A/N: Thanks for the reviews. I bow down to you all. Extra bow for emelie172, for always reviewing.
Also, really sorry about the not so surprising preganacy plot, but I need to get as much emotional baggage as possible, for later on in the story.
8. Good News, Bad Timing.
Piper had barely moved an inch, still gripping the life altering stick in her hand.
This was her dream, to have a little family with Leo. Why now? was all she could think.
In a month or so she would be fighting a huge battle against the Source and she knew nobody would let her. Leo and her sisters would keep her safe by not letting her go, but Piper knew she'd be needed, she would want to go.
Piper jumped as a knock sounded on the door, followed by Prue's voice.
"Piper, I told you to get to bed. You can't stay in the bathroom all day just because you might be sick again."
"I'm fine, Prue. I'm not even ill." she replied truthfully.
"It didn't sound that way earlier……Open up at least, you know I hate having a conversation through a door."
Piper could tell her sister was getting agitated, so she hid the test.
"Only when your standing the other side." she quipped, opening the wooden door, to be met with Prue's worried face.
"If your not ill, then why are you so pale?" Prue asked, ignoring Piper's comment, knowing it was true.
"I'm fine now, honestly. Must have been something I ate." Piper walked past her sister and headed for her bedroom, mostly to get away from her. Prue, however had other ideas.
"I don't believe you… 1. Me, Phoebe or Paige haven't cooked, so it can't be food poisoning. 2. The rest of us are fine."
"Paige can cook." Piper stated, then raised an eyebrow to the eldest. "You on the other hand…"
Prue pointed a finger in her sister's direction. "Hey, I have…..some cooking skills."
"Heating a plate of broccoli in the microwave, isn't cooking." the younger sister replied, moving some stuff around on her dresser.
"Anyway, we're getting off topic here."
Piper held back a laugh, knowing Prue had no adequate come back. "I just felt nauseas, nothing to worry about."
Then the feeling returned to her, as she hurried past her puzzled sister, who was cut off from any type of remark. Instead she followed Piper into the bathroom again, where her sister was hunched over the toilet.
Grabbing the water Piper had used not long ago, Prue moved over towards her, kneeled down and began rubbing her back until she had finished.
"You were saying?" she asked rhetorically, as Piper flushed the mess away then leaned back. She was handed the water, which she gratefully accepted.
Piper saw the look in her sister's eyes, she was trying to work out what was wrong and was most likely to be going through the possibilities; including pregnancy. As a reaction Piper began to bite her lower lip.
"So how long have you felt like this?"
Oh God, what do I say? she thought. "A couple of days, I wasn't sick until today though." she lied, even though she knew she was no good at it. In truth, she had been sick yesterday as well. She really wanted to tell Prue, she'd be ecstatic for her. Knowing she couldn't, Piper tried to play down her symptoms. "It's probably just a bug."
"I don't know…..where would you have caught it from?"
Great, here comes the Prue interrogation. She should have been a cop or in the FBI, she thought. It usually didn't take her long to spill her guts to Prue.
"I'm not sure, maybe the club." she answered quietly.
Again that look came over Prue's face, as she attempted to slot things into place.
"Um, Piper…don't take this the wrong way or anything but…um…have you checked to see if maybe your…pregnant."
Oh no. Now what? I can't lie. I'm useless at it. Piper contemplated, wondering how she'd get out of this.
"What? No….of course I'm not." she attempted. It's worth a shot, she thought.
"Well it would explain your symptoms." Prue shrugged. She watched Piper closely. Not another sister hiding something, the oldest thought, remembering Paige earlier.
Piper looked to her sister and then turned away before replying. "I'm not pregnant, Prue." she stated firmly.
"Okay, now I know your hiding something. You did your guilty look away thing you do……Piper, please, just tell me what's wrong."
Tears began to flow down Piper's face, as she melted under Prue's worrying and persistence. Her sister however was taken back at the sudden change in demeanour. Prue lent over giving Piper a one armed hug, who immediately fell onto her older siblings shoulder.
"Ssh, it's okay, you don't have to tell me. I'm sorry. Ssh." Prue whispered, feeling incredibly guilty for pushing Piper.
After a couple of minutes, the youngest began to quieten down.
"I am pregnant." she mumbled, barely understandable. She pulled away to get a better look at her sister's reaction. Piper was right, Prue looked ecstatic.
"I'm going to be an Aunt……That's great. It's what you've always wanted." she beamed proudly.
"I know but it comes at the worse possible time."
"Okay, it's not perfect but I won't let anything happen to you or my niece." Prue replied, wiping away some of Piper's still falling tears.
The gender of the baby was completely disregarded, both knowing Halliwells have girls and with their trip to the future, it was pretty much a given.
"That's the problem. You wouldn't, which I love you for, but you, Leo and everyone else won't let me go to this battle." tears continued to stream freely down the younger witch's face.
"Well that's obvious, Piper. You need to protect your baby." her sister responded matter-of-factly.
