DISCLAIMER: Do not own them and do not know them. Owned by the WB and Spelling Entertainment.

We open around Christmas in the year 2000. Almost a year has passed from the present day. The Charmed Ones lives have not changed much in the year. Prue has finally started to go out with Jack (the obnoxious Internet auction guy from "They're Everywhere"). They really seem to enjoy each other and Prue is still skeptical of him, but so is he. The strange things that go on have him puzzled. Piper is still seeing Dan. These two are so in love that the others can hardly stand to be in the same room with them. Leo still pops in every once in a while, but only on business. He has tried to stay out of the way of Piper's happiness. Dan and Leo still sometimes trade smart remarks to each other but they are usually cordial. Phoebe has been going from guy to guy, same old Phoebe. At this point she is in between guys but looking hard every night at P3. Phoebe has been working at the club with Piper for about 6 months, she finally gave up pounding the pavement for a job and went back to college full time and works at night at the club. Jenny has moved to Saudi Arabia to be with her parents.

* * *

Piper is coming out of a doctor's office and walks to her car. She gets in her car and just sit there looking into no where. A few tears roll down her face and she says, "How am I going to tell them, what am I going to do?" It is very noticeable that she very upset and concerned about what happened in the doctor's office.

Later that Day

Prue and Jack arrive at P3 for the evening. Piper and Phoebe have been hard at work for a while now. The club has been the hot spot the entire year, they have had very few slow nights since Dishwalla performed. Piper and Phoebe stopped briefly to speak to Prue and Jack. Later, Prue went to help Piper in the back with some supplies. Piper was very edgy and a little more high strung than usual. Prue could sense her sister's anxiety immediately once they were alone. Prue asked Piper if there was something wrong, but Piper blew her off very quickly then avoided the subject all together for the rest of the evening.

The next morning Prue was downstairs in the sun room reading the paper and drinking a cup of coffee. Phoebe was the next to stroll into the sun room and grab a piece of the paper. The two sat for a while and read the paper. They had decided to let Piper sleep in, she was so edgy the night before and had been so exhausted lately that they did not want to wake her. Phoebe finally asked Prue if she had noticed how Piper was acting last night at the club. The two began to discuss what might be bothering her but could not figure it out. Out of nowhere Piper came running down the stairs and was headed for the front door when Prue and Phoebe yelled at her to stop. Piper whipped back around, "Yeah, what?". Phoebe asked, "Where are you going in such a hurry, its Saturday and you don't have to be at the club until later this afternoon?" "I know Phoebe, but I have to talk to Dan and I wanted to get it over with this morning. I'll talk to you two later. Bye!" Piper replied as she walked back to the door to go see Dan. Prue and Phoebe looked at each other and Prue said, "She is in a hurry to talk to Dan because she wants to get it over with. You don't think she is dumping him do you?" Phoebe tilted her head side ways and shrugged her shoulders gesturing "I don't know".

Next Door at Dan's

Piper knocks on the door and lets herself in while yelling threw the house, "Dan are you home, it's me?" "Piper I am upstairs." Dan yelled in response. Piper takes a deep breath and starts up the stairs, she finds Dan in his room putting his laundry away. Piper sits down on the bed beside a pile of clothes and begins to help Dan fold them.

Piper: "Dan I have got to talk to you about something very important and very serious."

Dan: "Is everything okay, are you okay? You look a little tired."

Piper: "Yeah, I am okay, and yes I am a little tired, or you might call it absolutely exhausted."

Dan: "Piper, sweetie, talk to me, tell me what is going on."

Piper: "Easier said than done".

Dan: "Oh, it can't be that bad".

Piper: "You had better sit down for this".

Dan sat on the bed beside of her and gently brushed her hair away from her eyes and tucked it behind her ear.

Piper: "Okay, I am just going to come right out and say it, short, sweet, and to the point." "Dan I am pregnant, I just found out yesterday."

Dan: "Whoa!" "Did you say that you were pregnant?"

Piper looked at him and slowly nods her head yes. Dan stood up and clutched Piper's hands with his and asked her how she felt about it.

Piper: "I am really nervous, my stomach has been turning with butterflies since I found out and it is even worse right now, I am also kind of excited, I mean you and I have created something wonderful together."

Dan: "Great. I asked how you felt because I wasn't sure, and I didn't want to come off really excited if you weren't."

