Disclaimer: Oh suck it up, people.

Ch. 38:

Chris entered the cave where Koko was sitting with Meredith.

"Have you come in search of guidance as well?" she asked as he sat down.

"Is she alright?" he asked, looking at Meredith.

"She has many wounds that must be healed." Koko replied.

"But she'll come through this, right?" Chris asked.

Koko smiled at him.

"Stronger than before." She replied. "Your love has much strength that has gone untapped. And you two have a destiny to complete. Together. Charmed."

Chris looked at her in shock.

"Not much is hidden from me, Christopher Halliwell." Koko told him. "But you need not fear. I hold secrets much larger than this. No one will learn it from me. Just promise me that you will take care of my student, this one and her younger self."

"I would do anything to keep both of them safe." Chris told her.

Koko smiled softly.

"I know this too." She told him.

In the Great Hall of Magic School, the three Halliwell Sisters' head sat on the table on top of some books.

"So…"Piper said. "Who's bright idea was this, anyway?"

"We were trying to save you." Phoebe told her.

"Yeah?" Piper replied. "Good job on that one."

"And who went and got her head stolen?" Phoebe shot back.

"While you were off contemplating your navel, while you still had one-" Piper said.

"Guys, we are not getting anywhere arguing." Paige interrupted.

"Actually, we're not getting anywhere because we don't have any bodies." Piper pointed out.

"Okay, look, we said we were sorry." Phoebe said.

"Can we try looking on the bright side?" Paige asked. "I mean, you know, we're still alive."

"Only 'cause Zachary can't kill us in here." Piper replied.

"I don't think he would if he could." Paige told her. "I mean, he practically apologized to us."

"I think she's right, actually." Phoebe agreed. "I didn't sense any anger from him, just a lot of sorrow."

"So, what?" Piper asked. "He did this to us just to get us out of the way? To do what?"

"To get revenge on the school." Phoebe replied.

"And Gideon." Paige added.

Back at the Manor, Gideon was pacing in front of Leo.

"How could I not have seen this?" he demanded. "How could I not have sensed his pain? After all these years with him?"

"It's not your fault, Gideon." Leo assured him. "Even you can't see everything."

"I should've seen this." Gideon shot back. "I should've focused more on the boy than on his magic."

The door to Magic School opened and Paige rushed in, her head back on her body.

"We have to get the kids out of here now." She told them.

"Why?" Gideon demanded. "What's the matter?"

"It's Zachary." She replied. "He's lost it."

"Orb them out." Gideon told Leo. "Up there. I'll try talking to him. Just go."

Leo turned and spread his arms, orbing himself and the students away.

"You should leave, too." Gideon told Paige.

"Why?" she asked.

In front of his eyes, Paige morphed into Zach.

"After all, I came here for you." He told him.

Zach waved his arm and Gideon went flying across the room and into an end table.

"Do you think this spell's gonna work?" Paige asked.

"Well, now that we know who conjured the horseman, it should." Piper replied.

"We won't know until we summon him," Phoebe said, "so let's just put our heads together and – "

Her sisters stared at her and she winced.

"You know what I mean, right?" she continued.

They all closed their eyes and concentrated. At the end of the Great Hall, the Headless Horseman appeared. The horse turned and started galloping toward them. They opened their eyes and saw the Horseman approaching…fast.

"Okay, now!" Phoebe called. "Now! Now!"

"Power of three, unite." The chanted together.
"To end this grisly fright.
Reverse the roles
And make us whole."

He was right on top of them when the Horseman glowed gold and exploded. When he smoke cleared, the heads were gone.

On the ground, Phoebe and Paige's bodies have their heads again.

"Unh." Paige groaned as she sat up. "Thank god it worked."

Phoebe sat up quickly and began patting her body.

"Oh." She sighed. "Aw."

Paige sat there and watched her sister for a second.

"You want me to get you a room?" she finally asked.

They were interrupted by a loud whistle and they looked up to see Piper walking into the Great Hall.

"Let's go, let's go, let's go." She ordered.

Phoebe scrambled to her feet and gave Paige a hand up.

Gideon was on the ground, an athame being held telekinetically at his throat. He glanced down at it before looking back up to Zach.

"Why take it out on others, Zachary?" he asked. "Why not just come after me?"

Zach stood in front of Gideon, his arm outstretched as he held the athame with his power.

"'Cause I want you to suffer, Gideon." He told him. "Like you made me suffer ever since I got here. I want you to see your precious school destroyed, bit by bit."

"But that doesn't give you the right to kill an innocent." Gideon told him.

"Are you scolding me now?" Zach demanded angrily, pushing the athame forward slightly. "You gonna give me a demerit?"

He calmed down slightly and hesitated for a moment.

"That…that wasn't supposed to happen." He admitted. "I just wanted the sisters out of the way. Horseman's only supposed to hurt evil."

"Evil?" Gideon exclaimed. "You think teachers are evil?"

"They are when they keep me here against my wishes!" Zach shouted. "And they take me away from my family, my home! Without even thinking about what I want!"

"Why didn't you come to me?" Gideon asked.

"I did!" Zach yelled. "Damn it! Every time I snuck out. Every time I got in trouble. But you didn't care. You wouldn't listen!"

"We're listening."

Zach whirled around to see the sisters walk into the room. He held up his hand and they stopped.

"It's okay." Paige continued. "We're not gonna hurt you."

"We're here to help." Phoebe told him.

"How'd you get out?" he demanded.

"Magic." Piper replied.

"See, sometimes it takes us away from our lives, as well." Paige explained. "A lot more than we like it to."

"But it's who we are, whether we like it or not." Piper added. "We can't change that, and neither can you."

"You have to accept it." Phoebe told him.

