the waiting room. "Well, the baby seems excited. He's doing the tarantella on my kidneys."

"You can see her now," the nurse finally told us.

We hurried to her. "It is a girl, right?"

"Yes. Melinda Lily Halliwell. Don't freak out when you see her." She turned the baby towards us.

"Whoa!" Paige yelped.

I couldn't blame her for her reaction. Melinda was, well, different. She was a beautiful baby. She definitely looked like a Halliwell, except she had glowing gold eyes, wolf ears, and a tail.

"She's a born animagus," Piper said. "I guess that that's what happens when the parents are both animagi."

The baby smiled and her eyes and ears became normal. The tail disappeared.

"Well," I said. "It seems that she can control it. She's beautiful, Piper." I didn't see that one coming.

It wasn't long before the nurse shooed us out. "She needs her rest."

"Looks like we have another Madam Pomfrey on our hands," I muttered as we went home. "What—" Images flashed before my eyes.

"Phoebe…"Piper said. "The Elders are certain that he's dead. They can't sense him. You can't sense him."

"Don't tell me to give up. I will find him."

"We have to concentrate on changing Wyatt's future."

"I can't do that." Fear filled my heart. "No. He's coming."

Pain burst through my body. Something was wrong.

"Phoebe, Phoebe, what's wrong?" Someone was holding me.

"Chris. Find Chris now." Struggling, I was able to break through the pain. Just then, Chris orbed in.

"I heard you calling for me."

A darklighter appeared. I knocked Chris down and fired a spell at the darklighter. He disappeared before the spell could hit him.

"Not more darklighters," Chris muttered.

"Unfortunately, it seems that they've found a target. Are you all right?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

Without warning, I went into Morrigan mode. That was useful, for another darklighter appeared at that moment.

"You never mess with a mother," I said coolly and held out my hand. The darklighter was instantly vanquished.

"Finally," a voice sighed.

"Oh, she is just the most adorable thing in the world!" I cooed.

"Phoebe, you aren't going to start with that crazy obsession again, are you?" Piper asked.

"No. Soon I'll have my own bundle of joy to adore." That reminded me of something that I really didn't want to think about. It had been bothering me ever since Melinda had been born. Piper was the only one who would be able to help me. "Piper, how bad is giving birth?"

She eyed me. "Do I sense a bit of worry in your voice?"

"Well… Yes. Does it really hurt?"

"It's not so much the pain. It's more the duration, though the pain is significant. It's overwhelming, but you can handle it."

"I was afraid that you would say that." I looked down at my stomach. Soon the baby would be coming. He would come in May. I was sure of it.

"Come on, Pheebs. You can't tell me that you're afraid of giving birth."

"I am. I'm afraid that something will go wrong and that it'll hurt like hell."

"You're kind of stuck there. You're eight months pregnant. You really can't change your mind now."

"I know."

"You could use some spells to alleviate the pain," Piper suggested.

"I don't want to do that," I responded. "I want a natural birth. Sirius and I discussed it. That's what we think is best."

"He's not the one giving birth. It's your decision."

"You were able to get through two births without any magical aid."

"You don't have to live up to my past."

"That's what you say."

"Who's going to judge you?"

"You're not supposed to argue with me. I'm pregnant."

"That excuse only works with men."

"I hate it when you're right." I placed my hand on my stomach.

"Phoebe, you have to relax. Stressing yourself out won't help the baby. Sirius's support will help you out a lot. As long as you focus on your goal, the pain won't be as bad. You're going to bring that little boy into the world, and that's all that matters."

"You're really good at being a big sister."

"Practice makes perfect. Speaking of big sisters, Prue told me that you went into Morrigan mode without even trying. How did that happen?"

"I don't know. I heard us talking in the future, then I felt this horrible pain. I think it was a combination of a premonition and my empathy." I told her what I had heard. "Do you think that has to do with Chris?"

"Unless Chris is your son, no."

"What makes you so sure?"