Dan pulled her up against him for a very loving hug. When all of a sudden he picked her up and began twirling her around the room yelling at the top of his lungs, "Yes, I can't believe it"."This is fantastic". He spun Piper so many times she was starting to get sick. He put her down and kissed her gently on the lips and said, "Piper I love you with all my heart, and we are going to be great parents". Then they kissed very passionately.

Piper: "Dan I hate to burst your bubble right about now but we have to tell my sisters. And, I am really nervous about that. I have also got something else to tell you."

Dan: "Okay, I think that I am ready for about anything now"

Piper: "It is something about my sisters and I. We have what you could say a family secret that you have to know about, come on lets go to the house and I'll explain everything after we tell Prue and Phoebe about the baby."

Dan: "Okay but now you really have me puzzled and curious"

At the manor Prue and Phoebe are still sitting in the sun room trying to figure out what is going on with Piper. The curiosity is killing them. The two hear the front door open and hear Piper call for them to come into the living room. Prue and Phoebe slowly walk into the living room and see Dan standing beside of Piper with his arms wrapped around her all snuggly.

Phoebe: "Don't you two get enough?"

Piper: "Pheebs hush and sit down on the couch, you too Prue, Dan and I have something to tell you."

Prue: "Well this had better be good the way you have been acting lately."

Dan: "Oh, it is trust me."

Piper: "Do you two want the long version or the short version".

Phoebe: "Short version please for a thousand Alex".

Piper: "HA, HA very funny, but any way the short version." "Dan and I are going to have a baby".

Prue and Phoebe look at each other with chins hanging on the floor and eyeballs almost out of their socket. Then they jump up and go hysterical. They are jumping and hugging Piper and Dan and everyone is just going nuts.

Piper: "Okay, okay. Prue, Phoebe it is time that we share our family secret with Dan. He has a right to know because of the baby."

Prue: "Piper are you sure?"

Phoebe: 'Prue, Piper is right, it is his baby too and he deserves to know the truth about us and our family heritage."

Prue: "Dan you had better sit down for this one."

Dan: "Where have I heard that one before."

Dan took a seat on the couch and was just watching the three of them very oddly. As to say what is going on here.

Phoebe: "Dan, do you believe in things like magic? "

Dan: "I don't know, I guess it really depends on the situation or what is going on. Why?"

Piper: "Dan..."

Then Piper freezes everything. She asks Prue who is standing beside of her to move over beside of Phoebe who standing next to the couch where Dan is sitting. Piper then unfreezes everything.

Dan: "Whoa! Where's Prue?"

Prue: "I'm right here."

Dan turns to look beside him to see Prue moved from one place to another in what he considered the blink of an eye. Dan is beginning to fidget some, he looks very confused and puzzled.

Piper: "Dan, my sisters and I are witches. We come from a long line of Warren women, who have all been witches."

Dan: "What did you say?"

Phoebe: "We are witches, with magical powers and your baby could also have magical powers."

Dan: "Wait a damn minute, what the hell is going on here, Piper have you lost your mind. You're not a witch they don't exist."

Prue: "Yes Dan they do, and a lot of other things exist too."

Dan: "You guys are just playing a trick on me."

Piper: "Dan, no we are not. I am dead serious about this. We found out we were witches in 1998 after our Grams died. See, our powers were bound by our Grams for protection when were very little. We were never told the truth to protect us from warlocks. Prue, Phoebe, and myself are known as the Charmed Ones."

Prue: "The most powerful witches the world has ever seen. Our powers were not relinquished back to us until Grams died and then Phoebe read the incantation in the Book of Shadows that gave our powers back to us."

Piper: "Trust me Dan this is not a joke and there have been plenty of times we wished that it was."

Dan: "You three keep talking about powers. If you have powers prove it. I still don't believe what I am hearing."

Piper: "Dan you have already seen mine, I can freeze time. Everything stops but good witches. That is how Prue got to the side of the couch."

Phoebe: "I can't show you mine, I am the only one that can see it. I see visions of the future and past."

Prue: "I can move things. Watch that coffee cup on the table in the sun room."

Prue moves the coffee cup through the air to her.

Dan: "Okay, I think that I have seen enough. And Piper you are telling me that our baby could have these powers."

Piper: "Yes Dan, it is very possible that this baby could have magical powers."

Prue: "Especially if it is a girl, then more than likely she will have powers."

