One Month Later
She awoke in a cold sweat, her heart racing. Her breathing was shallow and labored. Her long brown hair twirled in a mess of anxiety and restlessness. She ran her hand through her tangled strands and sighed. After a few moments working to calm down, she knew she wasn't going to be able to fall back to sleep. She threw on her silk robe and headed down to the kitchen. As she walked down the hallway, she passed the door to her bedroom. She hadn't been in that room for nearly a month, not since choosing the funeral dress. She then saw the photos on the hall wall. Generations of Warren witches, all of them dead. There was a time when she still held out hope, but in reality she knew better now. She knew that their only destiny was to die. Yes, they would save innocents and if lucky find fleeting love, but at the end they die...painfully.
"I wondered when you'd be up" Phoebe said from the kitchen table.
Piper gave her a small smile and said, "Well, who needs more than three hours of sleep anyway?"
Phoebe snorted and said, "Three? That's pretty luxurious compared to me lately." She then lifted her coffee cup and said, "Nearly a one pot down within the last hour and a half".
"Phoebe, you'll give yourself a heart attack with that much coffee." Piper said as she poured the last of the coffee into her mug. Then she started a new pot.
The two sisters sat in silence for a few minutes. Then Phoebe said, "How's Leo doing?"
"I'm not sure, I haven't seen him in nearly two days." Piper sipped her coffee. Then as she sat down across from Phoebe she said, "The Elders decided he needed another new charge. This time a high school senior, Brandon...Brendan, or something. Anyway he has the power to control the weather." Piper then took another sip of coffee, "Apparently his hormones and constant bully is causing havoc with his powers. So Leo needs to stay with him and give him intensive training."
Phoebe finished her mug of coffee and said, "It's not fair they're working him this hard. He's been going like this for nearly two weeks."
Piper gave her sister a frown and said, "Well, as he said, The Elders need to nurture good witches and future whitelighters even more. Losing the Power of Three was a serious blow in the great battle against evil". She added air quotes when she said 'great battle'.
"Well, good to know where their priorities are." Phoebe snarked.
Piper rolled her neck before saying, "Better them then us I guess." She thought for a moment then said, "Yeah, The Power of two isn't much of a threat now is it?"
"Nope. Just annoying I guess."
More silence.
"How's Cole?" Piper asked trying to connect with Phoebe.
Phoebe sighed heavily and said, "He's been in the underworld nearly a week Piper."
"I'm sorry, I just wasn't sure if he'd shimmered in lately or not." Piper said defensively.
"No, it's ok. I'm sorry for being so testy." Phoebe got up and went to the fridge. She pulled out some leftover pizza and put it on a plate. "I've just been on edge with him out there. I know he's doing this for us, but it's hard. I keep thinking I'll be planning his funeral next." Phoebe said after taking her food from the microwave.
Piper nodded and said, "I get it Phoebe. He vanquished Shax for us, that put him on the top of The Source's hit list."
"And he says that him not being here is keeping us safe. Something about The Source not interested in us anymore now that the charmed circle is broken." Phoebe said sitting back down at the table.
Piper nodded again then said, "Leo says something similar. With the Power of Three gone we're not such an attractive prize to demons anymore. They know we can defend ourselves, so it's no longer worth the risk."
"Well if we're not much of a risk, I guess we..." Phoebe stopped herself and then said, "maybe we should start to plan our future?"
Piper gave her a flat stare and said, "I've been thinking the same thing."
Phoebe's eyes widened, then she said, "You have? I was so afraid that you would blow me up or something."
Piper snickered and said, "The thought has crossed my mind, but I decided against it."
"Well, thank you very much." Phoebe said with mock gratitude.
"Seriously though, you're right. We have to think about our future, our future without Prue." Piper said sadly.
"It's still hard to imagine." Phoebe said.
"I still half expect to see her walk through that door" Piper said nodding towards the kitchen door.
Piper moved to the coffee pot, poured herself another cup. Then she looked out the window and said, "I know she's gone. I know our destiny is over, but it still seems so strange"
Phoebe stood and walked towards her sister. She placed a hand on her back and rubbed it for comfort. "To think three years ago we were so...estranged. Then we had three years as sisters, real sisters." Phoebe then said, "But we still have each other."
Piper continued to look out the window as she watched the sun come up. She had tears in her eyes and said, "Yes we do."
