A/N. Thank you for the reviews. In response to a question, Piper's baby is going to be a girl, and as much as I love Wyatt and Chris, they will not be born in this story. However, there will be males in the family.

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Chapter 8 – Two weeks later

"Can you pass the milk please?"

Prue reached out and pushed the jug of milk along the table.

"Thank you." Phoebe lifted the jug and poured the creamy liquid over the brightly coloured cereal in her bowl. She shoved some in her mouth and chewed thoughtfully. "What are you doing up so early? I didn't think you had college today."

"I don't. But that doesn't mean I can laze around the house all day."

Phoebe shook her head in disgust. "If I didn't have to go to school I wouldn't get up this early."

"Neither, apparently, would Piper," Penny said, glancing disapprovingly at the staircase.

"Give her a break Grams. She's pregnant," Prue pointed out.

"You know, I'm a little worried about her," Phoebe admitted. "She was really quiet last night."

"Last night was the first time she slept round," Prue reminded her. "She was bound to be nervous."

"True. Hey." Phoebe lowered her voice and leant into the table. "Have you noticed how Piper and Leo act around each other? D'you think something's going on between them?"

"I dunno," Prue replied. "But they definitely seem to like each other."

"Girls, they've only met three times," Penny said. "And besides, witch-whitelighter relationships are forbidden."

"By who?" Phoebe asked.

"The Elders."

"Do they have to poke their noses into every aspect of our lives?" Prue, who was not a big fan of the powers that be, demanded.

"Everything they do is for the greater good," Penny told her.

"Maybe, but it's damn annoying."

"Morning." Piper shuffled into the kitchen, a hand placed gingerly on her stomach.

"Are you okay?" Prue asked. "You look kinda pale."

Piper took a seat at the table, wrapping her dressing gown around her tightly. "I feel a little sick."

"Maybe you should try something to eat," Penny suggested, offering Piper a basket of croissants.

"Uh." Piper placed a hand over her mouth and nose. "No thanks."

"Morning sickness?" Phoebe asked sympathetically.

"Morning, noon and night," Piper replied.

"I don't think constantly feeling sick is a normal symptom of pregnancy," Prue said, her blue eyes radiating concern. "Have you been to a doctor?"

"Actually, no. I haven't."

"What?" Penny gasped. "Why not?"

"I… I don't know." Piper shrugged sheepishly. "I guess with everything that's been going on…"

"You should really see a doctor, especially if you're not feeling well," Prue insisted.

"I'll book a scan, okay?"

"Okay," Prue replied, satisfied. She picked up the newspaper. "Oh no, there's been another murder." During the past few weeks, four women had been killed, and the police were getting no where with their enquiries.

"Let me see." Phoebe snatched the newspaper from her sister, and her mind filled with psychic images.

"What is it?" Piper asked, not used to watching Phoebe during a premonition.

"I had a premonition. Another woman is going to die. Tonight."

"We have to call the police," Penny said.

"And tell them what?" Phoebe demanded. "That I had a premonition? Besides, the woman's a witch, I saw her use a power."

"Which means the other women were probably witches too," Prue said.

"So the murderer was a warlock or demon," Piper concluded. "And we have to stop him."

"Okay Phoebe, could you find the place in your vision?" Prue asked.

"Yes."

"Right." Prue banged her fists on the table decisively. "You go I.D the demon/warlock in the book before you leave for school, and then we'll go there tonight and vanquish it."

As her three granddaughters left the table, Penny watched them go with satisfaction. They were already acting like sisters, like the Charmed Ones, and they had only known each other two weeks.

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"And there's your baby," the doctor announced. As he moved the scanner back and forth across Piper's flat stomach, a grainy image appeared on a screen.

"Oh look!" Prue, who had accompanied Piper, cooed.

"I know!" Tears of happiness shone in Piper's eyes, and for the first time since her parents' death, her tone was light.

"So is everything okay?" Prue tore her gaze from her little niece to address the doctor.

"Everything's fine."

Relief flooded through Piper. "Thank God," she breathed.

"So why did she feel so ill?" Prue handed Piper a tissue so she could wipe the gel off.

"Well, every pregnancy is different, and some women experience morning sickness throughout."

"Oh great," Piper mumbled. "I'm sorry for wasting your time." Piper climbed off the bed.

The doctor waved his hand dismisively. "Not at all. It's better to be safe than sorry. Especially as you're so young."

The doctor's tone wasn't judgmental, but Piper blushed and averted his gaze as they left. Once out side the room, Prue looked down at the picture in Piper's hand. "Oh! What a cute little blob!"

"Hey!" Piper protested playfully. "That's my baby you're insulting."

"I can see the resemblance."

Piper began to laugh, but stopped abruptly. Why was she joking and giggling with Prue? She barely knew her. Piper expected the sensation to feel strange, but it didn't. It felt right, natural.

