A/B: Many Thanks to all my great reviewers and your ideas what happens next!
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The Halliwells and the World in general

Piper had come home with a spinning head. Cole asking her to be the godmother of his child. How crazy was that? She put Wyatt in his playpen. Leo was still out with Chris, probably looking at clouds. Piper smiled. Chris loved hovering between soft white clouds.

She sat next to Wyatt in the rocking chair thinking. Could she dare to bring Grace into their lives? It meant bringing Cole back to Phoebe's life too. Could she do this to her sister? But then, Phoebe already knew that Cole was back in town. Darryl had spilled the beans and it had sent Phoebe in a spin again. Her speed dating had intensified. Piper shook her head. Poor Phoebe. She didn't have much luck with men. But who had in her family? Piper thought along their family tree. Had there ever been something like a happily ever after for one of the Halliwell witches? Let's see.

Melinda their ancestor. She had been married to a mortal, who had been killed defending her. Furthermore she had been sold out to the witch hunters by a warlock whom she loved. Melinda had ended up at the stake. It looked like mingling with demons had been there since right at the start of their line.

Grams. She had been married 5 times and had also fallen for a warlock once. Their grandpa had been killed by a demon. Not a happy end either. Grams was somehow like Phoebe, Piper discovered. She couldn't stick with one man. Or the men couldn't stick with her and her magic.

Mum. Mum had been in love with her Dad. Piper knew that. She remembered their family life vaguely. It had been good. But it hadn't worked out in the long run. Dad was a human. He couldn't handle the magic, even if he tried. She had seen it. Even now, after 30 years of knowing of the magic world, their father would avoid magic if possible. Magic had killed Patty. Magic had killed Prue. That's what Victor thought. If Dad knew how often they just barely escaped death. Maybe Dad couldn't also handle Grams interfering in her parent's relationship too. Grams was a strong willed woman and Patty her only daughter. Must have been hard for Dad, Piper thought, leaving his little girls to the grandmother because he had no means of protecting them.
Mum had also loved her whitelighter. Just like her. But it didn't work out either. They had to give up their child. Piper shuddered. At least she still had her kids around her. And her sisters. Sam was still drowning in guilt about not being able to protect Patty. Just recently the reconciliation with Paige had somewhat lifted the weight on his shoulders. But he was still a broken man.

Prue. Piper sighed. Prue had really loved Andy. And Andy had loved Prue. But as good as he was, he hadn't been able to handle magic. It had cost Andy's life and had hurt Prue deeply. Bane. Oh God, Piper thought. The criminal who had abducted Prue. He was one of the bad guys. Criminal with demonic relations. Definitely no innocent. Prue had fallen for him without hesitation. He fitted Prue's prey scheme. Tall, dark, handsome and exciting. So much like Phoebe. But then Prue was very hard on herself. She had sent Bane straight back to prison. Piper had always admired Prue for her inner strength to do the right thing, even if it hurt. But then Phoebe had been even harder on herself Piper had to admit, she had sent Cole straight to hell. Phoebe. It looked like she got the worse of it all.

Piper was searching her mind for a woman in her line, who hadn't suffered severely in her love life.

Paige. Not a good bet either. She had never had a really steady relationship. Not since she became a witch. She had even been in bed with the Source. Piper pulled a face. How gross was that? But of course this was when she was new at being a witch. In general Piper had to grant Paige that she didn't fall for evil guys as easily Prue and Phoebe did. One she had really loved, Richard. It had been very promising in the beginning. He had been from a magical family, understanding magic and not being evil. A very rare combination in men like that it seemed. It had worked out for some time. He couldn't handle the temptation of the powers in the end. Luckily Paige had convinced him to strip them. But than she had to end the relationship as not to tempt him any further. Piper closed her eyes and inhaled deeply.

Her and Leo. That wasn't a good example either. Not anymore. Their love had been so beautiful, powerful, even blessed by the Elders and still, their relationship was strained now. They had fought so hard to make it work. But after they had lost big Chris, Leo had killed an Elder. She had never thought that Leo was capable of something like that. He was an angel. Then the Avatar stuff. Leo had been goaded to help them with their wicked aims. But she had to agree it was partly her fault too. She had always been ranting about a "normal life." He probably had felt after failing to save his son he owed her to make her wish a reality. It had almost cost them their lives. Still she was luckier than her sisters and ancestors. She had two beautiful sons and Leo was still alive and around. For her, there was still hope she recognized.

Piper looked at Wyatt. Would her sons have an easier love life? Probably not.
Was she adding to Phoebe's misery when protecting Grace? Probably yes. But what if Grace was an innocent? She couldn't turn her back on that.

