Here is one more set-up chapter. Thank you to everyone who reads, and also to those who review! I'm glad you all enjoy it so far.
mahsa: I've been thinking of doing something with the two boys and you will see!
Mony19: Don't worry, she hasn't had wine yet haha!
emily444, Beuty6 and - Thank you very much for the reviews! They mean a lot.
"He's back?!" Paige and Phoebe shouted in unison. Prue and Piper both remained silent. Neither them had gotten over his attacks from last time.
"Well, actually he was never gone" Chris informed. "The Source was never truly vanquished by your spell. He was only weakened for many years. That's why his powers needed Cole."
"In your timeline … When did he come back and did we stop him?" Piper asked, inching closer to him. Chris went silent. He couldn't say much about the future, but he did know that this was one thing he needed to change.
"In fourteen years, he comes back too powerful for many stop him" Chris struggled to say the words without giving off any emotion. "You have always, and will always need Prue to stop him. That's why he was never truly vanquished".
All eyes were on Prue. Especially Andy's. Yet another burden was now on her shoulders, but she took it with grace and seemed unfazed. This worried Andy and Piper.
"Me saving Paige allowed information to be leaked to them. They're trying to get him ready faster".
Andy sighed. He knew they had time, but if the Source found out someone from the future was trying to stop him, it would only accelerate things even more.
Prue bit her lip, trying to process two timelines at once.
"Wait, so someone from our side is leaking info?" Paige asked, placing a hand on her hip.
"Maybe" Chris hesitated. "Or the balance of Good is allowing them to grow faster. Saving you kept the balance stronger for us".
Phoebe leaned over and gave Paige a tight hug.
"At least we have both of you this time". Phoebe muttered, looking over to her big sister. She hadn't even been with them a week and they were already back into the magic game.
Chris focused more of his energy on hiding his feelings. Phoebe couldn't feel how worried he was. His family members who weren't born yet could be affected if he didn't make sure everything went safely.
A demon shimmered in, covered in soot similar to Chris. He made his way towards Paige. His eyes did not go off of her as his target.
Prue's eyes became daggers as she sent the demon flying through the air. She stepped in front of Paige and shielded her with her body.
Phoebe's heart dropped. She watched her sister use herself as a human shield and couldn't help but be worried. She could feel how worried Andy was too. He hadn't been around for many demon fights. Phoebe only had her suspicions, but those were enough to be worried about her sister and possible niece or nephew.
"Prue!" She called out. Prue didn't seem worried at all. The demon got up from the floor and looked over at the group.
Paige and Piper were too worried about a magical reason behind Prue's illness that they couldn't see a physical reason right in front of them. Prue was also too stubborn to believe she was fragile … even though she was truly dead.
"Foolish witch" he seethed. "If you hurt me the Source will know you're back".
"Not if I getcha" Piper grinned. With a flick of her wrist, the demon exploded into flames.
Paige smiled from behind Prue's protective frame. She then turned to their whitelighter.
"Did he follow you?"
Chris shook his head no and bit his lip.
"I checked and I wasn't followed … He may be a scout".
"Little snoops!" Piper growled.
"We should set up a magical barrier around the house. We can't have them know Prue's here" Phoebe added, sending Paige a wink. She could tell how happy her little sister was to have Prue here.
"The Elders, or the Source?" Andy asked, taking a moment to regain his regular heartbeat. He hadn't anticipated being that worried from seeing Prue throw herself in front of a demon.
"Both" Phoebe laughed.
"I know a great spell". Chris added, prompting for Paige to follow him. She and Chris ran up the stairs to get crystals ready.
Just then Wyatt's cry could be heard through the baby monitor sitting on the centre table. Piper began to make her way towards the stairs when Phoebe stopped her.
"I got it sweetie. You've been doing it all and need a break".
Phoebe ran up the stairs to go see her nephew. Piper looked over to Prue who was already in Andy's arms. Her heart still ached from the loss of Leo. She wondered when he would come back.
"I'll go start lunch" Piper whispered quietly. Prue noticed the sadness in her tone but Andy held tightly to her.
"Let her go" he whispered into her ear. "She needs space for a minute and I think we need to talk".
Prue nodded. She knew they both had their suspicions. Nothing needed to be said.
