It had been, Piper Halliwell told herself, a very long three days.
Three days ago, Piper had arrived at her grandmother's house, with the full intention of putting the property on the market and selling it. Her Grams had passed away a little over a month ago, but several months prior to that, Piper had spent most of her waking hours as her grandmother's primary caregiver while the old woman lay dying from cancer. The caregiving title was a complete misnomer. Despite her best efforts, Piper for the most part could only watch helplessly as the old woman withered away slowly and inexorably, most of the time in great pain, despite the formidable array of medications provided by hospice to alleviate her symptoms. Piper in no way regretted her decision, but the procession of countless days and nights of nonstop caregiving left her utterly exhausted, infused with a bone-weariness that even a succession of good night's sleep would not resolve. Her emotions were rubbed raw and enflamed. Weeks after the funeral, Piper was still throbbing with pain, emotionally, spiritually and physically.
But even as she was preparing herself for the agony of detaching herself from the house she had grown up in, life had a curious series of surprises in store for Piper Halliwell.
First was the arrival of Piper's baby sister, Paige. The youngest of the Halliwell sisters was supposed to just be coming up for the weekend, to help Piper with the preparations to sell the house. Instead, Paige informed her big sister that she'd already left Los Angeles for good; and instead of sharing an apartment, as they'd originally planned, she suggested simply keeping the house.
Piper wasn't adverse to the idea. But the prospect of owning and maintaining the home with just their two meager salaries was a virtual impossibility. If they were going to hang onto the family home, they were going to need help, and lots of it.
Help arrived in the most improbable form that Piper could think of. Her younger sister Phoebe, who had once vowed never to return to San Francisco or set foot again in the manor, abruptly did both of those things, even offering to commit her short term future to staying with her sisters and help them defray the costs of home ownership.
Both of these surprises paled in comparison to the one that was waiting for Piper in the attic of her grandmother's house. Locked away in a large trunk, Piper and Paige found the true heritage of the Halliwell family: their mother and grandmother were both witches, legitimate practitioners of magic, as were several of their ancestors - and that gift of magic had been passed down to all the surviving sisters. Piper was a witch. Her sisters were witches. And in that trunk were all the implements they would need to be practitioners of the craft: altars, athames, cauldrons, potions, a spirit board, but most important of all, a massive grimoire titled "The Book of Shadows", which not only contained a seemingly inexhaustible compendium of magical knowledge, but also included a fair amount of Halliwell family history, information that certainly was not recorded elsewhere in more official records.
Piper didn't exactly take the news well.
Whether she truly didn't believe in magic, or if she was trying to convince herself she didn't, Piper did everything possible to distance herself from this unwelcome legacy. That is, until a demon followed her home, and she and her sisters had to cast a spell to rid themselves of it. The spell they used was identified as an unbinding spell, and it was intended to restore all the lost magical powers and abilities to Piper and her sisters - powers they were born with, but, for reasons unknown, their grandmother had locked away from them.
Piper was still reeling from these revelations when one more final surprise arrived on her doorstep in the form of the handyman she had hired to help her fix up the house. His name was Leo Wyatt, and he seemed personable and charming, but most of all deeply sympathetic to the sisters' grief. On this particular morning, however, his agenda wasn't broken water heaters or faulty wiring. Instead, he told Piper of his awareness that she and her sisters had become witches, and that he was volunteering his services to help them learn how to use their powers. But what really set Piper off was Leo's claim that he had somehow spoken to Piper's long dead older sister, Prue.
Piper was capable of tolerating a great deal. But after all she'd been through in the last seventy-two hours, this was something of a final straw. She allowed Leo to enter the house, albeit with great misgiving; and decided before the conversation went anywhere else, she was going to air that grievance fully.
