Chapter 14

If anyone asked her, she wouldn't be able to tell them exactly what it had been about that morning that had inspired her last minute decision to turn her sons' stay at Victor's into an overnight affair. She had been perched on their desk, watching them both sleep and taking comfort in the fact that she must be doing something right for them to still sleep so easily, the occasional nightmare aside. She certainly didn't sleep anymore.

She had expected nightmares when Leo died… she continued to expect them, even though time had thus far indicated they weren't coming. She knew nightmares; they were familiar for her. And she almost thought the vivid dreams she had in their place were worse, because in them, Leo was never dead. When she dreamed, he was vibrant, and bright, and so was she, and he smiled and she laughed and she could so realistically feel the warmth of his touch she cried from the brutal, casual normalcy of it all every time she woke up.

But that was beside the point. She had been watching her sons sleep, and then she had simply known that she would not be able to function when she returned from the police station. It would be painful, she had been prepared for that, but she had known the only way she could deal with that kind of pain would be by disassociating herself from it. The problem with disassociation was that it wasn't selective; she couldn't turn off her feelings regarding Leo without it affecting the emotions she displayed around her sons, and she didn't want Wyatt or Chris to ever hold a memory of her acting cold toward them.

Her reasoning had been wholly unselfish. At the time. But it was possible that she had perhaps, on a subconscious level, wanted this one day to herself. Needed this day to herself. And her mind had merely found a convenient means of justifying her actions. Regardless, after her sisters and niece and Henry and Coop finally left the manor, the moment she locked the door behind them a weight lifted from her shoulders even as her crushing grief fought to get out.

Truly alone, for the first time since Leo's death, Piper knew better than to let it.

"No! No no no no no no no."

His voice shook with rage, and he struggled against the restraints that had been placed on him. For his own protection, of course. Right.

"There's no point in fighting it, Leo." Sandra's voice floated gracefully across the room.

"I won't do it."

"You don't have a choice. And your insolence grows tiresome." Odin barked.

"I didn't ask for this. You did this to me. And I am not starting over! Do you hear me? If you send me back, I'm going straight to her."

"We'll recycle you." Odin threatened.

Leo had never imagined himself as having much of a temper, but with every year he lived… or died, then lived, then died, then lived again... the one he did have seemed to get worse.

"I have nothing left to lose." He spoke menacingly, "I'm already dead. She watched me die; she'll move on."

Odin laughed, "What kind of fools do you take us for? Move on? No no. She'll pine, and she'll whine, and then she'll pine some more, but consciously or subconsciously, she will spend the rest of her life waiting for you to come back. We've seen it before. And, as long as you can maintain a faint shadow of hope that we'll one day relent, that we'll one day allow the two of you to re-establish your union, you will follow the rules. It's the way you think, Leo. Your love for her blinds you to everything and anything else; it always has. We've just figured out a way to use it to keep you in line for once."

"You can't do this."

"It's already been done, boy."

"Odin, that's enough." Sandra interrupted.

A month. He had been stuck here for over a month, and neither elder was budging. It looked as if Recycling was not, in actual fact, the worst thing they could do to him. The worst thing was being trapped here, with the same powers he had been only too willing to give up almost three years ago, stuck in fucking limbo. They wouldn't send him back until he promised not to go to Piper, and he wasn't going anywhere on earth except San Francisco, California. They could have just let him die, but they hadn't. And now they could deal with the consequences of their actions.

"Leo, this isn't meant to be a punishment." Sandra soothed, "Things happen for a reason. You gave up your life to save hers, and now you, in turn, are being given the chance to continue helping others. Saving others. The way you were so good, so natural, at doing before…"

"Before I met Piper." He finished bitterly.

"Before you lost your way." She amended softly.

Leo stared at the ground, feeling chastised in that way only Sandra could manage.

"You chose Piper; you chose a mortal life. And you lived your mortal life with her. Now you're being given a second chance. You're a powerful force for good, Leo Wyatt. You always have been."

"I don't want to be a powerful force for good." He stated passionately, "That's their destiny; not mine. I just want to be with her."

"This is ridiculous." Odin roared. "For the last time, you have no choice in this matter. You will go back to earth, and you will tend to your charges, and you will not see the eldest witch ever again."

"And how are you going to keep me from her, Odin." Leo taunted, "Recycle me, don't… it's your decision. As you said, I have no choice. But, send me to earth, and the first place I will go is the manor."

