Awakened Again

by emaline5678

Major PiperLeo story here. This is what I think may have happened to Leo during the Awakened episode in season two. Leo tries to find a way to secretly cure Piper and go on his own adventure. Plenty of angst, action and some mature scenes.

"Awakened Again"

This one's a long one. I don't know how to do chapters so I tried to break it up whenever possible. Hope you enjoy! Thanks for reading my fan fics!

I don't own Charmed or its characters. I just love them a little too much. This time the story takes place during the episode "Awakened" in season two. Basically it's what I think Leo may have been going through when Piper was sick. Not only was he trying to find a way to secretly heal her, he was having an adventure of his own. Rated M for violence, a brief sex scene and mild language. So earmuffs if you don't approve! Some dialogue is from the episode in key scenes with additional dialogue added by me because I thought it sounded better. Features all three sisters towards the end. Sorry if Dan comes off as a creep, but I just can't find any sympathy for the guy. Oh, expect a cameo by a certain new doc from the ER. Finally, the characters of Amanda and Marcellus ARE mine. Cheers!

The Golden Gate Bridge rose up like a lonely mountain from the haze of the white evening fog. It towered over the city of San Francisco like some forgotten giant, remembered only by architects and tourists. The fog rolled right over the lower bridge like a slow withering snake, swallowing everything in sight. It shrouded everything in mystery, giving the bridge an eerie – yet oddly peaceful quiet aura.

Piper Halliwell drove past the monolith without sparing it a second glance. She just was never in awe of the giant eyesore. Her architect boyfriend, Dan Gordon, could bore her for hours about the intricacies in the design, what hardships were endured to build it - even the paint color fascinated him. Piper just didn't understand what all the fuss was about. She never understood the obsession guys had with giant monstrous manmade landmarks.

As Piper passed by the bridge on her way to her nightclub, P3, her thoughts continued to drift over her boyfriend. She was happy – wasn't she? Happy and content. Well, not exactly content. Something was still missing in her life. That spark of pure, complete happiness and joy she had felt with – No, she wasn't going to go there. Leo was out of her life now anyway. She didn't need her thoughts to go to him since the thought of him always sent her heart into a whirlwind of emotion. Besides, it was a night of celebration! She had a new DJ at the club and a new shipment of exotic fruit that had only been slightly smuggled into the country. Business was good, life was demon free and her sisters seemed happy. Piper smiled. She would party the night away just like every other self-respecting 20-something in the country.

She suddenly coughed – a harsh, chest-rattling cough that made her slightly light headed. Shaking her head to clear it, she kept her eyes focused on the road. She reached for her water bottle and swallowed a few gratefully cool sips.

Well, she'd party as much as she could with a freaking cold anyway. Just her luck to get sick when things had been going so well. Feeling slightly better, she hummed along to the radio. Absently she scratched at her shoulder as she stopped at a red light. She didn't notice the small ugly purple mark that had started to form on her shoulder.

When Piper passed by the bridge, she was unaware of a familiar figure that lingered there. Not many would have been aware since he sat on the very top rail of the bridge. Yet, he was acutely aware of her. Leo Wyatt, whitelighter angel, sat cross-legged high above the bustling bridge traffic, meditating. As Piper passed by, he caught her essence in his mind, sending his heart into abrupt convulsions of emotion.

"Piper," he breathed, his eyes flying open. He was always able to track his charges with his mind. Even though the Charmed Halliwell sisters were no longer technically his charges, he still kept tabs on them. Yet, Piper he could have sensed from a million miles away. He felt her not in his mind, but in his heart. His heart could sense her own special frequency that no one else could feel.

Leo came often to the bridge when he needed to mediate and clear his head. He didn't know if it was the clear air that helped or the view of the city. San Francisco did seem so peaceful and calm from a few thousand feet in the air. It was an illusion – Leo knew as well as anyone that there was enough evil in the city to turn a whole cathedral of angels demonic. Still, sometimes the illusion was more soothing than the reality.

He had been mediating more often than ever lately– ever since Piper had pushed him out of her life completely. He needed to get her out of his mind – and his heart. Yet, he just couldn't let her go. She had broken his heart when she had started seeing Dan, her mortal neighbor. Leo had understood and respected her wish for a normal life, so he had agreed to break up. Yet, he still couldn't completely release her from his heart. Just a whiff of her essence could send him tumbling off the bridge.

He loved that woman so much it almost hurt him to breathe at times. He had never loved anyone like her – even when he had been human, his own wife hadn't touched him as deeply as Piper did. He loved running his hands through her soft, straight brown hair. He loved her crooked smile and how it always made her brown eyes sparkle when she laughed. He loved the feeling of her small body pressed against his bare skin. He could still remember the location of her every scar and her every freckle. His lips still remembered the sweet taste of her mouth.

Leo loved her impatience and her sarcastic humor. He loved her cleanliness obsession and her sometimes very short temper. He loved that they had been able to talk about everything and anything. He even loved her strange obsession with Garth Brooks.

He loved her soul – imperfections and all. The complete package. Yet, she had rejected him for a man who didn't even know she was a witch. A man, who Leo doubted could ever handle that kind of information – let alone keep his mouth shut about it. The rejection stung like hell, but Leo wasn't going to force Piper into anything. He hoped that – perhaps – one day, she'd truly listen to what her heart desired. If her heart screamed Dan, Leo had to be ready for that. He had to be ready for that reality – harsh and horrible though it may be. At the same time he couldn't hold out in endless hope for the rest of eternity. He couldn't pine away for all of eternity in the slim hope that she would come back to him. That was why he meditated. He needed to move on since Piper had so obviously done so with Dan. Still, he knew deep down she'd never fade completely from the ancient memory of his soul. One soul mate could not easily forget the other.

As he continued to nurse his broken heart and savor the recent brief sensation of Piper, a shimmer of white lights appeared in front of him. A curvy, short redhead appeared before him in a crisp gray business suit.

"Leo. There you are," she sighed in relief, moving towards her old friend. Leo sighed inwardly in frustration. He wasn't exactly in the mood for company – or a free lecture.

"Natalie. What are you doing here?" he asked quietly. He and Natalie had been friends since they became whitelighters 60 years before. She was a good person, but she stuck a little too rigidly to the rules. She had practically crazy glued them to her skin. She was never afraid to lecture him on every broken or bent rule he had accomplished. She sometimes felt like the older sister he never wanted, instead of a friend. In his current sour mood, he wasn't ready for her nagging sermons.

"Looking for you," she said as she glanced up at the heavens. "They've been calling you for hours."

"Really?" Leo asked, shaking his head wearily. "I guess I didn't hear them. Too many things on my mind I guess."

"That's been your excuse a lot lately, Leo," Natalie replied with a worried frown. Leo sighed again and rose to his feet.

"It's none of business, Natalie. How many times do I have to tell you-"

"But I'm your friend, Leo!" she cried, her hands outstretched. He turned his back on her, crossing his plaid-covered arms over his chest as he silently watched the bustling city. Natalie sighed in retreat and dropped her hands to her sides.

"The Elders have a mission for you," she said, her voice once again crisp with authority. "A new charge in Australia. She's a new witch being seduced by a darklighter. The – the Elders didn't thing you'd hear her cries-"

"I have NEVER ignored the call of a charge!" Leo hissed as he suddenly swung around to face Natalie. Anger distorted his handsome features. If Natalie was bothered by it, she didn't show it. What did the Elders know anyway? If anything, Leo felt he was too dedicated to his charges. His focus on his whitelighter duties was part of the reason he and Piper broke up.

"I know. It's just with your current situation-"

"There is no current situation," Leo spat out bitterly. Not with Piper dating that Dan creep anyway. God, hadn't Natalie ever fallen in love before? Didn't she realize that you couldn't just heal the pain overnight? He took in her rigid, worried face. He highly doubted she had ever allowed her heart to feel.

"All I'm saying-" Natalie continued.

Leo sighed angrily and rubbed his face with his hands. He shouldn't yell at Natalie - after all she was only trying to be a friend. He was just so tired – tired of wishing, hoping and hurting.

"You've said enough," he said shortly, closing the subject. "Where do I go?"

"You should be able to sense her now," Natalie replied.

Leo closed his eyes, opened his mind and listened. As he stretched his mind out over space, something nagged at him from P3. Something was wrong there. He wanted to feel if it was Piper, but he knew she wouldn't want him there anyway. He continued to stretch out until he sensed the fear and panic of the new witch. Something or someone was definitely after her.

"Alright. I've got her," he said, snapping his eyes open. He gave Natalie one more pointed look. "You can tell them I'll be a good worker bee from now on."

"Leo-" Natalie began, but Leo merely began to orb into space.

She shook her head. She just couldn't understand him anymore. He had fallen in love with a charge – practically everyone knew – even the Elders. This charge had found someone else and had dumped Leo – which was good for him. It was absolutely forbidden for witches and whitelighters to fall in love. Natalie worried for her friend. If he didn't stop moping around over this girl, it would begin to really affect his work and the Elders might clip his wings. He deserved to be in the clouds helping his charges, not seducing them.

Natalie sniffed as she took in her surroundings. She hated the Bridge. Not only was she scared of heights, but it reminded her of how twisted and cruel mankind could really be. The bridge itself stood out in the night like a maniacal monstrosity of steel and girders. It was the perfect setting for a horror movie. She could rattle off statistics on the number of suicides that were committed on the bridge every year. How could Leo even remotely find comfort here?

Sighing again, Natalie concentrated. She then swiftly disappeared back into the heavens in a swirl of white sparkling lights.

As Leo landed in Australia, a feeling of danger began to freeze his heart. He had landed in a dark alley in what was the darker, dirty side of Sydney. He could sense nothing but panic from his new charge, Amanda. Yet, there was another sense of foreboding growing in his stomach. He quickly sensed for it and with dawning horror realized it was Piper.

"No!" he cried out.

Suddenly, a fireball slammed against the opposite wall of the alley. Leo panicked. There was something terribly wrong with Piper. He could sense it in his heart now. Yet, his charge was in an even darker shade of danger. Pulling himself together, he did the only thing he could.

Leo ran towards the end of the alley and his new charge.

"Come here, little witch," the darklighter cackled, his crossbow strapped behind his back. A crackling fireball sat in the palm of his hand as he slowly stalked down the deserted alleyway. A young blonde woman cowered against a brick wall in front of him.

"You'll pay for killing my friend, bitch," the darklighter hissed. He was so busy focusing on the girl, he never noticed Leo walking slowly up behind him.

"He was only trying to show you the right path, baby," the demon seethed, as he continued to taunt Amanda.

"I'm not your baby," the witch cried. Though terrified out of her mind, she still had spunk. Leo admired that – it was a sign that Amanda could handle pressure situations.

"Not yet anyway," the darklighter leered down at her, the fireball reflecting off his greasy black hair, pale skin and gold-capped teeth. He took a step closer to Amanda and flashed her more of his rotten grin. She glared up at him with defiant eyes. Then, without warning, he launched the fireball.

Amanda screamed and held out her hands to protect herself. Leo felt a surge of adrenaline and braced himself to orb. Yet, the girl was too quick for him. A stream of icy, smoky frost shot out her palms, dousing the fireball until it became a harmless pile of ice chips that rained down onto her body.

"Nice power," Leo muttered.

"Bitch," the darklighter growled, preparing to conjure another fireball.

"Time to go," Leo muttered again. Taking a breath, he closed his eyes and orbed. When he materialized again, he was directly next to Amanda.

"Who are you?" she cried fearfully.

"Don't worry. I'm a friend," Leo whispered quickly. "Come on. I'll get you out of here."