"I'm going to try and be nice here," she said to Leo, as she stood with him and her two sisters in the foyer. "I'm not going to raise my voice. Not scream and yell. Not actually blow anything up. Because, apparently, I can do that now. I want to know why my grandmother knew about this pretty much her entire life, and couldn't say two words about it, not to me, or my sisters, or anyone; but you, a complete stranger, who seems to have direct access to my subconscious, can. Give me one good reason why I should trust you. Give me half a reason. And talk fast, because my very calm demeanor is going to explode into a screaming rage in about twenty five seconds from now."
"Piper…" Leo sighed heavily. "I know this is going to be hard to accept. But the reason I know what Prue said to you is because… I spoke with her."
"My sister is dead, Leo."
"Spirits are eternal, Piper. She told you that."
"In a dream. I was having a dream."
"Were you? Were you really?" Leo countered. "Think about it, Piper. Have you ever had a dream that felt like that? That you remember as clearly as a memory, hours after waking up?"
Piper didn't answer, her conscious mind was too busy recalling the love she felt when Prue had hugged her - and how it comforted her still. No, it wasn't a dream. She had no idea how that was even possible, but she was almost certain of it: she had actually spoken to her dead sister. She felt her rage dissolving into grief again.
"I don't understand," she said brokenly.
Leo sighed again. He looked for all the world like all he wanted to do was take this grieving woman into his arms and hold her. But he couldn't, not until she trusted him first.
"If you'll allow me," he said quietly, "I would be very happy to sit with you and your sisters, for as long as you want, and answer any questions about what has happened to you. I know this must be difficult for you. Most witches grow up with their powers. You and your sisters only found out you were witches two days ago. You've had access to your magical abilities for less than a day. That's hardly the ideal way to be introduced to the world of magic."
"You're telling us," Phoebe grumbled.
"But this is not just about learning to use your powers. It's also about your perceptions. You're going to be able to see things, experience things, that you never could before. The world is going to look completely different to you from now on. You need to be ready for that."
He looked over at Paige. "Your sister is able to trust me, because with her abilities, she can sense who and what I am, even if she doesn't fully understand yet."
"Then help us out," Paige pleaded. "Who - or what - are you?"
Leo smiled grimly. "I'm going to try to keep this simple. All good witches have guardians. I'm yours."
"You're our guardian," Paige repeated, not entirely sure she understood.
"Yes. It's my job to protect you, and guide you in the use of your magical powers."
Paige cocked her head in puzzlement. "You're not a witch," she said slowly. "Or a warlock. Or whatever. You're something… else. What are you?"
Leo smiled. "That's good. You're starting to reach out with your new perceptions. Can you tell me what I am?"
Paige made a face. "You want me to guess?"
"No. I want you to use your abilities. You see the truth of things, Paige. You can see into anyone's heart. Instinctively, you already know I'm not a danger to you. But your sisters can't see what you can. See if you can 'read' me."
Gamely, Paige frowned in concentration.
"If you're not sure of what you see, look inside yourself," Leo suggested quietly.
Paige closed her eyes for a moment, then opened them wide in astonishment.
"Oh, my God," she murmured, shocked.
"What? What is it?" Piper asked.
"He's… I… we're the same?" Paige looked at Leo. "I'm not a witch?"
Leo grinned. "Yes, you're a witch," he assured her. "But you're also much more than that."
"What do you mean, the same?" Piper demanded, feeling vaguely alarmed.
"If I'm not just a witch, then what am I?" Paige asked pointedly.
"That… will take some explaining," Leo said ruefully, rubbing the back of his neck with slight embarrassment.
"Okay, you guys, this is the point where I check out, because this is just getting too damn weird," Phoebe declared.
"I'm inclined to agree," Piper nodded.
"Guys, wait," Paige pleaded. "I know this sounds crazy, but… we really can trust him, and he really can help us. I can't explain it, but please, just give him a chance. And frankly, after what happened to us yesterday, we need all the help we can get."
Piper stared at Leo long and hard, and he smiled back at her self-effacingly.
"You only got in the door because Paige was willing to vouch for you," she decided aloud. "We were about to sit down to breakfast. You can join us. And you have exactly that long to convince Phoebe and me that we should trust you."
"Thank you," Leo said humbly.