"Why you-

Odin's hand shot forward, and a jolt of electricity surged through Leo's body. He tried to hold back the cry of pain, but it climbed into his throat, and he was suffocating until-

"Enough!" Sandra commanded. Her authoritative voice resonated throughout the chamber, and Leo could swear he still heard it ringing long after Odin obediently ceased his attack. He had lived eighty-four years, and he could live eighty-four more, and he would never, never understand how someone like Odin had become an Elder in the first place.

"Leave us."

Odin's eyes danced with rage, but he submissively flipped up his hood and loudly quitted the room.

Sandra's eyes were stormy when she turned back Leo's way; this was as close as she ever came to losing her temper. Despite her one attempt to kill him, if pressed, Leo would be forced to grudgingly admit that he did hold her in high regard. He didn't always agree with her, but she was fair. And that was more than he could say for Odin.

"Would you really leave so many young mortals, so many good beings, at risk and unprotected? You're being given an opportunity here, Leo."

Leo hung his head, the guilt that accompanied his selfish motives warring against a heart that really, honestly, just wanted to hold his wife and sons.

"I would never wish anyone unprotected." Leo answered softly, carefully, "But there are others. Others who can dedicate themselves wholeheartedly to the cause. And I just don't think I can do that anymore."

"I have known you your entire life, Leo. And that isn't true."

"I don't know what you want me to say." Leo sighed resignedly. He was utterly exhausted. He was tired of fighting. He was sick of this stupid room. He wanted to go home.

"I want you to admit to me that, for a time, even after Piper, you enjoyed your work. You thrived helping others; even those outside Piper, Phoebe, Paige or Prue."

"I have never once denied that. You are the one who made me choose. Before… before I became an Elder, I managed both. And we were happy."

"You were happy when things were calm. When the power struggles began, and you were called away, it was not so easy. You resisted us many times, Leo, I remember."

Leo shrugged, "We managed."

"I don't want to lose you, Leo. It was my decision to bring you back. It was my hope that you would want to return."

"I can't." his voice was a pained whisper, "Don't you understand, Sandra? I can't. I can't do it without her, because in my heart I don't want to. She made me… better. She is the most powerful force for good I know."

Sandra nodded, and then she peered keenly into his eyes. Whatever it was she was searching for, Leo hoped she would find it quickly.

Finally, she stepped back, apparently satisfied with what she had seen.

"I have a compromise."

"… and you just let us leave?!" Paige yelled at Henry, her voice high pitched with disbelief.

He sighed, "I thought it was the right thing to do!"

"And it didn't occur to you to tell Phoebe or me where you guys went, what you guys were doing… how it was bound to devastate her?"

"Paige, she doesn't want to be around us. That's her prerogative. To be honest, I think we're all making it worse. Just leave her alone."

"Don't tell me how to handle my sister." She snapped.

"In case you weren't paying attention when I was talking, she was upset on the way home. She let herself be sad. And then the minute we walked through the door, she started doing her weird robot thing again. We aren't helping." Henry said forcefully.

"But-

"She needs to grieve; and if she can't do it around us, then we need to give her space until she's ready."

"I'm calling Phoebe."

"And doing what?!" he said, exasperation colouring his tone as he raked a hand through his hair. "She'll call you when she needs you. Like she always does. She's not the same person she was two and a half years ago."

"What about the boys?"

"What about them? If anything, they'll help things. She won't do anything crazy with them around, and she's barely let them leave her side since this whole mess started. She's probably picked them up from Victor's already."

"I'm calling Phoebe." Paige repeated stubbornly.

He threw his arms up in the air, "I don't know why I bother."

"I don't know why you do either!"

Paige orbed into the manor kitchen, and released Phoebe's shoulder once they were both fully formed. The room was empty, but she could hear soft strains of music coming from the parlour. They followed the mellow beat and found Piper sitting on the couch; the table in front of her littered with paper and graphs and coloured charts.

"What are you doing?" Phoebe asked, puzzled.

Piper startled and turned stunned eyes to her sisters. "Huh?"

"What are you doing?" Phoebe repeated.

"Payroll."

Her sister still seemed surprised, and for the first time since she decided to come over, Paige began to doubt herself. Maybe, heaven forbid, Henry had actually been right. Piper seemed relaxed, albeit slightly wary of their sudden arrival.

