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Chapter 18: It Runs in the Family

The cloud of blue orbs rushed into Chris and everyone stared at him in amazement.

"Oh no," he said. "What just happened?"

"You are now an Elder, my son," and Elder replied.

"Oh, no I'm not. I'm not your son either. I'm his son," he said, pointing at Leo.

"Figure of speech, Chris," Paige mumbled to him. She was still in shock. Chris an Elder? He disliked the Elders more than Piper did, which was saying something.

"No. I am NOT an Elder. I don't even live in this time. There is not way I am going to be an Elder."

"You have no choice. The Powers that Be have chosen you for a reason."

"Yeah well, take it out of me. Do what you just did to Leo to me."

"We can't; you have not fulfilled you destiny yet."

Chris groaned. "Oh man. Mom," he pleaded, "please help me. Tell them they're wrong. Tell them how crappy of an Elder I'd make."

"Chris, I think you'll be a good Elder."

Chris groaned. This is exactly what he didn't want to hear.

"Just listen to me. You have already made may decisions for the Elders. Remember how it was you who talked Leo into turning us into Goddess so we could defeat the Titans? That was your doing. I think you'll make a great Elder."

"You're not helping the situation. Dad?" He turned to Leo, but Leo only held up his hands, unwilling to help. "Fine. Be that way."

"The Elders took Chris by the arm. It is time to go."

He wrenched his arm out of their grasp. "No. I'm not going."

One of the Elders, tired of Chris's complaining, flicked his arm into the air, and Chris was orbed out, still arguing.

"We are going to have a chat with him. If you'll excuse us." The Elder turned to the teacher. "Mr. Williams, if you would..." The teacher shook Leo's hand and thanking him before orbing out with the Elders.

After they were gone the remaining part of the group stared at each other in astonishment. Chris an Elder? It didn't seem like it could be true.

"It looks like being an Elder runs in the family," Paige quipped. The others just stared at her and said nothing. One by one, the group trickled out of the attic, leaving Piper, hold a sleeping Wyatt, and Leo alone.

Leo took the sleeping Wyatt from her and smiled. "Any regrets?" she asked.

Leo looked at his sleeping son and his wife bearing his unborn child. "No. None at all."

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Three weeks after Chris becoming an Elder, the Council of Elders declared he could travel back and forth between the future and the present, as long as he did not tell anyone of his findings, less it mess up the 'Grand Design'. Chris was angry that they made him an Elder against, his wishes, but Piper was personally happy. Big Chris would get to stay around. Ever since finding out Chris was her son, Piper and Chris had bonded, and she knew she would miss him terribly if he went to the future for good. Selfish, she knew, but didn't care.

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Phoebe quietly gathered her clothes off of the floor, frantically looking for her misplaced bra. She finally noticed it on top of the tall mirror that sat on Jason's dresser. How it got there, she didn't remember, and she wasn't sure if she wanted to know.

She slowly reached for her bra, not wanting to hit something and wake up Jason. Too late. Her elbow knocked over some cologne and sent it tumbling to the floor. Jason, still half-asleep, sat bolt right up in bed. "Phoebe? Why are you leaving?"

"I um..."

"Did you sisters call?"

"No." She wouldn't have minded using that excuse, but when she did, it always seemed a demon appeared. "I have to go to work."

"Phoebe, I own the paper. If I say you don't have to go in, you don't."

"But I..."

"Please don't leave," he said, and Phoebe heard the sincerity in his voice.

She crawled back in bed and her put his arms around her and drew her close. "I glad to be in back in San Francisco. Glad to be back with you," he said into her hair. And not just for the sex, although I must admit it is good." He laughed and so did she. She remembered when Jason took her on a romantic date, about two weeks ago, and came back to his apartment where one thing led to another...

"I love you, Phoebe," he said, and her heart skipped a beat. "I loved you before I left, and the whole time I was gone just made me realize just how much I love you."

"I love you, too," Phoebe replied and eagerly kissed him.

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Phoebe went into the kitchen of the manor and found Piper and Paige sitting at the kitchen table. "Hey, Piper."

"Who are you?" Piper asked.

"What?" phoebe asked, confused.

Paige turned to Piper. "I think her name is Phoebe or something like that."

"Oh yeah," Paige said in return. "Wasn't she our sister or cousin?"

"I think she might have only been a cousin..."

"Cut it out you guys," Phoebe said catching on. They were only teasing her about how much time she spent at Jason's. "I haven't been at Jason's that much."

Paige looked at her. "When your toothbrush sits next to his..."

Phoebe cut her off. "I didn't come to be teased. I came to find out how your teaching job is, Paige."

Paige's face lit up. "It's going great. I'm teaching Fundamentals of Magic course. It's just a lot of book work, but in the afternoons I get to help new students on learning to control their powers. I absolutely love it."

Phoebe began peeling an orange and listened to Paige's prideful voice as she talked about the joys of her job.

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A month and a half later, Phoebe trudged into the manor and slammed the door closed behind her. She just came back from the doctors, and the news was... well, she wasn't sure.

To her surprise, Piper came bounding down the stairs and wrapped her into a big hug.

"Piper?"

"Yeah?" she asked, still hugging her.

"First of all, you are scaring me to no end," she choked out. "Second of all, you're choking me."

Piper let her go. "Sorry."

"Why are you so happy?

"I am halfway through my second trimester, which is four months, and it is the first day I haven't been sick."

"Congratulations."

"Thanks. I just can't believe I'm already halfway through my second trimester."

"And I can't believe I'm in my first."

Piper stopped smiling and stared at her. "What?!"

Phoebe took a deep breath. "I'm pregnant."