EIGHT
Piper sat in the nursery quietly crying. She held the necklace Leo had gotten for their daughter in her hand. There was so much to think over and so little time.
As the oldest, it often fell to her to think objectively when everyone else was loosing their heads. Since Prues' death, she had more or less become the guiding force of the Halliwell sisters. Now, she couldn't help but think of the alternatives for the situation.
The others had left her alone for over two hours. She appreciated their care and concern for her. She knew Phoebe understood what she was going through. The others could only guess at it. But they had all lost someone close. They could at least empathize with her.
"Am I intruding?" asked Kiethran, sticking his head inside the door.
"No, not really," said Piper dejectedly. "I've just been thinking. Come on in."
"You know, Piper," said Kiethran, taking a seat next to her, "there are places the Elders can't get to you. Places controlled by druids. Any druid would do what they could to help you. So you won't be forced to go through with this."
"And what about my baby?" asked Piper. "Would she be safe from this sycophant in those places?"
"I won't lie to you, Piper," said Kiethran. "I honestly don't know. It might get to your baby no matter where you are. No one knows enough about them in their spirit form to answer that."
"So she could still be in danger?" asked Piper.
"It's very possible," said Kiethran. "It's also possible that it's already too late. It could already have happened. In that case, this would be nothing more than another vanquishing."
"And if it hasn't already happened?" asked Piper. "Then what? They're asking me to kill my baby based on one of Phoebe's premonitions. What if she's wrong?"
"Have her premonitions ever been wrong before?" asked Kiethran.
"No," responded Piper sullenly. "We've misinterpreted them but they've never been wrong."
"Piper, I'm on your side," said Kiethran. "Whatever you do, it should be your decision, not the decision of the Elders. As I see it, the only chance you have is to go where they can't get to you."
"Then what?" asked Piper. "Maybe give birth to the next Source? Or worse? I could be forced to vanquish my own daughter. I'm not sure I would be able to do that."
"I understand," said Kiethran. "It can't be an easy decision. But if you stay here, it won't be your decision. Michael is right. When the Elders decide to do this, there won't be anything anyone can do to stop them. At least in a druid controlled area you'll have the right to make the decision for yourself."
"I know," said Piper, fiddling with the necklace. "I just don't know what to do. Before it was simple. Vanquish the demons and protect the innocent. Now, I don't know which my baby is."
"That's a pretty necklace," said Kiethran. "It's very similar to the one your daughter was wearing in Phoebes' premonition."
"It's the same one," sighed Piper. "One of the White Lighters made it for the baby."
"May I?" asked Kiethran, reaching for the necklace.
Piper handed it to him. He looked it over very carefully.
"You're sure this is the same necklace?" asked Kiethran.
"Yes," said Piper. "As far as I know, it's the only one like it. At least that's the impression I got from Leo."
"Come on," said Kiethran, suddenly standing up.
Confused, Piper followed Kiethran downstairs. She had no idea what he was up to. He went into the kitchen where everyone else sat talking.
"Leo," said Kiethran, holding up the necklace, "is there any other necklaces like this one?"
""No," said Leo. "The White Lighter who made it said it was a special gift for the baby. He told me it was a one-of-a-kind."
"And Piper tells me they sometimes misinterpret Phoebes' premonitions," said Kiethran.
"Once in a while," said Phoebe. "They aren't always clear. Why do you ask, Kiethran?"
"Michael," said Kiethran, "you've got to get to the Elders. You got to get them to hold off on terminating the pregnancy."
"You heard what they said," said Michael. "They'd like nothing better. But they need a reason. As it stands now they don't have one."
"Yes they do," said Kiethran, holding up the necklace again.
"Okay," said Paige, "would someone like to explain what's going on? That's the same necklace Phoebe and you say you saw in Phoebes' premonition. That's how you knew the woman was Pipers' daughter."
"No, it's not," said Kiethran. "This necklace is made of silver. The woman in Phoebes' premonition was wearing one made of gold. Which means it couldn't be the same necklace and the woman in the premonition couldn't be Pipers' daughter."
"Oh my God," said Phoebe, "he's right. The necklace was made of yellow gold. I never realized it before. Kiethran is right. It can't be the same necklace."
"That's pretty weak," said Michael.
"Michael," said Kiethran, "the Elders can see the future, too. They know that premonitions aren't like delusions or hallucinations. They predict things exactly as they are going to be. Weak or not, this proves that the woman in Phoebes' premonition is not Pipers' daughter."
"I'll go right away," said Michael. "At the very least they'll have to postpone their decision until we can sort this out."
Michael orbed out of the manor.