Dan: "I think that I have heard enough. I don't know if I can handle all of this. I mean I hear what you are saying and I have apparently seen it, if I can believe my own eyes. But, I don't know what you expect me to say or do. I am not sure at this moment if I even want to be a part of all of this. I have got to get out of here."

Dan is obviously confused, scared, and angry about the news he has just been told. Dan gets up from the couch and walks out the door with out another word spoken. Piper sits down on the chair and lays her head into her hands and shakes her head. Prue walks over and tries to comfort Piper. Piper asks, "Did I do the right thing telling him?" Phoebe jumped in and told Piper that she did do the right thing, he had the right to know because of the baby. Piper looks at Phoebe and asks, "Okay, I did the right thing, but now what? Do you think he will ever be back, you saw him, he couldn't even look at me."

The familiar white and blue swirls appear and reveal Leo. Leo's appearance startles Phoebe and she jumps. "I agree with Piper, I wish you would quit doing that or at least give us some warning. You need a bell or something."

Phoebe barks at Leo. Leo walks over to where Piper is sitting and kneels down in front of her. Leo looks up at Piper and softly asks her if she is okay.

Piper: "I am fine, what are you doing here?"

Leo: "The elders sent me. They told me what is going on."

Prue: "What do you mean they told you what is going on."

Leo: "Piper, I know about the baby."

Piper: "Great, let's just broadcast it on the 6 o'clock news. And, let me guess you are here on business as usual. What is going to be trying to kill us this week?"

Piper was obviously angry about Leo being there. She got up from the chair and began to walk away when Leo grabbed her by the arm and stopped her.

Piper: "What"

Leo: "Piper, I have been sent here to protect you and your unborn child. I had the choice to let another white lighter do this but I just couldn't let anyone else take this responsibility, no one knows you like I do."

Phoebe: "What do you mean by protect, I am a little confused."

Leo: "When the word is out that one of the Charmed Ones is expecting all hell is going to break loose."

Prue: "I still don't think that we all quite follow you."

Leo: "Warlocks, they will come after Piper's unborn child. Because of the power this child may possess. You are in more danger than ever before, especially Piper. Please let me do what I have been sent here to do, protect you."

Piper: "And just how are you going to do that when you hardly ever around. Boy, I thought things were bad between me and Dan before, wait til I have to tell him that my ex-boyfriend slash whitelighter is back. Oh yeah, I will have to tell Dan about Leo being a whitelighter if he ever talks to me again. Could my life get any more complicated."

Phoebe: "Piper, sweetie, you really need to calm down."

Leo: "Listen I will be here, my other duties have been reassigned. My only obligation is to protect you and the baby until the baby is born, then it is up to you. I am going to have to stay here, I have got to be close."

Phoebe: "You can have the attic if you want."

Leo: "Thanks, that will be great."

Piper: "Wait a minute, you are going to be living here until the baby is born?"

Leo: "Looks that way. I promise I will stay out of your way and out of your life with Dan."

Piper: "Yeah, right."

Leo: "Piper, I got it a long time ago, what you wanted and what you deserve. Yes, I still love you but I will always love you, but I know what is right for you and it is not me. Dan is the one you deserve to be with. I will stay out of the way, I promise. I am only here to protect you and your baby."

Piper: "I have heard enough, I am tired and I am going upstairs to lie down for a while."

Piper walks upstairs and the others just look at each other trying to figure out what to do next.

* * *

While Piper had been upstairs sleeping Prue and Phoebe told Leo about Dan's reaction to the news of them being witches. Leo was very aggravated with Dan. Leo had thought to himself doesn't he realize what he has. What he has with Piper was very real and special, it was something that Leo could only dream about. He loved Piper very much but knew she deserved more than what he could offer her.

The day had quickly passed into the next and the next. It had been almost a week since Dan had spoken to Piper. Piper's emotions were getting completely out of hand. One minute she was happy the next she was mad at the world, and then the next minute she would be crying uncontrollably. She was already driving her sisters and Leo nuts. Leo knew that he had to interfere with what was going on or the lack of what was going on with Piper and Dan.

Early the next morning Leo made a surprise visit to Dan. Dan was in his house getting ready for work when Leo orbed himself into the same room. Dan about freaked out but quickly regained his composure. Leo sort of chuckled at Dan's reaction.

Dan: "Oh yeah Mr. Handyman that is real funny."

