It's Meant to Be, It's Your Destiny

'One, two….' Piper rushed out of her hiding place to aid the innocent, but suddenly she was grabbed from behind. She cried out as a demon caught hold of the collar of her jacket and lifted her up, over the bar. She gasped for breath as the collar tightened around are neck, before she blacked out, with an astonishing, burning pain shooting through her shoulder.

The heat was getting hotter quickly. Piper fanned her reddening face, while puffing and gasping to get cool.

"Man, its hot!" She gasped, her vision wavering as the heat began to affect her eyes, causing them to water.

"Phoebe?" She called out into the strange place she'd arrived in, but there was no sign of her younger sister, or the club for that matter. "Where I'm I?" She asked, surveying her surroundings blankly. At first she was in a cool cloud like scenario, but slowly it changed into a warm scene of a front room.

"Oh, God, I'm not dead again am I?" She shouted, annoyed at the repetition of her death. She glanced down at herself, but she found she wasn't transparent, glowing, or in a change of clothes that she had worn the last time she'd died. Nor was she in the attic or being summoned by anyone, so where, when, was she and why was she here?

"Hello Piper," A familiar voice came from behind her. Piper shot around to find an older Chris and Bianca standing behind her, Bianca's hand on her shoulder. Quickly, Piper shook her off and turned to her son questioningly. Why was he dead? Or was he even dead? Was this the changed future? Or, hadn't they succeeded? Piper tried to shake the questions away to they just kept crowding in.

"But, Bianca, you're dead!" Piper blurted out, "And, Chris, aren't you alive in the changed future?" She questioned him aloud.

"Mum, what makes you think you're dead?" Chris answered calmly, something he must have learnt from his father, which amazed Piper as the future Chris she knew hated his father.

"But… This…" She indicated around their surroundings. "Last time this happened was when I was dead, so why am I here and the last thing I remember is dying?"

"No, mum, the last thing you remember is falling unconscious… And technically, you were never summoned at that time." Chris stated.

"I know I was summoned, Chris, and I also know that I am destined to have a daughter."

"Yer and Prue is supposed to be dead!" Chris suddenly shouted impatiently, "Mum, how can you get over the fact Prue is suddenly alive again and yet can't face the fact that you're not dead?" Piper opened her mouth to argue and then thought better of it. 'Chris is right,' she thought 'Prue is supposed to be dead, and how can I believe that? Why haven't I questioned it?'

"I'm sorry Chris," Piper admitted.

Chris sighed and shrugged. He had known it wouldn't have been easy for his mum to accept the fact she wasn't dead, but shouting at her and bringing Prue into the conversation hadn't helped.

"Let's get back to the subject," Bianca suggested, gripping his arm encouragingly.

'Thanks,' Chris thought, "So, yes, I'd better explain," He said aloud, "Well, now that Prue is alive again, the whole of the future has changed. It's past stopping Wyatt turning evil and the Elders have realised that, and they also realise there'll be consequences. So, they sent me and Bianca here to summon you—No, not from the dead—But from the real world, that's what stopped you from dying, as the Elders realise that it's not part of your destiny, neither is it part of your sisters, or mine or Wyatt's to grow up without you. By realising this they had to work out a way of warning you of upcoming events, without unsettling your judgement."

"Unsettling my judgment? My destiny? The Elders!" Piper gasped angrily, "Chris, my destiny is my own and I don't give a f— Whoa!" Piper stopped, grabbing for her son as she fell forward.

"No, not yet!" Chris screamed to the heavens, "You can't take her yet!" But still Piper lay limp in his arms, sent to yet another world, time, to help her decide a decision that she didn't even know she had to make. "Damn!" Chris whispered, lowering his mother to the floor, "Do you think we can warn her when she gets back?" He asked pleadingly to his lover.

"Chris, I don't think she'll be passing this way when she's finished unless she makes her decision quicker than expected," Bianca explained sadly. Chris shook her off angrily, casting a stony glare at her as she spoke, "Chris, do you want me to lie and say everything's gonna be hunky dory and that—"

"NO!" Chris interrupted her, Bianca was taken back by his tone, "Of course not Bianca but you could have at least helped me explain it to her!"

"But Chris—"

"Don't 'but Chris' me, Bianca, my mum is gonna have to make the biggest decision of her life once she returns from here or there… or where ever, and she doesn't know the half of it because the only other person who did wouldn't tell her!"

"Hunny…" Bianca hesitated, expecting him to interrupt her again, "Chris, Piper needs to find her own way and I thought that it would be best if you explained it to her, as you're the Elder."

"Being an Elder sucks if I can't even save my own mother's life!" He screamed at her as he orbed out.

"I am so sorry Chris…" Bianca cried, tears streaming down her cheeks. She fell to her knees and just waited, knowing she wouldn't be able to leave unless Chris returned and orbed her home, and even if he did, what would be the use if he never spoke to her again? What had she done that had been so terribly wrong that he'd never speak to her again?