A/N Season four ends with the sisters being offered a new Destiny by an Angel of Destiny since they vanquished the Source. An offer that includes them no longer being witches. They make the decision to remain witches and continue fighting. The episode ends with the Angel telling Piper that neither decision would have changed hers and Leo's personal destiny, which is how Piper finds out she's pregnant, something a fertility specialist told her would be almost impossible. Very happy news as far as she and her family are concerned. So now we're moving on in the story, but this baby will be just as important to this story as it is in canon, for reasons I will get into in later chapters.

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"Look at him go." Margaret grinned as her son raced around the yard. "That boy has so much energy, he just loves running."

"He wears me out just watching him." Charles was just as happy as Margaret over their healthy, rambunctious 16 month old son, the ghost incident long in the past and well forgotten by little Cole. Suddenly Cole ran across the lawn, heading for one of his favorite people as his parents followed at a more leisurely pace.

"Piper, baby!" He grabbed her leg and look anxiously at her middle where her pregnancy was just starting to show. "Baby happy!" He informed the mother to be.

"The doctor agrees." Piper smiled down at the small, bubbly little boy who was absolutely ecstatic at the idea of the baby she and Leo were having, even if he didn't really understand what a baby was. "Both mommy and baby are healthy."

"Good baby." He ran back to his parents and his father scooped him up.

"So everything is fine?" Margaret asked. "Because you do look tired, but that's normal."

"Well, Leo and I need to have a conversation, but not because anything's wrong with the pregnancy, just weird."

"Weird?" Margaret inquired.

"Weirdness and that includes dreams."

"Weird dreams can happen during pregnancy, Piper. Dreaming about babies, even animal babies can happen, especially if you're feeling stressed and you do have a stressful life."

"Yeah, which is why Xander keeps putting up new protection Wards every time his research discovers a new one, to try to reduce at least one area of stress, that of demons attacking and trust me, that helps."

"He did the same thing while I was pregnant." Margret reminded her. "He's just trying to be helpful."

"Yeah, but it's Leo I need to be helpful and between his classes, his job and the Elders refusal to stop nagging him about helping with charges and insisting he keep his whitelighter powers because they might come in handy, I'm not getting to see as much of him as I'd like, so I'm going to go corner him and try to have a conversation, so I'll see you guys later." Piper headed into the Manor determined to talk to Leo, there were several things they needed to discuss. He was watching a news report.

Phoebe spotted Piper first. "How did your doctor appointment go?"

"I'm not going back, the pregnancy has gone weird and I can't risk the doctor noticing."

"Weird? What do you mean weird?"

Piper burped. A whitish bubble floated out of her mouth, Phoebe stared. "What was that?"

"I can apparently burp orbs now. Weird, right?"

"Oh, yeah. Definitely qualifies as weird."

"Leo, I need to talk you."

"Now's not a great time, Piper, the woman who was just pulled out of that fire the news was talking about, she's a whitelighter candidate. Natalie got called away, one of her other charges had an emergency, the Elders want me to make sure the woman's okay."

"Well, speaking of whitelighters, I dreamt an animated musical last night. Is that normal?" Piper burped another bubble.

"What was that?" Leo asked.

"That was the latest in a series of wacky tricks my growing baby is playing on my body. You know, because the constant nausea and the torturous breast pain was not enough. Also I think my baby is trying to turn me into some kind of tree hugger pacifist. If the weird dreams are any indication. Is that normal?" Piper repeated.

"Normal?" Leo asked.

"Yeah, in case you haven't noticed, which I know you haven't, my body, my thoughts, my dreams have all gone wonky."

Leo looked a little exasperated, not getting what he thought was worth being so dramatic about.

"Well, I'm sure it's just normal pregnancy stuff. I mean, we could talk about this later if you want to, but right now I need to check on the injured woman."

"Fine, go." Tears filled Piper's voice and clogged her voice.

"Oh, not the crying thing." Leo muttered.

"Leo, I have growing powers inside of me. Powers that I do not understand, and the only person who does understand them never has time to talk. Add that to raging hormones and I guarantee you I am absolutely entitled to do the crying thing!" Piper had definitely heard him. She burped another orb.

"Okay, that's not normal!" Phoebe insisted.

"I am sure that it's just all this arguing that's got the baby upset." Leo said, thinking he was being reasonable.

"Leo, the baby is an inch long. All this arguing is upsetting the mommy." Piper glared at him.

"Okay, honey, look, I'm sure that it's nothing to worry about. But I've got to go, the Elders have taken nagging to new levels." He tried to kiss her goodbye, but she made a face and he left.

"His cologne makes me want to vomit, how he can stand to wear something that smells that bad?"

Considering it was Piper's favorite scent just a week ago, Phoebe decided to remain silent on that subject. "Animated musical, huh? That's weird alright."