Synopsis
When Prue and Piper are fatally injured, Leo had time to save only one. However, his deal with the Elders meant that he had to save Prue and not Piper. With a hatred for the Elders and revenge in his heart Leo becomes a rogue darklighter with the goal of killing the remaining Elders and an innocent that the Source needs alive. In order to set things right, Prue, Phoebe and Cole team up and work with the Source to set Leo back on his correct destiny, using the help of someone they all believed to be dead.
Sacrifices must be made.
Innocents must be saved.
Magic must be preserved.
Leo Wyatt must be stopped.
Mourning
Phoebe's hands trembled as she flicked through the pages of the Book of Shadows, she was certain that there must be a spell to undo what had been done. She had tried everything but there was no way of changing the facts. Piper was dead and there was no bringing her back.
She couldn't explain to Prue what had happened and why they had both survived Shax' attack, she couldn't bring herself to admit that she knew what had happened and that she was the cause of it. With a sigh of defeat she closed the book and felt the insulting burn of the triquetra, a constant reminder of how they were no longer the power of three.
The room was briefly illuminated by a bright azure light as Leo orbed into the room. It had been two days since the attack and since she had last seen him, she had no idea what she would say to him if he ever returned. She turned around and saw his sunken grey eyes and haggard face. This angel had fallen from so high to become this empty shell of a man.
"I wasn't sure if you'd come back, Leo." Phoebe said softly.
"I'm your whitelighter, of course I came back" his voice was shaky but he managed to force a half smile.
"She was your wife. How could you let her die?" as the words came out of her mouth she could feel the poison on them, it was too late. She was saying what she truly felt. Either way she would have lost a sister and she knew that, but why Piper?
"I can only heal the living, Phoebe."
"And they were both alive." She said with her eyes fixed on the triquetra.
"When I orbed back to the surface they were both near death. It was a part of my agreement when I was allowed to be married to Piper that if a situation like that occurred, I would heal the strongest witch. That was Prue. It breaks my heart to say it, but I made a vow to the Elders that my marriage to Piper would not affect the work."
"This isn't about work, Leo. We're family. You, me, Prue…. Piper. This stopped being work the minute you two got married."
"Do you think I'm happy with what happened? I'm still your whitelighter first and your brother-in-law second. Healing Prue was the best choice for you to continue your destiny."
"I'm sorry, Leo." Phoebe walked over to Leo and held him close to her, after he'd spent so much time with Piper they began to smell similar, the scent of his flannel shirt reminded her of her fallen sister. She smiled for the first time in two days.
"What does Prue know?" Leo asked.
"Nothing. How do I even begin to tell my sister that the deal I made with the Source meant that I wasn't there to protect them when we went back in time. I should have known that he'd betray me. I mean, either way, we lost Piper. In both futures, I saw her die."
"No, Phoebe, we both watched her die. And that's something we'll have to live with, why do we have to tell Prue?"
"Leo, she's my sister! I can't lie to her. I mean, the only reason I remember was because I was down there with Cole."
"You've lost one sister already. Do you want to lose another one?"
Phoebe let go of Leo and walked over to the book once more. She ran her fingers along the dark insignia on the front of the emerald green book. She knew could never tell Prue what had really happened.
"What will you do now, Leo? I mean… you being here is a constant reminder." Phoebe wiped the tears from her eyes and sat down next to the book.
"I feel the same way, but I don't think I can abandon my charge."
"This isn't about the work anymore. We aren't your charges anymore. We aren't the Charmed ones anymore."
"You're right. I need to leave for good. No more charges." Phoebe felt something in his voice, a certain venom in it that she had never heard before. Leo agreeing to leave them had set something in motion and Phoebe could sense it. "I'm not going back to the Elders. I'm not clipping my wings." Leo's voice began to raise. "This is their fault. Piper is dead because of them, Piper's life was hell because of them. "
"Calm down, please. You're scaring me. I don't want you to be on your own."
"I am now. I don't work for the Elders."
"Leo, you can't save innocents without the Elder's information."
"Saving innocents? I have a new task now."
"Leo..?"
Before she could say anything more he was gone, his body faded into orbs and disappeared. Phoebe was stunned, frozen on the chair.
"Are you okay?" asked Prue, who had appeared in the attic doorway.
"Leo orbed out…"
"Leo?"
"He had black orbs, Prue."
