NOTE: Part 7 of 23, in the Chronicle Series.

DISCLAIMER: As usual, none of these characters are mine. This story is written for the enjoyment of the Internet reader. Print it out if you like, but please don't reproduce it or post it on your site without notifying me first.

Six months have passed and Phoebe, now 29 years old, is still running between classes. This time she is working on her Masters in Restaurant Management.

"So Phoebe, you going for your doctorate next?" asked her best friend Fern.

"I don't think so. School is for younger kids. I'm not decrepit yet, but between work and marriage, I want to do other things with my life. Maybe travel a little more. I have been working hard since the day my, well, since by sisters died. A little of the free-spirited me wants to get out before I get too much older. Wow, I'll be thirty next year!" exclaimed Phoebe.

"Yes, but you've done so well in that time. You must be worth millions by now." said Fern.

"Well, a couple, but that's only on paper. I'm still a working stiff like anyone else." said Phoebe.

"Yea, managing five successful eateries. Not bad Miss Generation X+1'er." said Fern.

"Let's head for the library. I have got to look through those old dusty books one more time. I'll be glad when my department gets everything on the web like most everyone else." said Phoebe.

"There's still something mystical about spending time in a library." said Fern.

"If you say so." said Phoebe as she headed to the restaurant management collection.

"Oh, I wish all those books would fly way! I'm so much more comfortable with my lap top." said Pheebs.

Then Pheebs felt a twinge in her stomach and saw Fern being hit by a car outside in front of the library.

"What the hell! It's not possible." she said timidly. "This can't be happening. I've been free of it for years!" said Phoebe.

"You did the same thing to Mom. Remember?" said a familiar voice behind her.

"Piper?" asked Pheebs turning around slowly. There stood both Prue and Piper looking just as they did five years before.

"Yes, Pheebs, it's us!" said Prue.

"Oh, dear sisters. Why do you appear now? I can't see ghosts, unless I'm a witch again!" said Phoebe.

"No, you're not a witch, but the children you're carrying are. All three of them. You have lost your powers, but you never left the lineage of the Halliwell line. The Charmed Ones were lost, but only for a while." Said Prue.

"You still have the Book of Shadows. You still know how to be a witch. Now you must be a teacher to your own children. You much teach them to defend themselves and defend other innocents." said Piper.

"But I swore off the craft. I wanted no more of it. It killed you and it could also kill, um, my children. My children?" asked Phoebe as she put her hand on her stomach.

"You HAVE to accept it the same way you had to convince us, Phoebe. You were always the best at it and you have to teach your children. And for the next eight months, you will also have all of our old powers. Finally Phoebe." said Prue.

"And we will be watching over our nieces." said Piper. "We don't want the same thing to happen to them."

"What if I get rid of their powers?" said Phoebe.

"Phoebe. You know that then they will be unprepared when they have children. And you already know what happened when adult witches don't grow up with their powers. They are unprepared for this life. Have your children ready. Be there and protect them. We always be their watching. Good bye Phoebe." said Prue as they both vanished.

"No, wait. There's do much I want to ask you. Good bye, dear sisters." said Phoebe. "FERN! Oh Fern, I'm done here. Let's go out the back. Please." insisted Phoebe.

"Jeez, what was it Samantha told Darren in this exact same situation? OH, yea. Tabitha shown him herself. I'm afraid I can't wait that long. These premonitions are pretty rough since I'm a few years out of practice. I wanted to tell my husband the wonderful news in just such a way, but I don't think this can wait." said Pheebs talking herself into it back at home.

"Hey, Phee. I'm home and I have good news." Mark said putting his briefcase on the table.

"Hi dear. I have some news for you, too." she said quietly.

"OK, what have you got, sweetheart?" he looked into her eyes lovingly.

"You go ahead. I need a minute." she said kissing him.

"All right. We got the Hurley job. That's enough to keep my whole operation in business for the next two years. I'll have to expand before I can accept any more work." said Mark.

"Ah, that's wonderful! I'm very proud of you. I guess I might say I'm expanding, too," Pheebs said looking for an opening.

"Restaurant, night club? What did you find, sweetheart?" asked Mark.

"How about my waist line? I'm pregnant." said Phoebe.

"Oh Phee, that's wonderful. We're having a baby? When did you know? Did you see the doctor? When are you due? OH that's great." said Mark hugging and kissing kidding his wife. "What's wrong? You don't look so happy? Aren't you happy?" asked Mark.

"Well, it's the other shoe. My sister told me the news. It seems my children are going to be.." said Phoebe now feeling twelve years old again.

"Your sisters? Your dead sisters? You said you could see ghosts only when you were a.. a.. a witch?" Mark said sitting down.

"Yes, darling. And they said that my three babies.." said Phoebe.

"Three?" asked Mark even more distressed.

"Are to be the next Charmed Ones. I'm still not a witch. But our children will be. I'm sorry darling. I really wanted to be through with it, but it kind of caught up with me." said Phoebe.

"Three witches? I am the father of three witches? Phoebe, that can't be." he said looking up.

"Well, I have to trust my sisters. And I found I have the powers of the Charmed Ones." said Phoebe moving a chair across the floor.

"And the freezing thing and your old power, too." he said.

"Yes! We get to raise the next generation of demon fighting good guys! I'm sorry about that sweetheart. I just don't know what to say! We thought we were just a normal married couple, but this is the second time in my life that my heritage caught up with me." She said sitting down next to him holding him tight and trembling.

"I married you for better or worst. I just never thought about all of this! We'll get through it, somehow. I don't know, but we will. I love you so much Phoebe!" Mark said kissing her.

"As do I. Just think, triplets! And girls? Piper and Prue for two of them. What about the other one!" she asked Mark.

"A named that begins with P, of course. Pamela, Priscilla, Page, what?"

"We can figure that out later. Right now, we are going to go out and celebrate. And I was looking for something different in my life. Maybe not this much, but it's different. Come on, sweetheart." said Phoebe as they marched out the front door.