"But I need to be there, Prue."
"No, you don't. we can handle it."
"No! I want to be there. I..I don't want to be sat here waiting for you guys to return….if you even do. I mean how would you feel being stuck here, while your family…your life, was fighting every evil possible." Piper took a deep breath, watching as Prue stayed silent for a very brief moment.
"Piper, this is your baby…"
"Don't Prue! You know for damn sure that you would not stay home. You would fight and risk everything….You always have and you always will."
Prue realised the desperation in her sister's voice but what she was suggesting was unthinkable.
"I've never had what you have, Piper. You have a baby, a family of your own. You need to protect that baby with everything you have….not go to some stupid battle." anger was slowly rising in Prue's own voice.
"What happens if Hell is raised on earth? What kind of life will I have then? Hey, answer that. What kind of life will my baby have, living in Hell, with only her Mum because the rest of the family died trying to protect the world and I couldn't be there to help?"
"What happens if we succeed but you lose your baby?"
Piper noticed unshed tears in Prue's eyes, as she asked her the question. The anger in her sister's voice had also been tamed after hearing what she, herself, had said.
"I won't let my baby go without a fight, Prue. I have to go though, the shame alone would kill me. She deserves the best life and if that means I face the Source, then I will. I don't want to but I have to."
"I can't let you do this, Piper. You have wanted this for too damn long and the risk is too great." Prue was desperately trying to keep the tears away. She couldn't even bring herself to look at Piper, knowing she would become a waterfall.
"Prue…." Piper tried only to be cut off.
"No! I didn't even want you three to go and now your pregnant, and you expect me to agree. No! I can't let you do this. You said about your guilt…..what about mine?" the oldest yelled, still not looking at Piper and stood to leave.
The youngest grabbed hold of Prue's hand. "Prue, please."
"I can't do it Piper." she replied.
Then she finally looked at the tear stained face of her younger sister. At that moment her resolve crumbled and Piper was able to pull Prue back to the floor.
"I can't let you do this." she choked, a few tears falling down her own face. "I can't."
"You have to Prue, I need my big sister behind me. I know the risk is great, believe me, but I'm going to make it through this….with my baby, your niece. I won't be reckless, I promise but I still need you there with me, please." Piper begged.
Slowly she moved her free hand and lifted her sister's chin, to met her eyes.
Behind the mass of unshed tears, warring emotions were evident in both sets. One hell bent on potential sacrifice and the other protection.
Although both refused to give up, the inner turmoil created within themselves was swirling at a fast pace, making the edges blur. Neither wanted to make a decision but the situation needed one.
"You can't do this." Prue replied quietly, staring at the soft brown eyes of her sister.
"I have to." was the equally hushed response. "Please."
A silence fell upon the room, as they broke eye contact, trying to clear their own minds. For what seemed like years, was mere minutes, but finally the younger of the two whispered.
"I need you with me, Prue."
Again a silence fell, as ever creek could be head through out the manor.
"I am," came a hoarse reply. With the following statement she met Piper's gaze. "…but don't expect the others to be."
"I'm not telling them." at her older sister's furious eyes, Piper continued. "I can't. I didn't want to tell you, I couldn't go through everybody knowing."
"Piper.." the disapproving tone was commonly heard but the tiredness within it, actually made the second eldest feel guilty and slightly ashamed at the pressure she was putting on Prue.
"They would never understand. Especially Leo."
A heavy sigh came. "He's not the only one." she mumbled. "I've already told you, I'm behind you but I can't agree this is right."
"Thank you." Piper pulled Prue into a hug, which she was surprised to be returned. "I love you." she whispered, grateful that her sister was here for her.
"I love you too…" she heard replied, which Piper smiled at. Then Prue began to pull away, bending her head down slightly. "…and you."
Piper laughed. One extreme to the other, she thought, watching as Prue smiled, having only a few minutes ago being furious. "I think she knows." Piper added.
A long silence followed, as both contemplated the possibilities.
"Come on, I might love you but I'm not sitting on the bathroom floor for the rest of my day." the oldest stated finally, standing up, then offering a hand to her sister. "You realise I'll be worrying, asking questions, making doctor appointments and generally bugging you the entire time?"
"Yes." Piper responded with a knowing smile.
"And I don't like being the only one doing it." Prue finished.
"Thank you."
As they left the bathroom, Piper suddenly had a realisation. She was pretty certain the second youngest would have been up, to see what was going on. "Where's Phoebe?"
"Shopping." Prue stated with a hint of aggravation, which Piper recognised.
"She's taken your credit card, hasn't she?"
A/N: I know some of you are probably thinking, Prue wouldn't agree. but I've done it more for Piper's sake at the moment, that Prue would support her because she is her sister.
Also, Ihad to add the broccoli line. It makes me laugh in Thankyou For Not Morphing, that her choice in dinner would be a plate of broccoli, especially as her favourite meal is cheeseburger and fries.
Anyway what ya think.