For the next few minutes, a welcome sense of normalcy settled around the house, as Piper quickly scrambled some eggs, Paige re-heated the rest of the apple muffins she'd brought from the market, and Phoebe set out plates, napkins, silver, a creamer filled with half and half, cups of coffee and glasses of juice. After everyone had settled into their seats at the dinette, Piper quickly said grace, and then they dug into their meal with gusto.
"So, are you really a handyman?" Paige asked Leo, pulling apart her muffin. "Or is that just a disguise?"
Leo chuckled. "I'm really a handyman. And I really do fix up houses for a living."
"But you're also a guardian for witches?"
"Sometimes. When I'm needed."
"So, you've done this before," Paige pressed. "You've been a guardian for other witches besides us."
"Wait, there are other witches?" Phoebe groaned, as if the idea had just occurred to her.
"Yes, Phoebe. There are lots of witches. Probably more than you'd think. And yes, Paige, I have been a guardian before. But not for anyone you've ever met."
"It's not your average moonlighting gig." Piper's measured tone betrayed she'd lost none of her anger, and was still not ready to concede the slightest degree of trust.
"No." Leo took a sip from his coffee, apparently embarrassed. "It's not exactly a job you apply for. You have to be called."
Paige looked at the young man long and hard. "You're a spiritual social worker," she exclaimed.
Leo smiled. "Something like that. It's okay, Paige. I can sense you're still trying to read me. My heart and my mind are open to you. See how far you can get. I won't hide anything."
"So, why are you here, with us?" Phoebe asked.
"I'm assuming you mean about being your guardian, not because I was hired to do the inspection on your house?"
Phoebe nodded.
"Because… when I was here yesterday, it was obvious you had just gained your magical powers. And frankly, because I sensed you were in trouble. A lot of trouble. In magical terms, you ladies basically set off a four alarm blaze. It was kind of hard not to notice."
There was an awkward silence, as each of the sisters mulled over the implications of Leo's answer.
"So, what exactly do you do?" Phoebe asked finally. "If you're our guardian, what's in the job description?"
"I told you. My main task is to teach you how to use your powers."
"But you're not a witch," Piper frowned.
"No," Leo admitted. "But while a coach on a basketball team can't physically do all the things his players can do, he can still guide his team."
"So, you're our coach," Phoebe said, unable to keep a note of derision out of her voice.
"You're our protector," Paige said with sudden insight. "Literally, our guardian. It's not a title. You're here to protect us."
Leo nodded. "That's right, Paige."
"Protect us from what?" Piper asked suspiciously.
Leo hesitated a moment before answering. "Not all magical beings are benign," he allowed. "There are a few that work in darkness. They are creatures you would describe as evil. And they could do you a great deal of harm, if you're not prepared for them."
"What kind of creatures?" Phoebe asked, suppressing a shudder.
"You know them by many different names. Demons. Warlocks. Even other witches, if they choose to use their powers for evil." Leo paused. "Most of the magical beings you'll encounter aren't malevolent. But the few that are… well, you need to be able to identify them. And, if necessary, deal with them. For your own safety."
"What would they want with us?" Paige asked, baffled.
"You have power," Leo said simply. "Enormous amounts of magical power, that evil beings would do almost anything to acquire."
Piper set down her coffee mug. "Even kill."
Leo looked at her soberly. "Yes."
He sighed. "I don't want to frighten you," he said. "But until you learn how to use your powers, you're very vulnerable. There are evil forces out there that wouldn't think twice about harming you, if they thought they could steal your magical powers as a result. And if I'm being completely honest, I'm also here to protect you from yourselves. Magic can make you a little… giddy at first. It's kind of hard not to go on a power trip."
"Why you?" Piper asked. "Don't we get any choice in choosing our guardian?"
"It doesn't work like that."
"Then how does it work, exactly?"
"You're thinking it's too much of a coincidence that I just showed up here, and you're right. Think of me as the case worker who has been assigned to you," Leo suggested.
