Prue pushed her fatigued body out of the hospital bed as the lights went out. She knew who was here. She stood tall and positioned herself in front of Victor and Chris protectively.
"Andy!" She called out, hoping he would hear her. "C'mon Andy, where are you".
The door flew open to reveal the physical form of the Source. In his right hand was the crystal the the Rigor demons had already tried to use on her. His eyes were locked on the newborn Halliwell.
"Nice boy" he smirked, tilting his head to get a better look at Chris. "I see why you tried to hide him for so long".
Prue's protective stance didn't change. She remained stiff and close to her father. The demon advanced towards the trio and her fists became tightly clenched.
"It's really too bad about what happened" the Source taunted. Prue's brow raised, but she fought the urge to react. The room began to shake, but it was different this time. Objects were falling towards the Source and away from Prue.
It was then that the Charmed One realized her powers were back. Her green eyes squinted to send him against the wall. Her aim was slightly off from exhaustion, but her rage was definitely strong enough to make some parts of the room move.
The Source picked himself up off the floor and sent an energy ball flying towards Prue. She tried to deflect it, but failed and the blast of energy hit her directly in the chest.
"You bastard!" Victor growled, watching as Prue lost her balance and caught herself on the side of the bed.
"Dad, stay with Chris!" Prue ordered, holding her hand up to show that she was okay. The Source began to form a giant fireball and slowly lifted his arm to aim it towards the witch.
Prue turned to check on Chris as she pulled herself up off the side of the bed. The young witch's eyes were open and alert. The Source took advantage of the situation and raised his hand higher, prepared to release the fireball.
Victor reacted quickly. He turned and placed Chris in the bassinet beside the bed and grabbed the nearby medical table. Prue's green eyes widened as she watched her father lift the table into the air and throw it at the Source of all Evil.
The Source was caught off guard by the flying furniture and the fireball disappeared.
"Foolish mistake" he told the mortal father before advancing towards them. The Source reached out to bring the bassinet closer.
"Oh, I don't think so" Prue asserted, grabbing the demon as he came close to them. The Charmed One's angelic presence shocked him. She could feel the evil affecting her as well, but it was hurting him so it was worth it. Touching him caused her skin to itch and burn. She could feel it radiating, starting in her hands and travelling through her body.
"Dad, take him and run".
"I have help everywhere" the Source laughed. "They're with your family now".
Hallway
Piper Halliwell was on her knees, in tears.
"Baby, please don't" she pleaded as she watched her son walk away from her. The toddler turned and grinned before dark orbing into an adult sized version of himself. The older Wyatt had dark hazel eyes, dirty blonde hair that fell into his eyes, and a strong jawline like his father. He looked just like Leo at that age but with darker hair and features.
Piper's eyes widened as the young man closed his eyes and conjured a long sword just like Andy's Valhalla sword.
Andy orbed in to see Piper on the ground, panicking. He couldn't see what was causing the Charmed One to worry so much.
"Piper, what happened?" he asked, bending down to her level and fearing the worst.
"Are you Mr. Trudeau?" A voice asked from behind. The Inspector turned to see a doctor with a pale, somber face.
"... Yes" he replied apprehensively. The doctor approached him slowly.
"Mr. Trudeau, I'm afraid there were some complications with the birth".
After watching Chris fade away, Andy could barely hold it together. He felt as if he had just taken a hammer to the stomach. He had to remember to breathe.
"What do you mean?"
"I'm so sorry to tell you, but unfortunately neither of them made it". Andy's heart ached from the words, but he knew something was wrong. Leo didn't have to come tell him when Prue had been killed by Shax. He was in denial, but he already knew back then. His heart ached, but for his adult son. He knew Prue was still alive. He just had to believe it.
"Bring me to her" he demanded. The doctor's yellow teeth showed as he tried to hide a smile.
"Certainly" he hissed. Andy waited until the doctor turned and then grabbed him from behind.
"Piper, snap out of it!" Andy yelled, conjuring an athame into his right hand and pressing it against the doctor's neck.
"Andy! What are you doing?! Piper screamed, snapping out of her fear induced fantasy to see her brother-in-law assaulting a doctor.
"Don't you see?" he asked, using the athame to tilt the doctor's head upwards. It was then that the illusion faded for Piper and she could see the demon of fear.
"It was you" she growled. "I should've known".
The demon laughed, causing Andy to press the athame closer to his neck.
"Piper, do you have the potions still?"
She nodded, opening her side bag to gather them.
"I wouldn't waste your time on me" Barbas hissed. "The Source is in there right now".
The demon's eyes motioned towards the hospital room where Prue was. Andy's grip tightened around the athame.
"Throw it, Piper" Andy commanded. The Charmed One did as she was asked. Flames appeared at Barbas' feet as Andy pushed him away.
"No!" Barbas shrieked. "You can't get rid of me!"
"I think we just did" Piper quipped. The demon of fear let out a few more painful groans as flames consumed him.
"Fear always comes back!" Barbas' last words sent shivers down Piper's spine since she knew that was true. They had never found a way to rid the demon completely.
