Author's Note: There will be a surprise guest in Chapter 26: Morality Bites.

I also have actually got a few chapters done so am actually slightly ahead again with this story. Right now I have Chapters 21, 22, 26, and 38 done. Which is why I decided to go ahead and post a second chapter today.

Chapter 20: Love Hurts

Buffy, Prue and Phoebe are walking down the stairs.

"I can't believe you're wearing your bikini on the plane." Phoebe says.

Prue smiles, "Timesaver. We have all of forty-eight hours in Cabo. The minute we land, I'm on the beach getting all golden-brown."

Buffy rolls her eyes, "I've got mine on underneath, like Prue said timesaver. I'm taking full advantage of not having to be slaying."

"I know, but you two are making me look frumpy, it's like the sign of the apocalypse." Phoebe says.

Prue smiles, "I practically had to beg the guy in accounting to lend us his condo. There are no warlocks in sight, Andy finally found out our big secret, I'm going to get crazy. And as Buffy said she gets a weekend away from slaying. A weekend she hasn't had since her dad took her to L.A. for the weekend."

Phoebe smiles, "It's about time. How long have I been after you to find some new male blood? Preferably tan and buff."

Buffy laughs.

Prue smirks, "With limited verbal skills."

"And..." Phoebe says.

"No strings attached." Phoebe and Prue says.

Phoebe nods, "Stella, we are getting our groove back." She and Prue high five but miss. "Okay, so, speaking of which, where is Piper?"

Prue sighs, "I think Piper's gonna be in a groove-free kinda mode for a while."

"She's not seriously..." Phoebe says.

Buffy rolls her eyes.

"Taking a vacation from men, yep. Afraid of falling in love again, I think." Prue says.

Buffy sighs, "So, while we're partying all weekend, what is she gonna be doing?"

Prue shrugs, "I don't know. The last time I checked she was in the attic searching for a suitcase to carry her books in."

Phoebe frowns, "Books, what kind of books?"

"Kind they make into Kevin Costner movies." Prue says.

Buffy rolls her eyes, "You have got to be kidding me."

"Oh, we've got to stop the insanity." Phoebe says.

"Maybe we should let her be, I mean we're not the ones who fell in love with a warlock, a ghost, a geographically undesirable handyman, and a very dorky grad student." Prue says.

Buffy rolls her eyes, "Hey remember, vampire here."

Prue and Phoebe rolls their eyes.

Phoebe sighs, "Maybe she's just in a slump. It happens." Prue looks at her. "All right, it happens to Piper a lot, but celibacy is not the answer."

Buffy nods in agreement.

Prue sighs, "A couple of dates not picking up the cheque, that's a slump. This is more like a sucking void."

They hear a thump and a little scream coming from the attic. "

Prue! Prue, Phoebe, Buffy!

They go up into the attic and see Leo lying on the floor in pain with the arrow stuck in his shoulder.

"Leo?" Prue says.

Buffy shakes her head, "What's going on?"

Prue runs downstairs.

Buffy carries Leo to a chair.

"Be careful." Piper says.

Buffy rolls her eyes, "I am being careful."

Piper nods and looks at Phoebe, "I can't believe you knew. The fact that our handyman, the man I was dating was supernatural, just happen to slip your mind?"

Phoebe sighs, "There was no slipping, okay, I told you but you didn't want to believe me."

Buffy rolls her eyes as she sets Leo down on the chair.

"Piper, I wanted..." Leo said.

Piper shakes her head, "But you didn't."

Phoebe nods, "Okay, we gotta, we gotta get your legs up."

"Don't worry about me. There's someone, ahh ...!" Leo says.

Phoebe frowns, "We have to get the arrow out."

"No, don't touch it, it's tipped with poison." Leo says.

"How are we suppose to get it out if we can't touch it?" Phoebe asks.

Buffy shrugs.

Prue enters the attic. "You came to the right girl. You ready?" She uses her powers to push the arrow out. "Okay, I brought everything that I could find, I just didn't know what to use on a... What is he again?"

"A Whitelighter." Piper says.