Paige brightened a little; this was a simile she understood.
Piper took a long swig from her coffee mug before replying. "That's all fine. You still haven't told me one thing that makes me want to trust you."
Leo thought hard for a minute. "Maybe it would be easier to show you," he said at last.
Both Phoebe and Paige perked up, their interest piqued. "Show us what?"
"How would you ladies feel about a little field trip?"
A short time later, Piper, Paige, Phoebe and Leo stepped out onto the front porch, bundled up in long coats, insulated jackets and hats. The sky was clear, but the early February morning was still quite cold, just a few degrees above freezing.
"I can't believe I let you talk me into this," Piper grumbled.
"Come on, Piper," Paige cajoled gently. "Leo says he can show us some things that are wonderful about magic. After the creepshow we had yesterday, I'm all for that."
Leo smiled. "The first thing I have to show you isn't any farther than the flower bed," he assured them.
They walked down the steps to the raised beds that ran the length of the porch. There were small shrubs on either side of the beds. Leo knelt down, reached out and gently pulled the foliage to one side. In response, a small cloud of brilliantly colored lights began buzzing around the leaves and stems; almost like strings of miniature Christmas lights come to life.
"What are those?" Paige breathed in wonderment.
"Well… they don't really have a name," Leo admitted. "Not that I know of, anyway. But, these are the immature forms of fairies."
"Fairies. Fairies are real." Phoebe shook her head in bemusement.
"Of course they are," Leo grinned. "I guess you could think of these as fairy polliwogs. They begin to cluster naturally, wherever there is a source of good magic nearby. This population is already pretty dense, so they must know that a powerful coven of good witches lives here."
Slowly, the scattering of colored lights dimmed, and a few could be seen flickering to find hiding places on the undersides of the leaves.
"In a few months, there will be a ring of fairies living all around the house."
Paige frowned. "I thought fairies were supposed to be - well, not evil exactly, but mischief makers," she objected.
Leo smiled. "These won't be," he promised. "In fact, once they're fully mature, they will make a perfect natural barrier against demons."
"Really." Piper still wasn't sure she was buying any of Leo's remarks, but anything promising a safeguard against evil caught her attention.
Leo stood up, wiping the dew from his hands. "Anyway, if I can coax you ladies into a quick walk, three blocks up to the park, we can see things that are a lot more interesting than this."
Paige and Phoebe both looked to Piper for approval, and after a moment, she nodded tersely. They began to walk leisurely along the sidewalk. Paige fell into step beside Leo, and Piper and Phoebe followed a few paces behind. Despite the chill in the air, it was clearly going to a fairly mild winter's day, brighter and clearer than usual for the season.
"So, my sisters and I are a coven?" Paige asked Leo. "I thought a coven had to have at least thirteen witches."
"Actually, I really shouldn't have referred to you as a coven," Leo admitted. "But not because of the number. As a general rule, covens aren't comprised of members from a single family. The term implies a collection of individuals, not all of whom are directly related to one another."
"Oh. So, we're just a family then."
"A very blessed family," Leo pointed out.
Paige nodded thoughtfully. "So, are you going to tell me what I am? Or maybe I should say, what you and I are."
Leo gave her a pained look. "I would like to explain it to you, Paige. I really would," he said. "But if I tried to explain everything to you right now, it wouldn't make any sense to you. I'm not trying to be evasive. Frankly, I'm still trying to figure out the best way to explain it to you, so it will make sense. I'm going to have to ask for a little more time on that one."
"A loaded question, huh?" Paige grinned.
"You have no idea," Leo smiled ruefully.
A few steps behind, Phoebe was watching Piper with concern. Her big sister was paying far too much attention to the ground beneath her feet, head downcast, frowning.
"You okay?" she asked quietly.
"No," Piper said truthfully, but she didn't elaborate.
They walked in silence for a few moments. Phoebe decided to venture another question, hopefully one more helpful. "Is there anything I can do for you?" she asked plaintively. "Anything at all?"
