Hey I'm back again I can't believe such a short chapter took me such a long time to complete but unfortunately life is conspiring against me. Oh and if you see a name in here you don't recognise its because i'm preparing for three spin offs involving both Libby and Leo in another Genre if you want more info let me know for now lets get on with this...

Disclaimer: I Don't own Charmed but if Leo had to sell himself into slavery believe me i'd be there first!


Crossing The Line

Chapter Four: Distraction

Over the next few weeks Leo continued to do his white lighter duties but I could tell since his break-up with Piper his heart just wasn't in it like it had been. I left him alone for the first few weeks figuring he simply needed time to adjust but as time went on I realised it was more than that.

He truly thought he had made a mistake. I hated myself but I had really thought he would get over it. I should have known better. Love like that didn't just disappear I should know. I had a love like that only mine would never disappear.

Because I would be always staring into the future wondering if anything would ever happen even though really I know that it won't. He's in love with someone else. Someone that he knows everything about yet knows nothing about him.

I knew everything about him, he'd been my best friend for years but that wasn't enough because I would never be Piper Halliwell and in the end that was what mattered.

That was who he wanted. And I could see it. He hated that he had left her. He hated it with everything he had and there was nothing I could do to make him feel better.

So instead I devised ways to distract him and he went to my mother and father and demanded more assignments from them I had never known until that point a White Lighter with so many charges, and even later when things began to change he never gave up the responsibilities he had been given and all the while I found myself cursing Piper Halliwell for all I was worth.

Soon though the days went by and Leo found it easier to cope and then he had to put Piper to the back of his mind as his charges came under fire from various demons and the calls grew more often as the Underworld upped the anti to try and disrupt life on Earth.

But as I watched him closely I realised that he spent more time in front of the two way mirror watching Piper than actually doing anything on the rare occasion he wasn't on earth. I knew what he was doing and though I knew I should have said something but I didn't have the heart.

Instead when I often caught him up there I stood with him my hand in his as he watched the Halliwell sisters' battle evil without his help. I thought his resolve was going to slip when he saw Piper slip into the drain system. "Piper!" he whispered. I knew he wanted to go to her but I held onto him.

"You made your choice Leo." I whispered as much as it killed me to say I needed him to understand that there was nothing he could do about it now. He'd been watching Piper for weeks and seen how she was reacting since his departure it's wasn't the best performance I had ever seen.

"I know but I can't help feeling it was the wrong one." Leo said and his voice was pained. "Only time will tell." I whispered. At that moment another White Lighter came in. Leo looked round and smiled and I couldn't help but feel relieved. Greg Sanders was one of Leo's brothers in arms I'd taught both of them, as I've said before I may look young but I'm not and although I've had many trainees the two in front of me, are the ones I have a soft spot for.

"Greg." Leo brightened and embraced his brother. "Word on the grapevine you've been naughty." Greg smiled. Leo looked at me. "What?" I asked innocently. Leo shook his head. "How goes the new assignment?" "I love it." Greg said with obvious enthusiasm. "You don't mind the Nights?" "Not at all." Greg bounced acting like the 28 year old he had been before his life had been cut short. "And your team?" "Mine." Greg said simply. "They all need a keeper not just Nick and since I'm there I'm taking up the load." "You have other Charges." I warned him.

He just smiled at me. "And that's stopped you before when?" "True I sighed." "Whoa." I said glancing in my Glass. "NO WAY!" "What?" The boys asked crowding round me. "Brendan Rowe just qualified for a White Lighter." "Brendan Rowe?" Didn't his brothers attack the Charmed Ones?" Leo and I nodded.

"I mean technically he's a Warlock." I said frowning but I guess those powers are void now." "Why does he need one?" Greg asked. I smirked. "Someone just threw a spanner in the way things work round here he's gonna be one of us."

Greg burst out laughing. "Someone somewhere has a great sense of humour." Greg shook his head and looked at me. "I know that look. That tells me I'm getting another brother." I smiled. Leo looked at me. "You're going to adopt Brendan Rowe known Warlock?" Leo asked it like a question but I think he already knew the answer. I only clarified it. I nodded.

"Anyone that fights that hard to follow the right path deserves a second chance and since I know no one else is about to give him one I will."

Leo smiled. "So I've got three bothers and two sisters." I nodded. "Can't have too many otherwise I'll attract attention. I think for now that's enough. I touched the water above Brenan Rowe's head and it glistened. There. Now our kind will know my Mark."

"You're playing with fire Libby." Leo said gently. I shook my head. "A risk is worth the outcome." I said looking at him. "You know that better than most." He looked down and Greg threw his arms around his brother. "You miss her don't you?"

"Everyday." Leo said quietly. I hadn't even realised it was possible to put that much pain in a single word. Greg didn't say anything he simply looked at me and I shook my head. What could I say? Nothing I did made any difference and nothing I said took his mind off it for the first time in a long time I had no idea how to comfort one of my boys.

Greg looked up and said, "I've got to go." I nodded. "Go and keep them safe. Yell if you need anything." Greg smiled and me and nodded and then orbed out and I looked at Leo. "I wish there was something I could do to make you feel better." I said softly.

"Turn back time?" He said softly looking at the water that was focused on Piper's face. "You know I can't do that." I said softly pulling him into a hug. My heart was breaking because his was. "What a damn waste of space I am." I whispered.

"I can't even distract you enough for you to smile." Leo pulled back and I saw a hint of the smile I had been missing. "You do. I just… I never thought it would be this hard." I nodded. "I don't know but I would guess that loving someone so much never is."

Although I was starting to suspect that it was particularly when the person you loved didn't love you back.

At that moment he looked up and said, "One of my Charges' is in trouble." I nodded. "Which one?" I asked. I didn't usually but I didn't like the look on his face. "Daisy." He said softly. I felt my blood run cold.

He'd told me about this particular change. She was a human. A destined White Lighter somewhere in the future but she had fallen deeply in love with a Dark Lighter and now she could find no way out of that.

She had realised what an evil man Alec was and now was trying to escape him but he kept trying to find her. "Go." I said pushing him off. "I'll be here if you need help."

He nodded and orbed out and I was left watching the pool whirl wondering just what I had got myself into loving someone who was already in love with someone else.