"In Chris's future, your son was gone. I guess the conversation you heard relates to what I saw. What would Chris have to do with that?"

"I guess you're right." The possibility she had introduced was intriguing. "Do you think Chris could be my son in the future?"

She laughed. "God, I hope not. I love Chris, but he tends to have an attitude. He really doesn't seem like a Halliwell. Besides, we already found Chris's father."

"Oh yeah. I forgot about him."

"We have been caught up in all this Voldemort stuff," Piper said.

"Don't we have a meeting coming up soon?"

"Yes. Dumbledore wants to have a meeting in early May. Grams will be able to orb all the teachers off the grounds and to the Black house."

"He must really want this meeting," I said.

"Yeah. Soon all three children will be together. That means that Voldemort will strike. We have to go over some stuff before he does."

"I still can't figure out why Voldemort had someone try to kill my baby."

"It's not easy to understand Voldemort. He's a complicated whatever he is."

"What would he be considered?"

"I don't know. He's not human; he's not demon. He's kind of in between."

"Well, whatever he is, he's going down soon."

"But how soon?" Piper wondered. "I don't want to force Harry to go through that yet. He's still so young."

"The final battle with Voldemort won't take place for a while. We just have to hold Voldemort back until Harry is ready," I said. "You really fit the mother description."

"That's not hard to do. I am a mother, after all. That makes me wonder about Morrigan. Do you think she watched us before she put herself into us?"

"I think she's been with us for a while. Back before we went back to San Francisco, I was able to channel her powers." I thought back to that day. "There's something, though, that doesn't add up when it comes to Morrigan."

"What?"

"She talked directly to Dumbledore. How could he have known her, though? She's an ancient spirit."

"It could be reincarnation," Piper said.

"That would make sense."

"It's one of the few things that does."

"Tell me about it," I said. "One minute, we think we have everything figured out. The next minute, we're in a morgue."

"But you got to love this life."

"Whoa. Do my ears deceive me? I thought that you hated being Charmed."

Piper smiled a little. "It's easier to accept now. Something tells me that this will all even out one day."

"We can only hope."

"Phoebe, quit dragging your feet. What's up with you today, anyways?" Paige called from downstairs.

"I don't know," I said as I came down. "I guess I'm just a little tense. My delivery date is next week."

"You shouldn't worry about that."

"You sound just like Piper."

"Of all the people I know, you're the last person I would expect to panic over giving birth."

"Hey, you're not the one with a loaf in the oven. Where is Prue?"

"I'm right here," she said as she descended the stairs. "Piper can't come with us. She's going to stay with Melinda and Wyatt. Sirius and Remus are coming, though. They'll meet us at the headquarters."

"Okay. Let's go. Phoebe?"

"Yeah?"

"You still seem sluggish."

"I'll walk it off." I was feeling kind of funny. It was probably just nerves. "I'll be fine." We disapparated over to the headquarters. We were greeted by Mrs. Weasley. She liked us a lot. When the tabloids had attacked us, she had attacked them.

"Come in." We went into the kitchen and sat down. The odd feeling still hadn't left me.

"Hello, Halliwells," Dumbledore said. "Where is Piper?"

"Piper had to stay with Wyatt and Melinda," Prue said.

"Ah. Well, let's begin. Have you found out anything more?"

"Yes. Voldemort will try to kill the third child once he is born. He knows that he'll be a danger to him. That's what we believe, anyways," Prue said.

"How did you discover this?"

"A warlock tried to kill the baby. Voldemort isn't stupid," Paige said. "He knew that he couldn't do it. We're still trying to find out why he did this."

"We're going to try Morrigan mode to find out."

"You've been working on that?" He seemed pleased.

"Yes. We'll soon get over the need for emotion."

Suddenly, something burst within me. My water had broken. This is not good. I tried to stay calm. Just wait until the end of the meeting. It won't be long…

"Phoebe, are you okay?" Prue asked. I must have been showing my surprise.

