A/N: Sorry that it's been taking me so long to update these chapters. I don't get a lot of time off and when I do I use it to veg out. Please continue to read and review. I love writing stories for you all. I hope you like the chapter, and I will try to update soon.
Phoebe pressed her ear to Piper's womb as she giggled, excited that her niece shared her power of premonition; a bond that would forever connect the two as Phoebe would mentor the little witchling in the responsibilities of the power.
Paige was more curious as to what it was Piper saw. Halliwell children usually had a purpose for using their powers in utero and she was sure this wasn't any different. "So what did you see?"
"I saw Prue and Duncan," Piper explained and sat down on the couch she kept back there.
"So we'll be able to get them together," Billy said, relieved to know that there was an end in sight.
"Not exactly," Piper said. The oldest of the three present sisters was still out of sorts and looked up to find three sets of worried eyes staring at her. "Sorry. It was my fist premonition and hopefully my last. It left me a little dizzy."
"I know that feeling," Phoebe told her and took her hand. "What else did you see?"
Piper exhaled heavily. "They were fighting. Playing the game," she said. "They each had swords out and the last thing I saw was Prue swinging for his head."
"Do you really think she could kill him," Paige asked.
"But she loves him," Billy exclaimed. "There's no way that either of them would hurt the other; I mean, they're soul mates," the blond asserted.
"It's not that simple," Phoebe said. Her splendor had been replaced with her own dark memories of her past. "They have this history between them that they don't understand because Duncan doesn't remember his past lives and whatever Prue remembers might be out of context. There's more than four hundred years of their lives that have been held in limbo because of Duncan's immortality. He's never been able to move on and find her again until Prue's last life and you know what that experience did to him."
"He's distrustful of her," Paige interrupted, already knowing where her sister was going with this. "Who can say if that's the only bad experience between them? People tend to hurt the one's they love the most."
"But they love each other," Billy gasped.
"I loved Cole," Phoebe said. "So much so I turned away from my family and gave evil an opening to take me over. Even when I fought it and found my way back I was the one who vanquished him," she told her friend. "People will hurt their loved ones for the best of reasons; I tried to give him peace when the Source possessed him. But given the worse of circumstances, betrayal, anger, jealousy, etc; people can kill their love so easily. Like extinguishing a flame."
They stared at each other in silence, the party still going on without them. Finally, Paige broke the silence.
"The Elders have agreed to allow us to see both Prue's and Duncan's past lives. We need to be at the manor at noon so I can take us up there," she told them. "I've already told Richie and Connor to bring Duncan. Hopefully it will give us the answers we need."
"It was nice having a Man's night," Duncan said to his hosts. "I hope we can do this again sometimes."
"Yeah," Leo said clapping him on the back. "Don't get me wrong, I love my wife and sisters-in law but it's nice to have some guy time. It's the one good thing about having brothers-in law; common experience and immediate camaraderie."
"We'll see you later," Duncan said as he and his friends prepared to leave.
"Come over for brunch tomorrow," Coop said. "Piper always makes enough to feed an army, and you can have a good meal before your trip tomorrow."
Duncan looked at the cupid in surprise. "What trip," he asked when Connor looked up.
"Paige has arranged for us to see your past lives," Connor explained. "Richie and I decided to wait and tell you after guy's night."
"Yeah, so that way you could enjoy yourself without any worrying," Richie said.
Stone faced, Duncan stared down at his two closest friends before looking back to Leo, Coop and Henry. "I guess we'll see you for brunch," he smiled and walked through the double doors.
"Uh oh," Connor joked to Richie, "seems our dear friend has his knickers in a bunch," before he too left for the night.
"See you guys tomorrow," the young immortal saluted the Halliwell husbands before jogging after his mentors.
"This should be interesting," Leo said closing the door behind them. "Who wants another beer?"
Climbing into bed, Piper maneuvered her body pillow to cradle her expanding belly and allow her to face her husband.
"I'm glad you had a good time at the shower," Leo said rubbing her arm.
"Yeah," Piper said. "Everything was great. Maybe I'll talk to Paige about coordinating events like that for the bar and the restaurant in the future."
