TWO
Phoebe's second vision of her niece came in the form of a dream that night. She was awakened from a dead sleep by the vision. And it was much more disturbing than the first vision.
She saw her niece playing in a park. The young girl appeared to be about six or seven years old. Phoebe knew it was Piper's daughter. The little girl still wore the necklace Leo had just given to Piper.
There was another little girl with her niece. The two were playing together. Suddenly, Pipers' daughter seemed to become angry. In a fit of rage, she hurled a fireball at her playmate, incinerating the girl.
Phoebe was very disturbed by the vision. Throwing fire was an upper level demon power. And the brutality of the little girls' murder was not in keeping with the Leos' pacifistic nature. A nature he insisted his daughter would inherit.
Phoebe knew it was a premonition and not just a dream. There were subtle differences between the two that she had long ago learned to distinguish between. And this had definitely been a premonition.
Phoebe was at a loss what to do. She couldn't tell Piper about the premonition. And telling Leo was as bad as telling Piper. She knew he'd insist on telling her about it. She had enough on her mind right now to worry about what her daughter might do. She considered telling Paige, but her younger sister would probably insist on telling the other two as well.
Maybe she could talk grams? Grams would know what to do. And she would be willing to keep it a secret until they figured out what to do about it. But Phoebe dismissed that idea, too. If the others found out she had summoned grams, she wouldn't be able to explain it away. They just didn't summons grams without a very good cause.
Under any other circumstances, Leo would check with the Elders. They often knew things about her visions no one else knew. But since she couldn't' tell Leo, he couldn't check with them. If she knew how to contact the Elders, she could ask them herself.
Maybe she could contact them indirectly. Leo wasn't the only White Lighter. Any White Lighter would be able to check with them. She only had to find one who could make an appearance at the manor without arousing suspicion. And she knew just the White Lighter to call.
* * *
"I can't tell Leo or Piper," said Phoebe. "But I need someone to check with the Elders for me. See if there's something I'm missing."
"I see your dilemma," said Michael.
Michael was a rare form of White Lighter. He was a warrior White Lighter. He wasn't a true White Lighter in the strictest sense. His mother had been a White Lighter, similar to Paige. But his father had been a demon.
Phoebe and her sisters had met Michael just after they had defeated the Source. Before the Source had possessed Cole. Michael had helped them defeat some upper level demons that had tried to kill the Charmed Ones to choose a new Source.
"You do need to check with the Elders," said Michael. "And I agree about not telling Leo or Piper just yet. No sense upsetting them if this is all just a misunderstanding."
"That's why I summoned you," said Phoebe. "If you show up at the manor, you can just say you stopped by for a visit. They shouldn't get suspicious at that."
"You did the right thing by calling me," said Michael. "Everyone is convinced this child is going to be a powerful force for good. But from what I've heard, she's going to be more powerful than anyone who's ever lived. And power can be very seductive."
"Don't I know it," said Phoebe, remembering how she had been seduced into becoming the queen of the underworld.
"Chances are," said Michael, "Pipers' daughter will be good. I mean, the daughter of a good witch and a White Lighter. How could she be anything else? But she'll also have free will. Which means she'll be free to choose evil if she wants to. And the power she'll have will make it that much harder to resist.
"While I'd like to believe she'll be good, if there's any chance she might be evil, we need to know about it. She could do a lot of damage especially if it comes as a surprise. We'll need to be prepared for her."
"What if she is to become evil?" asked Phoebe. "I know the Elders can see the future, just like I can. What if they see her as a force for evil? What will they do then?"
"That decision will be up to the Elders," said Michael. "I really can't say what they might do. Pipers' daughter is going to be very powerful, whether she's good or evil. Not even the Elders may be able to see if she's going to be good or evil. The future is always in motion. Things can change from one moment to the next."
"I know," said Phoebe. "It's just that Piper has waited so long for this baby. I can't believe it would grow up to be evil."
"Hold on," said Michael, "we're getting ahead of ourselves. There may be another explanation for the premonition. Let me check with the Elders before we go off half cocked."
"Okay," said Phoebe. "Thanks, Michael."
Michael orbed out of Phoebes' room, leaving her to think about their conversation. There had to be a logical explanation for her premonition other than Pipers' baby would become evil. There just had to be.