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Prue, Piper and Phoebe moved silently through the thick fog. The mist enveloped everything, suffocating, dampening and silencing. But the Charmed Ones' quick stride cut through it like a knife as they approached the back alley. A heap of rotting fruit and meat smouldered just metres from where the innocent crouched, ready to pounce.

"Oh gross," Phoebe complained, while Piper clamped a hand over her mouth.

"Ssh," Prue hissed. "There's the warlock."

"He has an athame," Phoebe noticed, pointing to the double-edged ceremonial knife in the warlock's grip.

"Okay." Piper stepped from their hiding place and flung out her arms, freezing the warlock, just as the witch was about to attack.

The young woman stopped sharply and gaped at the warlock in shock.

"Go. Get out of here," Prue ordered as she and Phoebe joined Piper.

The witch nodded mutely and ran off.

"Okay, what do we do with this guy?" Piper wondered, circling the warlock.

"Piper, watch…!"

The warlock unfroze and swung his arm at Piper, sending her flying through the air. She crashed into a wall and tumbled to the ground.

"Piper!" Phoebe screamed, racing to her sister.

Prue waved her arm and the warlock sailed into a Dumpster. Satisfied that he was unconscious, Prue sprinted for her sisters. "Leo!"

The whitelighter appeared in a swirl of bright lights. "What?" He asked anxiously.

"Piper."

Leo instantly dropped down, his face panic stricken. Leo loved all his charges dearly, but Piper was… different. A warm glow spread from his outstretched hands and seeped into Piper.

"My baby!" The words were out of Piper's mouth before her eyes fluttered open to see Leo's concerned face gazing down at her.

"It's okay. I sensed another life and healed it too." Leo's face was unreadable, but inside his heart ached with disappointment. If Piper was pregnant then surely she had a boyfriend, which meant… No. It was just wishful thinking. She was a witch, he was her whitelighter; they couldn't be together.

"Thank you."

"No problem." Leo stepped back to let Prue and Phoebe help Piper up. "I'd better go." He couldn't take his eyes off Piper. She was beautiful.

"Bye Leo," Prue and Phoebe said in unison.

"Bye." Piper's eyes were fixed on Leo's. They were so green, she could drown in them.

Prue gave a little cough and Piper and Leo both looked away, their faces flushed.

"Bye," Leo mumbled before orbing away.

"Told you," Phoebe muttered smugly to Prue.

"Okay." Piper shook her head, as if shaking away a daydream. "Let's get this guy."

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"Piper."

Piper jumped in fright and the scan picture in her hand fluttered to the floor. She spun around, ready to freeze or explode. Neither was necessary, as she recognised the person standing in her bedroom doorway.

"I'm sorry," Leo apologised. "I didn't mean to scare you."

"That's okay, you just surprised me." Piper bent down to retrieve the picture.

Leo also stooped down, and their fingers met over the scan image. Neither of them moved, they just gazed into each others' eyes, their hearts beating furiously.

Suddenly, Leo dropped his eyes and released the piece of paper to Piper. "Uh, here you go." He straightened up.

"Thanks." Piper rose to Leo's level and placed the picture on her bed. "Not meaning to be rude, but what are you doing here?"

Leo's face broke into an awkward grin and he chuckled nervously. "I wanted to check you were okay… after earlier."

"Oh. I'm fine." Piper sensed Leo had come for another reason, but he looked so nervous she decided to let it drop.

"Good. So did you get the warlock?"

"Yeah. We used a Power Of Three spell."

"Great." Leo ran a hand through his blonde hair. He couldn't think of anything else to say, but he didn't want to go. He glanced down and his eyes fell on the picture, which was already becoming dog-eared. "So, is that your baby?"

Piper's face beamed. "Yeah."

"How far gone are you?"

"Three months."

"I'd like to congratulate your boyfriend." Not exactly subtle, but it was better than asking the question outright.

"Oh!" Piper blushed. "I don't have… the father didn't stick around."

"I'm sorry." Okay, Leo wasn't sorry Piper was single, but he was sorry she had to bring the baby up alone. "I'd better be going."

Piper barely heard what Leo was saying; she was so entranced by his eyes, his lips. She wondered what it would be like to kiss those lips, to feel them against hers. Suddenly, Piper reached up and pulled Leo down, pressing her lips against his.

For a moment Leo just stood there, stunned. Eventually he responded to the kiss and wrapped his arms around Piper.

Finally Piper pulled away, her cheeks flushed and her breathing heavy. "I'm sorry… I shouldn't…"

"Don't apologise," Leo interrupted. "I really like you, but we can't. Witches and whitelighters just can't be together, despite how much we want it."

"Oh." Tears glistened in Piper's eyes, but she refused to let them fall. "Of course."

"I'm sorry. I have to go."

Piper nodded mutely and kept her gaze down as Leo disappeared in bright lights. When he was gone, she let the tears start, hating herself for hoping at a chance of happiness. Whenever Piper felt truly happy, something always came along to spoil it, so what was the point?

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A/N. Don't worry all you Piper/Leo fans, I am also a fan, so I wont be able to keep them apart for long!