A new Power of three Part 16:
Realization
2004, Saturday
the next morning Andy woke with the sound of a music box. He turned sleepily around and found Prue holding the little music box in shape of a star to her tummy. He smiled and moved closer as he softly kissed her belly.
"sorry. I didn't want to wake you" Prue said softly as she caressed through his short hair
"it's fine..." he said sitting up a bit to kiss her "not nauseas?" he asked smiling
"already threw up two times" she answered, smiling as well
"I'm sorry it treats you already this early this way"
"it's okay… I mean... it's the hormones. Not the baby. So technically it's my own body doing it"
"and you're playing the music box already" he said proudly
"yeah I thought that would calm it down a bit" Prue answered. Then shook her head
"what?"
"it sounds so… I dunno… it's our child and not an 'it'"
"yeah, I know what you mean… what would you say… what sex?"
"i dunno… I absolutely have no feeling this time, but I'd say a girl..."
"why?"
"i dunno it's just..."
"oh don't start with that family tradition thing now. Chris ain't a girl either! And this sick you've never felt… so maybe this time… the hormones are different..."
"yeah maybe..." Prue said and suddenly got silent. Her smile fading as she looked at her belly. Her mind was racing, Andy could clearly see that
"what? What is it? Did I say something wrong?" Prue's head poked up to look at him.
"no… no. nothing wrong. Just..."
"Prue, you worry me, what is it?" he asked concerned and sat up straight
"i think… this whole pregnancy it bothered me so much and while I was gone I tried to figure out why. I mean… I told you it was all about work and me… and the sacrifices I made… but… somehow I knew there was more to it. And I… I think i just found the true reason why I didn't want a third child… what you said..." Prue went silent. He softly rubbed her back. Waiting till she found out what she wanted to tell him
"i mean… family tradition. If this baby is a girl… we'd have three girls. Three magical girls" she said the despair in her voice raising as she again started to look at him
"a new power of three" Andy mumbled. Prue put a hand on her head
"oh my god! Andy, what did we do?! Do you know what that would mean? They would be… constantly in danger… they..." Prue started panicking. Freaking.
"wai... wait… noone said this baby has to be a girl. It's a 50/50 chance and you know that! And until we know… we shouldn't worry. And even if we knew… the baby's not born yet. Nothing will happened."
"no" Prue said shaking her head "that's not true. If this kid is a girl, she'd have her powers already now. The new power of three would already exist. It was the same when we went to the past and met with mom and grams in the 70s! Baby Phoebe in mom's womb had her powers. Little me, Piper and mom even used it to get us back… if this baby is a girl, then there's a new power of three. A vulnerable… baby power of three. Demons and… who knows who or what else will want their power… what means they're in great danger now. And not only them. If someone really gets to them… get to their powers… then there's our power of three in competition with a new power of three… this... this isn't right... i" Prue dragged her tired and also a bit weak body out of bed
"wait… where are you going?"
"i… I need to talk to mom… and grams… I need to get answers… I need to know if it's a girl... and if it's a girl... if it's really possible that there will be another set of charmed ones… I need to... to talk to somebody… besides… what about the curse… but... I got rid of it, right? Or did I..." Prue rambled. Still all panicked. Almost hyperventilating. Andy meanwhile got out of bed as well. He interrupted her getting dressed and softly pulled her back to sit on the bed
"wait…" he said calmly "i… I know why you worry, but seriously… it can wait. Prue, you need to get something into your stomach. You and the baby… no matter which sex it has need power to figure this all out. I'd say we calm down a little now. We go have a proper breakfast… Meghan and Brianna will be so thrilled you're back… " he told her softly
"besides we have to go over to the manor later anyway… your sisters worried yesterday pretty much as well and they told me, if I didn't get you home until this morning they would. We should tell them you're home. Safe and healthy. Then we can talk this all over with them as well. They can help. Just stop, okay?"
"i… I'm sorry... I can't! I can't calm down until I have answers. I just can't!" Prue said and headed off to the attic. Andy sighed
"i love her… really I do… but this stubbornness... I swear to god... one day will kill me" he mumbled. He grabbed his jeans again and like the night before, just dressed in a pair of jeans ran to his wife's side. Like in the attic of the manor, they had set up some magic laboratory in their own attic. The sisters even casted a spell to make some kind of copy of the book of shadows, which whenever something was added or taken away from also worked on the copy. Tait's where Prue now frantically ran around to set everything. She was so in a hurry, she didn't even notice how an astral self of her also was there to set up candles and get everything needed for the spell to call a lost witch. Just like telekinetically everything flew by as well. When Andy entered he was almost shocked. He'd never seen Prue this way. Actually he never thought she could do all of this at once. Her powers, original Prue and astral Prue worked so perfect together it amazed, almost shocked him.