Her eyes widened as Piper took a long drink from the wine glass sitting in front of her, and a glance in Phoebe's direction told her that her sister hadn't noticed the nearly empty bottle until that moment either.

"Piper, it's two thirty in the afternoon."

"Uh huh…"

"Where are Chris and Wyatt?"

"At dad's." She answered distractedly, already focused on her paperwork, "I'm leaving them there tonight."

"How much have you had?" Phoebe asked cautiously.

"Not enough to be drunk, if that's what you're asking." Piper laughed bitterly, "This," she held up the wine bottle, "is not going to do the trick. It was only half full; Leo and I… what are you guys doing here?"

"We were worried about you."

"Well, as you can see, I'm fine. I've got all the company I need right now."

"Piper-

"I'm very busy, Phoebe." Piper exhaled tensely, "I saw you guys three hours ago. I think we're good on sisterly bonding."

Her head bent down and she made a tiny notation in the margin of a loose sheet of paper filled with numbers. Conversation over.

When Paige orbed herself home after dropping off Phoebe, Henry was sprawled out casually on the couch.

"I told you so."

"Shut up."

"So we're agreed?"

"I don't really have a choice, do I?"

"There's always a choice."

"Yes. We're agreed."

The words swam in front of her as she tried to concentrate on the building code sheet at the top of the stack of papers adorning her desk. She could hear the music pulsating from the other side of the door, but here, safe in her office, she was sheltered from everyone outside. Even her sisters. After seven more unannounced appearances at the house – four of them being hours after her comfortable wine buzz wore off – she had lost all semblance of patience with them and driven to P3. At least here she could drink in peace.

She poured whiskey into the empty tumbler beside her and chugged it gratefully, savouring the way it burned down her throat and encased her in warmth.

What was that saying? Liquor before beer, you're in the clear… beer before liquor, never been sicker. Did that apply to wine as well? Did she care?

She paused a moment to think, and then decided that she did not. For the time being, she felt fantastic. And that was what tonight was about. That was all that mattered.

She poured another few shots into the tumbler and swept all the papers off her desk, feeling a surge of satisfaction when she watched the mess settle to the floor. She could handle a little mess. She could enjoy a little mess. She leaned back in her chair and sighed. The smooth beat of "Sex on Fire" pumped through her ears, and suddenly what she wanted to do more than anything was dance. Staying in the back room would be the responsible thing to do… hell, at this point, going home would be the responsible thing to do, but she would have her one night. One, satiating, self destructive night where she could act based solely on what Piper wanted in the moment. And right now, Piper wanted to dance.

"Duck voice." Laura demanded, pointing to the bright yellow duck in the storybook Phoebe was reading her.

"Sweetie, Mommy's tired. She doesn't want to do the duck voice."

"Duck!" Laura repeated.

Phoebe sighed, then tilted her head when she heard the phone ring; a second later, she heard Coop answer. Shrugging her shoulders, she was about to continue reading when her husband stuck his head in the doorway.

"It's for you."

Phoebe glanced at her watch; 12:45am. She raised her eyebrows questioningly at Coop, but he merely shrugged.

"I don't know. It's some guy… Devin I think?"

She sat straight up in the rocking chair and leaned forward alertly, "Devin? As in, bartender at P3 Devin?"

"I guess…"

She hurried across the room and exchanged him the cordless phone for their daughter as she passed him.

"Hello?"

"Phoebe?"

"Yeah it's me… what's going on?"

"Sorry to call so late… I know you have a kid; I can't find Paige's number though, and Piper just about took my head off when I tried to take her phone and find it."

"She did what? What is she doing at the club?"

"I think she needs someone to come get her. She's having a little too much fun."

Phoebe closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose between her fingers. This was just great.

"Don't let her leave until Paige and I get there."

"I'll do my best. You should hurry though."

Piper clicked the disconnect button without further response, and she quickly pulled her hair into a ponytail while she raced through her bedroom in search of a change of clothes.

"What happened?"

Coop stood just inside the door, Laura cradled against his chest, and it warmed Phoebe's heart to see that, after three hours, the little girl was finally close to falling asleep.

"Piper."

She didn't offer more of a response than that… she didn't know why, but somehow it didn't seem fair to her sister. She pulled off her pyjama bottoms and swiftly yanked a dirty pair of jeans on in their place.