"Yeah, I'm fine." It'll take a couple of hours. I'll be able to get through this. The first contraction hit. So this is what it's like to be in labor. It was really hard to pretend to be fine. Think about something else. You'll be fine. I breathed in deeply. I think they'll notice if I start doing Lamaze.

The meeting really dragged. I couldn't concentrate on what everyone was saying. I can do this… I can do this… Will this meeting ever end? Dumbledore began a new topic. No, it will never end.

"What do you think, Phoebe?" Prue asked me.

"Oh, uh…" Another contraction hit me, catching me off guard and knocking the wind out of me.

"Oh my God," Prue said.

"You're in labor!" every woman in the room exclaimed.

"No! No, I'm not due for another week."

"You are in labor. Let's go," Paige commanded.

"No!" I said. "Yes. I'm in labor. But labor lasts forever. I can get through this meeting, really."

"Come on."

Sirius grabbed me and orbed me to the hospital.

"I'll be okay…"

"Ouch. Ow, I really don't like this. I knew that this would be painful, but I didn't realize it would last this long. I imagined what this would be like, but I didn't see this coming." I was rather sure that Sirius couldn't feel his hand anymore. That was okay. I was going through the most intense thing ever. Was it wrong to share the experience?

"Phoebe, you're giving birth. Breathe, don't talk," Sirius said.

There was no need to tell me. I was officially out of breath. Labor was intense and overwhelming. How many hours has this been?

"One more push."

I caught my breath. "Wait. I don't have one more push."

"You have to do this," Sirius said. "You can't back out now."

"I'm all pushed out. I can't do this."

"Yes you can."

"Okay, okay. Here we go." Just one more push… Just one big push… "Aaauugh!"

Next, I heard the sound of my son. "You did it Phoebe," Sirius said. "You brought our son into the world."

When that baby boy was placed my arms, it was love at first sight. I knew that I had been waiting my entire life for this moment. "Look what we made. Nicolas Anthony Halliwell." I had tears in my eyes. I had never been so happy. The bonds of motherhood were wonderful. Being a mother was an amazing thing. I knew that I would never, ever let anyone hurt my son. I would protect him with my life. Voldemort would never get his hands on my baby. Never.

Paige

"He looks just like his father," I commented. My little nephew was so adorable.

"Yes. He's going to grow up to be a handsome little devil. Let's just hope that his father doesn't teach him how to charm the ladies."

"Hey, I resent that," Sirius said. "My charms worked on you."

"Yeah right. I cursed you after you tried that on me."

"You were a challenge."

Phoebe rolled her eyes. "No wonder you didn't get me until I decided that I wanted you."

"You're losing touch with yourself, Paige."

Wait a minute. Did I just hear that? Phoebe and Sirius hadn't heard. Had I just imagined that?

"You're losing touch with me."

I was officially freaked out.

"Meditation time," Piper announced.

"Urgh… Not meditation," I groaned. "Leo always made us do that stuff. It's his fault that Prue is so into meditation."

"Do I have to do this?" Phoebe asked nervously. "I don't exactly want to let my guard down."

"I think Sirius can handle it."

"Well, I—"

Piper grabbed her and dragged us up to the attic. Maybe I should tell them about what I heard… But hearing voices isn't exactly good thing, even in our family. Piper had heard Wyatt's cries when the Cleaners had taken him. Still, that's not much of a basis. My powers are kind of messed up lately. Maybe that's it. I knew that my powers were messed up because my emotions were getting the better of me. I wasn't handling them or myself very well. Perhaps the meditation could help with that. I doubt it.

"Sit down and close your eyes," Prue instructed.

"You're totally turning into Leo," I said as I did so.

"Hush. Relax and take a deep breath. As you exhale, release all the negative energy in your body. Clear your mind of all your thoughts and connect with yourself," she continued.

I've been losing touch with myself. This is really getting weird. I smirked. I should be used to these oddities. I have been with this family for a while.