Phoebe nods, "Yeah, they're sorta like... You know how Peter Pan has Tinkerbell? They're sorta like that, minus the tutu and the wings. He guides witches."

Leo nods, "And future Whitelighters. That's why I came to you."

"You should have told me." Piper says to Phoebe.

Leo shakes his head, "I should have told you." Piper gets a bandage and pushes down on his wound. "Ahh!"

Piper smirks, "Oh, did that hurt? Good."

Leo sighs, "There's a woman. Daisy. You have to protect her from the Darklighter."

Prue frowns, "The Darklighter. Is that what shot you?"

Leo nods, "Yeah, they seduce innocent women. Their goal is to create evil through reproduction."

Buffy sighs, "Great. Generation 666."

Leo nods, "He broke the rules, he fell in love with one of his victims, a human. And she loved him back."

Piper nods, "Until she found out who he really was, right?"

"Piper, you have every right to be mad at me." Leo says.

"Thanks for the permission. I'll get some more gauze." Piper says.

Leo sighs, "Please, you have to find Daisy before he does otherwise she won't be able to do the good that she's destined to. She won't be able to become a whitelighter."

"Okay, where is she?" Prue asks.

"I don't know. The last time I saw her she was at a mini-mart in the Castro, headed for her rental car. If he finds her first he'll never let her go, ever." Leo says.

Buffy sighs, "Any tips on how to vanquish a Darklighter in case we run into him?"

"Just don't let him touch you. His power is in his hands and when he chooses to, he has the touch of death." Leo says.

Prue nods, "And we have the power of three, augmented. All right, call the airline, cancel our tickets, I'll call Andy see if he can help me locate her, and Piper should..."

"I'll talk to her, someone's gotta stay with Leo." Phoebe says.

Buffy rolls her eyes, "I guess I will stay and help Piper."

Prue smiles, "Perfect."

Sometime later Buffy brings a tray a food up to the attic for Leo, "Leo, I brought you some food in case you're... you do eat, right?"

Leo nods, "Yes, Buffy, I eat. How's Piper?"

Buffy sighs, "Oh, you know, she's dealing. I mean, it's not every day that you find out that the guy you're seeing isn't human. Although, in Piper's case..."

Leo nods, "I wish she didn't have to find out about me like this. Being with her broke the rules but not being with her breaks my heart."

"You know, Leo, it's not like we rushed to tell you that we're witches. I think Piper understands about those little secrets that we have to keep." Phoebe says from the attic door.

Leo nods, "Any word on Daisy?"

Phoebe nods, "Yes and no. Prue called. Andy thinks he found out where Daisy's staying. They're on their way now."

Buffy pulls off his bandage. "Oh, I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

Leo nods, "It's okay, I know it's bad."

Buffy smiles, "I guess I need to work on my poker face a little bit, huh?"

You know Leo, didn't you tell me that Whitelighters have the ability to heal? Why can't you just..." Phoebe says.

Leo shakes his head, "No, my powers are for others, I can't use it on myself." He coughs.

Phoebe nods, "Ah, you know, we just gotta get you better. Then you and Piper will have lots of time to talk about stuff when you're well."

Buffy smiles, "Yeah, Leo."

"Phoebe, Buffy, I'm not going to get better." Leo says.

Buffy looks back at Phoebe and shakes her head, "That's ridiculous, Leo, of course you will, we're just gonna have to find something in the Book of Shadows."

"No, the Darklighter's poison can't be reversed. It's meant to kill Whitelighters. That's what it's doing, it's working it's way through my system. It's just a matter of time." Leo says.

Phoebe frowns, "How much time?"

Leo sighs, "Not much. I'm gonna die and there's nothing you can do about it. My power is ebbing. With it, my ability to cloak Daisy."

Buffy nods, "We're gonna save you both, Leo." She looks to Phoebe. "Why don't you stay with Leo. I will go see what Piper's found." She turns and walks downstairs.

Piper sighs, "I have looked everywhere in both of these damn books for something, anything to help Leo and I can't. What's that face? What's the matter?"

