Vision Christy observed her younger self as she was kidnapped from her loving family, saw the anguish in her younger sister’s and parents' faces. She saw that the Triad were the top servants of the Source of All Evil, the one who had conceived the plot to make her the key to unlocking Billie’s power while destroying the Charmed Ones by having them vanquish witches.
She felt the Charmed Ones' amazement at finding their powers, their joy at understanding their destiny, their triumph at destroying the Source, Gideon, the Avatars, Zankou, but also the pain of losing of Prue, of vanquishing Cole, of watching Chris die, of having Leo first turned into an Elder, then becoming an Avatar to save Piper’s life before being tortured by the Elders for trying to save the world from the Avatars, and felt the sisters‘ disgust with the Elders.
She finally realized how much of their lives was sacrificed for the cause of Good. She finally understood how insidiously evil the Source’s plan was and how she had been brainwashed by the Triad into following it.
Meanwhile Vision Billie saw the pain of the young Halliwell sisters at losing their mother, their grandmother, their big sister. She watched them gain their powers, find Paige, find love. She again experienced the loss of her own big sister - saw her kidnapped, tormented, corrupted into believing that her kidnappers were good and the Charmed Ones evil. She watched the Charmed Ones as they passed the years, vanquishing evil, putting their own lives on hold as they battled on, protecting and saving the innocent and the good. Finally, she realized that she held an ultimate power that could – and potentially had been – corrupted by the Source’s evil plan.
With a start both girls woke up.
“Ah, you’re with us again,” Piper smiled. “How do you feel?”
Christy roared. “How dare you trap us!” and the crystal cage sparked as she tried to escape.
“I don’t think it helped.”
Phoebe nodded back at Paige. "I think you're right."
Billie shook her head, as if to rid it from the remnants of the more unpleasant parts of the vision. ‘”What happened?" she demanded. "What did you do to us?”
“They drugged us and cast a spell over us,” Christy snarled, still confused over her vision
Phoebe shook her head. “No, we didn’t. We simply let you see the truth for yourselves. We admit, that, yes, we may get a bit tired and lazy sometimes with the protecting the innocent and working for good.”
“But you see, we have to try to have normal lives.” Piper tried to explain. “If we keep ourselves separate from everyday life and just hide away, living like hermits, working for Good, we’ll lose touch with the very people we’re meant to protect. So we have to keep aiming for living normal lives, with everyday issues, like everyone else.”
“We did try to turn our backs on magic,” Paige admitted. “But we couldn’t do it. It felt wrong and we weren’t happy. It’s why we came back. We learned that we can’t stop our destiny. It’s as much a part of our lives as breathing.”
Billie looked at them. truth finally dawning on her. “I understand,” she admitted. “It was an evil plan, to use our powers to try to make you do evil. I’m sorry.” She turned to Christy. “Do you understand? They’re not evil. We’ve been manipulated into doing evil ourselves.”
Christy scowled. ‘How can we trust anything now? How do we know who has manipulated us? Is it them or the Triad?”
“The proof is in the pudding,” Piper pointed out. “Look who killed your parents.”
Christy felt the memories and the vision details crowd her mind. But one thing stood out. The deliberate murder of her parents. Piper was right. The Triad had done that, so she wouldn’t become good. In her heart she knew who was the greater evil. She felt Billie beside her, holding her up and realized that she’d partially collapsed back onto the floor.
Billie turned to the sisters. “You have to stop us, stop the plan that the Source started.”
Piper nodded. “We will - right now.”
Christy nodded, “Yes, you must,” and she put her arms around Billie and hugged her close. She saw the sisters raise their hands. She heard them begin chanting and closed her eyes, scared to see her final moments on earth. She felt Billie tighten her arms around her as she too prepared for the end.
There was a flash as another set of potion bottles breached the crystal cage and then both sisters felt searing, burning pain.
Billie looked up. She saw the sisters standing over them. She felt Christy move and look up.”Um…are we…” she hesitated. “Can you see us?”
Paige smiled. “Of course we can.”
“Aren’t we dead?” Billie blurted, bewildered.
“We should be,” Christy said, puzzled. “We’ve been vanquished.”
“Of course you’re not dead.” laughed Paige.
“You know,” Piper pointed out with a knowing look, “if we killed mortals, that's illegal.”
“We never intended to kill you,” smiled Phoebe. “Just make you safe.”