"You guys aren't trying. I can hear you thinking."

"That's not fair. You're a telepath."

"Just clear your mind. Go into yourself."

I've never understood that. I can do it, but I still can't understand exactly what happens.

"I heard that."

Okay. I've got to clear my mind. Take away the negative emotions… take away my doubt… take away the distractions… My breathing became even and steady. My mind was clear. I was retreating to the depths of my soul. I was going back… but back where?

My awareness of the world around me had faded. I was only aware of myself and the light of my soul.

"Paige," a beautiful voice whispered. "Paige, come walk with me."

"Yes." I stepped into the light.

A woman appeared next to me. She had long black hair and the strangest eyes. They were constantly shifting colors, from green to purple to gray to blue. "Do you know who I am?"

"You're Morrigan."

She nodded. "You've been losing touch with your core. You doubt yourself and your future, don't you?"

"Yes. I don't believe that I will end up where I want to go."

"But you will. The only thing that's holding you back is you."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"You cannot see yourself for who you truly are," Morrigan answered. "You're lost in the image of the past. You see yourself as a lost child, unworthy of love. Is that who you really are, Paige?"

"I don't know."

"Yes, you do. You have come searching for the answers. They've been within your soul all along. You know who you are. You just have to tell yourself. What are you?"

I reached for the strength within me. It had been there all along. "I am strong and confident. I am powerful."

"And do you deserve love?"

"Yes, I do."

"You've been waiting for someone to tell you that. At least that's what you thought," Morrigan said, "for they have been telling you that for years. You didn't want to listen, though. You've been lost for a while."

"How do you know all this?" I asked.

"I have seen into your heart, your mind, and your soul. I have watched over you and your sisters for so long. Do you believe that you can find yourself?"

"I'm not sure."

She smiled. "You don't need to find yourself, Paige."

"What do you mean?"

"You never lost yourself. You've just been waiting. I've been waiting too." She stopped and turned to me. "But there is another who is waiting. He is waiting for the right moment to destroy you. If you aren't careful, he may be able to do that. I give you invincibility, but until you overcome your most powerful emotions, it will be useless. That is your final challenge. You must beat your most powerful emotion. Only then will you be able to tap into the full power. Only then will you prove your own power. You draw closer to the final step, but it is still very far away."

"How can I reach it?"

"That is something you must discover on your own. I am only your guide. I give you power, but I do that only because you have great power. My power comes from my mind, and as you know, there is a balance of mind, body, and spirit. You have control over your mind and body. Now you must gather control over you spirit. That is where your emotions come from. You are a healer, yet your loneliness is blocking you from that power. Will you allow it to succeed? Will you allow Voldemort to succeed?"

"No. We will triumph."

"Good. You have taken the first step towards your final goal. Remember me, Paige. Remember that you control your emotions. They don't control you. The end is coming. Once it comes, we shall begin a new path. It is up to you and your sisters. Lead this world in the right direction. Lead us to the light. The darkness cannot stand the light, and so it will retreat. You may not understand what I am saying, but you will understand once you reach the final place. That is the end, but it is also the beginning. We shall begin again."

"What do you mean?"

"You will discover that soon. Go now, and begin again."

I was rising up. My soul was reborn in my body. This was my new beginning, but I saw that the end would come if I didn't reach the next level.

My eyes opened.

"Paige, what happened to you? You zonked out on us," Phoebe said.

"It was Morrigan. We're on the right path, but we still have much to do. We have to work together. The Power of Four may be the only thing that can change our end. That's what she wanted us to know. You didn't see her?"

"No," Prue said. "We were just getting started when you slipped off into another world."

"Morrigan's world, actually."

"Well, we didn't see anything," Piper said. "But it seems that you are beginning to fulfill your role as the mystic. We're getting closer to figuring this out."

"We know the truth. It will come to us soon." I knew all this to be true. It wasn't just Morrigan. It was my soul. It was everything I was. More than that, it was. That was all that mattered. At least, for now.