Piper didn't answer right away, but she did lift her head to look where she was going, instead of at her feet. She sighed, then cast an indifferent look to her sister.
"Maybe if you can convince me you're not going to just disappear again, and make me really believe it, that would help."
Phoebe took the rebuke like a swat across her nose. She swallowed hard. After a moment, she reached out for her sister's hand and clasped it tightly.
"I'm here," she vowed solemnly. "I'm staying."
They walked hand in hand for a few steps, Piper staring steadfastly ahead of her.
"At some point, I'm going to have to scream and yell at you for real," she said finally.
"I know," Phoebe answered meekly, and gave her big sister's hand a gentle squeeze. Piper still didn't look at her, but to Phoebe's great relief, Piper responded by giving Phoebe's hand a gentle squeeze of her own. She wasn't yet forgiven, but it was no longer out of the question. A faint hopeful smile played about Phoebe's lips.
A few moments later, the sisters and Leo arrived at the edge of the park. No wider than a quarter of a city block, it still was a welcome pocket of greenery wedged in between the houses of the suburbs and the larger buildings of downtown. A fair number of people were walking or jogging through the area, as always. But the sisters gaped open-mouthed at the sheer number of other magical creatures they saw.
Apparently entirely invisible to the men and women passing by, a large, tall figure with a head like a bison but curled horns like a ram, strode impassively through the grass, walking upright like a man. The creature was wearing a long leather coat over a battered blue work shirt and dungarees, but no shoes; it had hands like a man, but for feet it had wide, cloven hooves such as might be found on a deer or a large cow. Noticing the witches staring at him, he ruffed in irritation, shaking his head.
"It's impolite to stare," Leo said to the sisters, in a low voice that would be audible only to them. All three women immediately cast their gazes elsewhere, and the creature moved on, still grunting irritably to itself.
A cluster of bright lights caught Phoebe's eye at the tree line. She tugged at Leo's sleeve and pointed.
"More fairies?" she asked excitedly.
Leo looked over to where Phoebe was pointing. He grinned. "No," he said. "Pixies and sprites, probably. If you go sit in the grass and stay quiet for a minute or two, they'll come right up to you."
"Really? We can do that? It's okay?"
Paige regarded the fleeting forms dubiously. "They won't bite… will they?"
Leo grinned. "No," he assured them. "But if you sit quietly, they'll form a ring around you and start dancing. The good magic you radiate will be like food for them. Go on, it's perfectly safe," he urged.
Phoebe and Paige exchanged an expectant look with each other.
"You wanna try it?" Phoebe asked shyly.
"Okay," Paige agreed, "But if they start climbing all over me, I'm gonna stomp on 'em."
The two sisters moved off in the direction of the trees.
Piper stood where she was, her eyes transfixed by something floating in the breeze. It looked for a moment like a tiny scarf caught in the wind, but it had an undulating, translucent body with a slightly pinkish color, with a motion suggestive of a jellyfish.
"What the hell is that?" she asked Leo.
"Oh, that's just a passing mood," he explained. "They're all over the place."
"A mood?"
"Yeah, haven't you ever been struck by a mood? Happens all the time. I constantly see people walking around with several of them plastered to their faces."
"Are they dangerous?"
"Not really. They can influence how you feel slightly, but only for a short time. There's no lasting effect. You'll see them in all different colors. Blue ones make you feel sad. Red ones make you feel angry."
"That one is sort of pink, so it's what, just kind of irritated?" Piper guessed.
"No," Leo smiled shyly. "The pink ones are highly erotic."
The mood wafted a little closer to them, and Piper took an uneasy step back.
"It can't harm you," Leo assured her. "You can even touch it, if you want. Just hold out your hand."
Not quite sure that was something she wanted to do, Piper reluctantly splayed her fingers and raised her hand slightly, just so the underside of the creature barely grazed her fingertips. Piper flinched, withdrew her hand, and screwed her eyes shut. After a moment, she opened them again, and couldn't quite suppress a shudder.
"It wasn't that bad, was it?" Leo frowned with concern.