Leo orbed in seconds later with Wyatt in his arms. Andy nodded at the Elder before taking off down the hallway towards Prue's room.
"Leo!" Piper scolded. The Source is here, you can't bring Wyatt". Leo lost control of his emotions and several tears began to fall down his cheeks.
"Piper, we can't take him out of our sight. I need you with him while I help Prue".
"Leo … what happened?" Piper tried to understand Leo's fragile state. The Elder moved closed to her and pulled her into a tight hug with Wyatt in the middle.
Prue's Hospital Room
Prue continued to hold the Source off while Victor grabbed baby Chris. She needed to use physical and magical strength to keep the Source at bay. The mixture of telekinesis and muscle was holding for now, but she could feel the exhaustion from labour slowly taking over.
Two more demons ran into the room and began to make their way towards Victor. The Source grabbed Prue's hand and spun her around. The Charmed One was now engulfed in the Source's evil presence since he made sure she was pressed against him with one hand. The burning sensation was almost unbearable, but Prue continued to use her powers to make sure the Source couldn't move towards her father while also holding the other demons away telekinetically.
"Leo!" She called out in desperation. The Source conjured the athame to capture souls into his left hand and held it above Prue's chest.
"Prudence!" Victor panicked, watching his daughter's eyes widen.
"It's okay, Dad" she tried to assure him, but he could tell she was worried too.
A familiar frame faded in between the father and daughter.
"Belthazor?"
Prue heard the Source mutter Cole's demonic name, but almost couldn't believe what she was seeing. Standing less than two feet away from her was Cole Turner.
"I can't let you touch this baby" Cole informed, standing protectively in front of Victor and Chris. The Source released his hold on Prue, tossing her to the hospital bed. The Charmed One let out a slight moan of pain as she hit the bed. Her skin felt as if it was on fire from touching the Source for so long.
"Your human side will always be a weakness" the Source grinned as he took Cole by surprise and lunged at the oldest Charmed One while she was getting her breath back on the bed. The athame was heading straight for her heart. Cole reacted quickly and threw himself in between the athame and Prue.
Cole only smiled as the Source twisted the athame in his abdomen. He lifted one arm up and grabbed the Source's arms tightly. With the other arm, he pulled the athame out of his stomach and handed it to his ex sister-in-law.
"Prue! Use this" he commanded through raspy breaths. Prue took the athame and made sure that her striking green eyes looked right into the Source's black demonic eyes. Without hesitation, she used all of her magical and physical strength to plunge the athame directly into his chest. She aimed right for his heart.
The Source let out a long, painful scream as he burst into flames and disappeared. The two demons in the room shimmered away to avoid the vanquish.
Prue rushed to Cole's side and caught his weight as he fell to the ground.
"That should do it" he laughed before letting out a deep cough. Prue held the former demon's head off the ground and assessed his injuries. "That athame will destroy a soul if it isn't captured. He's gone".
Prue closed her eyes tightly. It felt as if a large weight was off of her chest. She could hear a pair of footsteps barreling towards the door. When she opened her eyes, Andy was standing in the doorway.
"You have a good kid" Cole smiled, causing Prue's brow to quirk up. She noticed the colour fading from his face and reached for the crystal the Source had been holding. As Cole took his last breath, Prue held the crystal above his chest and smiled.
The former demon smiled back at her as he faded into white lights. The white lights danced around the crystal as Cole's soul was captured by it.
Andy rushed to Prue and pulled her tightly into his arms. He let several kisses fall to her head as he inspected every inch of her.
"Are you okay?" Andy asked, brushing several strands of dark hair out of her eyes.
"Better than okay" Prue smiled, capturing Andy's lips with hers. When the two pulled apart, Prue noticed Andy's blank stare. "Are you okay?"
Andy's crystal blue eyes closed tightly. He was still fighting off the urge to fall apart. Prue knew something had happened. Almost as if he was sensing his father, the youngest Halliwell let out a small whimper. Andy's eyes opened instantly.
The grieving father helped Prue off the ground and guided her onto the bed. He bent down and grabbed the crystal, making sure to gently hand it to Prue before turning around. He had avoided turning around until now. He still feared the worst.
When Andy turned around, he had to remember to take a breath. There, in Victor's arms was his son. The infant had striking green eyes that were searching the room and a few strands of dark hair.
Victor grinned from ear to ear as he slowly handed Chris to Andy. The new father was speechless. He gently cradled his son. The same son that he had just watched fade away an hour before. The same green eyes looked up at him. Andy couldn't hold his emotions in any more. Tears began to form in his eyes as he processed all of them.
"You guys did great, Dad" Victor congratulated. "He looks perfect".
"He is" Prue smiled as Piper entered the room. Leo trailed in behind holding Wyatt. The Elder's face was pale and he wouldn't make eye contact with Prue. There was something they were still waiting to tell her, she knew it.
"You did it!" Piper squealed, taking a running jump onto the hospital bed. "You kicked the Source's butt!"
Prue couldn't help but laugh as she wrapped an arm around her sister.
"Chris! Paige! Bring Phoebe here" Prue called out towards the ceiling. Everyone in the room was tense except for Victor and Prue. The telekinetic picked up on their reaction right away.