Leo: "Sorry, I did not mean to startle you but I thought that now was as good of a time as any to come and talk to you."

Dan: "Let me guess you are a witch too."

Leo: "No. I am what is called a White Lighter, we are guardian angels or guides for all good witches. We also help protect them from evil."

Dan: "What? I can't believe this you people are everywhere."

Leo: "I wouldn't say that but we are out there. Anyway, I want to talk to you about Piper."

Dan: "I have nothing to say to you about Piper or anything else."

Leo: "Well then you can just listen to what I have to say."

Dan: "Enlighten me Mr. Fixit."

Leo: "You don't realize it yet but I know what you are giving up. Your mind is so clouded with all the wrong things. Yes, Piper and her sisters are witches and yes your baby my also be a witch, but she is still the same person you fell in love with last year. Piper has not changed, you just know everything about her now. You know what has made her the person that you love. If you leave her over this than you are a bigger fool than I had hoped."

Dan: "Who do you think you are?"

Leo: "I'm someone who knows Piper as well as you do and I know what her love can do to you. I am someone who wants the best for Piper and if that means you than so be it. I am also someone who wishes everyday that I was in your shoes, to be able to hold, comfort, and be there everyday for the woman that I love. Don't throw it away, trust me you will regret it for the rest of your life."

Dan dropped his head because he knew exactly how Leo felt, he even felt a little sorry for Leo.

Leo: "Talk to Piper, try to understand how difficult all this is on her, and for god sakes man you two are going to have a child together be the man that she fell in love with. Just talk to her."

Leo then orbed out. Dan stood there for a minute and headed out the door.

* * *

Later that evening everyone was at P3. Piper and Phoebe were working diligently. Prue was having drinks with Jack and talking to Leo. The band had started to play when Leo noticed Dan walk down the stairs. Leo glanced over at Piper to see if she had seen Dan and she had not. Leo excused himself and mixed in with the crowd while keeping an eye on Piper. Dan approached the bar where Piper was working and asked her if they could talk. Piper had Phoebe take over for her and Prue helped behind the bar while Piper and Dan went to talk. Leo walked into the bathroom and orbed out of sight so he could linger around Piper and Dan.

Dan: "Piper, I'm sorry for being such a jerk. I let my fear of not understanding about you and your sisters get in the way. I know that you have always counted on me to be there for you when you needed me and I completely lost sight of that, our love for each other, and everything that we mean to each other. My fear of the unknown made me lose sight of everything that meant anything to me."

Piper: "I'm sorry, I know I threw a lot on you in one day, maybe too much. I want you to know that I completely understand about being afraid of what you don't understand and the unknown. I have had the crap scared out of me plenty of times in the last few years. But, I have never felt so isolated before. When you walked out that door I felt completely alone and you know what, that scared more than the unknown ever did."

Dan: "I'm sorry Piper. I never meant to hurt you."

Piper: "I know Dan, I know you didn't. But, you have to understand right here and now, that things are not going to be easy. You are going to see things that you would never imagine and I need to know if you are ready to handle that. I need you in my life completely not half hearted. It's up to you where we go from here."

Dan: "Piper as long as I have you in my life and we have our child, I can handle anything, I promise."

Dan pulled Piper in close to him and wrapped his arms around her while gently kissing her. The two were embraced in a warm hug when a tall blonde man barged into the back room. Dan and Piper jumped. Piper backed up a few steps and looked at the man and thought instantly, Warlock.

Dan: "What the hell?"

Warlock: "Out of my way mortal, I want the witch and I want the unborn witch!"

Dan: "You stay away from her."

The warlock threw Dan across the room and was beginning to step towards Piper when she froze everything. Piper ran out to the front of the club to get Prue and Phoebe. The three ran to the back room. When they entered the room Dan was still frozen lying on the floor and Leo was orbing in. Prue asked Leo how they could vanquish this warlock. Leo told them to use the Power of Three. The room then unfroze and the three witches began with the Power of Three will set us Free. As Dan was sitting up he watched the three reciting as one the spell and saw the warlock disappear into a mist. Once the warlock was gone Piper ran over to Dan which was getting assistance from Leo. Dan had a nasty gash on his arm. Piper was trying to apply pressure to it when Leo asked her to step aside. Leo looked straight into Dan's eyes and told him to get use to it, they would be seeing more of that and he began to heal Dan's arm. Piper looked at Leo and told him thank you. Dan pulled Piper back into his arms and hugged her as tight as he could.