"You sonofa-" the darklighter gasped as soon as he caught sight of Leo. He quickly dropped his shoulder, drawing the crossbow into his hands.

Amanda grabbed Leo's hand as the darklighter aimed. Leo looked back at his nemesis and briefly smiled. Darklighters and whitelighters were mortal enemies. In fact, one of the main purposes of an evil darklighter was to kill a good whitelighter. The darklighter swore again at Leo, his finger squeezing the trigger. An arrow dripping in poison, shot from the crossbow, cutting through the air as fast as a bullet from a gun.

A second later, the arrow harmlessly embedded itself into the alley brick wall. Leo and Amanda had disappeared into the night. Roaring in frustration, the darklighter vanished back into the underworld in a cloud of dark lights.

On the other side of Sydney, a swirl of white sparkles filled the air inside an empty apartment. Leo and Amanda materialized inside the living room. Amanda landed with a thump as she slid to the floor.

"Ugh. What was that?" she gasped, holding onto her stomach.

"It's the orbing. It'll pass soon," Leo told her, feeling queasy himself. He just could not shake the feeling that Piper was in danger. She had her sisters to protect her, so he fought the impulse to race straight to her side…but what if her sisters weren't enough?

"Orbing?" Amanda asked, staring at Leo incredulously. "I mean, thanks for the rescue, mate, but – who are you?"

Leo forced a smile. "You haven't been a witch for very long have you?"

"No, I only got my powers a year ago after my mother died. She had cancer. Wait – how did you know –"

Leo took a deep breath as he started to explain. "I'm your whitelighter. Think of me as your guardian angel. Whenever you need my help or advice, you just call my name and I come to the rescue."

"And you're-"

"Leo," he replied with a laugh. He extended his hand sheepishly. Amanda slowly smiled and took it. Leo was amazed about how well she was taking the news.

"Well, thanks. Leo," Amanda used Leo's hand to pull herself to her feet.

"Are you feeling better?"

"Yeah," she replied, rubbing her hands over her arms. She moved to sit on the faded couch. She pointed at a lounge chair for Leo to sit down in. He gratefully accepted. She narrowed her eyes and arched an eyebrow at him. "But are you okay?"

"Me? I – I'm fine," Leo said, forcing another smile. He wasn't actually. He was feeling definite pain in his heart – the area where Piper was concerned. The last time he felt such physical pain was when she was hurt fighting the Grimlocks in the sewers of San Francisco. In that case, her sisters had arrived in time to save her. Leo prayed that if Piper was in danger, her sisters would be able again to help her. Still, he would check on Piper in a few minutes. He couldn't run off and abandon a charge even though Piper was in trouble. The idea made him physically ill again that he had to temporally ignore Piper. Yet, if they were ever going to get a second chance to make it as a couple, he couldn't abandon his job or his charges every time he felt her in pain.

"Do you know that darklighter?" Leo asked, moving the conversation away from him.

"Is that what he is?" Amanda asked. "His name's Marcellus. He's been harassing me for weeks. I had a feeling he was more than just a random creep. He kept trying to manipulate me into doing some very bad things."

"You're a good witch. If he had gotten to you and you had hurt or killed one innocent-"

"I would turn evil like him?" she asked fearfully. Leo nodded solemnly. Amanda slowly sat back on her couch as she took in the seriousness of the situation.

"So he probably wanted to kill me-"

"Because you wouldn't turn evil? Probably. But he mentioned a friend of his-"

"Oh," Amanda laughed and waved her hand in front of her face. "That must have been Lazarby. The first bonafide demon that I vanquished all by my onesies."

Leo couldn't help but laugh. If he wasn't so worried and scared about Piper, he would have really liked Amanda. She reminded him a lot of all three Halliwell sisters. She was funny, smart, sarcastic and had the hallmarks of becoming a powerful witch.

"Did your mother tell you anything about being a witch?" he asked, unconsciously moving his hand to his chest. Man, his heart really throbbed.

"Not a word. Though it must have been why my father left us. I always thought it was because he was Mr. Conservative and mom was Ms. Feminist. I had no idea there was another reason."

"It's hard for mortals to take," Leo replied, thinking of how Piper's father left her and her sisters when they were young for the same reason. "That's one reason we don't tell everyone about us."

"Right. I know that," Amanda said, yanking a large leather-bound book out from under the couch. It wasn't nearly as thick as the Charmed Ones' Book of Shadows, but it was hefty. Amanda's mother must have been quite a busy witch.

"Mom wrote everything down in here before she died," Amanda said, flipping open the book to the first page. She lovingly ran a finger over the handwritten words that were scrawled over the yellowed paper.

"I found this right after the funeral, but didn't actually read it until a year ago. Not until I started freezing everything in sight - literally. Including my boyfriend's…um…you know…."

Leo laughed. "It's a neat power. You already have great control-"

Suddenly Leo clutched his chest and fell to the floor. Alarmed, Amanda rushed to his side.

"Oh, my God. Leo – are you ok?"

"It's my heart – " he gasped.

"Wait here. I'll call for an ambulance." She paused by the phone. "But I thought you were already dead?"

"I am," he cried. "It's not a heart attack. I - I have to go."

Grimacing, Leo slowly climbed to his feet. He clutched at Amanda's hand and looked into her scared face.

"Marcellus will be back," he wheezed. "He'll keep coming until you can vanquish him. If he does come back, call for me."

"But you're hurt."

"No, it's not me," he whispered. Finally his breathing began to slow as he took control of the harsh pain inside of him. "It's not me. It's someone I love. I have to get to her."

"Go then. I'll be fine."

"Study the book. Be careful, Amanda. Do not go up against Marcellus alone. You're not ready. Please, call me if you need help."

"I will. And Leo?"

"Yes?" he asked, pausing to look back at her.

"Thank you," she told him. He smiled in appreciation and then closed his eyes.

Leo felt a familiar disorientated sensation as his body dissolved into a thousand white lights. He pictured San Francisco and tried to fly there. Yet, something seemed to hold him back with painful force. He could feel himself being taken into an entirely different direction. One rather north of the border.

He materialized with a thud as he landed on a soft, yet thick white floor. It had the texture cotton candy, yet was as sturdy as concrete. The texture of the clouds. Looking around him, he saw he had landed in a small white chamber with ten foot high windows in the walls. The windows let in fresh, new sunlight from the pristine blue sky. This high in the clouds, he tended to feel nothing but peace, love and calm. Instead, he now felt an ever increasing dread fill his already worried heart. Half a dozen ancient faces dressed in white and gold robes stood in a semicircle in front of him. None of them looked like they were feeling too warm and peaceful.

"Uh-oh," he thought as he slowly climbed to his feet. This was not going to be pleasant.

Leo ignored the pain and growing panic in his heart as he looked back at the angry, glaring faces of the Elders before him. He adjusted his plaid button-down shirt as he tried to calm himself. He had the sudden urge to defiantly say sayonara and orb back to San Francisco. He didn't have time for a lecture or a chitchat. He had to get to Piper. Then again, these people were his bosses and some of the oldest angelic beings around. He had to show them the respect they deserved, whether he currently felt like it or not.

"What's going on?" Leo asked, trying to control his impatience. "What's wrong?"

"What's wrong?" an older Elder with graying brown hair mimicked. "What's wrong is that you abandoned a charge in her hour of need."

"What?" Leo cried. "Odin, sir, I'm sorry, but I did no such thing. I saved her from the darklighter just in time."

"But you didn't stay with her, did you?" Odin asked, his blue eyes sparkling with fire. "You left as soon as your little witch-"

Leo tried to control his temper with both hands. He remembered that Odin had a reputation for disliking witches, which made him a curious choice for an Elder. At the same time, he was a stickler for rule and order and had prevented many catastrophes over the centuries. He may have been a respected man, but Leo hated his closed mindedness.

Leo was about to open his mouth to retort, when a short blonde female Elder placed a calming hand on Odin's arm. The older man instantly backed down from his attack as she turned to Leo.

"The problem is, Leo," the Elder, Sandra, said not unkindly. "Is that you put your own interests in front of your charge. Whitelighters are supposed to aid and advise their charges about all things. Remember, it's the need of the many that outweighs the need of the few…or the one."

"I did help Amanda," Leo bit out angrily. "I would never leave her unprotected and in danger."

"But you-" Odin began again. Sandra patted Odin's arm again and he stopped.

"We know, Leo. The problem is that you worried more about Piper than your charge."

The mention of Piper's name caused all of Leo's anger to evaporate. Abruptly, worry and fear washed over him in suffocating waves. "Please, let me go to her. Amanda's fine. I'll go check on her again after I check on Piper. I just need to know-"

"You need to worry about the Greater Good more than your hormones, Leo," Odin bit out in an icy voice. Sandra ignored her co-worker.

"Leo, she's…she's in the hospital," Sandra told him. The other Elders watched silently as a thousand different emotions washed over Leo's face. Finally, he pulled himself together with an effort. He would not fall apart in front of his bosses. He didn't need that embarrassment to deal with at the moment.

"What happened?" he whispered to Sandra.

She smiled slightly at him in sympathy before speaking slowly, as if the truth pained her ancient heart as well. "She contracted a rare disease, Aurora Fever. She caught it from the bite of a fruit fly. Apparently, she smuggled in some fruit from South America without letting it sit in quarantine. I'm sorry, Leo. There's no cure."

The Elder's last words shocked Leo like a lighting bolt to the chest. The thought of Piper…dying. No, he couldn't face that image. Not now- even though the idea threatened to rip his heart straight out of his chest.

He raised his green eyes pleadingly to Sandra's kind blue ones. "Then please let me go to her. Let me heal her."

"No. Absolutely not," Odin roared before Sandra could even speak. The other Elders rumbled in approval. Odin seemed to be waiting for this exact moment as he began to eagerly rub his hands together.

"Piper Halliwell was not injured in any demon attack," Odin continued. "She brought this sickness on herself. It's her mistake and she must pay for it. Leo, the doctors in the hospital will deal with her if they can."

"But you just said there's no cure!" Leo cried out desperately.

"Then," Odin replied coldly. "She will, unfortunately, die."

"Oh, no," Leo cried, vigorously shaking his head. "That's bullshit! You can't do that to her. She's an innocent just like everyone else. You can't just turn your back as an innocent dies – especially when you can prevent it."

Leo stared hard at each Elder, but all avoided his accusing eyes – even Sandra. He had no friends here. He snorted and put his hands on his hips.

"What about the Greater Good that you guys keep preaching about?" he tried. "Aren't the Charmed Ones a huge part of that? If one of them dies, you lose the Power of Three. Evil will win out and the Source will never be destroyed. Is that what you really want?"

"Of course not, Leo," Sandra said, her voice quiet. "But – but what if it is Piper's destiny to die this way?"

Leo opened his mouth to protest again, but Odin raised his hand.

"It's too late, Leo," he cried. "We've already come to a decision. You will do nothing to help Piper with this disease. You will not even visit her. Perhaps the doctors will find a cure after all. Whatever happens, we order you to stay away from her and her sisters. If you attempt to heal Piper in any way – you will be severely punished."

Leo knew from Odin's cold, icy tone that the punishment wouldn't exactly be writing "I will not…" a hundred times on a blackboard. They had tolerated his rule bending from time to time, but this time they were deathly serious.

Odin sighed, causing Leo to cringe inwardly. God, was there more?

"We've agreed to allow you to continue with your work. You will still be able to orb to your charges if they call. Just remember, Leo. We will be watching you."