"Piper," Leo addressed her as he orbed in with Chris.

"Hi Leo," Piper greeted. Smiling at her two men she reached for her youngest son. Leo put Chris in her arms. Piper smiled down on him. Leo bent down to get Wyatt.

"Hi son," he cooed to Wyatt, "did you have a fun time with mummy?"

Wyatt nodded and uttered, "bata."

"Did he learn a new word?" Leo asked Piper excitedly.

"No he is just babbling," Piper warded off.

"Leo, could you give me a definition of innocent?" Piper asked. Maybe Grace wasn't one. Then she could refuse Cole's plea without a bad conscience and spare her family, especially Phoebe, a great deal of future pain.

Leo was baffled. Piper was protecting innocents for almost 7 years and now she wanted a definition from him.

"Someone who hasn't done evil," he answered looking guessingly at Piper.

"But does this only mean magical evil or also normal day-to-day evil?" Piper was adamant, "I know this never happened to us but would I have to protect a person who had robbed a bank from a demon?"

"Yes I think so," Leo answered, "but after saving his life you should hand him to Darryl for worldly justice."

"And if the person already killed someone, raped someone, you know like having committed a mortal sin or something like that. Would I still have to protect him?"

"Piper, I guess yes. The point is it's not your turn to decide whom to help and whom not to help. That's why you are pointed to your innocents by the powers above. Through signs, Phoebe's premonitions and apparently accidental encounters. It's their way of showing you to your innocents," Leo answered vaguely.

"But how am I supposed to know if an encounter is arranged by them?" Piper motioned up to the ceiling. "Or is just accidentally? Or maybe triggered by evil?"

"You usually know it," Leo assured Piper, "you feel it. And in case you are not sure, I would opt for the benefit of the doubt. If you find out later that is was unjustified you still can correct it. Why do you doubt your decisions now? Has something happened that I should know about?"

"Right now, I just want your objective opinion. I'll tell you the details later."

Piper didn't answer Leo's question. It was important to her that he told her without knowing it was about Cole's daughter. Piper doubted that anyone of her family was unbiased where Cole was concerned.

"And if the person has only the potential to do evil?" Piper asked.

Leo was becoming curious. Piper surely had a very distinct reason in asking him all the questions. Still he couldn't yet figure out what it was.

"Everyone has the potential of doing evil Piper, you know that. It's your choices that make you who you are. It's called free will."

"But this only applies to humans I believe," Piper inquired.

"Well yes, only humans have free will," Leo confirmed patiently.

"I know I sound quite naïve here, asking you this now," Piper admitted, "but what about demons and warlocks? They decide to do evil don't they?"

"As far as I understand it, they just decide what evil they do, not if they do evil at all. They just can't help it. It's like a beast of prey never thinks about killing. It's natural to them. It's what they do. It's the great design. There have to be evil forces and good forces to keep the equilibrium. Remember utopia." Leo still felt nauseous thinking of it and that he had helped to bring it on.

"So demons can never be innocents?" Piper had finally arrived at the point that really bothered her.

"I guess not," Leo said cautiously. He felt he was on thin ice with his answer.

"Even if they are very small, like children or something," Piper had to be sure.

"Demon children are evil already," Leo explained, "that's why the ice-cream-man exists. Remember him? He tries to catch them before they grow up and do more harm."

"Yeah I do."

Chris was smiling in his sleep and looking just like a little angel. Piper smiled at him tenderly. Chris was half an angel. As was Wyatt. But it seemed that hadn't stopped Wyatt turning evil in the future. So if a half-angel could turn evil, couldn't a half-demon turn good?

"And what about half breeds between the species?" Piper knew she was giving too much away but couldn't help it.

"Are we talking about Cole here?" Leo jumped on the hint immediately, eyeing Piper suspiciously.

"No we are not," Piper refused. It wasn't a straight lie. She was talking about Grace.

"Maybe a little. It's just since he showed up here again, I wondered if everything he did was his choice."

Piper still tried to hide the ultimate goal of her questioning. She really needed Leo's unbiased advice to make the right decision for a small baby girl and for her family.

Leo sat down opposite Piper, rocking Wyatt on his knee. Chris had fallen asleep in his mother's arms. If they weren't talking about demons and innocents it would be one of their better family moments in the last months Leo thought.

"That is a very hard question Piper," Leo sighed, "I guess he can't have a complete free will since the pull of his demonic nature is constantly present. It would need a very strong mind to battle this pull for a lifetime. Let alone an almost indefinite demonic one. And even if I never met anyone with a stronger will then Cole he still failed," Leo mused. He had thought about this question again and again and it still had gotten him nowhere.

