Leo sat at the table his mind racing.
"Pregnant! Future! Daughter!" he said looking at Phoebe and Paige.
"Yeah!" they both said in unison.
"Danger?" he asked looking at Piper, who nodded her head. Scratching his head Leo looked at the three of them.
"Well I guess I could speak with the Elders, but I don't know how much they're going to be able to help."
"Please Leo. Anything! We have to find her." Paige said sounding desperate.
"We will!" his voice assured and comforting.
All four quickly stood when they saw orbs appearing in the center of the room, Penny and Chris quickly materialised in front of them. Paige knocked the chair she was sitting on out of the way and rushed over to Penny.
"I'm so sorry!" she said hugging her tight. At first Penny was confused, but after a second she hugged her back.
"I'm the one who should be sorry. I had no right to dump all that on you like I did." She said burying her head in Paige's neck. "I was just so happy to see you, I wanted you to know who I was.". Letting go Penny stood back and looked at her mom.
"You were worried about me?" she asked sounding pleased. Paige took Penny's hand.
"You want to know something Penny. I was! And it's very strange how fast you worry about your kids." she paused her face full of surprise. "Even when they haven't been conceived, yet."
Piper, Leo and Phoebe hadn't moved a muscle they were staring at Chris, who was leaning casually against the bench. Paige finally looked over at him, the color draining from her face as she realised who just orbed in with her daughter.
"Chris?"
"Yeah. It's me." he said softly.
This time it was Piper and Leo who knocked over their chairs as they rushed over to him. Piper stopped short, her stomach dropping.
'What if he's not real?' Piper thought.
"He is. Touch him." Penny said gently. Piper looked from Penny to Chris and back again.
"Go on." she urged.
Slowly Piper reached out, her hand shaking, gently she touched Chris' face. Placing her whole palm on his face, her eyes began to well.
"Chris!" she whispered as she pulled him close to her, holding him tightly.
"But we thought you died!"
Chris wasn't sure what to say so he just closed his eyes and hugged her back.
"It's a long story mom." he said quietly.
Leo watched his wife and son, a tear rolling down his cheek.
"I think your suffocating the boy." he laughed wiping his face.
Chris and Piper broke from their embrace and looked at him, smiling Chris stepped closer to his father.
"Dad!"
Leo rushed towards him and pulled Chris close.
"I love you so much." Leo whispered struggling to remain composed.
Phoebe walked over to Piper and waited for her turn.
"I can't believe it's him." Piper said smiling as she looked at her. The two men separated and Phoebe quickly grabbed Chris and squeezed him tight.
"I've missed you." she told him.
"Well I've seen you nearly every day!" he said joking as they took a step back from each other. Looking over at Paige his eye's filled with guilt.
"Sorry Paige. I told her before she left not to tell you." he tried explaining "But she doesn't listen to anyone."
"It sounds like Penny's just like her mother." Piper said a hint of sarcasm in her voice. Both Paige an Penny looked at her.
"Very funny." Paige said rolling her eyes. Phoebe looked from Chris to Penny.
"You both have a lot of explaining to do."
"We know. I think I should probably go first." Penny said. "So. Umm, where do you want me to start?" She asked taking a seat. Paige and Phoebe sat either side of her, Chris, Piper and Leo sat on the other side of the table.
"How about who or what is after us this time." Phoebe suggested.
"Have any of you heard of a man named James Daniels?" Penny asked.
The others all shook their heads, except Chris who played with the table cloth.
"No. Who is he?" Leo asked.
"He's the one who starts all this."
"Starts what?" Piper asked raising one eyebrow.
Penny looked over at Chris, hesitant to answer. Chris gave her a silent nod to continue.
"I should tell you more about James before I continue." she said moving uncomfortably in her chair.
"James Daniels started out in the mail room at Reid, St. Clair and Partners in May of 2004, and I three weeks time he will become the youngest vice president of that firm. I bet that your all wondering how he got that far in only five years. Daniels cut a deal with a high level demon two years ago. I don't want to scare you all, but there's something that you must know. Because of Daniels, the next two years will seem like an endless barrage of attacks and attempts on your lives." Penny stopped, she saw the look of horror on everyone's faces. Piper grabbed Chris' hand and held it tight, he gave her a quick slight smile and squeezed hers back. He gave Penny another nod and she continued.
"That's not to say that you all don't have good times as well." She turned and faced Phoebe, "Aunt Phoebe you have a beautiful baby girl, that you love and cherish," turning she faced Piper and Leo, "And Aunt Piper and Uncle Leo, you both have each other and Chris and Wyatt, who bring you both more joy and happiness than you ever thought was possible." Pausing Penny slowly turned to face Paige, taking her hand she thought about what she was going to say, looking up she held Paige's gaze,
"And you, mom, you fall in love with a wonderful man, who loves you more than life itself, you get married and have me."
Paige gave her hand a squeeze and smiled bashfully,
"Really?"
"Well, yeah."
Phoebe gave Piper a look of confusion and Piper knew exactly what she was thinking,
"Why would this Daniels guy profit from demons attacking us?" she asked.
Penny quickly swung around in her seat and looked at Piper.
"What?" she asked acting like she didn't hear.
"I asked, Why would this Daniels guy profit from demons attacking us?" she repeated.
Penny turned away and stood up, putting her hands on her head she tried to find the right words, but there were no right words for that particular question. She looked over at Chris, her eyes full of sorrow and torment as she searched for the answer. Chris sat up straight, he knew the answer but he wasn't about to offer it up. All it would do would upset everyone, and put Penny's future in doubt. He looked back at his cousin, the usually jovial and carefree girl he knew was not the same person that stood in front of him now. 'If Pen answers that question that everything will change, everyone's future would be changed.' he thought.
Luckily enough Wyatt and the younger Chris came bounding back into the kitchen,
"Mom, we're hungry is dinner ready?" Wyatt asked.
Snapping to attention Piper remembered that she was supposed to be cooking.
"Not yet, it will be ready very soon though. Why don't you guys have half an apple each." she said standing up and taking an apple from the fruit bowl in front of her. Wyatt and Chris huddled together and quietly talked over Piper's proposition.
"Yes or no guys?" she asked, starting to get impatient.
"Yes!" Younger Chris answered. Piper walked over to the bench and in one swift movement she cut the apple in half.
"Here you go." she said handing the boys a half each. Looking over at the table,
"Why don't we continue this after dinner?" she offered.
Phoebe groaned, she wanted answers now not in a couple of hours time. Penny had a relieved look on her face as she sat back down. Paige watched her daughter, she could tell there was something she was hiding, but thought that prudence was the best option at this particular point in time, the last thing Paige wanted right now was to upset Penny and have her take off again. Glancing over at Chris she was relieved that he was ok, and impressed with how his features had enhanced over the years, he would have had to be nearly thirty but still looked as if he was only 24.
"Why don't you take Penny and Chris upstairs and let them get changed before dinner, give them something warm to wear it's starting to get cold." Piper said looking up from the vegetables she was chopping. Both Paige and Leo stood and motioned for their respective child to follow, and off they went up the stairs, Phoebe waited til they were out of ear shot.
"I don't like the sound of what she had to say. And that strange silence after your question was unbearable. What could possibly be so hard to say?"
Piper agreed but didn't say anything, she studied Phoebe's face as she glanced up.
"Maybe it was just some obscure revelation, that could change someone's future." she said, "But I highly doubt it, It may just be that she doesn't know why Daniels' affiliation with a demon would affect us." And with that she continued the dinner and left Phoebe to her thoughts.