He wanted to calm her. To stop her. But he just stood at the entrance fascinated. But he didn't stand long there to watch her, cause a call from Meghan pushed him out of his maze
"I'm… I'm coming honey!" he called back, trying hard to concentrate on something else than on things happening right there and then. He snapped out of it as he now heard Brianna call as well for him. He made a step towards his wife… already started to reach her to stop, but then pulled away and headed for his girls.
In the meantime Prue had set everything and by heart started chanting
"hear these words. Hear my cry. Spirit of the other side. Come to me, I summon thee. Cross now the great divide!" just as she had finished a swirl of golden lights appeared in the attic and formed into patty and penny
"Prue, darling. Blessed be" penny greeted her softly, while patty went over to her oldest and hugged her tightly
"baby, how are you?" she too asked calm and tenderly
"you know why I call you, right" Prue asked, still all in a rant. She couldn't slow down. Her mind was racing, so she couldn't just let go of the tension. Her whole body was in an adrenalin shock. In fear. Worry. She completely panicked.
"no." / "yes." penny and patty answered from one mouth "mom!" patty looked at penny "this isn't making it any easier" she scolded her
"is it a girl?" Prue asked, making the older women look back at Prue
"Prue... we're not allowed to tell you. This is not something you are supposed to find out right now. You will when time... co..."
"screw it grams!" Prue interrupted her grandmother, what took penny completely off guard "i need answers and I will get them!"
"Prue, honey..." patty tried to pull her daughter out of it. Calm her down. She softly took a hold of her arm, looking into her eyes
"is it a girl, mom?" Prue asked desperately. Determined to get answers. She wouldn't go around making small talk. She wanted answers. Not some nice little chat
"it's…" patty started to answer
"patty… don't." penny warned. Patty looked down
"I'm sorry. Mom's right. You come to your answers in time. But this is the wrong way to get them, sweetie" patty softly caressed Prue's arm, again in try to calm her down. but the attempt was rather roughly interrupted. Prue pulled her arm away, stepped forward and blew out the candles, she had lit. instantly the two women disappeared
"I'll get my answers. One way or another" she again ranted, now stepping up to the book. She held her hands over it and closed her eyes. Magically the pages of the book turned as she searched through it for some spell she could somehow use.
Andy in the meantime had picked his girls. He tried to be gentle and yet calm, not to worry them. Yet he hurriedly got them dressed and something to drink, then took them over to the manor. The dining room there was already filled with life as the rest of the sisters had already started to breakfast in their normal morning routine
"Andy!" Piper exclaimed
"look. I know… really I do… I will talk to you as much and long as you guys want me to later. Right now… please just take Mags and Anna and let me go again..." the sisters looked at him completely confused. Just like Leo and Cole "Prue's back home, but I have a feeling that she's about to do something beyond stupid. I need to get back to her. Seriously" Meghan had heard what her father had said and put things together
"mommy's home? Where? I wanna go see her" she told him, still holding onto her fathers hand. Andy handed Anna off to Paige and the little girl started crying right away, then knelt down to Meghan's height
"i know you wanna see mom… I really do and I understand. But right now..." Andy struggled to find the right words "mom is just… she found something might hurting you and your sister. Even your aunts and cousin. She's trying to fix this… what probably is really stupid from her to go off doing it alone, but I couldn't stop her yet. I need to go to mommy and see that she'll be alright, okay? I promise you will see her tonight. Really. I swear!" he told her hurriedly. The sisters stepping closer.
"Andy what…" one started
"do you need…" the next one
"can we..." the third one
"no. really. Thank you. But… I need to stop her. Now." he told them, looking seriously up at them
"c'mon Meghan… we'll have some marmalade toast, huh?" Cole mixed in. Andy nodded thankfully at him, kissed his girls and orbed back to Prue.
Prue now stood at an opened book of shadows, scanning the page carefully, then nodded. She didn't notice Andy orbing in. she read the spell over and over, nodded slightly to herself, then started casting
"hear these words, hear the rhyme. Heed the ho..."
"Prue! What are you doing there?" he interrupted her
"i need answers, Andy!" she told him, now looking at him
"okay. I understand that. I want answers as well, but what exactly are you doing?" he asked again. He went slowly closer to her and took her hands in his, trying to make her look at him. But Prue didn't pay much attention to him right now. Her eyes were back at the book of shadows, scanning the page over and over again. She wriggled her hands free and again chanted
