It was a warm May afternoon and the charmed ones were enjoying the quietness of the day. The older children had yet to arrive home from school and Leo had taken the two youngest to the park. He made Piper promise that she would do nothing but sit and relax before he left. With both Phoebe and Paige there to keep an eye on her he was confident that she wouldn't go anywhere or do anything.
"He is driving me nuts." Piper said once she was sure that Leo had left. "He won't let me do anything. Ever since the Elders refused to give us any more information he has been like a warden here. I am not allowed to clean, pick up the girls, go to the club, even grocery shopping creates an argument. I mean it I am going to kill soon." She let out a frustrated huff.
"So I guess you're over your need to jump him now." Phoebe said with a chuckle.
"I have no choice. Since that night he hasn't touched me. He promised me that I would never have to wait that long again and I swear that I am doomed to have to wait another five months before he will even look at me." She paused and took a deep breath. "I'm sorry guys, I know you are going through all the same things. I just needed to vent for a minute."
"Not a problem. Luke and I have had no problems recently." Paige smiled with that thought. She than got all excited. "Oh oh guess what? I stopped throwing up this morning. I have never been this sick of pregnancy and its only four months in."
"Well good for you. I am not so lucky. I think that I will be puking until she arrives." Phoebe said rubbing her little belly. "Hey what are you two doing tomorrow? I really need to do some shopping."
"I know what you mean. The clothes I bought last month are already too small. But you should have lots of clothes Lyanna is only 16 months old." Piper said. She was still the largest of the girls but the other two were showing now and that made her feel a little better.
"I know I do but they are so out of date. I need some new stuff."
"Phoebe, Miss Hip Fashion of Pregnancy." Piper said sarcastically.
"Ha Ha. I just hate looking frumpy." Phoebe said straightening her shirt.
"Speaking of frumpy Piper . . ." Paige started.
"Hold it right there." Piper cut her off. "I don't want to hear about it. I know I am huge."
"Not huge just nicely plump." Paige tried to recover. Obviously Piper was still sensitive about the weight. Paige thought.
"Funny Paige, real funny. I just . . . . Ouch." Piper said sitting straight up.
"Whoa. What the hell is going on?" Paige and Phoebe said in unison. Each of the sisters wrapped their arms around their middles.
"Wait did you feel that?" Paige and Phoebe nodded in response to Piper's question. "The baby kicked."
"That was more than a kick. Is that the first time you have . . ." Phoebe started to ask.
"Felt it?" Paige finished. "Basically yes. I mean she has been moving around, you know that . . . "
"Floating sensation." Piper continued. The other two nodded. "Powerful kick for the first one. So both of your babies kicked you at the same time as mine?" Again they nodded. "I think we are going to be in trouble with these three. They start using magic at the same time now they are moving at the time. Teenage years are not going to be fun." Piper smiled at the thought. Seconds later the front door slammed open and they heard running little feet in the hallway.
"Mom, Aunt Piper!" Piper and Phoebe each got to there feet. Lilly ran through the doorway of the sunroom and straight into Piper's arms. "Something is wrong with Melinda." She said out of breath. Phoebe bent down to her eldest daughter's level.
"What do you mean? Is she hurt?" Phoebe asked. Just then three of the younger children ran into the house.
"I don't know. We were walking home from school and she suddenly grabbed her stomach and started yelling that hurt." Piper headed straight for the door.
"Phoebe . . ."
"I will watch them just go." She said too both Paige and Piper as they headed out to the street.
They didn't have to go far. A crowd of kids and a few mothers were huddled at the top of the street. As Piper approached Maddy ran to her in tears. "Mommy help!" She whimpered. Piper took her hand and followed her to where Melinda was sitting on the ground.
"Melinda baby." Piper said bending down to her daughter's level. "Honey what's the matter?"
"I don't know. We were walking home and my stomach started to hurt. Like I had been punched." Melinda was much calmer than both of sisters.
"Punched? Did someone punch you?"
