Piper's note worried the Halliwell children. Kids, We went to vanquish the Source and get the kids. Meet us at Magic School when the cloak is removed. It seemed so confident that the plan, whatever it was going to be, was going to work. Wyatt and Chris used their sensing powers to determine if the cloak had be lifted or not, but for the last three hours, it had not.

At Noon, Wyatt heard Victor's call, and the Halliwell children orbed to Magic School to reunite with their own children. Each parent hugged their children and kissed each of their heads, except Victor. He stood isolated from everyone; he seemed to be talking to someone. Wyatt noticed his son's heavy breathing and the slight shaking of his hands. Sweat had drenched his flush face and brownish locks. Wyatt knew he needed to reconcile with his son.

He walked carefully to his son, "Victor, you okay?" Victor nodded, but he seemed scared. "Grams said you help rescue everyone. I'm proud of you."

"Re..all..y..even after..I…"

"Everyone makes mistakes, and with magic, mistakes can happen with the best intentions. We learn from our mistakes. It makes us grow, and as witches, it makes us better than the bad guys."

"I thought Rex was my friend. He seemed like a great guy."

"Probably there was a Rex that was a great guy, but evil can change the best of people. When he put power over his friends, he chose evil over good. Some decisions have awful consequences, and you're young enough to see that. You knew you wanted to make up for what you had done. It was a risky choice, but you are a Halliwell, and any Halliwell would have done the same.

"The best decision you did was when you needed help, you asked for it. There are people in this world that will not ask for help out of pride, and it can blow up in their faces. That makes you Charmed like the rest of us." Wyatt could tell his son was calming down, and he knelt at his feet. "Son, I'm not proud of all I've done—either are your aunts, uncles, cousins, and your grandparents. We make amends and move on."

Victor nodded and smiled at a light fixture, which puzzled Wyatt. "Victor, why are you smiling at a light?"

Victor's face crunched in confusion. "I'm looking at Grandpa."

"Grandpa Cole?"

Victor's questionable face answered him. "No, Grandpa Leo."

Wyatt jumped to his feet in shock. He knew his son wasn't lying. Victor was telling the truth, but how is his father a ghost? Wait a minute… "Except for Chris and Melinda, could the rest of you take the kids back to the Manor? I ..uh..we have to deal with a matter." The cousins, using their orbing and cupid rings, gathered the children and left the room, leaving just Piper's children.

"Wyatt, what's wrong?" Melinda walked up to her brother. "Honey, you look like you just saw a ghost."

"Not far from that. Dad? Mom? Are you here? Can you please show yourself?" Nothing happened. "Victor, do you still see Grandpa?"

"No, why?" Victor had a thought, "Can we call like we did Grandpa Cole?"

"No," Chris answered quickly, "that would mean that they were…" and something in his voice dropped.

Melinda tried to cover her own disbelief."Victor, sweetie, is the Source gone?"

"Uh-Huh, Grams and Grandpa were ghosts and along with Aunt Phoebe and Aunt Paige and Aunt Prue vanquished the Source and everybody in there."

The three adults stared at each other, realizing what had happened.

"Let me take Victor home," said a familiar voice.

"AUNT KAT!" Victor sprinted to his aunt and squeezed. It had been so long since he had seen her.

"Kat, it's good to see you."

"And you, Wyatt, Chris, Melinda. I thought I'd hang out at the Manor with everyone while you finish your business here."

"How—who-?'

"Wyatt, the Elders and the Angel of Destiny thought I could help with everything. It could give you time to talk to Piper and Leo. Please let me take Victor home. I'll see you when you get back." Kat grabbed her nephew's hand, and he orbed them home.

Without talking, Wyatt, Chris, and Melinda held hands and closed their eyes. In some symbiotic motion, they spoke the spell simultaneously, "Hear my words, hear my cry, spirits from the other side, come to me, I summon thee, cross now the great divide." In a matter of seconds, two spirals of light formed in front of them, and Piper and Leo, looking alive and young, stood in front of them.