Leo looked at each of the faces of the six Elders before him. He had looked up to them for years. He believed in their cause – he believed good would conquer evil. Yet, they were willing to let an innocent – the love of his life – die just to teach her some goddamn morality lesson? That was complete and utter horseshit.

"You're dismissed," Odin ordered, waving Leo away with his hand. Leo mumbled a reply and then orbed himself back to Earth.

Leo materialized a few minutes later on top of the Golden Gate Bridge. It was night again over San Francisco. Fog continued to roll over the bridge, obscuring all life below him. He wished it would swallow him whole as well. Cars continued to skitter across the bridge despite the fog; neon signs still flashed in the city, the stars still sparkled from the heavens. The world continued to rotate in the sky, despite the fact that Piper Halliwell was dying.

Leo blinked back sudden tears as he lowered himself onto the cold steel. How could they just stand by and watch Piper die? Someone who was so caring, kind and giving? Someone who was loved by so many people? How could they just turn their backs?

Not really wanting to, Leo stretched out his mind to San Francisco Memorial Hospital. He gasped when he finally found Piper's weak, faint signal. She was in a coma, her heart beating slower and slower. She was fading fast – her sisters frantic at her side. Angrily, he slammed his fists against his thighs. He should be able to go to her and save her. He should have left Amanda sooner, then he might have missed being snatched by the Elders. Piper shouldn't have to die like this. If, God help him, she did die, the guilt would rot Leo's soul to the core.

"Oh, Piper," he sobbed, letting the tears fall down his cheeks and feeling completely helpless. "I'm so sorry."

A memory surfaced suddenly in his mind. It was the morning after they had first slept together. Before Piper knew he was really a whitelighter and not just a normal everyday handyman. Not for the first time, Leo wished he was just a normal handyman. That way he could at least be helplessly sitting at her bedside in the hospital.

The night before Leo and Piper's first time had started out with a simple dinner and a rented movie. Phoebe and Prue had gone out shopping for the night. It wasn't actually a date date. It broke his heart that he couldn't tell Piper his secret. It was bad enough that he had fallen in love with her – which was 100 against the rules. He just hadn't been able to resist that slow sweet smile of hers.

The movie had been bad, so the two had started talking. Leo realized he could tell her anything…except that he was really an angel. That was fine since he could tell she wanted to tell him she was a witch, but couldn't quite do it.

Leo had started ribbing Piper about Quake, the restaurant that she had then managed. The ribbing had turned into tickling, which had turned into a race around the house. Once he finally caught her in the kitchen, he took her face in her hands and silenced her giggles with a kiss. She had sighed with obvious pleasure which soon caused his hands to explore her body. Before he knew it, she was wearing his work shirt over her bra and they were running hand in hand towards the stairs.

That night was literally breathtaking. He had never felt so close and connected to another woman – not like he did with Piper. They had been a perfect fit – as if they had coupled a thousand times before. He hadn't wanted the night to end with the morning sun. He knew as soon as it rose, it would take her away from him again.

"Stay in bed, beautiful," he murmured in her ear that morning. He lay on his side, his arm draped over Piper's stomach as she lay with her back to him. He lovingly caressed the soft skin over her tummy.

"Oh, Leo," she murmured, turning to face him. She gazed up into his half-opened green eyes, her fingers brushing the morning stubble on his cheek. He brushed her soft lips with his own fingers, tracing their irresistible curves. Then he lowered himself to kiss her sweet lips as his hand drifted to her smooth cheek. "I have to go in early today."

"How early does early have to be?" he asked, tenderly moving his kisses to her neck and then to her collarbone. Slowly, he rolled her onto her back.

"Early," Piper complained. Yet, she didn't move from his embrace. In fact, her breathing was starting to become very heated and he noticed a familiar blush growing in her cheeks. Leo took that as a good sign and he moved his lips down to kiss one nude breast. One hand stroked her bare thigh as the other began to cup and caress her other breast.

"No, Leo, we can't," she moaned, her hands moving to massage his naked back. "I really have to go-"

She gasped as he slipped her erect nipple into his warm, moist mouth and sucked. At the same time, one of his hands slipped into the soft, wetness between her thighs. God, she tasted so sweet and wonderful.

"You really are evil," she whispered and he could hear the giggle of pleasure in her voice. She pulled his face up to hers and kissed him passionately, her tongue finding a welcome home in his mouth. Meanwhile, her hand traveled slowly south until she brushed against his growing hardness. She then began to stroke and caress him.

"Oh, my God. Piper," he moaned with agony/pleasure. She grinned and rolled him onto his back. She straddled him with her small legs and he moved his hands to her bare bottom.

"Two can play at this game," she grinned, suddenly wriggling very seductively against him. All thought went out the window for the next hour. They had touched heaven again…until Piper began swearing a blue streak when she realized she was late for work.

Abruptly, Leo snapped out of the memory, his tears still salty and cold against his cheeks. He and Piper had been together for only a short time, but they had been happy. It was love between them – not simply lust. And not only love – he truly believed she was his soul mate. He had loved and lost her soul for centuries. He simply refused to lose her now – not to another man, not to a demon, not to some random disease.

The problem was trying to find a way to save Piper without the Elders finding out. They could kill him, clip his wings…or worst…recycle him. It didn't matter to him anymore anyway. If it meant he would have to die for Piper, then so be it. The world was a better, safer place with her in it.

Leo unexpectedly heard new cries in his head. The voices sounded just like…Phoebe and Prue. He rose to his feet with a sinking heart. He was afraid this would happen. They were asking for his help and he couldn't give it to them…at least not yet. Not until he had a better idea about how to save Piper on his own.

At the same time, he couldn't just ignore Prue and Phoebe. He cared for them nearly as much as he cared for Piper. He used to think of the Halliwell sisters as his own sisters in a way. Sneaking a glance at the heavens, he slowly began to orb defiantly back into the familiar Halliwell manor attic.

"Whoa! It worked!" Phoebe cried as soon as he materialized. Leo noticed worry and panic had cut deep lines into her pretty face. She and Prue moved closer to him. "We need your help."

"Alright, Leo," Prue cried, panic beginning to shred her normally cool demeanor. "Look, Piper is very –"

"Very sick, I know. That's why I could hear you calling. I've been near by watching," he told them. It broke his heart to see their panic and fear. It mirrored his own troubled heart. It didn't help things either that now that he was closer to Earth he could fully feel Piper's fading presence.

"Wait, you've been watching her this whole time and you haven't healed her?" Phoebe shouted in outrage.

"I can't," he said desperately. "They know about Piper too and they won't let me interfere. I'm not even supposed to be here right now."

"Leo, you can't just let Piper die," Prue said, her lips pressed into a thin line.

"Don't you think I would do something about it if I could?" he asked quietly, his voice cracking as fresh tears began to build inside of him.

"But you love her," Phoebe whispered, her hands out stretched out to him. The gesture tore at his already fragile heart. God, why did the Elders always have to stand in the way of happiness for everyone?

"I know, Phoebe," he cried. "It's tearing me apart inside too. But I'm not her Whitelighter anymore. And besides, even if I could help her my powers probably wouldn't even work because she wasn't hurt fighting evil."

Leo flinched as he abruptly heard angry jingling in his head. Damn, they had found him already. He felt heavy bitterness well inside of him. He couldn't even finish a conversation with Phoebe and Prue – his friends.

"So they're willing to just let her die?" Prue asked harshly, her arms wrapped tightly across her chest. Her blue eyes flashed fire at his direction. It wasn't a question.

"I have to go," Leo murmured. "They know I'm here. I'm sorry."

"Fine. Go," Prue snarled with an angry snort, turning away from him.

"Tell Piper I love her," he said before quickly orbing into space. Phoebe and Prue were again left alone in the attic. They looked at each other briefly.

"Screw the personal gain consequences," Phoebe snapped. Prue nodded and they marched over to the Book of Shadows. "Looks like we're on our own for this one."

"I'll be damned if I have to sit back and watch Piper die," Prue cried, her fingers fiercely flipping through the ancient yellowed pages. They abruptly stopped on an Awakening spell.

Prue looked up at Phoebe with a tight, grim smile. "This is it. Here, help me with the ingredients. We don't have much time."

"Right," Phoebe agreed, lunging for the few spices and herbs they kept in the attic.

The Elders gave Leo another tongue lashing for visiting the Halliwells as soon as he orbed back up there. He let Odin's words wash over him harmlessly. Seeing Piper's sisters had helped Leo more than he realized. Seeing their faces brought him briefly closer to Piper. He was now more willing than ever to save the woman he loved.

As Leo settled again onto the uncomfortable Golden Gate Bridge, he could sense Piper's suddenly strong vibrant presence. She exploded like colorful wild blossoms in his mind. After his scolding from the Elders, he had heard through the Whitelighter grapevine that the sisters had performed some kind of spell to cure Piper. It was totally a case of personal gain in which karma had a nasty habit of biting back. He couldn't let himself feel joy and elation yet. He hoped and prayed that in this case Karma and the Elders would forget about the sisters. Yet, he knew deep down that Piper wouldn't stay safe for very long. He would then need a plan to save her.

On the bridge below him, the traffic whipped over the road, the cars blurring into a rainbow of colors. Leo absently watched them, thinking that the scene reminded him of a water painting he had made once in high school. His mind drifted again to Piper. She was at P3 with her sisters…and Dan. Leo's heart jumped painfully as his eyes narrowed in jealousy. It should be him holding and kissing Piper – not Dan. It should be him whispering sweet nothings in her ear, his hands gripping her small waist tightly in case she disappeared from him again.

Leo closed his eyes and blocked out Dan's annoyingly uncomfortable presence. Instead, he focused on Piper. His heart drank in her joy, relief and pleasure to be out of the hospital. He smiled. He knew how much she hated them. She seemed so perfectly content – as if nothing could hurt her again. Leo hoped it was true…but he couldn't shake the nagging feeling in the back of his mind that this was all just a brief break in the storm. He had the horrible, awful, gut wrenching feeling that Piper would soon be close to death's door again.

Suddenly, his green eyes shot open as a panicked voice screamed his name. He quickly recognized the voice as Amanda, his new charge. Briefly, he caressed Piper's essence with his own, not really caring if she felt him or not. Then he began to orb back to Australia.

"Leo!" Amanda screamed as another fireball shot towards her. She ducked behind her couch and the fireball burst against the wall behind her.

"Hey! I wanted my security deposit back!" she cried, before ducking her head under cover again.

"If your friend's smart," Marcellus said with a harsh grin. "He'd best stay away."

Amanda gasped as now familiar blue-white lights materialized beside her. "Leo! No, wait you can't be here. If he sees you-"

"I'm not going to leave you here," Leo shouted. He raised his head slightly over the couch. "Is it –"

He barely managed to duck in time as a darklighter's poison tipped arrow gouged a hole in the wall behind him.

"Yes, mate, its Marcellus," Amanda replied grimly.

"And it looks like he brought friends," Leo cried. In front of their flimsy hiding place, four other darklighter demons, in matching leather trench coats, leered menacingly behind Marcellus.

"Just give it up now, love," Marcellus cackled. Leo would have loved to have known what the joke was. "You and the whitelighter can surrender now and we won't make the end…too painful."

The other demons joined in on Marcellus' hearty laughter. Amanda clutched onto Leo's arm.

"What do we do? I can't fight them all and you-"

"I don't have any active powers. And those arrows will kill me instantly," he replied sheepishly.

"Oh, great. That's bloody wonderful. How are we-?"

"Wait! I have an idea," Leo cried. "Do you have your Book of Shadows?"

"Yeah. I nicked it before Marcellus and all his mates completely took over the place," Amanda replied. She pulled the book out from behind her back. Leo grabbed it and flipped quickly through the pages. "What are you looking for?"