Phoebe's second vision of her niece came in the form of a dream that night. She was awakened from a dead sleep by the vision. And it was much more disturbing than the first vision.
She saw her niece playing in a park. The young girl appeared to be about six or seven years old. Phoebe knew it was Piper's daughter. The little girl still wore the necklace Leo had just given to Piper.
There was another little girl with her niece. The two were playing together. Suddenly, Pipers' daughter seemed to become angry. In a fit of rage, she hurled a fireball at her playmate, incinerating the girl.
Phoebe was very disturbed by the vision. Throwing fire was an upper level demon power. And the brutality of the little girls' murder was not in keeping with the Leos' pacifistic nature. A nature he insisted his daughter would inherit.
Phoebe knew it was a premonition and not just a dream. There were subtle differences between the two that she had long ago learned to distinguish between. And this had definitely been a premonition.
Phoebe was at a loss what to do. She couldn't tell Piper about the premonition. And telling Leo was as bad as telling Piper. She knew he'd insist on telling her about it. She had enough on her mind right now to worry about what her daughter might do. She considered telling Paige, but her younger sister would probably insist on telling the other two as well.
Maybe she could talk grams? Grams would know what to do. And she would be willing to keep it a secret until they figured out what to do about it. But Phoebe dismissed that idea, too. If the others found out she had summoned grams, she wouldn't be able to explain it away. They just didn't summons grams without a very good cause.
Under any other circumstances, Leo would check with the Elders. They often knew things about her visions no one else knew. But since she couldn't' tell Leo, he couldn't check with them. If she knew how to contact the Elders, she could ask them herself.
Maybe she could contact them indirectly. Leo wasn't the only White Lighter. Any White Lighter would be able to check with them. She only had to find one who could make an appearance at the manor without arousing suspicion. And she knew just the White Lighter to call.
* * *
"I can't tell Leo or Piper," said Phoebe. "But I need someone to check with the Elders for me. See if there's something I'm missing."
"I see your dilemma," said Michael.
Michael was a rare form of White Lighter. He was a warrior White Lighter. He wasn't a true White Lighter in the strictest sense. His mother had been a White Lighter, similar to Paige. But his father had been a demon.
Phoebe and her sisters had met Michael just after they had defeated the Source. Before the Source had possessed Cole. Michael had helped them defeat some upper level demons that had tried to kill the Charmed Ones to choose a new Source.
"You do need to check with the Elders," said Michael. "And I agree about not telling Leo or Piper just yet. No sense upsetting them if this is all just a misunderstanding."
"That's why I summoned you," said Phoebe. "If you show up at the manor, you can just say you stopped by for a visit. They shouldn't get suspicious at that."
"You did the right thing by calling me," said Michael. "Everyone is convinced this child is going to be a powerful force for good. But from what I've heard, she's going to be more powerful than anyone who's ever lived. And power can be very seductive."
"Don't I know it," said Phoebe, remembering how she had been seduced into becoming the queen of the underworld.
"Chances are," said Michael, "Pipers' daughter will be good. I mean, the daughter of a good witch and a White Lighter. How could she be anything else? But she'll also have free will. Which means she'll be free to choose evil if she wants to. And the power she'll have will make it that much harder to resist.
"While I'd like to believe she'll be good, if there's any chance she might be evil, we need to know about it. She could do a lot of damage especially if it comes as a surprise. We'll need to be prepared for her."
"What if she is to become evil?" asked Phoebe. "I know the Elders can see the future, just like I can. What if they see her as a force for evil? What will they do then?"
"That decision will be up to the Elders," said Michael. "I really can't say what they might do. Pipers' daughter is going to be very powerful, whether she's good or evil. Not even the Elders may be able to see if she's going to be good or evil. The future is always in motion. Things can change from one moment to the next."
"I know," said Phoebe. "It's just that Piper has waited so long for this baby. I can't believe it would grow up to be evil."
"Hold on," said Michael, "we're getting ahead of ourselves. There may be another explanation for the premonition. Let me check with the Elders before we go off half cocked."
"Okay," said Phoebe. "Thanks, Michael."
Michael orbed out of Phoebes' room, leaving her to think about their conversation. There had to be a logical explanation for her premonition other than Pipers' baby would become evil. There just had to be.