Paige took a step forward.

"You have to realize this is not worth throwing your life away for." She told him, taking another step forward. "Just let it go."

Zach hesitated, looking back at Gideon.

"That's it…" Paige said soothingly. "Easy…"

Zach slowly lowered his arm, releasing the athame. It fell harmlessly down to the floor and Phoebe and Piper went to check on Gideon.

"You okay?" Phoebe asked him.

"Yes." Gideon replied slowly, looking at Zach. "I just guess I've been more…invisible then I realized over the years."

Chris guessed where Meredith had gone when she woke from her trance. And sure enough, under their willow, Meredith was sitting like she was waiting for him.

"Everything okay?" he asked, sitting down next to her. "You left the cave pretty quickly."

"Everything's great." She replied, smiling softly. "I just needed to see the sky."

She looked over at him and gently reached out to touch his face.

"I love you." She told him.

"I love you, too." He replied.

She smiled again and took his hand, pulling him to his feet as she stood. "There's someone I want you to meet." She told him.

Meredith closed her eyes and Chris felt her power surge. A second later, there was a flash and a large black panther appeared.

"Holy Crap!" Chris exclaimed, jumping back a foot.

"It's alright." Meredith told him, laughing. "Calm down."

She kneeled down and rested her hand on the panther's head.

"Chris, I'd like you meet Hania." She told him. "He's my spirit guide."

"I thought only shamans could see spirit animals." Chris said, coming closer.

"Normally that's true." Meredith said, taking his hand and bringing it to the panther so it could smell him. "But my elemental powers allow me to bring him fully into this world for short periods of time. It's amazing, Chris! He can help me channel my powers, he can share my energy, he can protect me! I can even take his shape if I need to!"

Chris smiled at how happy she seemed.

"That does sound amazing, Mer." He told her. "I'm so proud of you."

He wrapped her in a hug, holding her tightly.

"I feel so much better, Chris." She told him, leaning her head on his chest. "I've been angry for so long, I think I'd forgotten what it was like to be without it. Hania helped me let it go."

"I'm happy for you, Mer." Chris told her, kissing the top of her head.

They stood like that for a moment until they felt something brush against them.

"Please tell me he isn't expecting food, because I don't think we have enough money to feed a panther." Chris said dryly.

Meredith giggled and shook her head.

"He wants to go back to the spirit world." She replied. "But he wants me to tell you that he's very glad I finally choose the right brother."

Chris laughed and Meredith glared at the panther. A second later, the spirit animal faded away.

"Come on." Meredith said, tugging on Chris' arm. "Orb me back to the club. I have a shift in a n hour and I need to get changed."

"I thought you didn't like it when I orbed you places." Chris said, wrapping her in his arms again.

"Yeah, but this way I get to hold you tight." She said, reaching up to kiss his neck.

Chris groaned and orbed them away.

In P3, Ziggy Marley was playing to a packed room. As he finished his song, the audience applauded loudly and Paige joined Phoebe and Piper at the bar.

"Hey, guys." Paige said, sitting down. "Wasn't Ziggy Marley supposed to play here before?"

"Yeah." Piper replied. "He had to reschedule. So, how's Zachary?"

"He's good." Paige replied. "He's at home with his family now, but I wouldn't be surprised to see him back at magic school someday. I think he, um, I think he heard us. You know about accepting himself."

"So, then, you're not gonna bind his powers?" Piper asked.

"No." Paige answered. "He didn't want me to. But he gave me a good idea about maybe doing that for somebody else."

"Richard?" Phoebe asked.

"Yeah." Her sister replied. "You know, if he can't handle it, why should he have to? Maybe I can finally help him accept that."

"You're gonna make a really good teacher one day, Paige." Phoebe told her.

Paige stared at her.

"Teacher?" she repeated.

"Yes." Phoebe replied. "In magic school. I saw it with my very own…vision."

"Hmm." Piper murmured. "Well, I don't' think she's gonna be teaching Wyatt and Meredith any time soon. Suddenly, I'm more concerned about separating them from their family than raising them away from other children. I guess the two of them will be enough company for now."

"Actually, uh, there might be a day that you don't have to be concerned about that." Phoebe told her.

"What do you mean?" Piper asked.

Phoebe turned and saw Chris walk into the club with his arm slung over Meredith's shoulders, who was leaning into him, laughing, with her arm around his waist.

"I'm just saying…" she said, getting up and hurrying after them.

"What are you just saying?" Piper called after her. "Excuse me!"

The door to the back room opened and Chris and Meredith walked in.

"I'm just gonna get changed real quick." Meredith said, pulling away. "I think I left some work clothes here the other day."

Before the door could close, Phoebe slipped into the room.

"Hey." She said.

Chris and Meredith turned around as she shut the door behind her.

"Hey." Chris replied.

He stared at Phoebe awkwardly.

"Look, if this is about the whole demon thing-" Meredith started, but Chris stopped her.

"Did you come here to kick me out?" He asked Phoebe softly.

"Uh, no, actually…" Phoebe replied. "I came here to ask you a question."

"What?" Chris said, shrugging as Meredith moved closer to him.

"I need you to be honest with me." Phoebe told him. "No games. No running away. Just the truth."

"Okay." Chris agreed, glancing at Meredith, who smiled softly.

Phoebe took a deep breath.

"Are you Wyatt's little brother?" she asked.

Completely surprised by the question, Chris rocked back slightly. Meredith grabbed his hand and squeezed, making him look down at her. She smiled at him encouragingly and he sighed, looking back at Phoebe.

"Only if I can get Piper and Leo back together in time." Chris replied.

Phoebe nodded.

A/N: So, this episode's done. Let me know what you thought please!

Abbey