Piper sat in the nursery quietly crying. She held the necklace Leo had gotten for their daughter in her hand. There was so much to think over and so little time.
As the oldest, it often fell to her to think objectively when everyone else was loosing their heads. Since Prues' death, she had more or less become the guiding force of the Halliwell sisters. Now, she couldn't help but think of the alternatives for the situation.
The others had left her alone for over two hours. She appreciated their care and concern for her. She knew Phoebe understood what she was going through. The others could only guess at it. But they had all lost someone close. They could at least empathize with her.
"Am I intruding?" asked Kiethran, sticking his head inside the door.
"No, not really," said Piper dejectedly. "I've just been thinking. Come on in."
"You know, Piper," said Kiethran, taking a seat next to her, "there are places the Elders can't get to you. Places controlled by druids. Any druid would do what they could to help you. So you won't be forced to go through with this."
"And what about my baby?" asked Piper. "Would she be safe from this sycophant in those places?"
"I won't lie to you, Piper," said Kiethran. "I honestly don't know. It might get to your baby no matter where you are. No one knows enough about them in their spirit form to answer that."
"So she could still be in danger?" asked Piper.
"It's very possible," said Kiethran. "It's also possible that it's already too late. It could already have happened. In that case, this would be nothing more than another vanquishing."
"And if it hasn't already happened?" asked Piper. "Then what? They're asking me to kill my baby based on one of Phoebe's premonitions. What if she's wrong?"
"Have her premonitions ever been wrong before?" asked Kiethran.
"No," responded Piper sullenly. "We've misinterpreted them but they've never been wrong."
"Piper, I'm on your side," said Kiethran. "Whatever you do, it should be your decision, not the decision of the Elders. As I see it, the only chance you have is to go where they can't get to you."
"Then what?" asked Piper. "Maybe give birth to the next Source? Or worse? I could be forced to vanquish my own daughter. I'm not sure I would be able to do that."
"I understand," said Kiethran. "It can't be an easy decision. But if you stay here, it won't be your decision. Michael is right. When the Elders decide to do this, there won't be anything anyone can do to stop them. At least in a druid controlled area you'll have the right to make the decision for yourself."
"I know," said Piper, fiddling with the necklace. "I just don't know what to do. Before it was simple. Vanquish the demons and protect the innocent. Now, I don't know which my baby is."
"That's a pretty necklace," said Kiethran. "It's very similar to the one your daughter was wearing in Phoebes' premonition."
"It's the same one," sighed Piper. "One of the White Lighters made it for the baby."
"May I?" asked Kiethran, reaching for the necklace.
Piper handed it to him. He looked it over very carefully.
"You're sure this is the same necklace?" asked Kiethran.
"Yes," said Piper. "As far as I know, it's the only one like it. At least that's the impression I got from Leo."
"Come on," said Kiethran, suddenly standing up.
Confused, Piper followed Kiethran downstairs. She had no idea what he was up to. He went into the kitchen where everyone else sat talking.
"Leo," said Kiethran, holding up the necklace, "is there any other necklaces like this one?"
""No," said Leo. "The White Lighter who made it said it was a special gift for the baby. He told me it was a one-of-a-kind."
"And Piper tells me they sometimes misinterpret Phoebes' premonitions," said Kiethran.
"Once in a while," said Phoebe. "They aren't always clear. Why do you ask, Kiethran?"
"Michael," said Kiethran, "you've got to get to the Elders. You got to get them to hold off on terminating the pregnancy."
"You heard what they said," said Michael. "They'd like nothing better. But they need a reason. As it stands now they don't have one."
"Yes they do," said Kiethran, holding up the necklace again.
"Okay," said Paige, "would someone like to explain what's going on? That's the same necklace Phoebe and you say you saw in Phoebes' premonition. That's how you knew the woman was Pipers' daughter."
"No, it's not," said Kiethran. "This necklace is made of silver. The woman in Phoebes' premonition was wearing one made of gold. Which means it couldn't be the same necklace and the woman in the premonition couldn't be Pipers' daughter."
"Oh my God," said Phoebe, "he's right. The necklace was made of yellow gold. I never realized it before. Kiethran is right. It can't be the same necklace."
"That's pretty weak," said Michael.
"Michael," said Kiethran, "the Elders can see the future, too. They know that premonitions aren't like delusions or hallucinations. They predict things exactly as they are going to be. Weak or not, this proves that the woman in Phoebes' premonition is not Pipers' daughter."
"I'll go right away," said Michael. "At the very least they'll have to postpone their decision until we can sort this out."
Michael orbed out of the manor.