"Another of my charges used this once. She had a power similar to yours – except it was fire. I just hope – yes, here it is."

Leo flipped the book around so it faced Amanda. She read the page and her eyes slowly widened.

"Leo, I can't do that!" she hissed in panic. In front of them, they could hear the demons begin to grow restless. They started to ransack the room, smashing mirrors and glass, breaking the furniture into splinters. They then began to catcall Amanda as if she were a lost dog.

"Yes, yes you can," Leo told her earnestly. "You may be new to the craft, but I've seen you in battle. You're strong, brave and smart. The power is inside of you – you just need to trust it."

Leo couldn't believe how much Amanda reminded him of the Halliwell sisters. It made his heart ache. He wished all three were there with him to help. His heart threatened to go out to Piper, but he pushed her temporarily out of his mind as he focused on Amanda and the task at hand.

"But-" Amanda began.

"Just trust it, Amanda," Leo said, his voice and eyes calm despite the demonic storm around them. "You can do this."

She looked hard into his eyes to see if he was telling the truth or not. He looked back at her with kind, calm strength. Finally, she nodded, feeling the confidence build inside of her. Taking a deep breath, she slowly moved her feet underneath her. She looked again at Leo who merely nodded in encouragement. Taking another breath, she leapt to her feet.

"Power of Light

Power so bright

Put my power on show

Make it sing on the wind and blow."

Amanda chanted the spell while launching a frosty spray of icy wind from her hands. Suddenly, a huge surge of wind appeared out of nowhere in the apartment. It took her icy blast and whipped it across the room with hurricane speed – straight into the attacking demons. Only Marcellus managed to dive to the floor in time. The other demons were quickly frozen into ice sculptures. Then just as quickly as it came, the wind soon disappeared from the apartment.

"I did it! It worked! The spell worked!" Amanda shouted with a whoop. Leo cautiously raised his head.

"Were they all-"

"Nice trick, baby," Marcellus sneered as he slowly rose to his feet. Amanda's laughter dried up and Leo froze behind the couch. Marcellus knocked on the block of ice beside him. It shattered into a million minuscule pieces.

"I didn't think you had it in you," Marcellus sniggered at Amanda, baring his gold teeth. He threw her and Leo a glare and then an air kiss. "Guess I'll be seeing you on the flipside,"

The demon then abruptly vanished in a haze of dark lights.

"Damn it!" Amanda shouted angrily. She marched over to the remaining three frozen demons. She gave each a swift roundhouse kick, causing them to shatter into dust. Leo stared incredulously at her.

"What? I play football – sorry, soccer at University. Besides, Mom had me take a few self-defense courses before she died. Now I know why."

Leo climbed to his feet. He smiled at his charge. "You did great, Amanda."

"Yeah," she sighed, crossing her arms across her chest. She sunk dejectedly into an unbroken chair. "Too bad I didn't get Marcellus. Man, my roommate's going to kill me."

Leo bent down to help pick up some of the broken furniture. "You do realize he'll be back again, right?"

"He won't ever stop, will he?" Amanda asked quietly. Sadness made her young face droop. An idea was beginning to form in Leo's mind as he watched her.

"Amanda – you wouldn't happen to know anyone in the states?" he asked. "Anyone, say, in California?"

"I have some cousins who live in San Diego."

"Good," he ginned. "Could you maybe get some things together and fly up there? Maybe make a pit stop in San Francisco? I have some powerful friends there who can help fight Marcellus. I have a feeling he won't be easy to vanquish."

"More witches?" Amanda cried, suddenly excited. "That is so cool! Does that mean-"

Leo gasped as his heart abruptly wrenched inside his chest. He dropped the broken chair he had been holding and collapsed to his knees. The pain in his heart was back and he knew Piper was hurt again. No, not hurt – dying. Suddenly, she was desperately running out of time. Tears sprung into his eyes as his heart sensed her pain.

"Leo?" Amanda cried. "Are you-"

"You need to leave as soon as you can," Leo cried, gripping his chest as he stood up. "My friends can help you in San Francisco."

"What's wrong?" she asked, worriedly. "Last time you said that someone you loved was hurt. I thought since you were here, that person was better and –"

"No," he gasped, shaking his head and fighting the pain in his heart. Suddenly inspiration struck and he had a plan to save Piper. That meant he had to move – and move fast. "She's dying."

"Oh, my God!" Amanda breathed, placing a hand over her mouth. Leo turned quickly towards her.

"Please, take the first flight to the states that you can, Amanda. I don't know when Marcellus will attack again, but I'm sure it'll be soon. The Halliwell sisters can help you. And remember, don't be afraid to call me if you need me."

She nodded quickly as Leo squeezed her hand. Fighting the fear and pain inside of him, Leo closed his eyes to orb. He needed to concentrate for his plan to work. He'd never technically gone to his next destination, and if he was ever caught – Never mind. His life and job didn't matter if Piper died. He would rather risk the wrath of the heavens to save her one precious, beautiful soul.

Piper was floating. She could honest to God feel her soul fly from her body into the air. She felt free – weightless. She felt no pain or sadness. As she floated higher, she saw her sisters weeping below her. Her heart panged at that. She would miss them, desperately, she knew. Yet, she would be able to watch over them and protect them as all the other Halliwell ancestors had done before.

Oddly, Piper felt no regret. She wanted to live as much as the next girl, but – she knew she couldn't be able to live with herself if she knew innocents had died just so she could live.

She felt an abrupt jolt and materialized at the end of long, overbright tunnel. The light was so bright; it felt like a thousand, warm healing suns. She raised her hand to shield her eyes from the glare. She felt warmth, peace, kindness and love wash over her in soothing waves. This was a good place – a place that would lead her to whatever eternity waited before her.

Piper gazed into the bright, healing light. A soft, warm breeze blew through the tunnel, brushing the hair off of her forehead. A little afraid, Piper began to step towards the light.

As she walked, she began to hear the familiar chimes of an orbing entrance. Who would be orbing here of all places? Some Elder ready to jump out and shout a sadistic 'I told you so'? Her heart whispered that it might be Leo, but no – he was gone. If he had been able to save her, he would have healed her at the hospital.

Confused, Piper watched as a shape formed in front of the yellow light. Squinting her eyes, the dark shape became that of a man. As he walked closer, she began to recognize his walk - a very familiar walk.

"Leo?" she gasped in shock as he stopped in front of her. "What - what are you doing here?"

"Hurry, take my hands, Piper," he pleaded. "We don't have much time."

She stared up into his oh-so-familiar green eyes. She looked inside of them for what seemed like an eternity. Those green eyes brimmed over with love for her. He was risking everything to what – say goodbye? Her heart suddenly ached in her chest. It ached for him.

"Am I dead?" she asked, quietly.

"No, not yet. Not if you take my hands," Leo replied.

"I don't understand," she whispered, afraid and confused.

"I can't lose you, Piper," he whispered back. "I don't care what they do to me. I love you too much to let you die like this. This is the only way I can heal you. The only chance I have of them not finding out."

He held his hands in front of him, palm sides down. Piper looked up at him wordlessly. He would risk everything to save her? He loved her enough to do that – why had she rejected him before?

"Please, hurry," he pleaded.

Slowly, she raised her palms to meet his. She closed her eyes briefly as the touch of his skin caused ripples to echo through her soul. She opened her eyes again to see waves of golden light absorbing into her skin – her soul. She could feel herself being pulled back – back into her body, to earth, to her sisters. Yet, she never took her eyes off of Leo's kind, green ones. She would take the love in them with her forever.

Leo watched silently as his power healed Piper's soul. He gazed into her beautiful brown eyes and watched her slowly fade back to earth. He saw so much confusion in her, but something else lingered there. When she disappeared completely, his heart whispered that it was love for him that he saw in her eyes.

Quickly, he orbed out of the sacred tunnel of light and back towards Earth. Quietly, he orbed over to the hospital, close enough to sense Piper's hospital room. He had to know if his magic had worked – he had to know if she were alive.

Inside the bustling hospital room, Piper's eyes fluttered open. Machines beeped and voices shouted over her. The harsh sterile white light hurt her eyes and she shut them quickly. In the background she could hear Prue and Phoebe sobbing in anguished grief.

Yet, as Piper slowly became conscious, her mind lingered on Leo. He still loved her – after pushing him away, choosing Dan over him – he still loved her. He was willing to risk his job, maybe even his life just to save hers. If he was there, she would have slapped him in the face. How could he jeopardize all of that just to save her? Instead, her heart felt such a warm glow of love, she couldn't contain it.

"Leo," she whispered. Her sisters heard her voice and flew to her bedside. Dan backed slowly away, pushed into the background of the family moment. Above it all Leo began to orb away, his heart full. She did still love him, she –

Unfortunately, Leo began to feel a sudden uncomfortable yank. He was being pulled once again towards the heavens. This time it wasn't an insistent tug, but a constant painful pressure. Soon it became a full on push and drag towards the sky.

He landed unceremoniously onto another soft/hard cotton candy floor. Except this room was different. It wasn't even a room, it was almost an arena. He looked around him to see thousands of seated Elders glaring down at him. They were perched in rows that reached 10 stories high. He was inside the Elders' trial chamber – the one used only for extreme emergencies…and punishments.

"Oh, crap," he breathed. They knew he had healed Piper. Well, it didn't matter. He stood up and moved to the slightly raised white circular platform that sat alone in the middle of the chamber. Leo turned to calmly face the angry sea of faces that stared down at him. He had done what he had to do to save the woman he loved. If they wanted to kill him for that – fine. So be it. At least Piper was still alive.

"Leo Wyatt," a voice boomed from the heavens. It was almost as if God himself had called the meeting of Elders. Instead, Leo recognized Odin's furious voice. This was not going to be pleasant.

"Are you aware as to why you've been brought before this council?" Odin roared, his voice as cold as an iceberg.

"Yes, sir," Leo replied firmly. No need to lie. His bosses were pretty good at sniffing out lies anyway. "You specifically ordered me not to heal Piper Halliwell, but I went to her anyway."

"Why would you do such a thing?" Odin cried. Leo thought he saw him moving a few hundred rows about him.

"I love her," Leo replied simply, causing the thousands of Elders to rumble in an uproar. "I would have done anything to save her. I'd do it again without hesitation."

Odin rapped a gavel against the white table in front of his seat. The babble abruptly ceased. Leo swallowed a lump of fear in his throat and waited.

"Leo, I must have you know we are most displeased. We gave you specific orders to stay away from Piper Halliwell. Yet, you ignored them as if we were nothing more than a council of store mannequins. You have had this coming, Leo Wyatt, ever since you started seeing a witch."

Leo clenched his jaw and balled his fists at the derogatory tone of Odin's voice. He might as well have called Piper a dirty whore. Yet, Leo said nothing. There was no use making things even worse for himself. Then again, what could be worse than being reprimanded in front of thousands of people?

"If you love these mortals so much," Odin hissed, as he leaned forward in his chair, his hands clasped in front of him. "Then you will become one. From this moment on, Leo Wyatt will be stripped of his wings and his whitelighter duties. He may or may not receive them again on a future date. It will all depend on his behavior from this moment on. Case dismissed."

The gavel thunked harshly against the pristine table top. Leo opened his mouth to say thanks, protest or cry – he didn't know which. It didn't matter anyway as he suddenly felt himself being flung toward the earth. The wind rushed past him with such force, his screams were stolen from his mouth before he could utter them. He closed his eyes and prayed for a graceful landing.