Dan: "You had better believe I am staying, I don't want anything to happen to you."

Leo: "None of us do, we are all in this together."

Phoebe: "Hey, Dan did you know that Leo moved in with us to protect Piper and the baby until the baby is born because all of these warlocks are going to be coming after her and the baby?"

Prue: "Phoebe!"

Piper: "You know Phoebe that could of waited until tomorrow."

Dan: "No it couldn't wait. I am glad Leo will be there to help protect you and the baby actually all of you. If everything I have seen this evening is only the beginning then I can imagine what it is going to be like a few months down the road."

* * *

A Few Months Later

Piper was about 22 weeks pregnant. She was really showing now and the hormones were out of control. Piper, the extremely high strung sister was driving everyone insane with her mood swings. Piper had woken up this particular morning feeling great, there was no morning sickness or exhaustion, she just felt wonderful. Piper sort of bounced downstairs for some breakfast with everyone. Everyone included Prue, Phoebe, Dan and Leo. Prue and Dan were getting ready to leave for work and Leo was beginning to do some renovations upstairs when Piper talked Phoebe in to going with her downtown. Leo was a little apprehensive about letting Piper go with just Phoebe but the two quickly reassured a skeptical Leo not to worry, they would call if there was any trouble or even a sign of trouble. The sisters left the manor and headed downtown to do a little shopping.

The two were talking in the car while headed home when a Ford truck crossed the center lane and headed straight for them. Phoebe yelled at Piper to watch out. Piper quickly swerved to miss the truck but it hit Piper's Jeep in the drivers rear quarter panel and spun them around into a concrete pillar on the front of a building. The entire Jeep was destroyed. Phoebe had hit her head on the window, which broke the window flying glass all over her. Piper was wedged in the driver's seat and could not move anything but her right arm. The air bag had Piper stuck to where she couldn't even move her head. Piper raised her arm and tried to shake Phoebe asking her if she was okay. Bystanders were rushing up to the vehicles trying to calm everyone down. All the emergency crews had been called.

Phoebe finally woke up and screamed in pain. Piper began to talk to her trying to calm her down at the same time the fireman and the paramedics arrived. They asked the two not to move. Phoebe jokingly told them that it would not be a problem they were not going anywhere. One of the paramedics put a c-collar on Phoebe while the other was trying to do the same to Piper but could not get it around her neck because the way her head was pinned by the air bag. One of the firemen covered Piper's face with a towel and punched a hole in the air bag to deflate it so the paramedics could work on her. They pried the door open and got Phoebe out quickly. The paramedic working on Piper was standing in the back seat behind Piper. When they were lifting Phoebe out of the Jeep Piper told the paramedic that she was pregnant. The paramedic leaned into the front seat and began to feel Piper's stomach asking her if anything hurt. Piper told him that everything felt fine that the baby was even stretching and moving around and that there was no pain anywhere in her abdomen. The paramedic told Piper to hold still that he was going to climb out of the Jeep to talk to the firemen to figure out a way to get her out because she was wedged in there really good.

The paramedic got out and let the firemen know that she was pregnant but the steering column was going to have to be cut off to get her out. The paramedic crawled back in behind Piper and told her what they were going to have to do. Piper was really scared but put on a good front while everything was going on. Phoebe was giving the other paramedic and the police all the information they needed about her and Piper. One of the policemen went to call Prue at work and let her know what happened, while the other policeman told Phoebe that the other driver had had a heart attack and was dead at the scene. The whole incident was purely an accident. They finally got Piper out of the Jeep and put her in the same ambulance with Phoebe.

When the two arrived at the hospital Prue, Dan and Leo were already there waiting. Phoebe and Piper were rushed into one of the emergency rooms to be evaluated. About an hour later a doctor came out and talked to them. Phoebe had a very badly broken arm and a nasty gash on her head that they were stitching up but she was going to be okay. The doctor continued to talk to them regarding Piper's condition. He said that Piper seemed to be okay, just some bruises and cuts from the glass. As a precaution, they sent Piper up for an ultrasound to check out the baby. The doctor said that they wanted to keep both of them overnight and monitor them and someone would come and get them when they were settled in a room, he said that they would also try to put them in the same room.

