FOUR
Phoebe was in high spirits the rest of the day. Her work was finally caught up and her foreboding had been relieved by Michaels' reassurances. He told her if she needed him to just call. He'd be available if she needed to talk.
She decided not to tell Leo and Piper about here premonition. Seeing how she had reacted to it, she knew they would both freak if she told them. And Leo seemed to overreact at the least little thing where his unborn daughter was concerned. In some ways, he was more nervous about the baby than Piper was.
Michael stayed long enough to make his "social visit" seem genuine. Then he said something about visiting some other friends. He orbed out, promising to return soon for another visit.
The girls and Leo enjoyed a rare, demonic-free Saturday. None of Leo's other charges called for him nor did the Elders. For once it seemed they might actually be able to simply enjoy themselves.
To celebrate, Piper decided to go all out and prepare an elaborate feast. She was used to cooking for dozens of people. Since she had opened P3 and all but given up being a chef, she rarely had the chance to prepare such meals. It reminded her just how much she loved being a chef.
Leo spent the afternoon doing some minor repairs around the manor. Things he had been promising to do but had been unable to because of all the recent demonic activity. He lost himself in his work; thankful it was just mundane work.
Paige spent the day studying the Craft. She had quit her job to devote herself full time to it. Now she had the opportunity to practice uninterrupted.
Phoebe had planned to organize and catalogue the pictures stored in the attic. There were several boxes of them, most of which had belonged to grams. Phoebe had promised herself for years to put them into tome kind of order.
Instead, she watched in horror as another premonition played out in her mind. When it finished, she nearly collapsed from the strain. Her "improved" visions were taking some time to get used to.
"Michael," she nearly screamed out in panic.
Then she realized the others might hear her. She forced herself to calm down, and then called for Michael again. He orbed into the attic next to her.
"Are you okay?" he asked. "You sounded nearly hysterical."
"I had another premonition," said Phoebe. "This one was worse than the last. Pipers' daughter was grown. And she was destroying someone who had displeased her. It was a demon, Michael. A demon calling her mistress?"
"Calling who mistress?" asked Piper from the attic doorway.
Leo and Paige stood behind Piper, looks of concern on their faces.
"I sensed you in trouble," said Leo. "We thought you might be in danger."
"Michael," said Piper, "what are you doing here?"
Michael looked at Piper, and then at Phoebe.
"Phoebe called me," he said. "I've been helping her with something."
"Helping her?" questioned Piper. "Phoebe, why would you ask for Michael's help when Leo is right here? And who has demons calling here mistress?"
"You need to tell them," said Michael to Phoebe. "Something is going on here and we may need their help."
"Let's go downstairs," said Phoebe. "This is going to take some time."
* * *
"You've been having premonitions about my baby and you didn't tell me?" demanded Piper, nearly furious. "Phoebe, how could you keep something like this from Leo and me? You know what this baby means to us."
"And you know I would never do anything to put either you or the baby in danger," said Phoebe. "I didn't want to worry you. That's why I called Michael."
"She was worried for you," said Michael. "Don't blame her for that. At least she called me about it."
"We appreciate the help," said Leo. "I guess we can understand Phoebes' position. It couldn't have been easy for her."
"I suppose," said Piper, her anger abating some. "But, Phoebe, if you have any more visions about my baby, you tell me about them right away. No matter how upsetting they might be, do you understand me?"
"I promise," said Phoebe. "I really didn't mean to upset you. I was trying to protect you."
"I know, sweetie," said Piper. "Michael, what about this latest premonition? What do you think it means?"
"I don't know," said Michael. "The Elders haven't foreseen anything like Phoebes' visions. Something isn't right and we need to find out what. I'm going to see the Elders again. I'm going to see if I can find out what's going on."
"I'm going with you," said Leo. "This shouldn't take long. If anything happens, call us. We'll orb back down immediately."
Leo and Michael orbed out of the manor. Piper pulled the necklace for her daughter out of her pocket.
"This is sure causing a lot of trouble," she said. "I wish Leo had never gotten it."
"It's not the necklace," said Paige. "Remember, it's not even enchanted."
"I know," said Piper. "But I have to blame someone or something."
"Maybe I've misinterpreted the premonition," said Phoebe. "It wouldn't be the first time I made a mistake about a premonition."
"I hope so," said Piper. "I don't think I'd care to be the mother of the next Source."
"I know that feeling," said Phoebe.
"Well," said Paige, "as the only one who's never been pregnant, thank God, let me just say that maybe you're both overreacting. There may be a simple explanation for all this. Let's just wait until Leo and Michael get back before we go jumping to conclusions."
"Ever notice how little sister sometimes reminds you of Prue?" Piper asked Phoebe.
"You've mentioned that before," said Phoebe. "I guess it's in the Halliwell genes."
The three sisters just laughed to relieve the tension. A great deal was riding on what Leo and Michael found out. And they were all concerned with just what that might be.