When Leo came to, the first thing he was aware of was a blessed silence. No, jinglng from the Elders, no panicked witches crying out for help. That hurt though. He finally realized he wouldn't be able to help those witches in need anymore. Yet, he knew in his heart he had done the right thing. Saving Piper may have cost him his calling, but she wasn't lost to this world.

He groaned and slowly tried to open his eyes. He could feel soft, dewy grass under his back. A gentle, cool breeze wafted over his face, giving him even more of his strength back. When he finally did manage to crack open his eyes all the way, he saw a clear ebony night sky staring back down at him. No fog, no clouds – as if his path was finally smooth in front of him. The stars even seemed to wink at him – as if his friends above were wishing him luck.

Leo sighed as he slowly rose to his feet. He was going to need all the luck in the world. He had no money, no car, no ID, no job – he was effectively invisible. A mortal with no past…and possibly no future. It was a weird sensation to be mortal again. He could now feel every ache and pain from his fall where as before they would have been dull memories.

Wincing slightly, he stared at his surroundings. He was in a park, obviously. A few families and lovers were scattered around the picnic tables, enjoying the warm evening breeze. Turning his head, he caught sight of a familiar landmark. Grinning, he clasped his hands onto his head and laughed heartily. He had spotted the Golden Gate Bridge – he was in San Francisco! By the anger expressed by the Elders, he wouldn't have been surprised if they stuck him in some random country thousands of miles away. Maybe deep down the ancient angels were just as helplessly romantic as he was.

"Are you ok, mister?" a small voice asked beside him. Leo turned to see a young boy with chocolate skin, standing astride his bicycle. He stared at Leo with wide eyes as if Leo were some kind of escaped lunatic. Leo looked down at his clothes – they were casual and still pretty clean from his fall. At least he didn't look the part – except for the uncontrollable laughter.

"Never better," Leo grinned, enjoying the night breeze as it caressed his face. Suddenly something brushed against his leg. He looked down to see a large white dog rubbing against him. Leo grinned and knelt down to pet the animal.

"Wow!" the kid cried, stepping off his bike. "Milo never lets strangers pet him. He must like you."

"Well, he's a handsome dog," Leo said, loving the way Milo grinned toothily back at him. "What kind of dog is he?"

"A German Shepard," the young kid said with pride. "I know people don't think they exist, but they do. We had to buy him from LA, he was so rare."

"I bet he was worth every penny," Leo murmured, looking into Milo's warm coffee eyes.

"Oh, yeah. He plays fetch, guards the house and chases cats – though Mom yells at him for that."

Leo ran his hands again over Milo's thick white coat. "Take good care of him, son. He seems like a great dog. A precious dog."

"Sure," the child said, throwing Leo a skeptical look.

"Wes! Milo!" a voice called out into the night.

"Oh, I gotta go. That's my mom," Wes cried, grabbing Milo's red leash. He hoped back onto his bike. "Hope you get home alright, mister."

Leo blinked up at him, and then he slowly smiled. "I hope so too. Bye Milo. Take care, Wes."

"Bye, mister," Wes cried, pedaling quickly into the direction of the calling voice.

Leo watched Wes and Milo leave, a plan taking shape in his mind. He didn't risk everything just to pull a slow fade into the background. He was a mortal now. Suddenly, it was an even playing field. He had saved the woman he loved; now he would win her back – somehow. The only home he had ever known was in her arms. He knew he could never force her to love him, but neither could he give up on her. Besides, he recognized something in those brown eyes when he saved her in the tunnel. Something remarkably close to love.

Stretching to get the kinks out of his body, Leo turned and began to walk towards the street. No, he wasn't about to give up on Piper now. She was such a rare and precious jewel – he'd never find another like her. Now that he was mortal, life just wasn't worth living without her.

He didn't think about what would happen if she rejected him again. He couldn't even think about that kind of heartache at the moment. If he was wrong – then he would have to pull a slow fade to black. He couldn't just sit by and watch as Piper married someone else and had someone else's children. He would have to find some other life to lead – though what kind of life it would be without Piper he did not know.

Besides, Leo needed Piper's help on more magical matters. Checking his watch, he hoped the sisters weren't too late to help Amanda. If it was the last whitelighter duty he would ever perform, he would at least get it right. With hope injecting a bounce into his step, Leo set off in the direction of a familiar downtown nightclub – P3.

At P3, business was definitely booming. Couples grooved to a new dance beat as they downed beer, nibbled on pretzels and snuck outside to smoke. Piper was just glad business was back to normal after the Center for Disease Control had shut down her club thanks to the Aurora Fever outbreak. Free drinks helped bring in the crowds, but she worried it might not be enough. Word of mouth could make or break a business over and over again.

Piper spied her two sisters as they sipped their drinks at the bar. They were dressed to the nines in new outfits they bought in celebration of Piper's good health. She grinned, feeling her worries lighten a little, and walked over to her siblings.

"Hey, Piper!" Prue and Phoebe both shouted over the music, standing up to give her a warm hug. It lightened her heart, causing her to grin ear to ear. To think she had almost left these two beautiful people alone in the world. It would have destroyed them – and her. She was just happy now to be alive.

She looked around her sisters, her smile fading. "Have you guys seen Dan around?"

"No, why?" both Phoebe and Prue asked at the same time. Prue exchanged a knowing look with Phoebe. Piper frowned and bit her lip. Her heart was now a Jackson Pollack painting of confusion ever since Leo brought her back to life. Just knowing that he would risk so much for her…. Now when she thought of Dan, she felt nothing but guilt – as if she had cheated on him by having Leo save her. Just because he saved her life, didn't mean she loved him, right?

"No reason, I guess," Piper said, trying to sound cool and nonchalant. "I thought he might stop by."

"You know, Piper," Phoebe began, wrapping a protective arm around her sister. "Dan heard you call Leo's name when you were coming around at the hospital."

Piper gasped. A sudden pang of guilt made her heart cringe. She wasn't cheating on Dan with Leo. She and Leo were through, right? She loved Dan now, right? Yet, Piper heartily wished that Dan had not heard her say Leo's name.

"That wasn't me thinking about Leo, that was just-"

"Him saving you, we know," Phoebe said, finishing Piper's sentence.

"Speaking of Leo," Pure said, nodding towards the entrance at the top of the stairs. Piper turned to see Leo make his way down the crowded stairs and into the dance club. Piper's heart tumbled in her chest. He looked so handsome with his hair tousled and his tight sweater – Stop it, Piper, she screamed in her head. You love Dan, remember? You chose him over Leo, remember?

"Tell him thanks for us too," Phoebe murmured in Piper's ear. Piper nodded and felt herself being almost drawn to their whitelighter. She didn't notice the significant looks exchanged between Phoebe and Prue.

"Poor Dan," Prue sighed. "He never really stood a chance."

"You can't beat an angel," Phoebe said with a grin. "But don't tell Piper that."

"As much as I'd like to," Prue said with a shake of her head. "She's got to make this decision on her own."

Piper made her way across the dance floor, hating how her heart trembled to be near Leo again. In fact, her entire body trembled, as if it longed to be in his arms again. Taking a deep breath, she walked up behind Leo.

"Hey," she greeted quietly. Leo turned and his eyes sparkled with relief. She looked healthy and just as beautiful as ever.

"Piper," he grinned. "How are you feeling?"

"Okay. A little tired," Piper confessed. "Which is actually a good thing. I need to take things easier from now on."

Leo smiled in reply. He had a sudden urge to wrap her in his arms and lift her into the air. He was mortal now! They could have a normal life together.

"Leo, thank you for everything," Piper murmured, looking up into his green eyes. God, they were so beautiful, Piper thought. How could she have forgotten that exact shade of hazel-green?

"I couldn't let you die, Piper," Leo told her, his smile saddening. Piper nervously tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"I hope you didn't get into too much trouble."

"Actually, I did," Leo said with an ironic grin. "A lot. They found out what I did. They clipped my wings."

"What?" Piper gasped, feeling her heart almost stop beating inside her chest. She had wanted Leo to be mortal – normal – since the day she found out he was a whitelighter. That way they could be together as a couple. The fact that he was supernatural had been a major factor in their break up. He would be gone for days or weeks at a time and she couldn't handle the wait for his return. Yet, now – now he was human. They could be together everyday – whenever they wanted. Piper felt a sudden urge to leap into his arms and kiss passionately. God, how many times she had secretly wished for this moment.

"Leo, I – I – I don't know what to say," she stammered.

"You don't have to say anything," he said, looking intently at her. "You didn't do anything – I did. I guess in the back of my mind I always hoped someday, somehow you and I would get a second chance."

Piper sighed and bit her lip. She didn't want to feel this turmoil inside of her now. "I'm with Dan now."

"I know," he said softly. "But I also know now that I'm mortal, I'm not going anywhere. I'm gonna fight for you. May the best man win."

Piper felt a smile tug at her lips. To have two men fighting over her – she had to admit it didn't hurt her pride. The idea that Leo wanted to fight for her heart, made her feel a warm glow inside of her that she hadn't felt since she first fell in love with him. Unfortunately, the fact of having both Leo and Dan around all the time only sent her heart into a million different directions. How could she possibly choose -?

Leo ran a hand through his hair and abruptly took Piper's elbow to lead her to the bar. His simple touch sent shivers down both their bodies. Piper could barely breathe, but Leo fought to focus his mind on his current problem.

"There is a favor I have to ask of you and your sisters," Leo told her.

"What's that?" she asked. She would have given him anything. Not just because of what she felt for him, but because he was a friend. He had helped her and her sisters through so much – she couldn't turn him away now. The man saved her life for Pete's sake!

"Before I lost my wings, I was helping a witch in Australia. Her name's Amanda and she was being stalked by a darklighter. She's relatively new to her powers, but she's good. Unfortunately, she's not strong enough to defeat this particular demon. I had her fly up to San Francisco so you and your sisters could help her."

"You don't have to ask," Piper said, smiling. He smiled gratefully in reply. Her smile softened a little. "You already miss it, don't you?"

"No," Leo said slowly. "Not when I can still help this girl in other ways."

"We'll take the case!" Phoebe shouted from behind Leo and Piper. They turned and laughed as Prue rolled her eyes at Phoebe.

"I always wanted to say that," Phoebe said with a giggle.

"So you heard?" Piper asked her sisters, her eyebrows raised in warning. She would have rather had her sisters not interrupt her and Leo. It felt good to talk to him again – even if it was just shop talk.

"We didn't mean to, honey," Prue said. "We just had a feeling this was witchy business rather then – ehem- other stuff."

"Right," Phoebe agreed as an awkward pause ensued. Piper, embarrassed, looked anywhere but at Leo. He, on the other hand, slipped her a few meaningful looks – as if he longed for the very heart to heart that she wanted to avoid.

"Anyway, Leo," Prue cried, breaking the tension between them. "Do you know where this girl Amanda is now?"

"No. You guys will have to scry for her."

"What – you can't just sense her yourself?" Phoebe blurted out. Leo exchanged an awkward glance with Piper. Apparently Phoebe hadn't eavesdropped on their entire conversation.

"He lost his wings," Piper told her sisters. Phoebe and Prue stared at Leo with their jaws open. He shrugged sheepishly.

"You sacrificed your calling for Piper?" Phoebe cried. "How romantic!"

"Phoebe!" Prue hissed, stomping on her sister's foot.

"What? It is!" Phoebe hissed back, slapping Prue in the arm. Piper found something interesting to stare at on the floor, her heart confused once again. It was bad enough just sitting at the bar next to Leo. Her arm was only a few millimeters from his own arm. She could feel her entire body aching for him to move a few millimeters and touch her. Leo threw Piper a quick glance and tried to hide a smile. At least it sounded like her sisters were on his side.

