A/N: Hi! Hmm... Well, this is a little of an improvement on updating time, it didn't take me months this time, did it? Oh well. School is getting busy again, even with my laptop I'm still not in much of a writing mood. My muse has taken a permanent vacation, I think. Anyway, this chapter was bloody hard to write. Actually, no, I wrote most of it right after I'd written chapter 7, and then I got stuck and didn't know how to write the rest of it. Yeah, pretty bad closure on this chapter. Oh well, I'm sorry, I'm trying. Okay, now for the bad part. Either the story ends here, or we start on how the story was supposed to be. My story was supposed to only have a chapter in the past (at the moment, the current day timeline I've been writing) and then we were supposed to skip ahead ten years to where the action comes in, where destiny comes into play. Unfortunatley the past didn't fit in one chapter for me, and as a result we've only just ended the past at chapter 8! Now, do I stop here, and call this the end? Or do I keep going with the future, with Piper's return. Opinion, please? If I do keep going, the new chapter should be up next weekend (long weekend, whoo!). I dunno though. Okay. On with the story!

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Replacing the cap on her silver pen, Piper quickly folded the note, before slipping it into a dark pink envelope and addressing it to Leo. She sealed it shut, and put it down on her pillow, all the while her eyes scanning the room for any sign of the familiar blue orbs. With that out of the way, she moved to the crib, picking up Kaitlyn, before leaving the room.

Piper took extra care in closing the attic door, turning the handle slowly so as to prevent it from creaking and waking the house. She crept quietly across the old attic floor and set the sleeping form of Kaitlyn, wrapped in warm baby blankets, down on the wood beside Melinda. Melinda, too, was sleeping. The child was sucking on her thumb, her free hand clinging tightly on to her teddy Munchkin's paw. Her face wore an expression of concern, almost as if she knew something big was happening.

Behind Melinda and Kaitlyn, neatly stacked, was a suitcase, an overnight bag, a knapsack and a jacket. Piper's socks and sneaker's also lay in a small heap at the bottom of the pile.

The dim moonlight that was flooding the room allowed just enough light for Piper to make her way around freely. Cautiously, she removed five white candles from where they rested in one of the numerous trunks. She wasted no time in making a magic circle, before turning back to look for matches.

'I think you'll be looking for these?' Piper jumped at the new voice. Unaware that someone else was in the attic, she quickly clenched her fists to try and avoid using her power. Daring not to move, she waited to learn more of the unwelcome visitor.

'So where are you going then?' It was a few seconds before the words fully sunk in. Being the middle of the night, Piper wasn't fully awake, and it didn't immediately hit her as to whose voice was present.

'Cole?'

'That's my name, don't wear it out.' Came the voice from in the shadows, cast by the vast number of large objects in the attic. 'So, care to enlighten me on what's happening?'

'Where are you? Cole? I can… uh… I can explain. This isn't what it looks like.'

'Then what is it?'

Piper whirled around as he approached her from behind. He stopped short, as he caught sight of her terror-filled face. He grinned somewhat sheepishly.

'Did I frighten you?'

'Yes… no, I mean… oh, Cole it's not nice to scare a woman!' Exclaimed Piper exasperatedly.

Cole sniggered, before extending his hand to Piper. She held out her palm, and he dropped the matches into it.

'Thankyou.'

'So where are you heading to?'

'What? Oh… oh…' she trailed off, unsure of how to answer. Not meeting his gaze, she lit the candles before flipping through the Book of Shadows, trying to create a distraction.

'It's alright, I realise you're leaving,' he said, cupping her face in his hand and tilting her head up until she was eye level with him. 'I understand why, too, and don't worry, because I won't tell. So, I'll ask again, where are you going?'

'What does it matter to you?' she asked bluntly, pushing his hand away and turning her attention back to the Book.

'I'll take you there,' said Cole.

'What?' she looked up, her deep brown eyes gazing into his. 'You'd help?'

'Sure, why not?' he shrugged. 'If you really want to do this, then I'm not going to stop you.'

Piper flashed a grateful smile at him through the darkness.

'Alright, just give me a couple of minutes to cast anti-tracking spells, and then I'll be ready to leave,' she said determinedly, the beginnings of hope building inside her heart.

'Mummy?' a new voice started. Piper jumped, staring wide-eyed over at her little girl. 'Mummy, we're leaving, aren't we? I don't want to leave…'

Cole moved over to Melinda, who had sat up and was gazing around the room in a sort of daze.

'Hey pumpkin,' said Cole gently, sitting down on the wooden floor and pulling Melinda up onto his lap. She sunk against his chest, and he held her gently.

'Uncle Cole, do I have to leave?'

'Yep. It's for the best.' There was silence from their corner of the room, both observing Piper as she cast the spells. After a few minutes, Cole reached down and withdrew something from his pocket. As he brought it up, Melinda watched the light reflecting off it, realising it was a silver chain.

'Here,' said Cole. 'I was going to save this for your birthday, but… yeah. Take good care of it.'

Melinda nodded, reaching out to take it. On the end of the chain was a little silver heart-shaped locket. Melinda smiled, as Cole helped her put it around her neck. Then she snuggled down closer to Cole, and fell back asleep.

He glanced up to find Piper watching him, the traces of a smile on her face.

'Well, I'm ready.'

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Shortly after the sun had risen, Leo orbed into the room he shared with Piper. Surprised at her absence, he turned to go downstairs, when the lack of the photo frames on her dresser caught his eye. Turning back to the bed, he noticed something pink lying across the pillow. As he neared it, he realised it was an envelope.

He picked it up, before sinking down onto the bed and tracing his fingers over his name. It was neatly printed, in her handwriting. With a sinking heart, he opened it and pulled out the contents. Slowly he began to read.

Don't follow me. You'll understand one day. I'm sorry Leo, but I needed to do this. I'm sorry. I love you to the ends of the earth, but this is what's best for me. What's best for Kaitlyn, and Melinda. They can't get hurt this way. Take care of the rest of our family for me, alright? I love you, always and forever, don't you forget that.
Piper

Tears threatened to spill. Leo gulped, his world splitting in two. He stared at the letter, reading and rereading it, over and over again. Minutes passed; to him the silence seemed like an eternity. Eventually, footsteps brought him out of his trance.

'Morning Leo,' said Phoebe, crossing the room. 'How are -'

She stopped abruptly, catching sight of the pink stationary clutched in Leo's hands, Piper's neat handwriting across the paper. Slowly she approached Leo, resting one hand on his shoulder. Her eyes scanned the letter, and her world crashed to a standstill.

'She's... she's gone?' asked Phoebe softly, her heart going numb.

Leo glanced up at her, his eyes full of hurt, the pain of someone who'd just been backstabbed and lost it all written across his face. Phoebe could have sworn for a split second that anger flashed in his eyes, but she didn't get the chance to ask if he were mad at her. Leo stood up abruptly, pulling away from her. She opened her mouth to speak, when a flurry of orbs surrounded him and he vanished, Piper's letter floating aimlessly to the floor.

Phoebe sank to her knees, and that was how Paige found her several hours later. Kneeling, her head buried in her hands, her eyes tear-stained. Cole silently entered the room shortly after Paige, Bekky and Sophie with him. He'd taken Piper across the country, knowing and trusting that it was for the best. The look on his wife's face, however, made traces of doubt begin to creep in his mind.

Little did Cole know what the future had in store for them, now that the power of three existed no more. Little did he know of the chaos, the tears and the pain that lay ahead. For now, he remained ignorant and oblivious. Too bad ignorance would come at a price.