"Paige!" She hollered at the ceiling.

In two seconds flat, Paige orbed into her bedroom, still fully dressed in the clothes she had been wearing earlier that day.

"Piper?" She asked.

"Yeah. How'd you know?"

Paige shrugged, "I had a feeling this was going to be an interesting night. Hey Coop!"

"Hey Paige." He smiled.

Phoebe walked over to her husband and daughter and placed gentle kisses on both their cheeks.

"I'll be back soon."

Paige watched the exchange awkwardly from the centre of the room; despite their one talk, she could never feel as comfortable around Coop as she felt… had felt, around Leo. Although, she had known Leo longer, so it was probably wrong of her to compare. Coop loved Phoebe, and he was good to her and Laura, so she supposed those were the only things that should matter.

"Let's go."

Paige wanted to orb over, but Phoebe validly pointed out that there would be no way to keep from raising Devin's suspicion if they showed up at the club two minutes after his phone call. In the end they compromised; taking Phoebe's car, but orbing inside from the parking lot in order to avoid fighting their way through the entrance.

They orbed into Piper's office, which was empty, save for the bottles littering the desk and the papers littering the floor. Piper was in bad shape indeed if she couldn't even be bothered to pick up after herself. Phoebe opened the door, and was instantly struck with a 2001 flashback as she watched her older sister dance with surprising elegance across the bar. Piper was one of the few people she knew who actually did dance better when intoxicated; even when there wasn't another being hostilely asserting control of her body.

"Oh my God." Paige breathed slowly.

"This is not good."

Devin's eyes met theirs from across the room, and he quickly made his way over to the two sisters.

"I didn't even see you come in."

"Not surprising, considering how packed you guys are tonight." Paige fibbed with ease. "How long has she been like this?"

He threw up his hands helplessly, "I don't know. When I noticed I didn't want to say anything… I mean she's the boss… but I remembered what Taylor said about Leo and I thought-

"You did fine." Phoebe assured distractedly. The guy was nice, but really, all she wanted to do was get her sister off that bar. "Thanks."

They pushed their way to the front of the bar, past the onlookers, and Paige reached up a hand and tugged on Piper's pant leg.

"Piper, get down here right now."

Piper flicked her off without missing a beat of the music, "Don't tell me what to do, Paige."

Certain that everyone within sight was either well on their way to Piper's state, or too into the music to notice, Paige orbed away one of Piper's stilettos just as she went to balance on it. With a shriek of surprise, Piper tumbled off the bar, and Paige smoothly kept her from falling face first onto the floor.

"Oh look at that. Sweetie you should be more careful." Paige smirked.

"Give me back my shoe!" Piper demanded indignantly.

"In good time."

"Piper, this is ridiculous. We need to get you home."

At this, Piper whipped her head around so quickly she almost lost her balance again, and Paige shot Phoebe a warning look as she barely managed to catch Piper in time.

"This is not ridiculous, Phoebe. I'm sick of being the responsible one. I'm sick of holding it together. You go home."

Paige guided her into the alcove, smart enough to know better than to try and reason with her. Then she handed her the stolen shoe and watched as Piper struggled to reattach it to her foot. Under any other circumstance, it would have been comical. She had seen Piper tipsy a handful of times, even Leo, once. Although he had been so nonchalant about it, to this day she couldn't quite be sure whether or not she had seen what she thought. But Piper was far past happy tipsy; there had been a time in Paige's life when she had been only too familiar with this level of desperate inebriation. The desire to forget; the desire to escape everything she was; she shuddered at the thought of her loving, heartbroken sister being stuck in that place.

"Honey, this isn't going to help. It's not going to go away." She said softly, stroking her sister's tangled hair.

"Think of your boys, Piper." Phoebe added, "Think of the boys, and come home."

Piper slammed her foot against the floor with so much force, Phoebe was surprised to see that the heel held. Piper's piercing, albeit glassy gaze bore into her, and she couldn't help but shrink back slightly at the rampant hatred she saw. She didn't need to be an empath to feel that anger.

"When was the last time you saw me drunk?"

"What?"

"When was the last time you saw me drunk?" She repeated coldly.

Phoebe couldn't tell if her slow enunciation was for effect, or if it was just the only way she could currently get her words out clearly. She looked to Paige, but Paige merely glared at her in a blatant, now you've done it, way.

