Prolog: Powers do not play a big part in this story but Leo is a whitelighter. Only, he is not dead, it is hereditary and he is mortal until he turns 18 and gets his full powers. The sisters never had their powers bound, and are two years apart.

1982- Coronado Middle School

Piper Halliwell leaned against an oak tree in the recess years, pushing her long dark hair out of the way. She drew on her pant legs as she stared across the lawn at all the other sixth graders. She considered freezing the playground, but knew the risks, which were not worth taking for the sake of boredom. Instead, she pulled her binder from her backpack and began her math homework. She had gotten her name down and started the first question before she saw a shadow fall over her. Expecting a bully, she looked up. Instead she swore that she saw an angel. With dirty blonde hair and blue eyes, he seemed to have a glow around him, a purity that was almost blinding. When he shyly found his voice, she found herself looking over her shoulder wondering whom he possibly could have been talking to.

He spotted her, sitting alone under the Oak tree's shade and he knew that he had to speak to her. He had tried to keep his eyes from meeting hers throughout an entire class period after he saw them for the first time. In an instant he swore that he saw past her glasses and through her eyes, straight into her soul, a soul which cried out him. When he stood near her he managed to spurt out her name and his, awkwardly introducing himself. He prayed that she would read his mind and ask him to sit down. She seemed to be at a loss for her words and he hesitantly lowered himself next to her. He thanked his lucky stars when she did not resist. He mentioned something about their history class, although he barely knew what. Then, too soon, the bell rang and the students were all sent back to the "salt mines." He walked by her side to her locker and when they were there, he blurted out a request for her phone number. Shocked, she scribbled it on his hand and walked to her next class in a daze.

By the time the school bell rang out at the end of the day, Piper could not have told young one word that any of her teachers had spoken, nor would she have allowed you to read her normally diligent notes. With Leo's name absentmindedly scribbled on them, they would have been no use to anyone else. She almost floated to her locker once more before catching the bus home. The echoing memory of Leo's adorable smile served as a constant reminder of the unbelievable moment in time. The mere knowledge that he existed created an inner glow that she had never known. When Prue and Andy found the spot behind her on the bus that day, neither of them gave her a second thought. But knowing that Leo had seen her was enough, the sheer thrill of his smile made up for everything she did not get in life. No matter what happened, or if he never called, the sound of his voice alone would be enough to shoot a cool burst of thrill through her young body. Nothing that her magic lifestyle brought could ever amount to that feeling, and she sighed happily in its sweet memory.

When Leo orbed home that day, his mother was waiting for him with a welcoming smile and a loving kiss on the forehead. He told her about his first day in San Francisco, leaving out the most important event. He for some reason could not bring himself to mention the girl whose soul had scream his name. Maybe he didn't want to jinx it or maybe he was afraid that she would tease him, either way he miraculously made it through dinner without calling her. His mind though had been taped to it, wondering what her voice sounded like over the phone. He stared at the appliance for at least twenty minutes before he turned at the sound of his mother's voice. "Just call her." She said. He asked her how she knew and she simply laughed, leaving him to dial. That was when he made up his mind and dialed the phone number that he had, by now, memorized. He heard the dial for three rings before a girl answered the phone, "Halliwell," She said. He moistened his dry throat enough to ask if she was home. As he heard the first girl call her name, he coughed and ran into the kitchen for a glass of water. Piper had just finished doing her homework when Prue called up the stairs for her. "It's a boy!" Her sister had tauntingly called. Thrilled beyond belief, Piper flew down the stairs and grabbed at the phone. She wanted to scream with exhilaration and shout his name into the phone. But, she steadied herself, counted to 5, took a deep breath and said hello.

"Hi, this is Leo… Leo Wyatt. I'm in your History class."

"I know," She laughed quietly, "I was hoping that you would call."

"Really?"

"Of course."

When Penny got home from work, Piper was still on the phone. In a matter of two hours, a bond had been formed, a bond that would change both of the children and held true through every one of the obstacles faced by growing up. Even though they both had to hide their magical identities, they still became more than friends, more than lovers: they became soul mates. The second time they saw each other face- to- face they had shattered the timid acquaintance of only a day before. Within a year, they spent every available second together; which, with the frenzied life of close friends and other time-filling hobbies, no longer included Piper drawing on her jeans. And as they became inseparable, the burden of the truth became too make to hold alone. One night, as they faced the end of seventh grade, Piper had to make an announcement.

"Leo, I have to tell you something. I hope you can understand this, I am a witch. I have the power to freeze time, and my sisters and I are the most powerful witches ever born, the Charmed Ones."

"You're a charmed one? That… that means that I am destined to guide you."

"What do you mean? The whole magical witch thing doesn't freak you out?"

"I'm a whitelighter, and when I was born the elders told my parents that I was destined to guide the Charmed Ones."