A few hours later a nurse came in and showed them to Phoebe and Piper's room. They were on the women's side of the hospital to keep an eye on the baby. The two sisters were asleep when everyone finally got to them. Prue walked over and kissed Piper on the head and then went over to Phoebe and sat down on the bed beside of her. Dan went over and sat down beside of Piper and held her hand and reached over and rubbed his hand across Piper's stomach and felt his unborn child still inside of her. Leo stood in the distance and watched he didn't say anything, just watched. Piper began to stir some and she awoke to see all the faces that she loved so dearly, she had a huge grin on her face. Dan stood up and gently kissed her on the lips and softly spoke, "I love you." Piper smiled back at him and brushed her hand down his cheek.

Later that night, Prue was sitting in a chair between the two beds with her head lying on Phoebe's bed and her hand holding Phoebe's hand. Leo was crunched up in another chair on the other end of the room. Dan had snuggled in the bed with Piper, he was spooning her (in case you don't know what spooning is, it is where you are lying on your side and another person lays behind you on their side up against you with their arms wrapped around you). All were asleep when Piper woke up with a look of pure pain on her face. She grabbed Dan's hand and about squeezed it off, this woke Dan up.

Dan: "Piper, what's wrong?"

Everyone woke up to see Piper doing what they considered to be Lamaze breathing. The pain caused from a contraction stopped and Piper took a deep breath. She looked over at Dan and asked where Leo was.

Leo: "I'm right here, what's wrong."

Piper: "That was a contraction and it did not feel very good, you need to do something."

Leo: "What can I do?"

Piper: "Leo, don't play stupid with me stop this, use your power to stop the contractions, save my baby its way to early for this baby to be born. Fix it!!!"

Leo: "But Piper, I can't do anything."

Dan, Prue: "What do you mean you can't do anything?"

Prue: "Leo you have the power to heal, do it."

Leo: "My power to heal is limited to only things that are caused by supernatural or evil things, there is nothing that I can do. I'm sorry, I wish that I could."

Piper threw her head back on the pillow and said, "You have got to be kidding me." She then had this strange look on her face that said something is happening here. She raised the blanket and looked under the covers and then looked at everyone and told Dan to get the doctor her water had just broken. Dan rushed out the room.

Leo: "Piper, I'm so sorry."

Piper: "Leo, its okay. There is nothing any of our powers will do to stop this. I guess you could say that Fate has the Upper Hand in this one. It is all up to her." OOH, here comes another one!"

Piper grabbed Leo's hand and just about crushed it, you could see the look of pain on his face and Piper was trying to breathe. Phoebe and Prue were trying to talk Piper through it when the doctor and a couple of nurses and Dan came running back in. The doctor began to tell Piper how to breathe through the contraction when it finally ended. The doctor told Piper that he needed to check her as he pulled the curtain to hide Prue, Phoebe and Leo from what was going on. After the doctor was done checking Piper he pulled back the curtain and told Piper that they were going to move her down the hall to one of the delivery rooms.

Piper: "Tell me what is going on."

Doctor: "Piper your water has broken and you have already dilated 6 centimeters, there is not much time.'

Dan: "It is way too early for the baby to be born, can't you stop it?"

Doctor: "No, we can not stop it. Once the water breaks the baby has to come out within 48 hours."

Piper: "What are the baby's chances? I have the right to know the truth and I want to know the truth."

Doctor: "Piper, Dan it is not good, we are looking at about 10% chance of survival."

Piper: "Doctor just promise me that you will do whatever it takes, don't give up on this baby."

Doctor: "Piper I will do whatever it takes, that is a promise. Once the baby is delivered we don't have much time, we will have to quickly take it to NICU. Once you are ready to be moved we will take you to see the baby, okay. Dan you are allowed in the delivery room but stay out of the way when the baby is delivered."

Dan: "Okay."

Doctor: "Are you ready?"

Piper: "Not really, but I don't have a say soooo."

Another contraction hits. The doctor again tries to talk Piper through her breathing to help ease the contraction. Once the contraction is over they begin to move Piper down the hall. Prue, Phoebe and Leo tell Piper that they love her and they will be praying.

* * *

Piper is in the delivery room doing everything that she is told. The doctors and nurses are frantically moving around preparing to transport the infant when it is delivered.

Piper: "Dan promise me when the baby is delivered that you will stay with it. No matter what happens stay with the baby."

