A/N: My thanks to all for the reviews on the last chapter! We are now entering the homestretch
Charmed in the Afterlife: Vision of Tomorrow
Prue was in the kitchen with Piper, when Leo orbed in with Andy. Leo's hand was on Andy's elbow to keep the Tracer steady. Andy wobbled slightly due to the change in his equilibrium, caused by the loss of sight.
"It's about time," Prue commented setting her bowl of cold cereal onto the counter. "I was so worried"
Andy's brow furrowed behind a pair of Mark McGuire Oakley's that Leo had given him to cover his eyes, "Prue it's only been a couple of hours"
"A few hours? Try four days". Andy had obviously forgotten about the difference in the passage of time between the mortal world and the Elder's realm. Prue crossed her arms over her chest. It was then she noticed the strange pair of sunglasses shading his eyes, "What's with the sunglasses? Are you uh trying to impress me with the terminator look?
"Hardly," Andy just grinned, turning his head to Leo. "You tell her"
"Tell me what?" Prue's face clouded with a hint of dread.
Leo blew out a loose sigh; never at another moment did he wish a demon would attack. "He can't see" he stated flatly, "the process of refining his powers, somehow effected his eyesight."
"What?" Prue's faces hardened, her mind was seething in unshed anger. "What kind of power would cause that to happen?"
"Infrared vision" Andy nodded, "I can see invisible demons, but I can't see you"
From her position at the table, Piper, curled her fingers in tense manor, clenching her jaw. "Leo I swear if you don't fix this-"
A darklighter appeared behind her, sending Andy's new power into a tailspin. A red curtain fell over his eyes, coloring the darklighter's form. Unconsciously, his hand created the heat-seeking probe, and before he knew it the deadly probe was sailing through the air, directly at Piper.
"Andy what the hell are you doing?" The baby's powers should have helped Piper sense the darklighter but at that particular moment, Melinda happened to be a deep seeded slumber inside of her Mother's womb. Believing that the probe was headed for her, Piper tossed her hands up, freezing it in midair.
"Darklighter!"
Bewildered, Piper looked around. "Darklighter? Where?"
"Behind you!" Andy pointed.
Piper whirled around quickly, seeing nothing.
"You doubt this new power works," The dark lighter mocked.
"I don't see anything!" Piper snapped indignantly jumping several steps back as the probe unfroze and resumed its course. Black orbs appeared filling the air in time with an explosive bang of the probe. The orbs scattered and then disappeared entirely.
"Is he gone?"
"I don't know," Leo said slowly, commenting to Andy. "What do you see?"
"I can't see anything," Andy replied imploringly. The red curtain of infrared had disappeared leaving the Tracer in nothing but a shadow of darkness.
Prue crossed gingerly to Andy's side and gently reached up to touch his face, "are you sure it was a dark lighter?"
Andy felt calmed by the sound of Prue's voice and touch. Lovingly his hands fell to her waist setting just above her pregnant abdomen. "It was definitely something and it was after Piper"
Prue's head cocked slightly, "Leo why would a dark lighter be after Piper?"
Leo's face fell grim, "I don't know darklighter's don't normally target witches unless-" His words froze at the sight of Piper's hands falling her semi-flat stomach.
"It wants my baby". Melinda would be half white lighter, a symbol of undying goodness, combined with Piper's power of a witch. It only made sense. Perhaps the dark lighter had begun to target her even before she'd become pregnant in the hopes of out weighting a birth for the greater good.
"Nobody's going to take your baby" Prue said calmly. "We have the power of three plus Paige's power to protect her"
"Really Prudence isn't it time that you stopped talking about Paige like she's an appendage to the Power of Three. There is a reason her power was opened up to you". Penny floated into the room, turning into human form. Her stride into the kitchen was graceful and elegant as ever.
"I didn't think, I was but what are you doing here?" Prue's sharp green eyes narrowed in confusion.
Penny walked over to her oldest granddaughter and kissed both of her cheeks, "Phoebe summoned me. She still believes that she can convince me to let her marry that demon"
"Uh no offense Grams but Phoebe really doesn't need your permission to marry Cole," Prue replied suddenly feeling the need to take a stand for her younger sibiling.
Penny merely smiled at the motherly witch, "Prue you know as well as I do that admitting a demon into the family would spell disaster for both sides, not to mention the Elder's will never allow it."
"I know of a couple other unions that the Elder's wouldn't allow either" Andy quipped to Leo, making Penny glare heatedly. She was about to retort when she suddenly noticed that Andy seemed to be looking right passed her.
"What's wrong with your eyes?"