“Safe?” Both Billie and Christy looked totally baffled.
Paige nodded. “Safe from the Triad and others who might try to use your powers for evil. We used a power-stripping spell, with some extra stuff thrown in."
“We’ve got lots of experience with that sort of stuff,” Phoebe added.
Piper nodded. “So now we can’t fight; there’s no evil master plan that can be completed; you two are safe from the Triad and so are we, and we’re all happy and can get on with our lives.”
‘You’re letting us go?’ asked Christy, astounded.
Paige shrugged. “Well, why shouldn’t we? Just because we work on the side of Good, and we need to protect the world and innocents and stuff, doesn’t mean to say that we need to follow all the ‘pre-ordained destiny plans’.”
“And besides,” Piper added. “all the useless Elders said is we had to battle you, not that we actually had to vanquish you.”
Paige moved a crystal, letting let them out the cage.
“Go on,” Phoebe suggested. “Try your power.”
Billie screwed up her face in concentration. Nothing happened. A smile crossed her face. ‘So – really? We just lose our powers, don’t carry out the evil plan and things will be fine?”
“Well,” Paige admitted, “it might take a while to get used to not having powers, but you have all your other skills, a normal life to lead and a sister to get to know,” and she smiled at her own sisters.
“And you showed us that we need to make more time for our other work,” Phoebe added. “Our destiny working to protect innocents.”
Piper nodded. "We will. Thanks to the time you gave us to recharge, we’re back, we’re really back. We’ll find a way to have our lives and help innocents, too. I’m not sure how, but we will. Thanks for that.”
Both sets of sisters hugged each other and then the Jenkinses finally left. Two Halliwells and one Matthews went into the living room and flopped down, exhausted but happy.
Piper smiled. "Man, that felt good. I'd forgotten how good helping people felt."
Phoebe nodded. "It most definitely did. We should really start doing that more," and Paige smiled happily, knowing that her sisters had finally learned their lessons.
Piper also nodded. "We will. Even if we don't get Leo back, that's what we're going to do - start using our powers to help people, the way they're supposed to be used."
At that exact moment, the Angel of Destiny appeared. "Congratulations, all of you! That is the lesson you were meant to learn, the lesson that will prevent that world that Christopher saw from happening. He's gone back to a much better world. And to be sure that you'll remember that lesson and his world won't change again..." and Leo appeared, as the Angel disappeared.
Piper ran to Leo and hugged him tightly while Leo hugged her back, "I love you," she whispered. "So very much. And, guess what. We're going to start using our powers to find and save innocents again. And we're going to find those ex-bosses of yours and talk them into giving your wings back. We could help innocents the most when you had those wings," and Leo's face lit up in a smile.
Even as Piper spoke, Sandra the Elder orbed in. "No need to do that, Piper," she told her. "We've watched what happened and are very pleased to have the Charmed Ones back on track." She waved her hand at Leo and a bright glow shone from his body, as for just a second, they could see his wings fluttering behind him. "Welcome back, Leo!"
Then Sandra turned to smile at Piper. "And you'll never have to worry about him becoming an Elder - we now know that being whitelighter to the Charmed Ones and their families is Leo's highest destiny - his only destiny," and even as Piper and Leo tried to thank her, she orbed out.
"Thank you," Leo whispered to Piper. "Thank you for giving me back my wings, my life. I love you so much," and taking her mouth in a deep kiss, he led her out of the living room and towards the stairs and their room.
Phoebe and Paige smiled as they watched their sister and her husband leave, then Paige turned to Phoebe. "I've gotta get back to Henry. I've got a little something to tell him," and as Phoebe's eyes widened in surprise, Paige orbed out.
Even as Phoebe began thinking about heading back for her loft, Coop showed up. "So, are you ready for love?" he asked.
She nodded. While watching Piper and Leo, she'd been thinking about it, and putting it all together. "Yes, I am. I know who my soul mate is, the one who knows me better than anyone else, someone who loves me for who I am despite my faults and who I will always love with all my heart." Coop smiled in delight. Then she shook her head. "I'm sorry. His name's not Coop."
His face dropped. "It's not?"
"No. It took me a while to put it together. We were kinda busy. But I've got it now. There are a lot of cupids - why would your name just be Coop, short for Cupid? That's not your real name, is it?"
"No," he admitted. "It's not."
"Why are you really here?"