Both groups were afraid to talk. Neither knew how to start the conversation. It was the beginning of an end. An end neither wanted to happen, but knew eventually it would.

"Your son is very brave," said Leo. "He is very much like his father."

Wyatt nodded trying to hold back the tears. "No, just like his grandfathers."

Melinda stepped toward her mother, "Mom, this is it, huh?"

Piper nodded and touched her daughter's shoulder, "Honey, it's never over, especially this family. You know we will always be watching and taking care of all of you."

"But why?" Chris blurted. "Can't you come back? Say some spell and return back to us? We need you."

"Honey, you've known we've cheated death a hundred times, but now, it was time. Every one of you is capable of taking care of this family, and you just showed it." Piper glanced at Leo. "We've known for awhile. We had a visit from the Angel of Destiny and asked us how we'd like to leave. We both wanted to leave together. And after all the Elders had put us through, they granted us that request."

"Why? You never liked the Elders. Why would they do anything like this?" Wyatt questioned.

Leo gathered his children around his arms as if he was telling a bedtime story, "Remember when we taught you about Greek and Roman Mythology? The story of Baucis and Philemon? Zeus and Hermes came down to Earth to see if humans were hospitable. They dressed as poor men asking for food and shelter for the night in the valley. Door slam after door slam, the two gods thought humans were worthless until they reached a hovel.

"Baucis and Philemon welcomed the two men, fed them with little food they had, and let them sleep in their bed as the couple slept on the floor. The next morning, the old men revealed who they were, shocking the old couple. When the couple opened the door, the valley had turned into a lake, and the hovel had turned into a temple.

"The gods wanted them to be guardians of the temple and granted them a wish. They wished whenever they would die, they would die together, never leaving the other. Moments before they died, the gods changed the couple into a linden tree and an oak tree-intertwined."

"Dad, what does that have to deal with you?" Chris questioned.

"Son, in the hundred or so years, I was a human, a whitelighter, an Elder, and even an avatar, I served the common good. I sacrificed a lot to make sure not only your Mom and our family were safe, but the whole world.

"And your Mom, is, well, Charmed. She and her sisters had dedicated their lives to protect innocents and provide safety and guidance to whomever needed their help. How hospitable can people be? To jump into danger on a daily basis, risking everything for duty. We and the Elders agreed that our request wasn't as different than Baucis and Philemon's, except the tree part."

"What will we…do..with..out..you?" Melinda cried between her words.

"Move on, honey, just like your cousins did. It will take time, but it isn't forever." Piper hugged her daughter. "You have an awesome family. It's their turn to take care of you. But you, all of you, must do something for us."

"What?"

"Mourn privately. The longer evil does not know about us, the better it will be for you. Once they find out, they will try everything to break you. Then, you'll have time to plan accordingly. It will be hard for you, but I know you can do it. The children will understand too, especially Victor."

Wyatt took a deep breath. This was a lot to take in. "So this is goodbye."

Piper hugged each of her children. "Never. Wyatt, the moment I knew you were in my life, I knew you were going to be special. You have exceeded everything we could have ever wanted. You are the protector of good, with many that love you and you love in return.

"Chris, you came into to past to save your brother, such a noble thing to do. You risked your existence to make sure the world you lived in was good, and you saved not only Wyatt but yourself as well. You had become our biggest ally and biggest hope.

"Melinda, I saw you so many years before you were born. I thought I had lost you so many years ago, but I was wrong. I was destined to have a beautiful girl, and she's here, a grown woman with her own children. You are the heart of my trio, just like I was. Wyatt is my brain and Chris, my soul. The three of you will protect each other and guide our grandchildren and great grandchildren using our wisdom, guidance, and experiences. We will love you forever."

Piper and Leo hugged and kissed each child as all of them cried unashamedly. They walked into a circle of light and turned transparent. They waved and disappeared. The Piper Halliwell children huddled and began to mourn as their parents requested, privately.