"We should take a test" she whispered into his ear, making sure no one could hear.
Andy nodded. He was pretty sure an even better source than a pregnancy test was upstairs setting crystals up.
"Either way, you have to be more careful". He tipped her chin up and leaned in for a kiss.
Nursery
Phoebe lifted Wyatt into her arms and let several kisses fall to the top of his head. He let out a whimper she recognized well.
She leaned over and grabbed his bottle. She was instantly taken into a premonition.
Prue and Piper ran into the Manor with tear stained faces.
"Maybe she's here?" Prue looked frantic and broken. Phoebe had never seen her sister show so much emotion … Even after Andy's death.
The Manor was surrounded by crystals similar to what Chris and Paige were setting up.
"We can't lose her too."
"We aren't losing Phoebe's daughter". Prue's voice was powerful.
The two sisters marched into the living room where four children were sitting on the couch. Andy stood on guard beside them, his arms crossed over his chest.
"Anything from Leo?" he asked.
Piper shook her head.
"How can the Elders not know how bad this is getting?" He growled, looking over at the children. There were two boys, close in age. They were young teens around fourteen or fifteen.
One of them had to be Wyatt. He had sandy blonde hair with bright green eyes and bore a striking resemblance to Leo.
The other boy had brown hair and stunning green eyes as well. He bore a striking resemblance to Prue. Chris? Phoebe wondered.
Beside the boys were two young girls. Both of them with brown hair that matched all of the Halliwell sisters.
Suddenly, several demons surrounded the Manor, overpowering the crystals. Flames flickered throughout the room.
The Source of all Evil flamed in front of the two remaining sisters.
"The Power of Three is broken … for the third time" he snickered. Prue didn't flinch. He began to chant a spell they recognized would take away their powers.
"Andy, get them out of here!" Prue screamed, looking back at the children. Andy closed his eyes and seconds later, two Valkyries appeared in a green flash. The Valkyries took the girls, but the two boys slipped out of their grips.
She looked back at the Source, he was continuing to chant. She closed her eyes and focused all of her power on him. He went flying across the room.
"Phoebe, Paige, Penelope, Patricia" …. Prue and Piper's voices cut through the sound of the Source's chanting. He sent out an energy ball only to have Prue deflect it.
A blue shield surrounded the two sisters and Piper realized what her son was doing. She stopped chanting and turned to face him, proud tears in her eyes.
"You have to go".
Wyatt shook his head. The other boy stood behind with Andy, watching intently.
"Now you want to save Mommy?" The Source mocked. "I thought you were only interested in power".
Piper flinched back, shocked that the Source knew her son on a personal level.
"Too late" the Source laughed, sending a fireball directly at the trio. It pierced through the shield and Prue instinctively threw herself in front of her sister and nephew, taking all of the power of the fire ball. She moaned as she fell into Piper's arms.
"Prue!" Andy yelled. A young Chris advanced towards them to help. Andy took two steps forward, seeing what was about to happen. He grabbed hold of the young boy's shirt and orbed away with him.
Piper caught her sister's injured body and looked down at the crimson blood covering her hands. She was relieved to see her sister was still breathing. The Source conjured another fireball and hit a distracted Piper.
Unable to wake her physical body, Prue astral projected out. Her heart dropped when as she watched Piper's body fall onto hers.
Astral Prue stared directly at the hooded figure. Her voice was powerful as she finished the last part of the spell. The Source became engulfed in the flames of a vanquish and Prue's astral form returned to her body.
Wyatt stood there in silence.
Phoebe let out several gasps as she came out of one of the longest and most painful premonitions she had ever experienced. She held on to Wyatt tightly, wanting to hold a piece of her sister after witnessing that.
Was that the future Chris was trying to avoid, or was there even more? She couldn't process it yet.
"The crystals are ready and set up" a voice from the doorway informed. She turned to see the young whitelighter standing in the doorway with her youngest sister. She studied his features. His green eyes stood out the most. They were the same as her sisters. She wasn't sure why she ever doubted herself. From the moment she first saw him, she recognized those eyes.
"Phoebe are you okay?" Paige rushed to her sister's side. Her breathing was fast and her face was pale.
"I think I just saw the future you've been avoiding" she whispered, looking up at Chris.