Buffy sighs, "Leo's in pretty bad shape, Piper. And he's getting worse."

Piper nods, "I know, that's why I need to find an ointment or a cure or something."

Buffy shakes her head, "You need to listen. This is really hard to say but I think you need to hear it. I think that you need to learn to accept the possibility that... maybe we're not supposed to save Leo. Maybe he's not our innocent. Maybe we're only meant to save Daisy."

"We have to save him whether we're meant to or not." Piper says.

Buffy nods and sits on the couch and hugs Piper.

Sometime later Piper and Buffy are attic looking at the Charmed book as Phoebe walks through the attic door.

"Hey, Prue's home, she just..." Phoebe says as she notices Piper and Buffy reading a spell out of the Book of Shadows. "I hear rhyming, what are you doing?"

Piper sighs, "Everything I can. Look, we know Leo can't heal himself but maybe with his powers, I can."

Phoebe fiowns, "What are you talking about?"

Buffy nods, "It's a power switching spell. If Leo and Piper exchange powers then she'll have the healing touch and maybe sheI can heal him."

Prue comes in. "Hey, what's going on?"

"Ah, you know, the usual, made some coffee, read the newspaper, walked in on Piper switching powers with Leo and Buffy augmenting the spell. You know." Phoebe says.

Piper sighs, "I have to save him, Prue."

Prue nods, "Okay, is it safe?"

Piper sighs, "To tell you the truth I don't really care. He's slipping away and if either one of you has a better idea then I'm all ears, if not then I'm casting the spell, with Buffy augmenting me. And I would like to do it with the support of my sisters along with the support of my cousin."

Buffy smiles, "I wouldn't be augmenting you if you didn't have my support."

"Cast away." Prue says.

Buffy closes her eyes and concentrates on Piper.

Piper nods, "What's mine is yours, what's yours is mine, let our powers cross the line, I offer up my gift to share, switch the powers through the air."

"Did it work?" Phoebe asks.

Piper shrugs, "I don't know." Kit runs in and Piper tries to freeze her. "I can't freeze."

Prue nods, "This is a good sign. The spell must've worked. That means Phoebe and..." She touches Phoebe and has a premonition. "Oh, I think I just had one of Phoebe's premonition thingies."

"Really? What did you see?" Phoebe asks.

Prue points to a lamp. "That shattering."

Kit jumps on the table where the lamp is.

Buffy frowns, "Kit, no!" She puts her hand up and she makes the lamp fly against the wall and smash. "Did I just do that?"

Prue nods, "Uh huh, and I saw it. So, okay, you're moving things, I'm having premonitions and Piper can't freeze which means... Either she has Leo's power or Buffy's.

Piper sighs, "Am I gonna get yelled at?"

"It switched all of our powers?" Prue says.

Phoebe nods, "It's a supernatural Freaky Friday."

Buffy nods, "Now we just need to decide who has my fire power and then whoever is left has the ability to heal Leo. Phoebe, Piper. Get angry. It works best if your angry."

Piper and Phoebe concentrate. Nothing happens with Piper. But Phoebe powers up a fireball.

"Okay that means, Piper can heal and Phoebe can throw fireballs." Buffy says.

The phone rings.

"Oh, you know what? I'm going to get that and I'm sure you guys will have all this worked out by the time I get back." Phoebe says.

Piper nods, "Okay, I can do this. Now, heal. Come on, heal. Why aren't these working?"

Prue nods, "Okay, okay, okay. Piper, relax. Remember when we first got our own powers, it took us a while to figure out how to trigger them."

Piper nods, "Well, I'm doing what I always do."

"Yes, but maybe you have to find his trigger not yours." Buffy says.

Phoebe comes back in the attic. "Hey, that was Andy. A new charge came up on Daisy's credit card report. She bought a bus ticket twenty minutes ago. She's running again."

Prue frowns, "If she leaves town we'll never be able to find her. Let's go."

Phoebe shakes her head, "Wait, we have to switch our powers back."

"Not until I heal Leo." Piper says.

Phoebe frowns, "Piper, we have to go get Daisy."