"Maybe if his upbringing had been different."

If Piper thought Grace to be good, raise her as a normal child, bind her powers, maybe she could have a chance. Was it Piper's choice to forsake Grace that chance?

"There is almost no information on this," Leo admitted, "You know half breeds are very rare in the underworld. Breeding between humans/witches and demons functions very seldom, the species just don't fit together too well. I think it is magic's way to avoid the question you just raised. Sometimes it happens though. From the few half-breeds being born most are killed by other demons in the natural upbringing. Only the strongest survive down there."

"So that's why it is so hard to get rid of Cole," Piper realized. It seemed he had been fighting for his life all of his life. Over 100 years. No wonder he was such a survivor.

"You say it like you admire him," Leo noted, somewhat jealous.

Leo guessed that Piper hadn't been able to be proud of him for some time. That was probably the reason her remark stung him that much. Leo wasn't proud of himself anymore. He had killed an Elder. And he was a whitelighter. Who was he to condemn or judge Cole? He felt he had lost all right to do that.

"I guess I do. A little. From what you just told me, he came a long way, even if he didn't make it to the good side fully or permanently. You saw him too some weeks ago. Do you think he has one of his better moments?"

"From what I talked with him, he seems in control at the moment. He didn't even ask about Phoebe. That really surprised me," Leo answered, shrugging, "but I could never predict what he was about to do."

"Don't beat yourself up about that Leo," Piper placated, "no one could do that. Not even Phoebe when they were together."

"You're right," Leo relaxed. At least Piper didn't hold that against him.

"So what you say is with half-breed demons there is a slight chance that they turn out to be good." Piper summed up what they had talked about the last hour.

A Chance. All Grace needed was a chance. Piper was now determined to grant her that. She was a baby. She was innocent. Cole wanted Grace to stay that way and Piper would help him.

"Yes. But there is also the greater chance that they turn evil. I don't think Cole can walk away from his history and his deeds, Piper. Even if he did a marvellous thing in stopping himself from killing you and your sisters several times."

"I know he can't," Piper agreed. "But maybe his daughter can," Piper threw at Leo.

"What?" Leo was shocked, "you know about his child?" Wyatt jumped at his father's sudden outburst.

"Shh Leo. You will wake up Chris," Piper stopped Leo. "Looks like you know too," Piper said smiling mischievously and felt a little bit hurt that he didn't tell her.

"Yeah he told me," Leo confirmed, "but why did he tell you?"

Leo didn't like Cole to approach his wife behind his back. The picture of a naked Piper all over Cole flashed in his mind. He willed it away, but it left a bitter feeling in his gut.

"Cole asked me to be Grace's godmother," Piper said calmly.

Now that she had reached her decision, she was calm. She felt it was the right thing to do like Leo had predicted. She couldn't condemn the child for its father's sins. She wouldn't have condemned Wyatt for his future sins like Gideon did. She had learnt her lesson. She had lost a son over this lesson. She was going to honour big Chris' sacrifice. The future was not set yet. Not even Grace's future.

"I take it back what I said before. He is crazy! Asking you something like that," Leo hissed.

Cole back in their lives. Thank you but no thank you. It was crazy enough without an erratic half-demon. An erratic demon who drove Phoebe mad without even contacting her. He feared that the manor was turning into a hell house again. And his chance for a reconciliation with Piper would be slipping.

"You just told me his daughter has a chance at being good, at staying innocent. If giving her that chance means, I have to be her godmother, I'll do it, Leo. I'll talk with my sisters in the evening."

"You are really considering it?" Leo was astonished.

But then, she had asked him in detail and he had answered her truthfully. It had been clever from Piper to hide that it was about Cole and his daughter. He wouldn't have been objective if he had known. He didn't like to admit it, but he felt that Piper was right. Cole's daughter was an innocent. An innocent it seemed the Charmed Ones were destined to protect- from her father and from her heritage. But who would protect his family from the fallout of this decision?

"Phoebe and Paige will be jubilant," he said sarcastically.

"They will understand Leo. After some yelling of course." Piper recognized the dark expression on Leo's face. "I didn't ask for that you know, Leo."

"I know," Leo sighed defeated and got up, "let's feed Wyatt and wait for your sisters together." He extended his hand and they orbed downstairs to the kitchen.

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tbc
I personally love this scene where Piper reflects about Cole's background - what do you think?
For those who are waiting for it - Cole and Phoebe will meet in the next chapter!