Dan: "I promise, no matter what I will stay with the baby."

Doctor: "Okay, Dan you will go with the NICU team but stay out of their way."

Dan: "Yes sir."

Piper begins to feel another contraction and the nurse is helping her breathe through it. When the contraction ends the doctor checks Piper and tells her that it is time to push. It doesn't take long before the baby is delivered and rushed over to the NICU team. The team quickly puts the baby on oxygen and an IV and rushes it out of the room with Dan following behind.

Doctor: "Piper, you did an excellent job."

Piper: "Is it a boy or a girl, I didn't see?"

Doctor: "It is a boy, Piper."

Piper solemnly smiled when a few tears ran down her face. Later, Piper was returned to her room with Phoebe. Phoebe was sitting up in bed talking with Leo when Piper returned. Prue had gone to NICU to be with Dan. Once Piper got settled in her bed Phoebe got up and went over to her and began to talk to her.

Phoebe: "Piper, sweetie, you have a son. Can you believe it?"

Piper: "It all feels like a dream or a nightmare you might say."

Leo: "If he is anything like his mother he is a fighter."

Piper: "I am trying not to get my hopes too high, but I want him to live, I don't want to lose him so soon. Oh my god, we don't even have a name for him."

Phoebe: "Maybe you should start thinking about one, I know I wouldn't be in this world without a name."

Piper: "Your right Phoebe. Leo will you go check on them and bring me back an update, they said that they would come and get me in a few minutes to go and see him but I want to know what is going on."

Leo: "Sure, I'll be right back."

A few minutes later Prue walks in the room and walks over to Piper and gives her a huge hug.

Prue: "Piper, he is a fighter. The nurses that have talked to me and Dan can not believe that he even made it this long."

Piper: "What does he look like, I only caught a glimpse of him?"

Prue: "He is really small, but he is beautiful. Phoebe you should see our nephew."

Leo walks back into the room and asks Piper if she is ready to go see her son. Piper slowly gets out of bed and into a wheel chair. Leo wheels her up the hallway to NICU with Phoebe and Prue behind them. They reach NICU and Dan greets Piper at the door. Dan is dressed in hospital scrubs, he gives Piper a hug and kiss and tells everyone that he will take Piper in to see the baby they can not go in, only parents. The others watch through the windows that surround NICU. Dan takes Piper to her son. He is very tiny and has a bluish color to his skin. A nurse comes over to them and explains all the machines and other things to Piper about her son. The nurse stays close by but lets Piper and Dan have a moment alone with their tiny son.

Piper: "What do you think of Dan Jr., DJ for short?"

Dan: "I am honored, and I love it."

Piper: "Hi, DJ. I love you more than anything in this world and I'm sorry you are having to suffer like this. I never meant for anything bad to happen to you."

Prue and Phoebe are outside watching and crying the entire time. These two are wrapped in each other's arm. They are also amazed at the strength Piper is showing. Piper kisses her fingers and places them on little DJ's forehead. Dan then takes Piper back to her room to get some rest. Dan and Leo stay at NICU while the sisters get some sleep.

Later that night Dan and Leo come into Phoebe and Piper's room. Dan's eyes are full of tears as he approaches Piper's bed. Dan sits down on the side of Piper's bed and looks into her eyes with his teary eyes and then drops his head. He looks up again at Piper to see tears running down her face.

Piper: "Dan what is it, please don't tell me"

Dan: "I'm sorry Piper they did all that they could, he was just too weak."

Piper: "No please"

Prue: "What happened?"

Dan: "He went into cardiac arrest, and then all of his organs began to shut down, they tried everything.

Phoebe: "Oh, my god"

Piper fell into Dan's arms and he held her as tight as he could. Piper did not cry, she couldn't cry, she really didn't know what to do. Piper did ask Dan if they could lay him to rest beside her mother and grandmother.

* * *

A few weeks later

Everything was almost back to normal. Prue and Jack were going out all the time and Phoebe had met a nice gentleman at the club. Leo was still around, he had told Prue and Phoebe that he was told to hang around to make sure they were safe. Dan was still coping with all that had happened in the last few weeks and was trying to hang on to Piper. Piper had been very distant and quiet since the baby died. She had not talked about it to anyone and had not showed any emotions since that night. Everyone was beginning to get very worried about her and they tried to talk to her but she would just get up and leave the room without a word spoken. This particular night she had gotten home around 3 a.m. from the club and Leo was waiting up for her. Prue and Phoebe were upstairs asleep. Dan was also upstairs in Piper's room, he had been staying with her at night to make sure she got some rest. Piper walked into the kitchen with Leo on her heels.