Buffy sighs, "Phoebe drop it. Believe me I know how Piper feels. I'd be doing the same thing if it were Angel."

Prue nods, "Okay, you know what, Piper you stay here. We have to find Daisy before the Darklighter does. We'll just have to do it using each other's powers. Come on."

A shorttime later Buffy, Phoebe and Prue enter the depot.

Prue keeps poking Buffy.

"Okay, are you trying to piss me off?" Buffy asks.

Prue nods, "That's exactly what I'm trying to do, only it's not working."

Phoebe shakes her head, "How do you know?"

Prue nods, "Because I don't see anything flying across the room. Look, Buffy you're gonna need to know how to use my power in case the Darklighter shows up, remember. You and Phoebe are the only ones with active powers right now. When I first got my power it was anger that triggered it, so I need to push your buttons."

Buffy rolled her eyes, "Prue." She closed her eyes and then open them a second later and looked at the magazines on a rack. The rack spins around and magazines fall off. "Prue you just don't know how to push me. I used the same trigger I use when I fight vamps. Remember I told you anger was my trigger. I think I can control it since we had the same trigger. You should be pushing Phoebe though."

Phoebe glares at Buffy, "I don't think we want to be starting fires today."

Buffy nods, "Okay, now it's your turn, Prue. We need a premonition, where's Daisy?"

Prue sighs, "Oh, do I have to? The last time I got all woozy and, and..." She touches a chair and nothing happens.

Phoebe nods, "Okay, you know, you guys take for granted that I'm your innocent Yellow Pages. Okay, this takes work."

"It is useless, all right. I'm never going to get..." Prue says as she has a premonition. "Do your ears ring when you do that?"

Phoebe nods. "What did you see?"

Prue shakes her head, "I can't be sure 'cause it went by so fast but if I were playing odds, I would say it was Daisy."

Buffy nods, "Where is she?"

Prue smiles, "Bathroom."

In the bathroom Daisy is talking to herself, "I'm gonna be okay, I can handle this."

Alec appears. "You can't run from me, Daisy."

Daisy frowns, "Why won't you leave me alone?"

"Because we can be happy together. We were once, remember? All you have to do is come with me willingly." Alex says.

Daisy frowns, "And what? Watch while you kill more innocent people?"

Alec shakes his head, "You made me do that. That man would still be alive if you had just come with me. That's all I ask and the killing will stop. We can have eternity together."

Daisy knees Alec in the stomach.

Buffy, Prue and Phoebe enter the bathroom.

Prue frowns, "I believe this is the ladies room."

"And this is a private conversation." Alec says as his crossbow appears.

Prue nods, "Oh, oh, Buffy, Phoebe."

Phoebe holds out her hand and manages to get a small flicker.

Buffy squints and Alec flies back into a cubicle.

Prue picks up the crossbow. "I've never used this on a Darklighter before." She shoots the arrow at him but he turns into dust and floats away.

"Oh God, is he...?" Daisy says.

"Daisy, Leo sent us, we have to take you to him. Come on." Phoebe says.

Shortime later Prue, Buffy, Phoebe, and Daisy enter the house. There are flowers sitting on a table.

"Oh God, he found me again." Daisy says.

Phoebe shakes her head, "How do you know?"

Daisy sighs, "That's what he does, he sends me flowers so I know he's watching."

Phoebe reads the note. "No, honey, these are for Prue."

Prue reads the note, "They're from Andy, he needs to see me right away."

"Something wrong with his phone?" Buffy asks.

Prue sighs, "It's a long story but I can't leave you guys."

Phoebe shakes her head, "No, Prue, we'll go up and check on Leo and, remember, Buffy and I are the ones with the active powers. Go."

"Are you sure?" Prue asks

Phoebe nods, "Yes, absolutely, we'll be fine. Let's go check on Leo."

Buffy, Phoebe and Daisy head upstairs as Prue heads back out the front door.

"Piper, we found Daisy..." Buffy says.

Piper sighs, "I tried. He's gone."

Daisy turns and runs down the stairs, "I got to get out of here."