"I don't know, Piper."

"When was the last time you saw me drunk?"

She was getting increasingly loud and anxious, and Phoebe racked her brain for a memory, any memory, she could throw Piper's way to appease her.

"Last year, when Leo-

"Do not say his name." She hissed, "Not ever."

"I'm sorry."

There wasn't anything else Phoebe could think to say. This person, this person in front of her wasn't Piper. And she didn't know how to deal with her.

"I asked you a question."

"Piper, I don't-

"When, Phoebe?!"

"I honestly can't remember." She admitted. "I can't remember. I'm sorry."

"When Phoebe left to be Cole's Queen." Paige cut in softly.

"That's right." Phoebe dropped eye contact, and Piper continued. "Six years ago, I lost my sister to, literally, the source of all evil, and today, I filed a fake missing person's report for my dead husband. I feel like I'm kind of justified in being upset."

"This isn't you."

Piper ignored Phoebe's insistent voice. This was her time to talk, and Phoebe's time to listen. Phoebe needed to do more listening. Because sometimes, sometimes, her advice really wasn't that great.

"I was never like you. I never had a wild side. I was shy, and nerdy and awkward and I got picked on all the time. Don't shake your head at me like that Phoebe, you know it's true. If anyone had an excuse to drink, it was me."

"You're not that person anymore."

"…and you, you with your perky magical breasts, you did what you wanted and got what you wanted and had the greatest fucking teenage years anyone could ask for. Gawky stage? Nooo… not for Phoebe Halliwell."

"Piper-

"And what did you do? You got trashed after every, single, miniscule break up you had! I covered for your delinquent ass every YEAR of high school. And you're going to judge me, for not keeping it together twenty four hours of every goddamn day when I just lost half of my soul?"

"I was a different person then too, Piper." Phoebe defended.

Paige pinched her arm sharply, "Shut up, you're making it worse."

"Ten years, Phoebe; ten years, two break-ups, three marriage attempts, one fake divorce," she paused, "I am too drunk to even count the number of times we were ripped apart because of Them – how sad is that? Who in the world can't keep track of the number of times the person they love more than life has been ripped away from them? – plus two children that I am going to have to take care of all by myself. Starting as soon as I pick them up from dad's tomorrow. And I love them so much, and they need me… from tomorrow, I am going to be the best parent the world has ever seen. Until then, Phoebe, back the fuck off."

She wobbled on her heels back out to the dance floor, and it was only seconds before Phoebe and Paige lost sight of her frame in the dense crowd.

"Way to go, Phoebe." Paige sniped.

"What? I didn't do anything!" Phoebe protested, "I was just trying to help. I don't see why she always picks on me first."

"That would be because you can never keep your mouth shut. Besides; I'm the one she always goes for when it causes physical pain. Consider us square."

"Her heart is broken." Phoebe lamented softly. "I can feel it, and I'm not even trying. It's overwhelming. It's not even just sadness, it's like…"

"All encompassing, inner destitution." Paige finished.

"Yes. Exactly."

"Been there, done that." Paige muttered, "My liver barely survived; let's go save Piper's."

By the time they found Piper amidst the throng of people, she had somehow managed to secure a new drink. They watched her throw back about half the contents, and then she went completely still, uncertainty crossing her features. Phoebe elbowed some blonde out of her way and put a hand on Piper's back; it was a gesture made half to provide comfort, and half to keep her from running away.

"I'm about ninety four percent sure that I'm about to throw up all over myself." Piper stated offhandedly.

Paige rolled her eyes, "Not that tough for me to believe, Piper. Come on, it's time to go home."

Home. She took a few large swallows from her drink, unable to process much more than home=bad in her current state. She didn't want to go back to the manor; to the place she has called home almost her entire life. It didn't feel like home anymore. It never did when he was gone; she was quickly running out of safe places. She thought of Wyatt; of his fine blonde hair, and his eyes that differed from his father in colour but matched him exactly in expression. She thought of Chris and his wide independent streak, and the way he smiled and patted his hands all over her face when he sat in her lap. The only time she ever felt human anymore was when she was holding one of them, and it was a bittersweet experience, because as she took comfort in the smell of their baby skin and smooth hands, it was never too long before her thoughts strayed to Leo. Wyatt's eyes and mouth, Chris' habit of running his hands through his unruly hair… all were emulations of her husband, hurting her and sustaining her all at the same time.