"Um, let's just focus on the demon, ok?" Prue said. She pointed a finger at Leo. "You know who this guy is?"

"Yeah. His name's Marcellus, but we have to hurry. The last time Amanda went up against him, he brought friends. I don't think she'll survive another attack."

"Alright, then let's jam," Phoebe cried, pushing Prue towards the stairs. Leo waited for Piper to pass in front of him and he followed her up the stairs. He could see the emotions fighting for control in her face and it tugged at her heart. He would have loved to have made things easier for her, to take her in his arms and kiss her till her heart was happy again. Unfortunately, he couldn't help her that way. Instead, he simply followed her to the door.

Unbeknownst to them, a figure watched the sisters and Leo ascend the stairs. Eyes burning with pain and anger, Dan stood frozen in the shadows at the back of the club. He had been the one to wait vigilantly by Piper's bedside in the hospital. He was the one to worry and obsess over her, praying that she wouldn't die. It had cost him two, no three top jobs to sit with her. Now she had to walk out the door with Leo – of all people?

Dan seethed with bitter hatred, refusing to understand women. He rudely hacked his way through the crowd until he reached the bar. He fell into an empty bar stool.

"Give me a double scotch," he growled to the bartender. The handsome dark skinned man shrugged at the crabby attitude, and poured Dan his drink. Dan threw him a bill and gloomily gulped down the alcohol. It was shaping up to be a brilliant week.

Back inside the Halliwell manor, Leo couldn't believe that they were all demon hunting once again. It felt so strange to be inside the familiar attic, flipping through the treasured Book of Shadows. It was as if he had never left. Unfortunately, now he had no way to orb up to the Elders to ask for help, no way to heal the girls if they were hurt. He tried not to think of what would happen if some demon got a lucky shot at one of the sisters…and he could only stand helplessly by.

"Here he is," Leo cried, breaking away from his dark, gloomy thoughts. Prue and Phoebe drew closer to him to read from the book. All three sisters had exchanged their chic wardrobes for sensible combat clothes. Leo figured they were in for quite a battle.

" 'Marcellus," Prue read aloud as she stood next to Leo. "A darklighter with the ability to throw fireballs. He specializes in hunting down new witches, killing them and their whitelighters.' "

"Good thing he didn't get you, Leo," Phoebe said. Leo smiled grimly as he glanced over at Piper. She had been silent since they came back from the club, causing him to wonder if he had made the right decision after all. She stood over a nearby table swinging a scrying crystal over a map of San Francisco, her back to him and her sisters. He didn't think she was listening until she flinched at Phoebe's comment. The movement caused Leo's hope of love to fan alive once more.

"Usually Marcellus is a demon-for-hire," Prue announced, skimming the rest of the page. " 'He's known to work for only upper level demons.' Well, someone must have wanted this girl dead in a hurry."

"I don't think so," Leo said. "Amanda told me Marcellus had first tried to seduce her to get her to use her powers for evil."

"Maybe he was trying to breed with a witch like that darklighter Alec. You know, the one who tried to kill you once, Leo," Prue stated matter-of-factly. Piper cringed again at the memory, but she kept her face hidden from the rest of the group. Alec had almost killed Leo with a darklighter arrow. If Piper hadn't switched her powers with Leo, she wouldn't have been able to heal him. Now to have Leo near her again in the attic stirred up a thousand emotions and memories. To say she was uncomfortable was an understatement. Yet, if she lost him – especially now that he was mortal….She couldn't lose the sickening feeling of horror and pain that tightened her chest at the idea.

"Maybe," Leo replied softly. "But it didn't help that Amanda vanquished a buddy of his."

"Now he sounds like he's just plain mean," Phoebe said with a shudder. She looked back down at the book again. "Is there a vanquishing potion?"

"No, but there is a Power of Three spell," Prue cried, grabbing a piece of paper and pencil. "Sounds like he's trickier then we thought."

"You have no idea," Leo said, thinking back to his last encounter with Marcellus. He just wouldn't stop until Amanda was gone. He –

"Found her," Piper cried as the scrying stone landed with a thunk onto the map.

"What took so long?" Phoebe asked, moving to Piper, who peered down at the map.

"She's on the run I think."

"That must mean he's found her," Leo cried in alarm. "We have to go get her. Fast."

"I'm ready," Prue cried, brandishing the Power of Three spell in her hand.

"Wait. You're not going," Piper said, holding a hand up to Leo.

"Piper, I can't just sit back and do nothing," he said, his brow furrowing.

"I don't care," she cried, stubbornly crossing her arms over her chest. "Now that you're human I can't risk you getting hurt."

Prue and Phoebe exchanged looks. This was going to take awhile. "We'll start the car," Prue told the glaring pair. She then followed Phoebe out of the attic.

"I appreciate that, Piper," Leo told her softly. "But I have to help this witch. Even if it's the last magical thing that I do."

"Leo – " Piper began as a lump formed in her throat. Anger kept the tears away. The pigheaded, stubborn, idiot! He had been mortal for all of two hours and he was ready to chuck it all out the door.

"Piper, I can't give up on her," Leo said, taking a step closer to her. "I promised to help her and I have to keep that promise. I may not be her whitelighter anymore, but it's still my responsibility to help her. You have to understand that."

She looked long and hard into his sincere, caring green eyes. She did understand that he had to help. It was in his nature to come to the aid of others – whether he was an angel or not. Yet, if she lost him – even now….

"Alright," Piper said slowly as she swallowed the lump in her throat. She then pointed at him. "But when I say 'duck', you hit the floor. None of this macho Clint Eastwood crap, ok?"

Leo grinned, barely resisting the impulse to kiss her sweet mouth. It warmed his heart to see that she still cared for him. Whether she cared as a friend or lover…he didn't know. She may not have liked that he wanted to put himself in danger, but she realized she'd never be able to keep him at the manor either.

"Let's go then," Piper ordered, pushing Leo towards the door. She couldn't stop the smile that crept onto her face. She had noticed his urge to kiss her – and at that moment, she would have let him. Now she had to make sure the stubborn idiot didn't get himself killed.

Prue parked the black SUV at the end of an alley in the warehouse district. A few cats fought each other in the distance, but otherwise the night was as silent as a grave.

"What is it with demons and dark alleys?" Prue asked as she and the others climbed out of the car. Suddenly, a flash of yellow fire brightened the night sky. A female scream of terror soon followed.

"It's a perfect way to kill innocents," Phoebe cried sarcastically. "Come on."

The four friends raced into the alleyway at top speed. To Leo, he felt an uncomfortable sense of déjà vu. Amanda was crouched by the brick wall at the end of the alley, hiding behind a few steel garbage cans. Ten darklighter demons were fanned out in front of her, fireballs loaded in their hands, crossbows strapped to their backs.

"Looks like Marcellus brought his groupies," Piper hissed. Unfortunately, Marcellus heard Piper and turned towards her.

"Witches!" he shouted, launching his fireball at Piper.

"Piper!" Leo cried. She flicked her hands and froze the fireball in the air. Prue quickly telekinetically flicked it towards a nearby wall.

"No, you don't!" Prue cried, flinging her arm again at the demons. They flew into the alley walls, but soon scrambled to their feet.

"Amanda!" Piper called. The blonde popped her head up over the garbage cans.

"Leo!" she shouted in relief as she spotted her whitelighter. "It's about bloody time."

"You again!" Marcellus sneered as he recognized Leo. "Stupid whitelighters. They're worse than cockroaches."

Suddenly, Marcellus dropped his shoulder, causing his crossbow to slide into his hands. An arrow wouldn't be poisonous to Leo now, but it would still do plenty of damage.

"Time to go to work," Phoebe shouted to Prue. She quickly ran to the nearest pair of demons, kicking and punching at them.

"Leo, get down!" Piper cried as Prue launched a few more demons into the air. A couple shot off fireballs towards Prue, but she telekinetically brushed them away.Meanwhile, Leo did what he was he was told and hit the ground. Piper flicked her hands at Marcellus and he froze. Briefly.

"He's too powerful for my freeze!" Piper shouted.

"Maybe I can help," Prue cried, flinging her arm at Marcellus. He unfroze just in time to crash into the trashcans near Amanda.

"Amanda, run!" Leo commanded. She jumped to her feet and shot a few icy blasts at the demons around her. She was exhausted and her powers had little effect, but it was enough to distract the demons.

"I want that power!" Phoebe grinned, as she knocked out a Darklighter. Unfortunately, another tackled her from behind. She quickly threw him over her shoulder, dove for the ground and grabbed at his buddy's fallen crossbow. Aiming quickly, Phoebe shot an arrow at the tackle-happy Darklighter, killing him.

Piper tried freezing Marcellus's friends and they froze like good little obedient demons. She and Prue tried to distract a stunned Marcellus long enough for Amanda to escape to Leo. Unfortunately, Marcellus chose that moment to fully regain consciousness. Grinning darkly, he again aimed his crossbow at Leo.

As Piper froze another demon, Prue knocked him telekinetically against a nearby wall. "How many does that make?" Piper shouted, gasping for breath.

"I lost track," Prue gasped. "You get Amanda to Leo and I'll help Phoebe."

"Right," Piper nodded. She turned to look for Amanda. The brave witch had only made it halfway to Leo before a Darklighter launched a fireball at her. She blasted it with a frosty spray of ice, causing it to fall harmlessly to the ground. She then threw a roundhouse kick at the offending demon, knocking him out cold.

"Amanda, over here!" Leo cried. She nodded and ran over to him. Piper was about to follow when she noticed movement out of the corner of her eye. Marcellus was crouching low to the ground, his crossbow aimed at – No!

"Leo!" Piper screamed. He jerked around in time to see the arrow fly towards him. He grabbed Amanda and dove for the ground…but not fast enough. The arrow shot right through Leo's arm, embedding itself into a nearby garbage dumpster. Leo grunted from surprise and sudden pain.

"No, Leo!" Piper gasped. She started to run towards him when someone grabbed her from behind. "Let me go!"

"Enough of this!" Marcellus bellowed, a struggling, fighting Piper tucked under one arm. He pressed his mouth close to her ear. "I'd stop fighting if I were you, sweetheart."

Abruptly the violence ceased in the alley. The other darklighters had either been vanquished or had orbed back down to the underworld. Only Marcellus was left to cause any damage. Prue and Phoebe stared in horror as Piper wriggled in Marcellus's arms. Unconsciously, Phoebe let go of her purloined crossbow. It slowly crashed to the pavement, the sound echoing the shock in her heart.

"Piper, no!" Leo gasped, stumbling to his feet. He covered his left bicep with his right hand as blood seeped between his fingers. Piper's heart broke and her eyes filled with tears to see Leo bleed. Leo who had been so invincible and strong as a whitelighter. She hadn't had to worry that much about him. He could at least orb away if he was in danger. Now that he was human – the reality of it all hit Piper like a slap across the face. All she could do was stare in horror as the life force began to leak slowly out of Leo's arm and onto the cold, hard unforgiving concrete.

"Ah, Leo," Marcellus smirked. "You know, I did a little research on you since our last…visit. Apparently, you gave up your wings for this woman right here."

"Let her go, you bastard," Leo growled, anger making him blind to the pain in his arm. If Marcellus hurt one hair on Piper's head – Goddamnit, he didn't save Piper just to lose her hours later to a demon!

"No, not yet," Marcellus snickered and dropped his crossbow to the ground. He concentrated and a fireball formed in his free hand. "You've pissed me off long enough, Leo. I'm through playing games. You give me my sweet Amanda and I'll give you your little whore back."