"No. Punched from the inside. But it has stopped now." Melinda said. Piper helped her to stand up. The other mothers started to shoe their children home now that Piper had arrived.
"Okay let's get you home. Can you walk?" Piper said with concern in her voice.
"Mom, of course I can walk." Melinda said in a duh voice. Paige took the other children's hands and Piper walked with both Maddy and Melinda's hand held tightly in hers. Leo was walking up the street from the other end when they arrived back at the manor.
"What's wrong?" He asked. Clearly panic was written all over Piper's face.
"Inside." She said. "I think we have a problem Leo." She said once the door closed behind the last of the troop. "Melinda, tell Daddy what happened exactly."
"We were walking home form school and I felt something or someone punch me. I felt them punch me inside of me. Like something was trying to get out." Leo looked at Piper. "It hurt a lot but it only lasted for a little bit. Then it just stopped."
"Does it hurt now?" Leo asked. Melinda shook her head no.
"So Leo what is happening?" Piper was still panicking slightly. Anytime something was wrong with any of children she gets defensive and fast.
"I have no clue." Leo said.
"Ouch, oh." A loud cry rang through the house as all of the charmed ones grabbed their stomachs once more. Melinda collapsed into Leo's arms crying. "Wait a minute, Melinda you felt that?"
"Yes stop it. STOP." She cried.
"Piper what is happening?" This time Leo looked from his daughter to his wife and back again.
"The babies kicked. They did that earlier. But it is not just our baby that is moving Paige's and Phoebe's move at the same time." Melinda stopped crying. "She can't be feeling them? Can she?" Leo just shrugged. He hadn't a clue. "Leo you better."
"I know go find out." He gave Melinda to Piper and orbed out.
Seconds later he was greeted by the same two Elders as before. "So what aren't you going to tell me this time?" He instantly regretted sounding so hostel but this was his child they were playing with.
"Leo we weren't expecting you so soon." The first said.
"It's Melinda. She is feeling the babies."
"We were expecting her too. Melinda has been given a gift. She will be an important factor the babies' destiny."
"What are you saying?" Leo said.
"She has the ability to feel what the other children feel. She always had. With the conception of these new children her power has become more active than ever before. As she ages it will continue to grow and be pivotal to their lives." The second man said.
"She's becoming an Empath?" Leo questioned.
"No, not a true Empath at least. At this point we only know for sure that she will feel pain or hurt that the children, your children feel or inflict. She will only feel from those that are connected to her by blood."
"Pain, she will only feel what hurts them?"
"That's right. And it may not happen every time. Plus she will feel the new babies the most." The second man said.
"She will also be able to feel the pain that they inflict on other humans. That is why she could feel them kick the mothers." The first man added.
Leo was glad that they were giving this information but one question was still plaguing him. "So when they deliver the babies what will happen to Melinda?"
"That has yet to be decided. At this point we are thinking she should be brought up here. The intensity of the deliveries will be too much for her young body to handle. Closer to the time we will be notifying you." Leo nodded. He wasn't sure that Piper would see this as a gift but he had to get back to her.
"Before I leave I need to ask is there anymore information you can tell me about the babies?"
"We are sorry Leo but that is still strictly confidential. We will be made aware when you need to be." The second man said as they drifted out of sight. Leo orbed back home to tell the girls. The girls especially Piper, were not happy.
"She's a child Leo. How can they do this, force her to go through this?" Piper said.
"She maybe a child but you know as well as I do if any of our children could handle a power to this magnitude she can. She has always been able to sense when one of the children was in need."
"I know Leo but it's just not fair."
"Melinda how do you feel about this?" Leo said as he sat next to his daughter.
"I'm a little scared. But it is kind of cool." Melinda replied with a smile.
"Well you know I would never let anyone hurt you. I will always be there to protect you." Piper said giving Melinda a soft kiss on the cheek. Leo gave her a look of disapproval. He always hated it when she promised something that she had no control over. But Piper knew that even in death she would always protect her girls.