Without their secret to hide, their relationship hit a new level. And each had met their first love. On their third anniversary as companions they exchanged those, "three little words," for the first time. And, on their six-year anniversary, he had planned to give her a promise ring. He had planned it to be the perfect day. Both closing in on seventeen, he and his love would spend the day together. He had packed them a picnic basket and took her to Golden Gate Park. The sun shone in on them as they basked in the spring sun, with the blanket beneath them. The soft breeze around them ruffled her long white skirt every now and then. She leaned her body onto the strength of his young, warm chest. He brushed her long brown hair away from her face as gently as the breeze was lifting the leaves barely off the ground. She turned around to face him and their eyes met, as if for the first time. They leaned their faces together, letting their lips touch. He tasted the uniqueness that filled her kiss, stroking her back and embracing her, the perfect kiss on the perfect day. Then it all went to hell.

Leo barely heard the sound of the gun as it went off, but he could certainly feel it as it shot through her. He tried to steady her as she quivered in his weakened arms. He felt the bullet enter his body and looked over her shoulder. He saw a young man holding a gun, and the jolt that went through him was worth then the wrath of twenty bullets as he recognized the one who had ruined his perfect day. Before he lost consciousness he asked, "why?" The last thing he heard was, "Because you have the woman I love." Then the sound of someone screaming mixed in with the sound of his best friend leaving the scene as fast as he could. Penny sat behind the hospital counter, answering the phones and filing appointments, the usual tasks of her job. The ER was alive with excitement. She heard the doors of the building crash open, but kept working. She looked up long enough to hear the two victims' ages; they were in their late teens. She shook her head, it was always sad when they got such young victims, so full of life. She wondered what had happened to these two.

"What happened?"

"Looks like they were having a picnic, a witness heard a gunshot and found these two. No ID, although the girl had a bracelet on her arm with the names Piper and Leo on it, and he had a ring in his pocket with the same names engraved. Looks like he was planning on giving her a promise ring."

Penny was frozen in fear, unable to hear anything but the blood rushing to her head. No, she thought, It can't be true. She asked her friend to cover for her as she ran to follow the gurney. The sight that met her caused a well of nausea to form in her stomach. Little Piper, shy, innocent Little Piper, who had so looked forward to this day. Blood now stained her beautiful new skirt and a bullet hole through her favorite pink shirt was now surrounded by the red color that burst from her young and innocent body. So many thoughts ran through Penny's graying head. In an instant, she saw Piper's life flash before her. She remembered the day that her granddaughter had proudly taken her first steps, the day she had shyly entered the public school system, she remembered Piper's birth and her reaction to young Phoebe. I want a baby, but not this one. She's too loud. In her own eloquent, two year-old words Piper had begun her long time wish to have the family life that she deserved. Penny imagined the idea of never meeting the great grandchildren that Piper would have lovingly cared for, and she could barely stand. Then, she looked at Leo. She had known for some time now that Leo would some day join her family. Never before had she seen such love as Piper was blessed with at such an early age. She grew angry, realizing that someone had deliberately harmed them, and she couldn't imagine such a monster. But, as the two teenagers began to leave her sight she knew that she had to be strong, and she had to be responsible. She found the doctor assigned to them.

"Dr. Hanes. Please, my granddaughter was just brought in with her boyfriend."

"You can identify the two teens? Great, what are their names?"

"Piper Halliwell and Leo Wyatt. Are they going to be all right?"

"Penny, you know that we won't know anything for awhile. I suggest that you call in someone to cover for you and call the rest of your family. Can you contact Leo's parents for me? By the way, how old are they?"

"Seventeen. When will you know more?"

"It could be another hour or only five minutes. I'll let you know the second that I learn something. If you'll excuse me."

Prue lay on the couch in the Halliwell manner's sunroom as the sky began to turn from the afternoon light to the transitive warmth of late afternoon. She felt the warmth of Andy's body against her own as the TV flickered uselessly in the background. Each time he kissed her, a shiver went through her body and as he began to let his hands wonder, the phone rang in the background. The sound startled her and she sat up so suddenly that Andy almost fell off the couch. "Just let it ring! What's so important?"

He asked her. She kissed him again and said, " Grams will be pissed off if she thinks that I'm not home, I AM supposed to be grounded after all." She said with a smile as she made her way towards the ringing phone. She took a deep breath, trying to still her pounding heart as she said Hello.

"Prue! Thank god you answered. I need you to bring Phoebe to the hospital."

"What! Why? Grams, What is going on?"

"Prudence, I just need you to do as I say. Piper… she…. Just, get your sister! And call Leo's parents, tell them to get to the hospital."

"Is she okay?"

"We don't know yet, but she's not dead. Please, hurry!"

"I'm on my way." She said, running towards the door. Andy grabbed her arm. Shocking her. She looked at him as if she had never seen him in her life.

"Prue! What is going on?"

"I have to get Phoebe. Piper is in the hospital."

"Prue, calm down. First of all you should probably make yourself look a little more presentable," He said, looking at her smeared makeup and wrinkled clothing, "and secondly I think that Phoebe would react better to someone with a cooler mind getting her. I'll go get Phoebe, you go change. We'll meet you at the hospital."

"Wait, you're coming?"

"Prue, she is like my little sister, I have to. Now was there anything else that Penny asked you to do?"

"Yeah, call Leo's parents. I guess that you're right. How do you stay so level headed?"

"It's a gift. Now go, and be sure to wipe the lipstick off your face. Pink is not your color."