Piper: "Leo, what are you still doing up so late?"

Leo: "I was waiting for you to get home."

Piper: "Why?"

Leo: "Because you and I have to talk."

Piper: "And what do we have to talk about?"

Leo: "You know exactly what, you can not go on like this. I can not let you go on like this, you are killing yourself."

Piper: "And just how would you know how I feel. Just drop it."

Piper walked out of the kitchen and into the Fourier. Leo was right behind her. She was getting ready to head up the stairs when Leo grabbed her by the arm and turned her around to face him eye to eye.

Leo: "Look me in the eyes and tell me that you are not dying inside, that you don't think about your son every minute of the day."

Piper: "Leo, stop it. Stop it right now."

Piper had screamed at Leo. Piper's yelling woke everyone up and they all came running down the stairs to find Piper and Leo yelling and screaming back and forth at each other. Dan ran down and tried to break them up but Piper pushed him out of the way and told him to stay out of it. This fight was between her and Leo.

Piper: "What do you want me to say, what do you want from me?"

Leo: "I want you to face this thing head on, stop running from it and stop pushing everyone who cares about you away."

Piper: "What ever, why do you care so much how I deal with the death of my son."

Leo: "Because, you are not dealing with it you are hiding from it and it is killing you and you are hurting everyone around you. Can't you see that?"

Piper: "Well then everyone can leave me the hell alone. I don't need anyone or anybody."

Prue: "Leo I think that is enough, leave her be."

Leo: "No Prue, it is not enough."

Phoebe: "Leo please"

Leo: (to Piper) "I know you too well, maybe better than anyone else in this room. This is not how you deal with things. You have always been so open and honest about everything. Open up to us. Let us help you. We all want to help you."

Piper: "Can you or any of you change the fact that everything that happened was all my fault. Can you take that away?"

Dan: "Piper what are you talking about, none of it was your fault."

Piper: "Yes it was, it was all my fault, all of it"

Piper is beginning to tremble and cry. Leo grabs her by her arms and looks her eye to eye.

Leo: "Piper, what happened was out of your control, it was out of all of our control. Someone greater than us decided this fate, your sons fate. No one could stop it, no power could stop it. You can not blame yourself."

Piper: "Why not, I have got to blame someone. I can not blame any of you so I have got to blame myself. Why would anyone take the life of an innocent baby."

Dan: "He works in mysterious ways and they are not always what we would consider good ways."

Leo: "I know you want to blame someone and I know that you want answers, but sweetie no one can give you the answers that you are looking for. It sucks and yes it is not fair. And as awful as it seems I am just glad that we did not lose you too."

Piper: "Don't you see, nothing is ever going to be the same, nothing."

Piper then drops to her knees with her face buried in her hands sobbing. Dan reaches down to her and tries to hold her but she pushes him away and screams leave me alone. Leo kneels down beside her and wraps his arms around her. Piper tries to fight him but he will not let go and she finally stops fighting him and falls into his arms. Piper buries her face into his chest and sobs. Leo has his arms tightly wrapped around her and holding her head into his chest trying to comfort her. Dan stands back and watches the whole scene. Prue and Phoebe are in each other's arms crying and comforting each other.

* * *

The next day Piper goes to the cemetery. Piper is saying her good-byes and letting go of all the guilt, or trying to anyway. She finally lets go and turns to walk away when she sees Leo. Piper walks up to Leo and he reaches his hand out and wipes a few of the tears away from her face. Piper grabs his hand and holds it in hers.

Piper: "Leo, I want to thank you for last night. You really saved me."

Leo: "I didn't save you, I just knew that someone needed to give you that push."

Piper: "Still, thanks!"

Leo: "I wouldn't have done it if I didn't care about you so much. It was killing me watching you self-destruct. I had to do something."

Piper: "And, I love you for that. I guess no matter how hard I try not to you will always have a special place in my heart, in my life. I will always love you."

Leo: "I will always love you too, no matter what."

Leo gives Piper a sweet peck on the lips and orbs out. Piper slightly grins and says, "Same old Leo, I guess I was wrong. I guess I can really count on him to be there for me when I really need him."