Coop shrugged and very seriously told her. "For the exact reason that I told you. To help you find love. The Elders made me a cupid, saying that if I could help you find love, so you'd stop thinking about just yourself, then I'd be free."
"Well, then you should be free, because I've found it - Cole! You're the one I've always loved. I always have and always will. Now I know that although all those guys I've had since you left satisfied my body, you're the only one who has ever satisfied my soul.”
And with that, Coop turned back into Cole Turner. Phoebe's face broke into a huge, beautiful smile. Cole hugged her tight as he began waltzing her around the room, dancing to music only they could hear. Phoebe threw back her head and laughed, joyful, free.
As Phoebe and Cole continued spinning around the room, they were so wrapped up in each other that they didn’t hear the sounds of materialization. Nor did they see two ghosts appear on the stairs, watching, smiling in approval.
Then there was more materialization and the ghosts of Penelope and Patricia Halliwell smiled as the ghost of Prudence Halliwell appeared between them. She smiled back at her mother and grandmother. Then all three turned to smile at Phoebe and Cole, watching them as the pair whirled around the room, their faces alight with love.
~~~
Meanwhile, Paige was walking arm-in-arm with Henry in beautiful Golden Gate Park. She turned to look at him. "Guess what?"
"What?"
"In a few months, you’re going to be a daddy! And I think it's going to be a girl - the first girl of the next generation of Warrens!"
Paige!" and with that he kissed her passionately, while she kissed him back just as passionately. Up on the Bridge, three ghosts watched and smiled.
~~~
Later, Piper and Leo went over to Victor’s to retrieve their sons. Victor was both shocked and thrilled to find out that Leo was back, and was actually happy to find out that Leo had his wings back, knowing that once more Leo would be able to help protect Victor’s daughters and grandsons. Then while Piper told Victor all about “the ultimate battle that never was”, Leo had to hurry into the next room.
Looking up, expecting their grandfather, both Wyatt and Chris screamed in delight to see their father. Wyatt ran and jumped and threw his arms around his dad's neck, hugging him while Leo carried him to the playpen, where he picked up Chris, who hugged his daddy as tightly as he could, while Leo returned the hugs, tears in his eyes. When Victor and Piper came to the door, this was the beautiful sight that greeted them. Piper hurried over to hug her family, then after waving to Victor, Leo happily orbed them all home.
Later, Piper and Leo were sitting on the couch in the living room, watching their sons, who were sitting on the floor playing with some toys. Leo had his arm around his wife, his hand playing with her hair, a happy, content smile on his face. Not too far behind them, three ghosts watched and smiled.
Suddenly Wyatt used his powers to orb Chris' teddy-bear into his own arms. Chris began to cry.
Piper reached over and slapped Wyatt's hand. "Wyatt, no! You do not use your powers to help yourself out. You use them to help others," and Leo nodded.
Little Wyatt's lower lip jutted out as he looked at his sore hand. But then it went back in as he grew thoughtful for a few seconds. Smiling at his parents, he orbed the teddy-bear back to Chris. Chris hugged his teddy-bear and thanked his brother.
"That's my boys," Leo praised and Wyatt's face broke into a huge, sunny smile. Piper and Leo turned the same smile on each other, knowing that they now knew how ensure that their older son would not turn evil - that it wasn't a demon who had turned their son evil, but Piper, with the way she raised him after Leo was frozen.
Suddenly little Chris looked up and smiled just as broadly. Waving his little arm, little Chris showed off his own powers for the very first time by TKing his teddy-bear towards the ghosts. Of course, it went right through them, but all three ghosts smiled back at him.
The ghost of Prue knelt down and motioned to her nephew. Chris stood up and began toddling towards the ghosts. Piper, thinking that he was going after his teddy-bear, motioned to Wyatt to go get his brother. While Wyatt went after Chris, Piper and Leo sneaked in a few deep, passionate kisses, totally missing their sons waving at three ghosts, who waved back.
~~~
Not too long afterwards, the sun began to set over San Francisco, making the Halliwell Manor seem to turn gold. The front door was open, and in its doorway stood the ghosts of three generations of Halliwells. The ghost of Prue, standing in the middle, turned her head to look questioningly, first at the ghost of her grandmother and then at the ghost of her mother. They nodded, large smiles on their faces.
Grinning, the ghost of Prue Halliwell waved her hand.
The front door closed.
THE END
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