THREE
The next morning Paige commented that Phoebe seemed moody. She didn't seem at all like the upbeat Phoebe she had been yesterday. Phoebe would only say she hadn't slept well the night before. Clearly, Paige wasn't convinced, but she let the matter drop.
Phoebe hadn't slept at all after Michael had left. The premonition was very disturbing. Not only because it had been a child murdering another child, but also because it had been Pipers' daughter.
"Mind if I invite myself to breakfast?" asked Michael, sticking his head into the kitchen. "If I remember correctly, Piper is a passable cook."
"Michael, come in," said Leo.
"Passable?" asked Piper, feigning anger. "Think you could do better?"
"No, not me," said Michael, laughing. "I have to use a fireball just to boil water."
"Come on in and sit down," said Piper, smiling. "What brings you by here?"
"I hope it's not another of your convoluted plans to save us," said Paige. "I'm not sure I'm up to another syphon demon."
"Purely social," said Michael. "Things have been rather quiet the past few weeks. It was talking with the Elders this morning and mentioned I'd like to take a few days off." He looked at Phoebe. "They said since they didn't foresee anything serious in the future, they didn't' see why not. So, I decided to visit my favorite student and his favorite charges. If you don't mind."
"No, not at all," said Piper. "It's nice to have a visitor who isn't trying to kill us or steal our powers."
"Congratulations on the baby," said Michael. "Everyone's expecting she'll do great things."
"I'll just be happy if she's reasonably normal," said Piper.
Phoebe relaxed. Without actually saying anything, Michael had been able to let her know what the Elders had said. "Didn't foresee anything serious." Her premonition had been wrong. Or at least there was some explanation for it. He'd tell her the specifics as soon as he had the chance.
Breakfast was light and happy especially for Phoebe. She was more like her bubbly self of the previous night. When they finished, Piper started clearing the dishes off the table.
"Michael," said Piper, "if you'd like to wait in the living room, Leo and I have some dishes to do."
"Honey, we have company," said Leo.
"Oh, don't mind me, Leo," said Michael, smiling. "I'd hate to be the cause of keeping you from your responsibilities."
"Thanks a lot," said Leo.
"Phoebe or Paige can keep Michael entertained for a few minutes, honey," said Piper.
"I'll do it," volunteered Phoebe. "Michael can catch me up on what he's been up to lately."
"I have something I need to do anyway," said Paige.
"Great," said Piper, handing a drying towel to Leo. "We'll be in as soon as the dishes are done."
"So, everything is okay?" Phoebe asked Michael when they were alone in the living room.
"Everything is fine," said Michael. "None of the Elders saw the same vision you did."
"How do you explain that?" asked Phoebe.
"I'd like to know what vision they have to explain," said Paige from the doorway to the living room.
"Paige," said Phoebe, surprised to see her there. "It's, uh, nothing really. Just something Michael and I were discussing, that's all."
"You're a bad liar, Phoebe," said Paige. "This morning, you're all sullen and brooding. Then, Michael shows up out of the blue. And after he mentions the Elders not foreseeing anything serious - one of your powers - you are suddenly back to your bubbly self.
"And now the two of you are in here talking about the Elders explaining visions. People don't just change like that for no reason, sister dear. I was a social worker for many years. It was my job to notice changes like that."
"You'd better tell her," said Michael.
"Okay," said Phoebe, "but you have to promise not to say anything to Piper or Leo."
"Okay, I promise," said Paige.
After checking to make sure Leo and Piper couldn't overhear them, Phoebe told Paige everything. She told her about the vision of Pipers' daughter murdering another little girl.
"As I told Phoebe," said Michael, "none of them were able to see the same premonition. What you saw was one possible action by Pipers' daughter. Children pretty much act on impulse. If they want something, they take it. If someone makes them angry, they smack them. They have to be taught the right way to respond.
"What you saw was probably her daughters' version of a smack. But with her powers, it was probably an instinctive reaction. It wasn't malicious or evil. She was just defending herself."
"But she used a fireball," said Phoebe. "That's an upper lever demon power."
"I can use fireballs, too," said Michael, "but I'm not evil. There's now way of knowing what powers she'll have. As the daughter of a witch and a White Lighter, it kind of bends the rules."
"I'm the daughter of a witch and a White Lighter," said Paige, "and I don't use fire."
"Each case is unique," said Michael. "And apparently Pipers' daughter is learning to use her powers earlier than you did. Who knows what you'll be capable of in the future? "But there's nothing to be concerned with. Your vision was probably just a warning to know what to be aware of. So that you can teach her not to do it."
"Maybe you're right," said Phoebe.
"Trust me," said Michael. "If there was a problem with Pipers' baby, the Elders would know about it."
Phoebe felt a lot better. She knew Michael would never allow harm to come to Pipers' baby. And if even the Elders had no knowledge of any danger, Michael must be right. She knew that she wasn't meant to change all of her premonitions. Some were meant simply as a warning. Michael must be right. This was one such premonition.
