The Easiest Child to Raise

From the back of the house, the Halliwell Manor appeared to be placed on a 9-(or so)-foot hill. Down the cool, green slope rested a patch of smooth, silky grass. Continuing on, there were rows of guardian oak trees, with a generous amount of space to walk between them. The open walkways quickly thinned as the trunks of the trees grew nearer and nearer to one another, shading the traveler in a forest palace, with a high wooden dome. A short distance further, the trees grew too close together for anyone to pass through.

Somewhere between the wall of trees and the treeless slope was Jared Halliwell's personal sanctuary: a large ivory fountain, looking a great deal younger than it did in his own time.

There was something about the majesty of the forest that had always made Jared feel that he too was magical. The fountain especially enriched the experience, particularly when the colors of autumn came like golden, red, orange, and yellow visitors. He looked forward to their coming, and never felt that they stayed quite long enough.

Today, the fountain was a place for Jared to slump, sitting with his elbows on his knees and resting his chin on top of his folded knuckles.

"Mind if I sit I sit a spell?" asked Piper, her voice calm and comforting.

Jared looked somewhat timidly at his mother. Blasting her coffee maker and everything near it, crushing her kitchen cabinets courtesy of her own blasting power, and… oh yeah… letting a tornado loose in her living room, nearly killing his brother in the process, all of the above occurring before he'd even had a change to tell her his name… was, understandably, not the 'first' impression he had planned to make.

"We don't have to say a word, if you don't want to," she added.

Nodding seemed the safest response to offer, since he was unsure whether or not he could inject enough kindness or humor into his voice.

As for Piper, the combined obstacles of being 5'2" and still dressed in her nightgown & robe made hopping up onto the rim of the giant fountain quite a chore. "How 'bout a hand, here?" she asked.

Taking his mother's outstretched hand, Jared easily lifted her up to sit beside him.

"So, would it have killed one of you guys to be under six feet tall?" she asked.

Jared was put somewhat at ease by his mother's sense of humor, and his rigid discomfort began to slowly melt.

"Lee's only five-eleven," he said.

Piper eyed him suspiciously.

"…and a half," he sheepishly added.

"Figures!" Piper resounded.

Jared had suspected that Chris would've been the first to come out after him, knowing that his anxious older brother had a great deal of trouble letting things simmer down before readdressing them.

"I'm surprised Chris let you come; I was expecting…"

"Excuse me? Let me come?" Piper interrupted. "Who's the parent here?"

Jared nodded with a slight grin. "Touché!" he replied.

"But, I'll let you in on a little secret," Piper continued; "threatening to send your son from the future to school everyday in a ballerina costume can save a mother quite a bit of time."

Jared chuckled; this was definitely his mother.

"Okay, I told you a secret," said Piper, "now you have to tell me one!"

Jared tilted his head in thought. "Well, let's see…"

"No, no, no, no, no Mister" Piper exclaimed. "I get to decide what to ask."

"How come? I didn't." Jared replied.

"My, Jared," Piper teased, "what a pretty ballerina costume you're wearing!"

"You're right," Jared admitted with smile. "That's a very effective trick."

"Isn't it?" replied Piper, smugly.

Jared sat quietly for a moment, deep in thought, and gazing lazily in front of himself. Having the suspicious feeling he was being watched, he turned his head towards his mother, who was indeed looking directly at him, patiently waiting for him to speak.

"Have you been looking at me this entire time?" he asked sheepishly.

Piper smiled but said nothing.

"My turn to start, right?" he said shyly.

His mother smiled again, noddingin gentle affirmation.

"You know," said Jared, "you seem oddly comfortable with this whole sons-from-the-future thing."

Piper nodded. "It's getting to be a yearly tradition," she said, matter-of-factly.

Jared let out a small chuckle. "So then, this IS the time that Chris came back to?" asked Jared.

"Sure!" Piper responded, enthusiastically. "We've had all kinds; we've had visits from 22-year-old Chris, 25-year-old Wyatt, both versions of him… and, just between you and me, the 'bad boy look' is NOT worth the 'bad boy attitude."

Jared had no idea what his mother was chattering on about, at least in regards to bad boy attitudes and what not. Seeing the puzzled look on his face she decided to clarify.

"If the T.V. show Friends were the time-space continuum, THIS time would be Monica's apartment."

Jared nodded, though he was only somewhat familiar with the reference.

Piper sat silently for a moment, waiting for Jared to bring up what was really troubling him. The silence wasn't at all uncomfortable, but Jared's thoughts were far from organized.

"You know," he began, "believe it or not, out of all my brothers, I was the easiest to raise."

Piper felt slightly uneasy. "Please tell me I never told you that," she said. "That's just not something a mother should say."

Jared was surprised by her reaction. "Actually, my 10th grade English teacher told me you said that."

Piper had a determined look in her eye. "Okay then, when we get back to the house I'm going to need this person's name, address, and anything else the FBI would find useful because I was clearly misquoted."

"I'm confused;" Jared said curiously, "are you unhappy with the fact that I was easy to raise, or the fact that someone told me?"

"Well, let me ask you this:" Piper responded."Why did you think that telling me would somehow make me feel differently?"

Jared felt strangely guilty. "I guess it's just… with all the trouble I've caused already… I just didn't want you to think that I was always such a handful."

Piper was visibly saddened by Jared's response. "And that's exactly why I would never want you believe I felt that way… or at least that your father and I would love you any less if you weren't the easiest to raise."

Jared wasn't sure exactly how he felt about all of this. The one thing that had made him feel a little less terrible about this morning's events had just been obliterated. "I think I understand," he redplied.