"Okay … what's wrong? Is someone ... " Prue knew her answer when only Phoebe and Paige orbed into the room with matching tear chapped cheeks. Prue had never seen her sister so upset.
"Chris" she mouthed. "He didn't make it home safe".
Andy shook his head no. He fought off the tears by gazing back down at his newborn son. Victor took a seat in the hospital chair as he processed as well.
"I'm sorry" Leo cut in. "I was supposed to get him home safely".
"It's not your fault" Piper soothed, placing a gentle hand on his arm.
Phoebe advanced towards her newborn nephew with excitement. Andy grinned and handed Chris gently to her.
The empath closed her eyes and smiled.
"Guys, we're forgetting that he's still here" she added. "He's here, he's safe, and he's amazing".
Prue wiped away a tear as Paige took a seat on her other side. Phoebe had an amazing point.
"And he's a hero" Piper whispered, turning to look at her son now. "If it weren't for him, horrible things would've happened to Wyatt".
Leo had filled her in on the main details already but she was still in shock.
"Speaking of heroes" Prue lifted the crystal into the air and handed it to Leo. "Cole saved our lives. I think he deserves to go somewhere safe".
"I can make sure he finally goes where he should be" Leo smiled as he took the crystal from Prue.
"Cole?" Phoebe took her eyes off her infant nephew for the first time to look at the crystal. Prue nodded back at her.
"I'll explain later" Prue promised.
"Okay" Paige waited for a moment before interrupting. "I think it's time to celebrate this little man that Phoebe's hogging!"
The youngest Charmed One held her hands out in hopes to hold Chris and winked at her sister.
Kitchen - Two Days Later
"Can you pass the milk please?" Phoebe asked. Paige slowly lifted the jug and passed it to her sister. Wyatt threw a cheerio towards the witchlighter from his highchair, but she didn't notice. "Do you need more coffee?"
Paige nodded but her eyes perked up when Piper and Leo entered the room together.
"Why Leo, I do believe those are last night's clothes" Phoebe teased, earning a vengeful look from Piper. Leo and Piper both took seats at the table after grabbing bowls for cereal and ignored her comment playfully.
"At least you two come out of the room" Phoebe complained. "We barely see the other three that live here".
"Can you blame them?"
"Well … no. But it's not healthy" Phoebe grumbled. She hated seeing her sister so upset, but she also needed to see baby Chris so she could heal as well.
"They need time" Piper added.
"Or some peace of mind?" Paige suggested as a thought popped into her head. She rushed over to the island counter and opened a drawer to get a pad of paper. "Leo, I'm sorry if this counts a personal gain".
Phoebe leaned over to read what Paige was writing and grinned.
"Great idea".
"Uh oh" Piper joked, rolling her eyes. Paige grabbed Prue's sweater that had been left in the kitchen and held it tightly.
"Help this mother find, what will give her peace of mind. Help us make Prue's heart no longer ache".
White lights danced into the room and revealed a tall, muscular frame. Paige titled her head to the side, expecting to see someone else.
To their surprise, someone other than Chris was in the room with them. Piper recognized him from his sandy blonde hair right away.
"Wyatt" she blurted out.
"Mom?" Adult Wyatt seemed more confused than anyone else.
"Yeah …" Piper stood up from the table and approached her adult son. He opened his arms out to hug her without hesitation.
"I'm happy to be here, but why?"
Phoebe bit her lip.
"Sweetie, we're so very happy to see you … especially looking so … good!"
"Phoebe" Piper growled protectively.
"It's okay Mom, I know what Chris had to do for me when I was little". His eyes caught sight of his toddler self before going back to Piper's small pregnant belly. "Wait .. it just happened didn't it?"
Piper nodded yes.
"That's why we cast the spell. To give Prue peace of mind". Wyatt knew what to do right away. He turned to give his father a nod before turning to go upstairs.
"Same room?" He asked, turning to see his whole family trailing behind on the stairs.
"Probably?" Paige laughed. "We don't know much about the future".
Wyatt let out a small chuckle and made his way up the stairs. He knocked gently on Prue's door. A few seconds later, Andy greeted the young man at the door. His eyes widened in fear, but Piper noticed them relax as soon as he saw them trailing behind.
"Andy..." Piper began "This is Wyatt".
Andy opened the door to reveal Prue holding a sleeping Chris.
"I understand that you're hurting. I know you haven't gone back to magic yet" Wyatt started to speak. "But I wanted to let you know that I know what Chris did for me. My family told us all about sacrifices he made and I want to let you know that he's got a great life now".
"Really?" Prue's green eyes became misty.
Wyatt nodded.
"I can't tell you much about his life, but he's happy. He's so very happy". Wyatt couldn't help but grin as baby Chris' eyes fluttered open and met his. "And he's my best friend. I wouldn't be who I am without him. The Chris who came to you, or the one I grew up with ... They're the same, and he's clearly destined to save me … or keep me grounded. I wish I could tell you more".
"No, what you told us was perfect". Prue's smile grew as she looked into her son's green eyes and realized he wasn't gone at all. He still had his whole life to live.