"Sonofa-" Leo seethed.

"Prue, no!" Piper cried, seeing her sister draw her arm back. Marcellus turned quickly to where Prue and Phoebe stood helplessly to the side. He quickly backed up until he could see the three sisters, Leo and Amanda. Too bad his entire backup thugs were either dead or running for their miserable lives.

"Not a smart idea, cupcake," Marcellus cried. He raised the fireball closer to Piper's face. The heat caused her to flinch away. Marcellus pushed it even closer and the fire began to chew the ends of her hair.

"Piper –" Leo gasped, anguish written all over his face, as if he could physically feel her fear and pain. He took a step forward and was dimly aware of Amanda's warning hand on his arm. He wildly searched the alley around him. There had to be something – anything he could use against Marcellus. He could see Prue and Phoebe searching the ground around them as well.

"Make up your mind, Leo," Marcellus hissed, inching the fireball closer again to Piper's face. "I haven't got all night…and I have to admit this fireball is growing heavier by the minute. If I'm not careful it might just slip."

Leo made a sound deep in his throat. That was it. He'd launch himself onto Marcellus and shove Piper out of the way somehow. He'd throw himself on the fireball or-

"Leo, wait," Amanda breathed, pulling on his arm. "Don't go. I have an idea."

"I'm not trading you, Amanda," Leo said over his shoulder, his eyes refusing to leave Marcellus's crazed face or Piper's scared eyes. "I'm not going to sacrifice you. I can't choose between you and Piper."

"You don't have to," Amanda cried, sneaking a glance towards Phoebe and Prue. As Marcellus continued to toy with Piper, pulling her closer towards him, Amanda raised her eyebrows at Phoebe and slightly flexed her hand. Phoebe nodded and quietly nudged a steely-eyed Prue.

"I didn't tell you, man," Amanda whispered eagerly to Leo. "But I've been practicing my powers. I just need a wee bit of a distraction."

Prue slightly smiled as she caught the drift of Amanda's plan.

"Hey, hot shot!" she shouted, causing Marcellus and Piper to whip towards her. "Why don't you pick on someone in your own species?"

As Prue began to distract Marcellus, Amanda crouched closer down to the ground. Leo watched out of the corner of his eye as she tried to concentrate. Slowly, she extended her hands over the ground before her. Due to Amanda's earlier battles, the pavement was littered with puddles of melted ice. Leo's eyes widened as a concentrated ice stream shot from Amanda's hands, causing a chain reaction that froze all the water puddles in front of her. Soon the icy path began to extend slowly towards Piper and Marcellus.

Phoebe watched the ice stream grow towards her sister and the demon. She didn't know quite what the ice would do to Marcellus, but if it was enough to distract him so they could save Piper, then it was a damn good plan.

"Hey, pighead!" Phoebe taunted, hands on her hips. "What's the matter? Couldn't take us on your own? Why don't you go back to what you're best at – scaring their kids out of their Halloween candy."

"You got something to say to me, sugar?" Marcellus growled, anger beginning to turn his oily face into an ugly shade of beet red. He whipped towards Phoebe and moved the fireball a few inches away from Piper's face. Prue saw her chance to move in. She quickly hung her head and she astral projected behind Piper and Marcellus.

"Yeah! You're a pathetic creep!" Phoebe continued to shout. "I bet you're a joke in the underworld. You can't even take on a couple witches without calling in for back up. Must make getting a date rough too."

"You slutty bitch," Marcellus roared.

"That's my sister, asshole!" Prue cried from behind him. At that moment, Amanda's ice stream hit Marcellus and Piper. Marcellus twisted around to take a swing at Prue.

"Duck, Piper!" Prue shouted. Marcellus's hold loosened enough for Piper to duck out of his arms, but she didn't get far. Both her and Marcellus's feet were stuck inside blocks of ice. The growing ice had now crept up to their shins.

"Prue! Phoebe!" Piper cried out helplessly. She tugged frantically at her feet. Leo grabbed Amanda's shoulder and squeezed her painfully.

"Amanda, that's enough!"

"Wait," she shouted.

Prue's astral form moved her arm to fling Marcellus's fireball away, but the fireball suddenly turned into a harmless ball of ice. Confused, he stared at his hand and dropped the ice where it shattered against the pavement.

"What the hell?" he cried.

"Prue!" Phoebe shouted, tossing her sister's astral form the fallen crossbow she had confiscated earlier. Prue caught it, aimed and shot Marcellus point blank in the chest. He hissed and seethed in pain, but didn't burst into flames like other demons.

"Now it's enough," Amanda muttered, pulling the ice back across the ground and towards her.

"Get Piper out of there!" Leo shouted, waving his arm at the sisters. He suddenly felt weak and light headed. Unbeknownst to him, blood had continued to seep down his arm in ruby rivulets. It pooled into an ever increasing puddle of gore onto the cold pavement.

Phoebe lunged for Piper. The ice had retreated enough for Piper to escape with her sister. As soon as Piper was free, Astral Prue disappeared back into her body. Marcellus continued to wriggle in pain as the darklighter poison ate through his body. He was either too stunned or too weak to orb away.

"The spell! The spell!" Phoebe hissed as Prue quickly pulled the scrap of paper out of her jean pocket. Piper huddled next to her sisters, cold and scared, but ready to roast a demon. Together they recited the spell:

"Demon for hire

Burn on your own funeral pyre.

Steal witches' souls no more

Go to hell forever more"

"Well, that was kind of lame," Phoebe joked.

"It got the job done though," Piper said with a sigh of relief. They watched as Marcellus slowly caught fire. Screaming in pain, the flames eventually consumed him until he disappeared.

"Now that that's done," Prue said, clapping her hands together. "Where's that new supercool witch with her awesome power?'

"Help!" Amanda screamed. All three sisters whipped around in time to see Leo collapse to the ground.

"No, Leo!" Piper choked out, her voice paralyzed with sudden fear. Quickly, she raced to his side. Her shocked, terrified face took in all the blood and she felt her heart literally stop in her chest. It seemed like there were gallons of the red liquid – Leo's blood was everywhere.

"Oh, my God. Leo!" she sobbed, clamping one hand over his bleeding arm and caressing his face with the other. "Someone call 911!"

"Already on it," Prue cried, blinking back sudden tears as she flipped open her cell phone. Phoebe crouched down on Leo's other side while Amanda held his good hand.

"Can't you guys do something?" she cried, staring at each of the three sisters. "I mean, we're all witches here. Can't we cast a spell or –"

"Only whitelighters can heal wounds," Phoebe said softly, tears streaming silently down her cheeks. She watched Piper sob and caress Leo's half-conscious face. He tried to talk, but Piper silenced him with a finger on his lips.

"Shhh. Save your energy," she whispered.

"But he's a whitelighter," Amanda shouted, tears choking in her voice.

"Not anymore," Phoebe sighed. Prue slammed her phone shut and turned back to her sisters.

"Piper, the ambulance is on its way."

"Did you hear that, Leo?" she sniffed. "Help's on the way. Just hang in there, baby. Please, hang in there. You can't die on me now."

Phoebe and Prue exchanged poignant looks. The love on Piper's face was obvious – it practically radiated out of her. They hoped Leo could sense it. Hopefully, it would make him hang on even tighter to his grip on life.

Leo lay on the cold, wet pavement, fighting the thick, soothing blackness that threatened to overtake him. He didn't even feel pain anymore – just a dull throb down his arm. He thought if he was still a whitelighter, he wouldn't die as quickly. He'd be able to fight the poison from the arrow for a few hours. Unfortunately, there was no way he could stop himself from bleeding to death as a mortal.

The pain and imminent death no longer mattered to Leo. Not when he had the face of an angel inches away from him. In his groggy state, he thought Piper was a glowing, translucent angel. He didn't save her life after all. Sorrow and guilt made his heart wrench. He moved his hand slowly to cup her sweet face. He could feel the wetness of her tears on his palm

"I'm so sorry, Piper," he breathed, simply loving her. "Don't cry. We'll be together again soon."

"Leo, no," she sobbed, holding his hand up tightly to her face. Slowly the whine of sirens could be heard in the distance. "Leo, do not leave me. Leo!"

"I love you, Piper," he breathed, feeling the comforting darkness finally take him. It was alright. Piper would be there to hold his hand and guide him to their next life together. "I'll always love you."

"Leo! Leo, no! Stay awake, Leo. Stay with me!" Piper sobbed. She felt his hand drop slowly away from her face. Amanda stared in shock as Phoebe openly began to sob. Prue covered her face with her hands.

"No," Piper gasped, shaking her head. "No. It can't end like this. No. Please, Leo come back to me."

As if in reply to her wish, an ambulance flew into the alley, lights flashing like beacons in the night. A pair of EMTs tumbled out of the truck, medical kits in hand. They quickly pushed Phoebe and Amanda out of the way as they went Leo, but Piper refused to move.

"What happened?" a young man with tan skin, beard scruff and shaggy black hair asked. The name tag on his coat read GATES. He half listened as he began to take Leo's vitals. Piper continued to stare at Leo in shock, her hand on Leo's.

"We were attacked," Prue answered automatically, wondering vaguely how they'd get out of this situation without being exposed as witches.

"And what," Gates asked, nodding at the arrow embedded in the alley wall. "They had crossbows?"

"Pretty funny, huh?" Prue said, barely cracking a smile.

"We need to get moving," Gates' redheaded partner cried. "He's barely stable."

"Let's go," Gates cried as he and his partner lifted Leo onto their gurney.

"I'm going with them," Piper rasped, coming out of shock, her voice hoarse from crying. Her lip quivered again as she stood up. Leo's blood had stained her clothes and hands, making her seem like a horror movie extra, but she never noticed.

"Go with him, honey," Prue said, briefly hugging her sister. "We'll meet you there."

Piper didn't wait to be told twice. She climbed into the ambulance behind Leo, her hand moving to cover his. She wanted him to feel that she was still there, by his side. Her anguished brown eyes refused to leave his face.

Prue watched as the ambulance pulled out of the alley, sirens flashing in the night like wild party lights. Phoebe sobbed harshly and Prue wrapped her arms around her baby sister. Amanda still stood in outraged shock, staring in the space the ambulance had just vacated.

Sighing, Prue couldn't believe their rotten luck. One minute everyone was fine, healthy and happy. The next minute, she and Phoebe almost lost Piper to a rare disease. Then suddenly everyone's fine, healthy and happy again. Now, in this next minute, they could possibly lose their former guardian, Leo. He was still a dear friend to the sisters, whether he was dating Piper or not. Prue, who knew Piper better than she knew herself, had a feeling Piper just wouldn't survive if Leo died. Prue knew how Piper's heart truly felt. She had felt the same way herself once before…only Prue lost her love. She hoped and prayed like hell that Leo didn't meet Andy's same fate.

Blinking back her painful memories of Andy, Prue tightened her grip on Phoebe's shoulders. She cocked her head as she looked at Amanda.

"Come on. Let's head over to the hospital."

Time passed as the days and nights blended quickly into each other. The earth continued to rotate again and again. People still laughed, couples continued to kiss and babies cried in San Francisco. The only thing that remained constant was Piper's vigil at Leo's bedside.

Prue had tried to get Piper to go home and sleep at night, but Piper refused to leave. What if Leo woke up and she was gone? Prue then compromised by taking turns with Phoebe to sit with Piper. As Piper slept in a chair in Leo's room, the other sister would watch him.

On the third morning, Dan stopped by to check on Piper. Jealous as hell, he tried to provoke a fight with her. He wanted a fight that would end with her choosing either him or Leo. She refused to even listen to him, her eyes haunted with pain. She honestly didn't know what to feel. Did she still love Dan? If Dan were in Leo's place, would she cry so desperately for him? If she loved Leo, then why couldn't she let Dan go?