Buffy looks to her Phoebe, "Deal with Piper. I'll deal with Daisy." She turns and runs down the stairs, "I don't think this is the best time for you to be alone."

"Without Leo it's just a matter of time before Alec finds me again. I have to get away." Daisy says.

Buffy shakes her head, "No. My cousin's and I can take care of Alec."

Daisy shakes her head, "I don't want you to try. Too many people are dead now because of me and now Leo."

Buffy sighs, "Daisy, that's not your fault."

"It doesn't matter. When Alec finds me again he's not gonna let you get in the way either. It's better off that I leave. Trust me. I have to go." Daisy says.

Piper comes down the stairs with Phoebe. "Don't you dare. Leo gave up his life to bring you here. If you leave, Alec will find you for sure. And Leo's death will mean nothing. You're not going anywhere." Piper says.

A shorttime later Piper is watching Leo from the doorway.

Buffy walks up to Piper. "I thought you might like to talk."

Piper sighs, "He could have stayed with us, he could have fought harder."

Buffy nods, "He was in pain, he had to let go."

"He didn't have to, our magic's never failed before. I cast the spell, I took his power, all he had to do was show me how to do it and he never did." Piper says.

Buffy sighs, "How can you be mad at him?"

Piper nods, "Because it should have worked. Prue's having premonitions, and you figured out how to use her power, and even Phoebe is learning to use yours. Why couldn't I find a trigger? Why couldn't he just help me, give me his power?"

"He wanted to live, he didn't want to leave you. It's hard to lose someone you love. Believe me I know."

Piper looks to Buffy and nods, out of all them. Buffy had been the one to lose the most in the last few months.

Buffy smiles, "Go on."

Piper nods and moves over to Leo kneeling beside him. "I love you, Leo." She starts crying and a tear drops lands on her hand and her hand starts glowing. "I found it. Leo, I love you." She holds her glowing hand over Leo and she heals him. "Can you hear me? I love you, Leo, please hear me."

Leo wakes up. "Piper." They hug.

Buffy smiles from the attic door and walks over to Piper and whispers in her ear, "I know you could do it."

Piper looks to Buffy and nods. She looks back at Leo, "Oh, thank God. I tried so hard and I couldn't make it work before. Why didn't you tell me?"

Leo smiles, "That love was the trigger? You had to find that out on your own. Why couldn't you tell me?"

Buffy rolls her eyes and heads downstairs to get Piper and Leo a private moment.

Phoebe looks to Buffy, "How is she?"

Buffy simply smiles as she turns and motions towards the stairs as Piper helps Leo down them.

"Leo. Oh my God, how did you...?" Phoebe says.

Piper shakes her head, "There's no time to explain."

Leo nods, "You've been out of the cloak too long. Alec can find her."

Piper frowns, "Where's Prue? We need to get her back here and we need to find a spell to vanquish the Darklighter."

Leo nods, "A power of three spell."

Buffy nods, "Okay, I think she has her cell phone on her."

Alec appears.

Phoebe tries to use Buffy's power and only gets a flicker. "No!"

Buffy squints and goes to throw Alec with Prue's power as he grabs Piper. "Alright, no more tricks, ladies." Alec says.

Leo shakes his head, "Let her go, Alec."

Alec smirks, "I don't think so. I have what you love, you've got what I love. Care to trade?" Buffy puts her hand up. "Don't do that." His hand starts glowing. "I will kill her if I have to. You still think I'm incapable of love, Leo? You wanna see far I'm willing to go?"

"Alec, no!" Daisy says.

"Daisy, stay back." Piper says.

Alec nods, "You shut up!"

Prue opens the door and Alec pushes Piper into Phoebe and grabs Daisy.

"No!" Leo screams.

Prue frowns, " Buffy, Phoebe, stop him!"

Alec disappears with Daisy.

Piper tries to use Leo's power to try and find Daisy. "I can't do it."

Leo nods, "Yes, you can. You have every one of my powers, including the power to find Daisy."

Prue nods, "Leo, wouldn't it be faster for you guys just to switch you powers back?"

