Reflections Part Two

A week later, Piper and Leo were standing in the nursery looking down at Chris. Piper h couldn’t stop smiling down at him. He raised his hand towards, fingers outstretched. Both of his parents were glad that his heart beat and rate were normal now.

“Hi,” she cooed, taking his hand and kissing it.

“You’re such a good baby,” she whispered, reaching down to pick him up. Leo gazed that child over his wife’s shoulder.

“You were amazing,” Leo said, wrapping his arms around Piper’s waist.

“I still can’t believe he’s finally here,” Piper breathed, stepping back and carrying him downstairs. Prue and Andy had gone on a little road trip up the coast so it was just Victor and Phoebe around at the moment.

“Oh, hi baby,” Phoebe squealed, tickling Chris’ stomach. He gurgled a little at her touch but made no movements to want to be held. Piper sat down on the couch and handed the baby to Leo. She noticed the Book of Shadows sitting on the table in front of her.

“Doing some light reading?” Piper teased.

“No…I was looking through and I found this,” Phoebe answered, opening up to the page on Wiccaning. Piper picked up the huge book and set it in her lap, scanning the page with her finger.

“You think we should do this?” she asked.

“It sounds like a good idea. I mean it’s supposed to keep him safe from evil. It says we just have to summon our family line. Grams and Mom can do that,’ Phoebe answered. Piper looked over at Leo but he wasn’t paying attention. He was too busy rocking chris in his arms.

“I’ll see what Prue says,” Piper sighed.

“Piper…it’s going to protect him. Why wouldn’t you want to do it?” Phoebe said.

“Well…did we have wiccanings?” Piper asked.

“How should I know?” Phoebe retorted. Their arguing had drawn Victor from the other room.

“What are you arguing about?” he asked.

“Piper doesn’t want to give Chris a wiccaning,” Phoebe answered.

“Did we have wiccanings?” Piper asked her father.

“Uh…if you did I don’t think your Mom told me about it,” Victor admitted.

“Come on, let’s go summon Mom and ask,” Phoebe muttered, dragging her sister up the stairs. Leo looked up as they went but didn’t follow.

Once in the attic, Phoebe began to arrange the candles. Piper handed her a lighter and both stepped back to chant the spell.

“Hear these words; hear my cry spirit from the other side. Come to me, I summon thee, cross now the great divide,” they chanted. Patty appeared before them and became solid.

“Hi girls. How is everyone doing?” Patty asked.

“Fine,” Piper answered.

“Well where is my little grandson?” Patty asked.

“Downstairs with Leo…we actually summoned you to get your opinion on something,’ Phoebe interjected.

“I think it can wait a minute or two,” Piper snapped and led her mother downstairs.

“Oh he’s beautiful,” Patty gushed. Leo passed the infant to her and she smiled down at him. She looked over at Victor and they shared a look.

“You’re just precious,” she breathed, rocking him. After a few minutes of silence she looked over at Piper and Phoebe.

“What did you need my opinion on?” she asked.

“I think we should have a wiccaning for Chris but Piper doesn’t want to,” Phoebe said.

“That’s not what I said. I said I just wasn’t sure if we needed to,” Piper corrected.

“Did we have wiccanings, Mom?” Phoebe asked.

“Of course you did,” she answered. Phoebe elbowed Piper in the arm.

“I think it would be very good idea. It not only protects against evil but blesses him with the love and power of his lineage,” Patty explained.

“Well I want to wait until Prue gets back,” Piper said.

“OF course. Where is Prue?” Patty replied.

“She and Andy took a week long road trip up the coast,” Victor informed her.

“Oh that’s nice. I can’t believe my girls have grown up so much,” she sighed, trying to wipe away a tear without letting go of Chris.

“We’re still your little girls, Mom,” Piper said.

“But you’re not little anymore sweetheart. You’ve all grown into such beautiful and strong young women,” Patty stated. Chris began to fuss and Piper took him back. She bounced him gently in her arms but he continued to cry.

“I’ll be back,” she said and headed upstairs. She returned a few minutes later with a much quieter baby.

“Diaper change,” she said and received nods of understanding from her parents.

“I am so proud of you,” Patty said, pulling her girls into a tight embrace.

“You’ve done so much in the last ten years, so much I had only hoped you would accomplish,” she sighed.

“Thanks, Mom. But we couldn’t have done it without you and Grams to help us along the way,” Phoebe murmured.

Patty suck around until Prue got home two days later. They exchanged brief hugs and ‘hellos’ before her sisters filled her in on what they were doing. Prue agreed that it was a good idea and they sat down to try and figure out the best time to do the ceremony.

“Time of day doesn’t really matter…just some time convenient when everyone can be there,” Patty said.

“How about Saturday?” Leo suggested, leaning over Piper’s shoulder.

“Ok,” the girls agreed.

“I have to get going. Summon both your Grams and I on Saturday. She will be performing the blessing,” Patty said. She kissed each girl goodbye before disappearing.

“So do its just going to be us right?” Prue asked.

“I think so. I mean…I want Andy there too,” Piper answered. She looked over at Phoebe and knew what she was about to say wasn’t going to make her happy. Luckily, Phoebe seemed to anticipate her sister’s words.

“I understand. Andy’s like family…has been for a long time. Cole is…still kind of an outsider. I get it, Piper. And don’t worry, I’m not upset,” Phoebe said.