"Let me put it this way," Piper continued. "When someone becomes a surgeon… do you think they do it because they think they're going to be partying in the emergency room all night long?"

Jared scoffed a bit at the thought. "No… at least, I hope not."

"Okay," affirmed Piper. "So then, why do you think they became doctors to begin with?"

Jared felt like a little boy being asked rhetorical questions by his kindergarten teacher. "Well… probably because they wanted to help people," he replied.

"Sure," agreed Piper, nodding. "And why else do you think?"

Jared's brow crinkled a bit. "Probably because it's very rewarding," he concluded.

"Exactly!" exclaimed Piper. "I didn't become a mother because I thought it was going to be easy. Any woman who becomes a mother for that reason doesn't deserve to be a mother at all. Having children is not supposed to be easy. Hell, why do it if it were?"

Jared was grateful for the comforting words. "I never thought of it that way."

Piper looked at her son as he somberly gazed down at his hands, perfecting the art of thumb twiddling. She thought it might be easier for him to be open with her if she became a bit more vulnerable herself.

"You know," she said, "this may not make any sense considering this whole time traveling business, but I'm actually feeling a little bit responsible for letting you get this far in your life believing that part of the reason your father and I valued you was because you somehow caused less trouble than your brothers."

Jared was touched. "Really?"

"No, I'm really just angry at your father because I'm sure this is all his fault," Piper joked. "I just figured it'd make you feel better if I put myself on the list."

Jared laughed quietly, appreciating the familiar sense of humor. "So you've always been a mind-reader, then."

Piper was taken back a bit. "What do you mean?"

"It's kind of a long story," Jared replied.

"I've got nothing but time," said Piper, comfortingly. "Spill it, Halliwell!"

Jared smiled shyly but gratefully. He had always wanted to tell her the story, but the right moment never seemed to arrive.

"You know, I only got my new power a few weeks ago. My brothers all got theirs either at birth or before they could walk; I was the only one without any and, of course, I was a little bit jealous."

Piper listened intently, but remained quiet.

"On my sixth birthday, after everyone had gone home, you asked me to come over and sit on your lap because you had something you wanted to tell me. So, I hopped in your lap… And you told me that I had one of the most important powers that anyone could ever have,"

Jared was hoping that the story would be meaningful to his mother, but he hadn't anticipated how the telling of it would touch him as well.

"You said that my power was the ability to see a person exactly as they are, both the good and the bad, and still make them feel like they're the most wonderful person in the world."

Jared felt like he was turning into the six year old he was describing.

"You told me that, just because a person can't see it and, even if it isn't listed in the 'Book of Shadows', that doesn't mean that it isn't still magic."

Jared's eyes sparkled tenderly as he was warmed by this memory.

"I never thanked you for it," he said apologetically, "but I want to thank you for it now… because it was the most meaningful thing that anybody ever said to me… ever."

To his surprise, Jared suddenly feared that his voice would soon break but, though he felt a little ridiculous, but he forced himself to go on. "My brothers and I may not make it back to our time… so, since I may never get to thank you in the future, I want you to know that I do know what you did for me… and that I do appreciate it… and that I wish I'd let you know before now"

Piper couldn't find the words… Instead, she just patted her lap and said, "Okay… head in the lap… Let's go!"

Jared couldn't help but laugh. "You're kidding right?"

"Note… Serious… Face!" Piper replied, pointing in her face's direction.

Jared just shrugged, lay his head slowly down, and let his mother stroke his soft, sandy hair. After a few minutes, it seemed one of the most natural things in the world. He could've even fallen asleep had he let himself.

"Have you ever heard the expression, 'to tame the wind'?" asked Piper.

"I might have heard someone mention it when I was younger," answered Jared.

"Well… whenever someone says that, to do "such-and-such" is like taming the wind, what they mean is… by accomplishing THAT they accomplish the IMPOSSIBLE… And, even if only for a moment, I was lucky enough to see my very own son… tame the wind."

Keeping his head in her lap, Jared looked up at her.

"In other words," she continued, "I saw my son achieve the impossible, right before my very eyes… and no matter what else may or may not have happened before or after… The only thought in my head is, 'Wow! My very own amazing, talented child, just achieved the impossible'.

Piper rubbed her watery eyes with her hands, remembering a time when she feared never being able to have children at all.

"Any mother who couldn't appreciate that should have her tubes forcibly tied."

Jared grinned as he looked up. "Piper…"

"Hold it! Back it up! Try again!" Piper interjected.

Jared's 1000-watt grin fell right into place. "I mean...Mom," he said, "you sure are good at what'cha do."

Piper nodded her head proudly and looked back down into Jared's eyes. "Darn right I am!"

Mother and son remained as they were, taking in the moment, then eventually Jared sat back up.

"So," Piper began, "should we go make sure that Chris and Steve haven't killed each other?"

"Nah," Jared responded, wanting to keep her to himself for just a moment longer. "Lee can take care of it…"

Piper smiled. "I'll bet you and I talk a lot in the future, huh?" she said.

Jared nodded affirmatively. "Gossip is definitely our thing."

"I knew it!" Piper resounded. "Just so I'm aware, are you as tightlipped about the future as Chris is?"

"Heck no!" responded Jared. "Change is good, right?"

"Good, 'cause I have enough questions to keep us out here until midnight," said Piper.

"Fire away!" Jared exclaimed.

Piper took a deep breath. "First question; how many of you are there?"

Jared also took a deep breath, with a nervous look in his eyes "It's a good thing you're sitting down."