"No," Piper answered. "No, it was pretty much like you said. But that was really not something I needed to be feeling right now."
"It will pass in a moment," he promised. "Why don't we sit down."
He indicated a nearby park bench, and gratefully, Piper took a seat. Leo sat down next to her. They watched as a short distance away, Paige and Phoebe were laughing delightedly at the shimmering forms gathering around them. Leo turned to look at Piper, and saw her clenched jawline. He sighed with dismay.
"You're still angry," he said quietly.
"Oh, I'm a little more than that." Beneath her calm exterior, Piper was inwardly seething. "Grams knew about all of this. And she kept it from us our whole lives."
Leo regarded her for a long moment before answering. "I'm sorry," he said finally. "I know this must be difficult for you. I never met your mother or your grandmother. I can only guess at what their intentions were. But I'm reasonably sure their overriding concern was to protect you."
Piper snorted in disgust. "My Grams lied to me my whole life. Every day, she would look at me and act like the world was normal."
"It is normal. It just looks strange to you because you've never had these perceptions before. The world hasn't changed, Piper. You have."
Piper shook her head slowly, not understanding and not wanting to.
"I just don't understand," she said in a lifeless voice. "We can see all this magic all around us, and it doesn't make any difference. People still get sick. They still die."
"Oh, but magic does make a difference, Piper," Leo said earnestly. "It's hard for you to see that right now, because you haven't been aware of its influences for long enough. But I promise, it matters very much."
Piper didn't answer. She was staring off in the direction where her sisters were playing, but her eyes had lost focus and she wasn't seeing anything at all.
"You're wondering if you could have used magic to save your grandmother's life," he guessed. "Or, failing that, at least make her more comfortable."
Piper looked directly at Leo, her vision instantly regaining sharp focus. "Could it? Could I have saved her using magic?"
Leo hesitated for a long moment, then sighed sadly. "No," he said finally. "I doubt it."
"Then what the hell good is it?" Piper asked bitterly.
Leo thought over his reply carefully. "The first thing you'll learn as a witch is, there has to be balance in the world. Positive and negative energies, balancing each other. Yes, you could have taken a great deal of positive magical energy and transferred it to your grandmother. But in the long run, the outcome would still have been the same. Maybe you could have bought her a little more time. Maybe not. But every one of us is mortal. We all die eventually. And using all that energy would create a gap, a void, somewhere else - maybe someplace where that magical energy was urgently needed."
"Yeah, ask me how much I care about that," Piper almost spat the words.
"Nothing lasts forever, Piper."
"I thought you said all spirits are eternal."
"They are. But they don't stay here, in this realm, for eternity. They move on. All things pass away, Piper, that's how it works. Even this grief you're feeling right now, I know it seems endless, but you will pass through it. I promise you, you will. And you will know happiness, and even joy, again."
He looked across the park towards the tree line. "Look at your sisters," he said quietly. "They are hurting just as badly as you are, maybe even worse. They may not show their grief in the same ways you do, but it's so. And they need you, Piper. They need you desperately. Comfort them. And let them comfort you. It's the quickest way back to the peace of mind you're seeking."
Piper stared long and hard at Leo, taking his full measure for the first time. He began to feel distinctly self-conscious under her unblinking scrutiny. Finally, she visibly relaxed, just a hint of a smile on her lips.
"What is it?" Leo asked.
"Nothing," she demurred. "I just came to a decision, that's all."
"Which is?"
"I don't trust you yet," she said. "But, if you come back to the house tomorrow, I will trust you enough to let you make your case."
A slow grin spread across Leo's face as he realized the implications of Piper's words. He soberly nodded his agreement. "That's a start," he answered. "Thank you."
"Don't thank me yet. I'm still planning to put you to work. That house is a real mess."
Leo actually chuckled, the tension between them finally broken. "It's not a mess. It just needs a little help."
Piper nodded thoughtfully. "Sounds like all of us," she agreed, and for the first time that morning, rewarded him with a relaxed, friendly smile.