Phoebe was in high spirits the rest of the day. Her work was finally caught up and her foreboding had been relieved by Michaels' reassurances. He told her if she needed him to just call. He'd be available if she needed to talk.
She decided not to tell Leo and Piper about here premonition. Seeing how she had reacted to it, she knew they would both freak if she told them. And Leo seemed to overreact at the least little thing where his unborn daughter was concerned. In some ways, he was more nervous about the baby than Piper was.
Michael stayed long enough to make his "social visit" seem genuine. Then he said something about visiting some other friends. He orbed out, promising to return soon for another visit.
The girls and Leo enjoyed a rare, demonic-free Saturday. None of Leo's other charges called for him nor did the Elders. For once it seemed they might actually be able to simply enjoy themselves.
To celebrate, Piper decided to go all out and prepare an elaborate feast. She was used to cooking for dozens of people. Since she had opened P3 and all but given up being a chef, she rarely had the chance to prepare such meals. It reminded her just how much she loved being a chef.
Leo spent the afternoon doing some minor repairs around the manor. Things he had been promising to do but had been unable to because of all the recent demonic activity. He lost himself in his work; thankful it was just mundane work.
Paige spent the day studying the Craft. She had quit her job to devote herself full time to it. Now she had the opportunity to practice uninterrupted.
Phoebe had planned to organize and catalogue the pictures stored in the attic. There were several boxes of them, most of which had belonged to grams. Phoebe had promised herself for years to put them into tome kind of order.
Instead, she watched in horror as another premonition played out in her mind. When it finished, she nearly collapsed from the strain. Her "improved" visions were taking some time to get used to.
"Michael," she nearly screamed out in panic.
Then she realized the others might hear her. She forced herself to calm down, and then called for Michael again. He orbed into the attic next to her.
"Are you okay?" he asked. "You sounded nearly hysterical."
"I had another premonition," said Phoebe. "This one was worse than the last. Pipers' daughter was grown. And she was destroying someone who had displeased her. It was a demon, Michael. A demon calling her mistress?"
"Calling who mistress?" asked Piper from the attic doorway.
Leo and Paige stood behind Piper, looks of concern on their faces.
"I sensed you in trouble," said Leo. "We thought you might be in danger."
"Michael," said Piper, "what are you doing here?"
Michael looked at Piper, and then at Phoebe.
"Phoebe called me," he said. "I've been helping her with something."
"Helping her?" questioned Piper. "Phoebe, why would you ask for Michael's help when Leo is right here? And who has demons calling here mistress?"
"You need to tell them," said Michael to Phoebe. "Something is going on here and we may need their help."
"Let's go downstairs," said Phoebe. "This is going to take some time."
* * *
"You've been having premonitions about my baby and you didn't tell me?" demanded Piper, nearly furious. "Phoebe, how could you keep something like this from Leo and me? You know what this baby means to us."
"And you know I would never do anything to put either you or the baby in danger," said Phoebe. "I didn't want to worry you. That's why I called Michael."
"She was worried for you," said Michael. "Don't blame her for that. At least she called me about it."
"We appreciate the help," said Leo. "I guess we can understand Phoebes' position. It couldn't have been easy for her."
"I suppose," said Piper, her anger abating some. "But, Phoebe, if you have any more visions about my baby, you tell me about them right away. No matter how upsetting they might be, do you understand me?"
"I promise," said Phoebe. "I really didn't mean to upset you. I was trying to protect you."
"I know, sweetie," said Piper. "Michael, what about this latest premonition? What do you think it means?"
"I don't know," said Michael. "The Elders haven't foreseen anything like Phoebes' visions. Something isn't right and we need to find out what. I'm going to see the Elders again. I'm going to see if I can find out what's going on."
"I'm going with you," said Leo. "This shouldn't take long. If anything happens, call us. We'll orb back down immediately."
Leo and Michael orbed out of the manor. Piper pulled the necklace for her daughter out of her pocket.
"This is sure causing a lot of trouble," she said. "I wish Leo had never gotten it."
"It's not the necklace," said Paige. "Remember, it's not even enchanted."
"I know," said Piper. "But I have to blame someone or something."
"Maybe I've misinterpreted the premonition," said Phoebe. "It wouldn't be the first time I made a mistake about a premonition."
"I hope so," said Piper. "I don't think I'd care to be the mother of the next Source."
"I know that feeling," said Phoebe.
"Well," said Paige, "as the only one who's never been pregnant, thank God, let me just say that maybe you're both overreacting. There may be a simple explanation for all this. Let's just wait until Leo and Michael get back before we go jumping to conclusions."
"Ever notice how little sister sometimes reminds you of Prue?" Piper asked Phoebe.
"You've mentioned that before," said Phoebe. "I guess it's in the Halliwell genes."
The three sisters just laughed to relieve the tension. A great deal was riding on what Leo and Michael found out. And they were all concerned with just what that might be.