"Did you get everything you need for the baby?"
"And more," she laughed. "Still, I kind of wanted a baby blanket like Phoebe made for the twins. You know, the pink ones with the triquetra on it," she explained.
"Well, maybe she's still working on it," her husband said. "If you really want one so badly you should ask her."
"Maybe tomorrow," Piper yawned and curled into her pillow before falling asleep.
"So here's the deal," Paige explained. "The Elders have agreed to let us view your past lives," she told Duncan and the others. "In order to do it we have to go up there. They don't usually do that, and from what they told me you guys won't remember much. You'll only remember what you see of your past lives."
"They're very big on mystery," Piper added. "You'll feel everything going fuzzy but you'll remember less and less as time goes on."
"And we'll get to see everything," Billy asked. "Each past life and what happened to Phoebe Bowen?"
"That's what the Elders said but I guess we'll see," Paige told them. Turning to look at Duncan, she asked, "Are you ready?"
"As I'll ever be," he replied. "How does this work?"
"Well, we all have to be touching so we should all hold hands. Leo, Henry, Coop and Richie have agreed to stay behind with the kids. You might feel a little dizzy at first," Paige told them. "It's weird the first couple of times. You'll get used to it."
They appeared in the heavens, bright white lights ironically obscuring their view of their surroundings instead of illuminating it. Sandra appeared, the Elder with the closest relationship to the Charmed ones. "Allow me to show you to the viewing area," she said. "Normally, we would allow you to experience the past lives first hand but as they're not all your own and how many of you there are, it makes more sense to show you this way."
"How many lives will we be viewing," Duncan asked.
"You and Prudence are old souls," Sandra told the group. "There are over two thousand years of which you have walked this earth, and countless lives given to you to try to live out your purposes. Your immortality these past four hundred years has limited the amount of lives you have gone through, and unfortunately it means that this is your last chance to get things right."
"What do you mean," Phoebe asked. "What is their purpose and why is this their last chance?"
"Soul mates are used to describe the people you travel with throughout your lives," the Elder explained, "friends, relatives and even enemies who travel in circles over again because of strong bonds. True soul mates; man and woman, who never find their purpose together, are given chance and chance again to redeem their pasts and find peace.
"Rarely, though it does happen as is the case now, peace cannot be obtained and the mistakes of the past culminate into a cataclysmic cycle of events. Duncan's, and now Prudence's immortality is the event that will force their souls to find each other or force them to go their separate ways."
"How? How does that even happen," Piper asked. "If they really are soul mates than nothing can tear them apart!"
"Accept for each other," Sandra said painfully. "Love is a force so strong it can do anything, but unfortunately it is the most human thing that exists. And just like other human things, it can be corrupted to do awful things."
"Like tear two souls apart," Duncan whispered to himself.
"Yes," Sandra answered him. "Two immortals, who shall live forever as long as their heads remain on their shoulders, will continue to walk this earth either as lovers or as enemies. If you break the chains that bind you then you will destroy that wonderful connection you share and that will be the end of any lives you may have."
"Are you saying that they won't be reborn again," Billy asked.
"Yes. Their souls will not be recycled because they will have destroyed them," Sandra said. "Watch carefully," she told Duncan. "Learn from all the mistakes made, no matter who made them. Yours is a love that was written in the fates' design. We have been watching, hoping for peace to come your way. I can only give you my best wishes in this endeavor."
Phoebe and Piper stood side by side, holding each other. They were the only two in the room who felt exactly the same way at that moment. Fearful for the sister they had lost and only recently had hopes of regaining, the only real mother they had ever had.
Paige took Duncan's hand and led him to the center of the room. "This might hurt a little," she said, and the witch used an athame to cut the palm of his hand. Closing his palm, she let his blood drip into a bowl of water and recited, "As water give life, blood holds memories; allow us passage to times before, restore our minds of our histories; show us their past lives and their destinies."
The bright white light which had obscured their sight earlier blinded them now, only for one image to appear. "Find me, my prince," the figure called. "Save me," she demanded.