"The Elder's upgraded his powers and now he can't see" Prue explained, wanting her grandmother to leave. Not that she minded Penny's visit, there were just other things to attend to at the moment, like restoring Andy's sight and tracing the darklighter.
Penny gave Prue a sympathetic but uncaring smile, "Oh well that's nothing to worry, but um you and I need to talk". Without waiting for an answer, Penny took a hold of Prue's hand, commanding a set of apparitional white lights.
"Uh Grams...I really can't leave right now"
The lights swirled around both she and Prue, vaporizing them into another dimension.
"Where did she go?" Piper blinked incredulously, "Why did Grams just take Prue?"
"I don't know" Leo swallowed, shifting his gaze to Andy. Andy merely shrugged knowing that Prue was in good hands. Penny of all people would never allow harm to come to the charmed witch.
"Don't look at me, I didn't see a thing"
"It's nice to see you still have a sense of humor Andy" Piper rolled her eyes, touching Andy's shoulder as she went by, "I better go upstairs and check on Phoebe".
Prue held tight to Penny's hand as they walked through a white mist filled area. Both women were now dressed in ceremonial white robes. Witches all dressed in the same attire, surrounded them, wearing bright smiles upon their faces.
"Grams where are we?" Prue asked uneasily.
Penny simply smiled leading her granddaughter towards a marble carved fountain. "Why we're at your pre-coronation dear"
"My what?" Prue sat on the edge of the fountain, following Penny's lead.
"Darling, must I explain it to you?" Penny's hand fell lovingly underneath Prue's chin. "You've been chosen to receive a higher power"
Prue's head shook slightly "A higher power? Grams I don't understand".
"You will Dear," Penny's hand fell to the water, causing it to ripple. A vision of Prue laying in a hospital bed giving birth to Ally appeared.
"Just one more push, Prue" Ava was standing at the foot of the bed, ready to deliver the baby while Prue held tightly to Andy's hand gritting her teeth.
"I can't…."
"Yes, you can. Yes you can, Ally's almost here"
A moment later, Ava was handing them a beautiful newborn wrapped in a pink blanket.
"She's beautiful Prue" Still holding Prue's hand, Andy kissed her forehead.
The vision then disappeared prompting Prue to raise an eyebrow. "Okay"
"There's more," Penny again touched the water, this time formulating the vision that Prue had seen with the neutral see'r. Shax was attacking the manor in a gruesome manner. Once again Prue saw herself fly against the living room wall smashing right through it. Blood was pouring out of the side of her head.
"Grams, I don't want to see this" Prue said with her voice quavering.
Penny willed the vision away, "You have too. It's your destiny. You have to die in order to receive your higher power"
"But what about the power of three?" Prue's thoughts immediately drifted to her sisters, her family. How would they survive without her.
Penny pursed her lips, speaking bluntly, "darling that's why Paige was sent to you. It's her destiny to carry on the Power of three"
Prue shook her head, this time more vigorously, "No, Grams Amanda and Ally need me!"
"Your sisters and Andy will care for them"
"Grams, Andy is blind!"
"He won't be for long dear, that's why the Elders gave him the masking power, so that he could raise your daughter's without causing harm to the magical realm."
"Masking power?" Andy and Leo hadn't told her about that.
"He doesn't have to worry about mortal's recognizing him"
"Oh" Prue said softly letting her thoughts drift back to the neutral see'rs vision. "But Grams, when I first saw the vision of Shax, Amanda was killed"
Penny's hands covered Prue's shaking ones, "a special angel will protect her". A paused lapsed between with doubt shining in Prue's eyes, "You need to trust in the power, Prue. Trust in the power of the Elders and the Power of Three"
Prue's gaze shifted to the water, as it began to ripple, revealing yet another vision. This time, Prue saw herself surrounded by several of the Halliwell Matriarchs, all dressed in white. A male Elder dressed in white robe lined with gold was bestowing something upon her.
Prue looked at her Grandmother incredulously as the vision ended, "Oh my Gosh, Grams and I going to be a….?" Her words trailed, watching Penny's head bob with a radiant smile.
"Yes, Dear. It is your destiny to become one of the powerful witches of all time". White lights then surrounded them and Penny suddenly began to fade along with the fountain.
"Grams? Grams!" Prue shouted, finding herself back in kitchen. Leo and Andy were still standing in the exact same spot as when she'd left.
"Prue you okay?" Andy immediately picked up on the panic in his wife's voice and started to reach toward her. Prue took a step a forward, melting herself into his arms.
"I'm not sure" she said quietly letting his embrace engulf her, "but I think I will be"