The next morning Paige commented that Phoebe seemed moody. She didn't seem at all like the upbeat Phoebe she had been yesterday. Phoebe would only say she hadn't slept well the night before. Clearly, Paige wasn't convinced, but she let the matter drop.
Phoebe hadn't slept at all after Michael had left. The premonition was very disturbing. Not only because it had been a child murdering another child, but also because it had been Pipers' daughter.
"Mind if I invite myself to breakfast?" asked Michael, sticking his head into the kitchen. "If I remember correctly, Piper is a passable cook."
"Michael, come in," said Leo.
"Passable?" asked Piper, feigning anger. "Think you could do better?"
"No, not me," said Michael, laughing. "I have to use a fireball just to boil water."
"Come on in and sit down," said Piper, smiling. "What brings you by here?"
"I hope it's not another of your convoluted plans to save us," said Paige. "I'm not sure I'm up to another syphon demon."
"Purely social," said Michael. "Things have been rather quiet the past few weeks. It was talking with the Elders this morning and mentioned I'd like to take a few days off." He looked at Phoebe. "They said since they didn't foresee anything serious in the future, they didn't' see why not. So, I decided to visit my favorite student and his favorite charges. If you don't mind."
"No, not at all," said Piper. "It's nice to have a visitor who isn't trying to kill us or steal our powers."
"Congratulations on the baby," said Michael. "Everyone's expecting she'll do great things."
"I'll just be happy if she's reasonably normal," said Piper.
Phoebe relaxed. Without actually saying anything, Michael had been able to let her know what the Elders had said. "Didn't foresee anything serious." Her premonition had been wrong. Or at least there was some explanation for it. He'd tell her the specifics as soon as he had the chance.
Breakfast was light and happy especially for Phoebe. She was more like her bubbly self of the previous night. When they finished, Piper started clearing the dishes off the table.
"Michael," said Piper, "if you'd like to wait in the living room, Leo and I have some dishes to do."
"Honey, we have company," said Leo.
"Oh, don't mind me, Leo," said Michael, smiling. "I'd hate to be the cause of keeping you from your responsibilities."
"Thanks a lot," said Leo.
"Phoebe or Paige can keep Michael entertained for a few minutes, honey," said Piper.
"I'll do it," volunteered Phoebe. "Michael can catch me up on what he's been up to lately."
"I have something I need to do anyway," said Paige.
"Great," said Piper, handing a drying towel to Leo. "We'll be in as soon as the dishes are done."
"So, everything is okay?" Phoebe asked Michael when they were alone in the living room.
"Everything is fine," said Michael. "None of the Elders saw the same vision you did."
"How do you explain that?" asked Phoebe.
"I'd like to know what vision they have to explain," said Paige from the doorway to the living room.
"Paige," said Phoebe, surprised to see her there. "It's, uh, nothing really. Just something Michael and I were discussing, that's all."
"You're a bad liar, Phoebe," said Paige. "This morning, you're all sullen and brooding. Then, Michael shows up out of the blue. And after he mentions the Elders not foreseeing anything serious - one of your powers - you are suddenly back to your bubbly self.
"And now the two of you are in here talking about the Elders explaining visions. People don't just change like that for no reason, sister dear. I was a social worker for many years. It was my job to notice changes like that."
"You'd better tell her," said Michael.
"Okay," said Phoebe, "but you have to promise not to say anything to Piper or Leo."
"Okay, I promise," said Paige.
After checking to make sure Leo and Piper couldn't overhear them, Phoebe told Paige everything. She told her about the vision of Pipers' daughter murdering another little girl.
"As I told Phoebe," said Michael, "none of them were able to see the same premonition. What you saw was one possible action by Pipers' daughter. Children pretty much act on impulse. If they want something, they take it. If someone makes them angry, they smack them. They have to be taught the right way to respond.
"What you saw was probably her daughters' version of a smack. But with her powers, it was probably an instinctive reaction. It wasn't malicious or evil. She was just defending herself."
"But she used a fireball," said Phoebe. "That's an upper lever demon power."
"I can use fireballs, too," said Michael, "but I'm not evil. There's now way of knowing what powers she'll have. As the daughter of a witch and a White Lighter, it kind of bends the rules."
"I'm the daughter of a witch and a White Lighter," said Paige, "and I don't use fire."
"Each case is unique," said Michael. "And apparently Pipers' daughter is learning to use her powers earlier than you did. Who knows what you'll be capable of in the future? "But there's nothing to be concerned with. Your vision was probably just a warning to know what to be aware of. So that you can teach her not to do it."
"Maybe you're right," said Phoebe.
"Trust me," said Michael. "If there was a problem with Pipers' baby, the Elders would know about it."
Phoebe felt a lot better. She knew Michael would never allow harm to come to Pipers' baby. And if even the Elders had no knowledge of any danger, Michael must be right. She knew that she wasn't meant to change all of her premonitions. Some were meant simply as a warning. Michael must be right. This was one such premonition.