Piper lay in bed looking up at the ceiling, watching the shapes the moonlight cast through the curtains. She heard Leo stir next to her and his arm came to rest on her side. She smiled and looked at the subtle highlights of his face. It took her a second to realise he was awake.

“Couldn’t sleep either huh?” he asked smiling, and leant across to kiss her.

She shook her head. “this baby won’t keep still. What’s your excuse?”

Leo smirked. “That baby’s mommy won’t keep still.”

Piper looked apologetic and shifted her weight again in a vain attempt to get comfortable. “Sorry, I can sleep next door if you like.”

“No way!” He put his hands around her waist and pulled her close to him. “You’re not sleeping anywhere but right here.”

She smiled. “I’m so glad you’re back” she told him, slightly out of he blue.

Her comment took him slightly by surprise and he reached up and cupped her face in one of his hands. He looked into her eyes, searching for the meaning of her words. He saw worry and pain in her face and a tear slid down her cheek. Leo wiped it away with his thumb. “I’m glad I’m back too.”

“7 years. 7 years I had to spend without you. I thought I’d never see you again.”

“I’m here” he reassured lovingly. Piper nodded.

“I’m fine, really. More than fine. I can’t believe how lucky I am. I have a loving husband, and beautiful son, another baby one the way…”

“Only 2 months” Leo beamed.

Piper shook her head at the goofy grin on his face. She knew exactly what he was thinking. He’d missed so much of Wyatt’s life, she could just tell that this little one was going to have the most caring daddy ever.

Piper rolled over again to face Leo and grinned. It would have been a huge understatement if she were to say she was happy as well. It was all different this time somehow, maybe because they had done it before. They could just enjoy the experience instead of just worrying about learning what to do.

They were pros.

“What do you think then” she said after a minute or two of contented silence. “Boy or girl?”

Leo thought for a moment. “A girl.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, why not?”

Piper shrugged. “Well, Wyatt was the first boy to ever be born to a Halliwell witch. I’ve come to the conclusion that we’re just odd.” Leo chuckled at her and shook his head. “What? What stick to tradition now?”

“I still think it’s a girl.”

“Boy!” Piper smirked at him, daring him to challenge her.

“Wanna bet?”

“Yeah! You’re on!”

They winked at each other in the darkness, snuggling closer together and Leo pulled the covers tightly around them. “We better get some sleep now. I love you.”

In the next room, Brooke sat up in bed. She was thoroughly fed up and wanted to sleep. But she couldn’t, so the next best thing was to wake up properly, and to do that, she needed someone else awake to annoy. She picked up her stuffed white dog and glanced at Wyatt asleep across the room.

After debating for a while whether to wake her cousin up or not, there was a surprised yelp as she lobbed the toy through the air. It hit Wyatt on the side of the head and bounced off onto the floor.

He woke up with a start. He didn’t know what time it was, he alarm clock was a little bit broken due to an incident involving Brooke, a chopping board and the notion that it might be fun to play tennis with it. He sat up in bed, looking very sleepy and blinked. Brooke nodded, looking please with herself.

“I’m bored Wy, let’s play!”

“No. And don’t call me that.” Much to her annoyance, he dived back underneath the covers. Brooke tutted in a very grown up way and hopped across the room, pouncing on Wyatt’s bed.

“Stop it! I don’t want to play.”

Brooke pouted. Sleepy, fed up 6 year olds who don’t get their own way are not to be messed with. She grinned her mischievious little grin and held out both her arms, palms facing up.

Wyatt slowly began to levitate off the bed. “Hey!”

“Fly!” She commanded, and lifted him higher up. “It’s cooooooool!”

Wyatt rolled his eyes. She liked that word.

One Wyatt was at a sufficient height above the bed, she stopped, suspending him in mid air. He hated it when she did this. I don’t know if you’ve ever tried struggling in mid air, but it’s near impossible. He frantically waved his arms around.

“Hehe!” She giggled. “Fly, fly, fly!”

“Brookie. What are you doing with my son?”

She jumped and turned to see aunt Piper standing at the door with her hands on her hips. ‘Oh no’ Brooke thought, ‘this isn’t good.’ Still, it was better than Mommy. She was glad her mother could sleep through anything, or it would be her standing there, then there would really be hell to pay.

Brooke lost concentration and Wyatt crashed into a heap on the floor. “Hmph” he said, from under the bed cover, which he had pulled down with him. “I wish you wouldn’t do that.”

“But it’s fun.” Brooke shrugged, not seeing any reason for not doing it other than she might get yelled at. But even then, when it was aunt Piper standing there, even that didn’t really bother her.

Piper glared. “Kids. Bed. Now.” She shot them both meaningful looks and closed the door, walking back down the hallway.

Brooke sighed. Night time was boring.