“I wish you’d let me explain my own thoughts,” Piper grumbled.

“Sorry….habit,” Phoebe mumbled.

They fell into silence for a while, all lost in their own thoughts until the baby monitor started to crackle with Chris’ cries.

“I got him,” Leo called from upstairs. Prue looked over at her sisters and sighed. She licked her lips before she started to talk.

“I’ve been thinking a lot lately,” she began.

“About what?” Piper asked.

“About well…us…everything that has happened. Ten years is a long time,” she answered.

“Sometimes, it feels like we are little kids again and we’re just getting our powers,” Phoebe added.

“Sometimes, it can feel like we’ve been doing it for twenty years,” Piper interjected.

“I think Mom is right, though. We’ve done a lot of good in the last ten years,” Prue said.

“I mean…we defeated the Source,” she continued.

“And the Triad,” Piper added.

“We did more than normal kids our age should,” Phoebe laughed.

“We’re not normal kids though,” Prue commented.

“Even though there have been times I’ve wanted to give it all up and just go back to not knowing about magic, I realize that even when we didn’t know we had powers, we were always meant to be witches,” Piper admitted.

“You’re not the only one who has thought about giving it all up at one point or another,” Prue said.

“I know…we’ve all thought it. But it’s a good thing we didn’t act on it,” Piper answered.

Saturday rolled around and Piper woke up at four to Chris’ wails. She dragged herself out of bed and bent over his crib.

“Shh, baby. You’re ok. Go back to sleep,” she whispered but he didn’t let up. She groaned and picked him up, laying him on the changing table. She checked his diaper but he wasn’t wet. Next she sat down in Grams’ rocking chair and tried to feed him. He wasn’t hungry.

“What’s the matter, buddy?” she asked, rocking back and forth in the chair. His cries turned to whimpers and finally into silence. His eyelids drooped with the feeling of the chair and Piper gently laid him back in his crib.

Several hours later and a little less sleep deprived, Piper walked into the kitchen to find a cup of coffee sitting at her place as well as eggs and bacon.

“What did I do to deserve this?” she asked.

“A grandmother can’t cook for her granddaughter?” Grams asked. Piper’s face lit up and she ran to give her grandmother a firm hug.

“When did they summon you?” Piper asked.

“An hour ago or so. They’re upstairs with your mother setting everything up,” Grams answered. Piper smiled again and sat down to eat breakfast. Leo appeared carrying Chris a few minutes later.

“Hi Penny,” he greeted.

“Hello my darling,” she said, taking Chris from his father’s arms. Leo just stared at his empty hands for a second before sitting down next to Piper.

“I’m still not used to people just taking him from us,” he whispered in Piper’s ear.

“It’s Grams. She’s not going to hurt him,” she muttered back and took another bite of bacon.

After insisting she do the dishes, Piper took Chris upstairs to get him ready for the ceremony. They’d gone shopping the day before for a christening gown. Patty had said it would work fine. Piper pulled it out of the top drawer in their dresser while Leo did a quick diaper change.

“He’s going to look like a girl,” Leo commented.

“He’s going to be wearing it for five minutes. It will be fine,” Piper snapped, her harsher than she had meant for it to be. After a bit of struggling, Chris was in the gown and they were heading upstairs. They heard arguing from the attic and moved a little faster.

“I’m his grandfather. I deserve to be here,” Victor said sharply.

“Mother, he does have a point,” Patty chimed in.

“Mortals aren’t allowed at the ceremony, Patty. You know that,” Grams shot.

“Piper wants me to be here,” Victor retorted.

“What’s going on?” Piper asked.

“Oh, Piper dear. It’s nothing,” Grams said, trying to brush it off.

“I want Dad here. He’s a part of Chris’ life too. And don’t you dare even think of kicking Andy out either. Chris is my son and I’ll decide who can be here and who can’t,” Piper snapped at her grandmother. Grams looked shocked at the tone that her granddaughter had just spoken to her.

“Alright…fine,” Grams said, a little shaken. The family formed a small semi-circle with Piper and Leo in the center. Grams looked at them, not meeting Piper’s gaze.

“Are we ready?” she asked.

“Yes,” a chorus of voices answered. Grams cleared her throat and closed her eyes. She stretched her arms out and began to chant the spell.

“I call forth through space and time, matriarchs of the Halliwell line. Mothers, daughters, sisters, friends. Our family spirit without end. To gather now in this sacred place, and help us bring this child to grace,” she chanted. Before their eyes, spirits began to appear, all gentle-eyed and smiling. Piper spotted Melinda Warren near the back of the cluster of ancestors. Prue could see the family resemblance throughout the group of ghosts and somehow it made her feel protected.

“That’s a lot of ancestors,” Phoebe whispered in Prue’s ear.

“Shh,” Prue hissed. Grams took Chris from Piper’s arms and walked towards the cluster.

“Blessed be,” they said in unison, all holding their hands out towards Chris. After a few more chants and blessing Grams turned to Piper and Leo, handing the baby back. Chris reached up and wrapped his small fingers around a strand of Piper’s hair. She just smiled at him, taking his hand in her own.

“Blessed be,” the collection of spirits said for the final time. Everyone looked at Grams and she nodded. The ceremony was almost complete.

“Blessed be,” the girls said in unison, releasing the spirits from this plane. The wiccaning was done and another chapter of the Charmed Ones’ lives had come to a close.