Leo shakes his head, "No, I'm still too weak. It's up to Piper. Trust me, Piper. Okay, look deep inside yourself, peace, place where you find love."

"Right, I can hear her." Piper says.

Buffy smiles.

Leo nods, "Listen to her, let her tell you where she is."

"She's screaming, she's afraid, he's pushing her past some trees." Piper says.

"Can you recognize the place, can you tell where they're at?" Leo asks.

Piper smiles, "Heroes Grove, Golden Gate park."

Buffy nods, "Let's go."

"What about Leo?" Piper asks.

Leo nods, "I'm fine. Save Daisy."

Prue nods, "Piper, we really need the power of three to do this."

Phoebe shakes her head, "Actually, I don't think we do. I think there's a better way. Piper, you stay with Leo. Prue, you drive, I'll talk. Come on, Buffy."

At Golden Gate Park…

"Why are taking me here?" Daisy asks.

Alec smiles, "You could of been my mate, Daisy, my equal."

Daisy frowns, "I don't understand."

Alec nods, "And now you've made this place your death bed. It's your won fault you won't live."

"Please don't kill me. If you ever loved me." Daisy says.

Alec shakes his head, "If I ever loved you what? You think I could just get over you? Move on, find somebody else? You're the only woman I've ever loved, Daisy and now I'm the last man you'll ever leave." His hand glows red hot.

Buffy, Prue and Phoebe run over to them.

"Let her go!" Prue says.

Alec nods, "She's mine."

Buffy smirks, "Son of a..." She uses Prue's powers and he flies through the air. "Do it, Prue, now!"

Prue nods, "What's mine is yours, what yours is mine, let our powers cross the line."

Alec frowns, "You really should have stayed out of this."

Prue smiles, "I offer up this gift to share, switch our powers through the air."

Alec's hand stops glowing and Prue's hand starts glowing. "What? Where's my power?"

"It's hate. Hate is his trigger." Prue says.

"Then hate him." Phoebe and Buffy say.

Prue nods, "No problem. Bring him to me, Buffy." Buffy uses Prue's power to bring Alec to her. Prue puts her glowing hand on his chest and burns him to death. "What's mine is yours, what yours is mine, let our powers cross the line."

"He's gone. You did it." Daisy says.

Phoebe nods, "You okay?"

Prue sighs, "I can't believe how much hate that took. I never wanna feel like that again."

Daisy smiles, "You just gave me my life back."

Phoebe nods, "Now, when we get home, you're gonna give me my power back, right?"

Buffy rolls her eyes, "I kind of like having Prue's power.

Sometime later back at the Manor.

"Is it just me or can you draw a chalk outline around this place?" Phoebe asks.

Prue shrugs, "Well, I don't know what you could possibly mean, Phoebe, I mean the weekend's almost over, we never made it to Cabo, I'm never gonna see Andy again, and Piper just lost the love of her life."

Buffy nods, "Even though I'm glad to have my power back. I kind of miss having Prue's."

Phoebe shakes her head, "The glass is way more than half way full here, Prue, Piper saved the love of her life, Alec is long gone and Daisy's on her way back to her family. And we even managed to straighten out our powers, thank God." She gets two pineapples out of the fridge.

Prue shakes her head, "Thank God? I thought that you always wanted an active power."

Phoebe sighs, "Maybe, but I never thought I'd actually miss my premonitions. Besides having Buffy's power was like wearing a dress that was too tight. Not that would ever happen."

Prue nods, "Remember when I said you had no vision."

"Which time?" Phoebe says.

Prue smiles, "Well, you will never hear it again. It takes a lot of strength to see what you see."

Buffy smiles at her cousins, "I'll drink to that. We can't go to Cabo, we might as well bring Cabo to us."

Prue nods, "I don't know, Pheebs, we still have some serious problems." She plays some reggae music on the CD player.

Phoebe looks to Buffy, "Problems are for Monday mornings. Right, Buffy?" Buffy nods. "What do you say, Prue?"

Prue smiles, "It's gonna be hell of a Monday morning, but until then..."

They toast their drinks.