It was some time later in the day before Leo Wyatt left the sisters back at their home, and then clambered into his battered green pickup truck. He had barely driven to the end of the block, however, when he recognized a man in dark grey suit, who was leaning with forced nonchalance against a nondescript sedan parked along the street. Leo pulled his truck into the empty space just ahead of the sedan, and got out of the cab.
"Hey," he greeted him. "What are you doing here?"
The man shook his head disapprovingly. "I don't know what you think you're playing at, Wyatt," he groused in reply.
"Yeah, good to see you too, Inspector Morris."
"Are you trying to get yourself arrested?"
"Why?" Leo grinned. "Are you going to arrest me?"
"You know very well I'm not the authority you answer to."
Leo joined the man at the curb, and affected the same half-sitting, half-leaning posture of his companion on the hood of the car.
"So they've got you staking out the Halliwells? I guess I should have expected that."
Inspector Morris harrumphed in disgust, and ignored Leo's question completely.
"Seriously, Leo, what do you think you're doing? Revealing yourself like that to your charges. That's like, rule number one for being a guardian. Do all your good works in secret. And you snapped that rule like a dry twig."
"What was I supposed to do, Darryl?" Leo pleaded. "Watch the sisters flounder helplessly, and just hope some demon doesn't take a pot shot at them, while they try to figure out how to defend themselves?"
They leaned against the car, side by side, for a long moment.
"How bad is it?" Darryl asked finally.
Leo shrugged helplessly. "If the prophecy is right, then they're the Charmed Ones, the most powerful witches in the world. And they haven't got the first idea - not a clue - of what they can actually do."
"Swell."
"I have to protect them, Darryl. Yes, I took a risk, but it was necessary. These aren't your average, ordinary, run of the mill witches."
"Man, I just hope you know what you're doing," Darryl sighed. "Because when your bosses find out about this, they are not gonna be happy."
Leo sighed. "No," he agreed sadly. "They're not."
"So, what happens now?"
"I start working with them tomorrow. They don't entirely trust me yet. Except for Paige," Leo added quickly.
"Oh? And why is that? Turn on the charm with her, did you?"
"Darryl - she's not just a witch. She doesn't have the same father as the other sisters. And I'm pretty sure that her father is a White Lighter."
Darryl stared at Leo in astonishment. "Are you sure about that?"
"Sure enough that I'm going to ask you to find out who her father really is."
"Damn. Half witch, half White Lighter." Darryl gave a low whistle of dismay. "You realize what that means?"
"It means our lives are about to get a lot more interesting."
Darryl snorted. "No, you mean your life is about to get a lot more interesting," he retorted. "Don't make this my problem, Wyatt. I got troubles of my own."
"It already is your problem," Leo pointed out, "Otherwise you wouldn't be standing out here like a tree somebody forgot to water."
Darryl's expression of practiced disdain melted away, replaced by one of genuine concern. "Just - be careful, okay?" he cautioned. "And above all, keep a low profile. You and the sisters both. If demons start figuring out that the Charmed Ones have taken up residence in San Francisco, things could get ugly around here. Real ugly. Real fast."
Leo nodded in sober agreement. "I know. But this is going to take a while."
"Yeah, they lost their grandma. I get that."
"Not just their grandmother, Darryl. The mother died when they were all just kids. The father is out of the picture. The grandmother is the one who pretty much raised them. They've just lost the only real parental figure they've ever known. Until they get past that, their interest in the craft is going to be shaky at best."
Darryl shook his head sadly. "This is gonna go real well, isn't it?"
Leo clapped a hand on Darryl's shoulder in parting; there was no point trying to answer that question. "See you tomorrow," he said, and as he started to walk back to the truck, called over his shoulder, "And see what you can dig up on Paige's father."
"Yeah, like I work for you now?" Darryl protested, but Leo only smiled and gave a friendly wave. He clambered back into the cab of his pickup truck, started the engine and then slowly pulled away into the street, leaving the sullen detective alone with his thoughts.