Piper accepted Dan's kisses and hugs eventually. Prue had explained to him that Leo was more than just a friend to all of them – not just Piper. He was like a brother really. Dan didn't quite buy Prue's explanation, but he wasn't ready to lose Piper either. Instead, he let her sit by Leo's bedside as he drove to the nearest bar he could find.

Late in the evening of the fourth day, Leo Wyatt finally opened his green eyes. Blearily, he took in his surroundings. Four sterile white walls stared back at him and for an instant he thought he was back in the heavens. He didn't know whether he felt joy or despair at that idea. Instead of worrying, his eyes focused and he realized the white room was a hospital room. He realized the soft glow that issued from the lamps was trying to block in the sneaking black night. He also realized that he wasn't alone in the room.

Prue was sacked out in a chair that sat against the opposite wall, a magazine hanging haphazardly in her lap. Her head rested beside the wall as she slept. Phoebe rested in another chair, her feet stretched out onto a nearby small table. A coat was draped backwards over her body as if she were cold and needed a blanket. Leo watched as her nose twitched suddenly in her sleep.

It was the sight next to Leo that captured his attention the most. Next to Leo sat the most precious gift he had ever seen. Piper sat next to his bed, both her hands wrapped around his uninjured good hand. She had fallen asleep, her face resting on the white mattress.

Leo couldn't take his eyes off her peaceful face. The last thing he remembered before passing out was Piper's crying face. There had been a fight – he had had to save his new charge, Amanda, he remembered. He and the sisters did save her and they had vanquished the demon. Too bad Leo got shot along the way.

He gingerly lifted his injured left arm. He hissed from the sudden pain, but it soon receded into a dull ache. That would smart for a few weeks, he thought. At least he was still alive to feel the pain. Looking at the family surrounding him, he never felt better.

Slowly, he lifted his good hand from Piper's hold, making sure she didn't stir. When she continued to sleep, he slowly ran his fingers over her soft cheek. He remembered her tears for him. He remembered the pain and grief on her face as she watched him almost die. Most importantly, he remembered the love that had shone down at him like a ray of summer sunshine in the dark night. He knew he would carry that angelic image with him in his soul for the rest of his life.

He slipped his hand through her hair briefly, enjoying the feel of its soft texture between his fingers. She began to stir at that. She raised her head with a frown and cracked one eye open.

"Hi," he croaked, his throat suddenly very dry. Piper's eyes widened in surprise, then softened in happiness.

"Leo!" she breathed. She stood up and hugged him fiercely.

"Ugh. Watch my arm," he said with a grin.

"Oh, my God! I'm so sorry," she gasped, releasing him. "Are you ok?"

"Yeah, I think so," he whispered wearily. "I am thirsty though."

"Thirsty. Right. Here," she said, pouring him a glass of ice water from a nearby plastic jug. He sipped it slowly, relishing how the cool liquid felt against his raw, dry throat. He was unaware of how intently Piper watched him, her eyes never leaving his lips.

"How long was I out?" he asked when his throat felt better. He couldn't tear his eyes away from Piper.

"Four days," she said quietly, still gripping his hand. She forced a smile. "You scared the hell out of us."

"I didn't mean to. How's Amanda?"

"She's fine. She went back home yesterday. Couldn't miss anymore class, she said. She wanted us to thank you for saving her life. She's a good person."

"Yeah, she'll be a good, strong witch," he said, his eyes on Piper's face. "I wish I was still her whitelighter."

"Do you?" Piper whispered.

"Only so I can keep helping her. Not if it means losing you," he said just as softly. He took his hand from Piper's hold and caressed her face again. "I still love you, Piper."

"Oh, Leo," she gasped, tears filling her eyes. She kissed his palm and moved his hand back into her shaking hands. His skin trembled from the touch of her lips.

"Piper-"

"You know, I was thinking," she sniffed, looking down at their intertwined fingers. "Since you're mortal, you're going to need a job and a place to stay. One of my bartenders quit the other day, so I was wondering – when you're healthy, of course – if you'd take the job. There's a spare room at the club you can stay in, or you can stay with us I guess at the manor. I-"

"Piper," Leo said, cutting off her rambling. Sudden heartache made his forehead frown and crinkle. "Do you love me?"

"Leo-"

"Please, say it Piper. Even if it means-"

"I can't do this," she whispered, shaking her head and refusing to look up and see the pain on Leo's face. "I'm with Dan now. I can't just dump him like a load of dirty laundry. He's a really great guy…."

Jealousy burned slowly in Leo's heart, but he fought it down. She loved him, he knew it. Why else had she stayed constantly at his bedside in the hospital? He just needed her to say it.

Slowly, he moved his sore arm to cover the top of her hands. "Just say it, Piper. Even if it means nothing will change. I just need to hear it. Please."

A tear slipped slowly down Piper's cheek. Leo watched as it dropped onto the back of his hand. Her lip quivered as she slowly wiped the tear from his hand and continued to caress his hands.

"I do love you, Leo. When you almost – when we thought – The doctors didn't think you'd make it. Too much blood loss. When they told me that, I would have died right there if it meant I'd never see you again. You have risked so much for us over the years. There's no way I can ever repay you."

"It's not just because I love you," he murmured. "I care for all three of you. I – I even feel like part of the family."

"I just can't give up on Dan yet," Piper whispered. It stung Leo to the core, yet he forced himself to listen to her words.

"He's the normal life I've always wanted. I have to see where this takes me. I mean, you could get your wings back again and we'd be right back where we started," she said with a choked sigh. The look of agony of her face made Leo doubt that she really wanted that normal life anymore. Not if it made her unhappy.

"I want you to be happy," Leo said softly. "That's what I've always wanted. But I want you to know that you'll have to make a choice soon. Either me or Dan. Until then I'll always be here for you, Piper. I'm not going anywhere. You can already see I'm hard to get rid of."

Piper tried to smile at his lame joke, but it quickly turned into a sob. She covered her face with her hands and wept, her shoulders shaking with the effort. Leo watched her in agony, his arms aching to hold her against him, his heart aching to comfort her.

Suddenly, she furiously wiped at her eyes. Satisfied, she moved to Leo before he could speak. She quickly took his face in her hands and kissed him with parted lips. Surprised, he felt as if the earth had finally stopped spinning as his breath stopped his throat. Time could have stopped in its tracks as Piper kissed him. He had longed, begged and wished for this moment for months. The touch of her lips against his caused his heart to quiver with joy. It was like experiencing heaven on a Sunday.

He moved his hands to her neck to caress the soft, tender skin there and to pull her closer to him. Quickly, her soft lips parted even more for him, giving him an invitation for his tongue to explore her mouth. He tasted her sweet, moist mouth and never wanted to leave. Her tongue soon began to rub itself against his own, sending shock waves down his body.

Leo began to run his hands through her long, dark hair…and suddenly she was gone. He could only stare, his mouth still stinging from her lips, as she grabbed her coat and purse. Stunned, he watched as she walked out of the room without another look in his direction. Confused, he rubbed his face with his hands. She did love him; he could feel it with his entire body. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough.

"Leo!" Phoebe suddenly cried, sitting up in her chair and causing her coat to fall to the floor. Her cries jerked Prue to her feet, her hand telekinetically shooting a box of tissues across the room.

"Prue!" Phoebe hissed.

"Sorry. I haven't been sleeping well lately. It doesn't help things when you scream like a damn– Leo! You're awake."

"Hey," he grinned as the two sisters moved to embrace him.

"How do you feel?" Phoebe asked.

"I'm alright, I guess," he murmured, still thinking of Piper. "Just tired."

"Well, you gave us quite a scare there," Phoebe said, slapping Leo's hand lightly. Prue's grin faltered slightly as she looked around the room.

"Where's Piper?" she asked. She watched as Leo's smile vanished from his face. A thousand emotions fought for control over his face and he looked down at his hands. Heartache alone soon turned his face into one of sorrow.

"She had some place else to be, I guess," he whispered.

Prue frowned and looked at Phoebe. The youngest Halliwell patted Leo's arm reassuringly. Phoebe couldn't believe Piper. Here was a great guy who risked his life twice in the space of week to save her and she still couldn't give him her whole heart. She knew as well as Prue did that Dan just couldn't compare to Leo. She just hoped Piper figured that out for herself before it was too late.

"Piper offered me a job and a place to stay when I'm better," Leo said overbrightly as he tried to change the subject.

"That's great!" Phoebe cried. "Then we'll be seeing more of each other."

"Yeah," Leo agreed, his thoughts drifting again to Piper. He had told her the truth. He wasn't going to surrender her to Dan just yet. He would convince her to come back to him – somehow. Until then he'd have to survive on a few glimpses of her at work – a few stolen conversations.

"Oh and don't worry about your medical bills," Prue smiled, trying to keep everyone's spirits up. "We'll take care of everything."

"I can't let you do that –" Leo started.

"Don't worry," Prue sniffed. "If you have to, you can pay us back by doing handiwork around the house. Otherwise we won't take any money from you."

"Alright," Leo said, finally surrendering.

The three talked of trivial things as a late night rain began to splatter against the hospital window panes. Soon Leo kicked the sisters out of his room so they could all sleep soundly in their own beds for the night.

A few blocks away, Piper walked around the block, her hands stuffed deep inside the pockets of her pea coat. The rain plastered her hair across her face, but she didn't care. Tears soon mingled and mixed with the rain water, causing her vision to blur. The world was then transformed into a ruined water painting, all the colors running into one lonely and depressing shade of mud.

Soon she stopped in front of the giant stone water fountain that sat in the courtyard in front of the hospital. The water jets were set on a slow trickle due to the rain and late hour, but the water still flooded the stone basins, spilling onto the sidewalks. The fluorescent street lights illuminated the fountain, brightly reflecting off the coins in the bottom of the twin basins.

Piper stared at the fountain, her confused heart close to breaking. She still loved and desired Leo. She had kissed him on a sudden irresistible impulse…and God. Her heart still fluttered from the taste of him. She had desperately enjoyed every second. She could even still taste him on her lips, causing her insides to ache with even more longing. Why couldn't she feel this way about nice, normal Dan? Why couldn't life be that simple? Now Leo was the nice, normal guy, her heart whispered. How could she choose between the two of them?

She looked up into the ebony night, and closed her eyes. She let the soft, cool night rain try and soothe her mind. She gazed up at the heavens and suddenly wished for her mother. Patti Halliwell had always known what to say to soothe and calm Piper as a child. She would be able to tell Piper what to do now.

Her fingers abruptly searched her coat pocket for a coin. Grasping the cold metal in her hand, she raised it to her lips.

"Please help me choose, Mom," she whispered. "I love them both, but….I just don't know what to do."

Piper kissed the coin with her trembling lips and tossed it into the water fountain. She watched it slip through the water until it landed on the bottom of the lower stone basin. Piper waited a few moments, her eyes closed in silent prayer.

After awhile, she sighed knowing no one could make her decision for her. This decision had to be made on her own - with her own heart. It was a tough, unfair decision to make, but Piper also knew she couldn't keep both men hanging in suspense forever.

She paused to glance once more up at the hospital, hoping she could perhaps pick out Leo's room among the hundreds of tinted windows. Sighing, she began the long search for a cab, her mind still a whirlwind of emotion. Above her, the heavens were as violent as her mind – lightning and thunder crashing into each other every few seconds. Unfortunately, it would be many weeks until she realized the answer to her wish lay in her heart all along.

Leo.

THE END