One Year Later
Piper sat on the old pink couch in the attic looking through the Book of Shadows. It was something she'd started to do a few months ago, three to be exact. It was a way to remember the good her sisters did, the good her family did. She leaned over the book as she rubbed her growing belly. She was three months pregnant and couldn't be happier. So much changed in the last year, but she was finally feeling hopeful again. As she flipped to the end of the book she found a blank page. The book always seemed to have more blank pages appear when needed.
"Piper, what're you doing up so late?" Leo said having just orbed into the attic.
Piper looked at her husband and said, "Well, this little one keeps giving me heartburn. I don't think she likes it when I lay down anymore."
Leo frowned then said, "I'm sorry Piper that must be really uncomfortable."
"Oh it's fine Leo. All the baby books have said that it's normal and should lessen as the pregnancy progresses." Piper said with a small smile.
He then came and sat down next to his wife on the antique sofa.
"What're you looking for? A demon didn't attack did they?" Leo asked concerned.
Piper shook her head and said, "No. The last demon was on Sunday, a low-level Salamander demon. The idiot caught me on my way out of P3. I blew him up, easy peasy."
"I'm glad you were able to handle it. I just wish you didn't have to." Leo said with a frown.
"Hey, our demon attacks have gone down significantly but we're still badass withes." Piper said as she closed the book. Then she went to place it back on the pedestal. She looked over to Leo and said, "I got some perspective when I talked with Grams and Mom a few weeks ago."
"How so?" Leo asked.
Piper walked back to the couch, sat down and said, "Well, they both reminded me that each of them and all Warren women before them have been exactly where I am now. They know what it's like to be pregnant, fighting demons, and struggling with loss." She paused and said, "Did you know that Grams' mom was pregnant with her when they faced off against Pearl Russel?"
Leo looked stunned, "No, I didn't."
"Well, apparently she knew she was pregnant before that fight with Pearl and Anton. It was what gave her the courage to stand up to them. She knew that her power wasn't able to stop them alone, even with Great Aunt Phoebe it would be tough. However she did it, for her child." Piper laughed a little then said, "It's like knowing that there was this new life...this new hope coming into the world shortly empowered her."
"They also told me how hard it was her to lose Pearl, a cousin who mas very much like a sister to her and Great Aunt Phoebe. She had to go on with her pregnancy without a member of their family because, well, because that's just the way it was. And she did it. That's what I want to do for our child Leo. I want to be strong enough to face what life has in store for us all."
Twenty Five Years Later
"What do you mean the demon didn't have a face?" She said as though she wanted to vomit.
"I mean exactly that Hope. The demon had no face, only large black eyes. It reminded me of one of those grey aliens or something." The man next to her said.
Hope sighed then said, "Well, ok. So we're looking for an alien in our book about demons and witchcraft. No one said our life was boring Benny."
Ben rolled his eyes and said in frustration, "Stop. Calling. Me. Benny. It's just Ben." He looked around and then said, "Where is your sister by the way? Shouldn't Faith be here for the big vanquish?"
"She's stuck on whitelighter duty. Her newest charge is a future whitelighter who's about to fall off the path. The Elders have her posing as a classmate at Berkley." Hope shrugged and said, "What about Patty or Victor?"
Ben's lips became a thin line across his otherwise flawless face before he said, "Those brats are still at Magic School. Apparently Gideon..." He practically spat the name, "...has them working on a special project before Patty's graduation."
Hope sighed and said, "You still hate Gideon huh?"
"Yes! The man despises me for being half-demon. No matter what I do, no matter how much evil I vanquish he still thinks I'm dirty." Ben snapped.
"You're just being paranoid. He has never been anything but nice to you since school. Yes, he's expressed concern over some of your powers, but he has every belief in you as a Halliwell." Hope said then rubbed his arm.
Ben shrugged her off then said, "Whatever. Let's just get down to business."
Halliwell Children
Piper & Leo
Hope Prudence Halliwell: Age 25 - powers of combustive orbing, orbing, and intangibility
Faith Penelope Halliwell: Age 23 - powers of premonition, orbing, glamouring, and healing
Phoebe & Cole
Benjamin Turner Halliwell: Age 24 - powers of telekinesis, shimmering, and energy balls
Patricia Grace Halliwell: Age 17 - power to freeze
Victor Warren Halliwell: Age 16 - Power of pyrogenesis
[Author's note: I don't know much about pregnancy. I made the heartburn thing up.]