She tipped her head back and drained the last of the contents from her plastic cup.

"I'm not going anywhere, Paige." She spoke slowly, "You can feel free to leave without me. Take Phoebe with you."

"Alright, that's it." Phoebe yelled over the music, "We're leaving. You can walk out, or be dragged out unconscious; those are all the choices you've got left. Either way, you're going home."

Phoebe reached for her sister's arm and then promptly froze in place; as did everything else in the club. Piper sighed gratefully at the sudden silence, then she fumbled through her pockets for her car keys, dropping them on the floor several times before successfully placing them in Phoebe's outstretched palm.

"Not with you, I'm not." She snipped, with childish satisfaction.

She took a moment to refill her cup; too intoxicated to realize all but a quarter of the contents were comprised of vodka, and far beyond the point of being able to taste the difference. Without so much as a backward glance toward her sisters, Piper climbed the club steps and disappeared into the streets.

Phoebe stumbled forward slightly when her hand made contact with thin air.

"What the hell?" Paige frowned in confusion.

Phoebe glanced at her hand and glared at the keys which had, quite literally, magically appeared.

"She did not just freeze us."

"Oh I think it's pretty safe to say that she did."

They exited the club just I time to see Piper fall into a cab a little ways up the street, and despite the swift run they made to catch up with her, the taxi was peeling away from the curb by the time they reached the corner. Piper flipped them off from the backseat.

"Charming." Phoebe spat.

"What do we do now?"

Phoebe tossed Piper's keys in Paige's direction, "Follow me in her car. We'll go back to the manor. If she's there, fine. If not, we can start scrying for her."

"He continues to defy us, and we give in." Odin shook his head, outraged, "I know you've always had a bit of a bleeding heart for the boy, but this… mark my words, Sandra, you'll regret letting him go."

"We can't lose him; his talent was exceptional. Even you must see that."

"Yes, but his potential is irrelevant if we can't even get him to follow simple directions. This was a mistake."

Sandra perched herself serenely on the white bench against the chamber wall as Odin continued to pace agitatedly in front of her.

"He's immortal now."

"Yes, I'm aware of that."

"She will die before he does… as will his sons."

Odin stopped abruptly and stared at her with intent curiosity. "I thought it was my job to see the negative." He smirked.

"I'm not trying to be cruel; I'm suggesting that the only thing that keeps Leo from joining us, is his unshakeable tie to Piper. We underestimated that."

"You underestimated that." Odin scoffed.

His face softened off her unwavering stare. "I apologize." He amended. "That was out of line."

"My point is, it isn't necessary for us to do anything when time will eventually push all the pieces into place without our interference. We can be lenient with him for now; we can reduce his overnight assignments, allow him more time with his family… we can appease him, and in fifty years, when Piper is gone, we can have all of him. Willingly."

"So he's to be rewarded then, for years of defiance. He fell from grace. And we're going to allow him to continue on, believing his actions are ultimately without consequence. Have we come to fear the Charmed Ones' power so much?"

Sandra frowned. "I'm not proud of the turn that was taken with Leo. Their love for one another surpasses anything I could have imagined when the affair began; I often think that we were, in fact, partially to blame for driving him away. We give him her remaining years, and it restores the faith he once held in us. The faith Gideon, you, I, destroyed."

Odin shook his head, unconvinced. "He won't let her go."

"He will." Sandra insisted gently. "Leo understands life's cycle. He accepts it far more willingly than the girls. When the time comes, he will let her go."

He sighed, "It's your call, Sandra. And I'll have no choice but to support your decision. But, I still believe this is a mistake. Leo's actions are predictable only barring influence from the Charmed Ones; who knows what half-cocked, impulsive ideas those impossibly young witches could fill his head with. They're menaces. And if anything, they're getting worse."

"They're impossibly young, as you said." Sandra argued. "But they're learning. And on some levels, they still don't adequately comprehend the vast extent of their abilities… it is my hope that they'll never need to. The sisters may be impulsive, but they've come to understand the consequences that accompany abusing magic. There isn't reason to believe this will be anything less than successful; it's a win situation for all the parties involved."

Odin sighed again, resigned to the course of action Sandra appeared set on staying.

"We'll see." He responded.