Thank you for the reviews, the very kind comments and the useful, constructive feedback, Ligia Elena, you are completely right, my tenses go all over the place and its really annoying to read, sorry. I tried to write this part all in the past tense. Willow2 I am really glad you liked it, I will try and address all those points, promise. Charmed sister, I hope you got to read it in the end and Twins-of-Sun you made my day.

(Still hiding from the other story)

"Surprised?"

"Delighted. You have no idea how much. I didn't... "He hesitated, her appearance felt like a miracle and he was anxious not to say the wrong thing.

"...didn't think you would see me again after the last time, when you said all of those stupid things and I told you that I hated you." She smiled, relieved to see how thrilled he was that she was there. "Yeah I could see that you might think that"

He just returned her smile, refusing to be drawn into their previous argument. Walking forward he took her hands "I'm just glad that you are here...and looking so corporeal" He raised a questioning eyebrow, usually she was only corporeal within a magical circle, this was new.

"Aha, impressed? I've stolen a couple of tricks from your son"

"Oh" There was an awkward silence.

"Aren't you going to ask me which son?"

"Piper please." His tone was pleading "I've missed you more than you can imagine and I don't want to fight" He was still holding on to her hands, tightly, as though making sure she couldn't leave.

"I know" her eyes filled with tears "I know you don't feel the same as me Leo, its just, its been a bad day and I needed to talk to you. I know you say you don't want to talk about them, that they are both dead to you, but...." She couldn't go on

Instinctively he pulled her to his chest, enveloping her in his arms. The misery of recent years had blunted his emotions, but he still couldn't bear to see her pain. He was silent for a moment, thinking carefully before he said. "Baby, you can tell me anything, is this about Chris?"

He felt her nod. "Ok" pulling back, he led her to the couch "Since you are being all full bodied, why don't I get you a drink and" he looked down at the damp patch on his shirt, "a hankie. You just sit there"

She talked for hours, telling him about how she had contacted Wyatt, how he had promised to help, promised to bring Chris back, but in the end he had used Bianca and everything had happened just like last time. Leo didn't say much, just held her hands, wiped her tears and occasionally hugged her tightly. He didn't talk because what could he say? I told you so.

When Chris had first come back to save them Leo had vowed things would be different. He would be that perfect father, Piper wouldn't die, Wyatt would not become evil; but over time this dream had shattered. After Chris was born a new, even more powerful Source evolved, organising the underworld into a killing frenzy. With so few Elders remaining he had been needed to work constantly, but he had resisted, for a long time he had struggled to balance his two worlds, but it was hard, knowing that for every moment spent with his family he was failing in his duty. The crunch came on Chris's 10th birthday. It had been a lovely day, perfect, determined not to let Chris down he had placed all calls on mute. In desperation one of his whitelighters had orbed to him but it had been too late. His selfish family day had cost the lives of a witch and hundreds of innocents. Her whitelighter, unable to find Leo had given the witch terrible advice with catastrophic consequences.

Leo never got over it, for him that day became synonymous with his failure, a day of deep mourning rather than celebration. He found it harder and harder to justify time spent away from work. In the odd minutes he had free he wrote letters to his family pouring out his feelings and love, particularly to Chris, all the time knowing how they were viewed, wondering if Chris even bothered to read them, but writing all the same, trying desperately to show his love somehow.

Yet he still hung on to his dream, believing that one day good would win the battle against evil and finally he could be with his family. He hung on until Piper's death when Chris was 14, she died despite every precaution they had taken. Then he knew, he knew without a shadow of doubt that everything was fixed, the future was cast in stone, and there could be no escape. That future knowledge he had thought a blessing became a curse, every day he awoke knowing that Chris would believe Wyatt was evil, he would go back in time to save him and he would die. Nothing Leo could do would change that. The memory of Chris's death haunted Leo and he found that even looking at Chris hurt and when he confided to Leo his future hopes and plans it was agony. In self-preservation Leo began to push him away, unable to go through the pain of Chris's death again it was as though Leo tried to cut him out of his life slowly in manageable parts.

Yet bizarrely Leo still clung to Wyatt, his good, clever, loving son who seemed to offer some hope of an alternative future. Wyatt couldn't go evil. he wouldn't go evil. Then he did. He killed the Source took over his empire and started the Alliance.

Piper, even after death, wouldn't listen, she wouldn't give up on them wouldn't accept the inevitable, wouldn't stop fighting for her sons whatever Leo said and he loved her for it, but he could no longer believe with her. She had tried again and again and again to involve him in saving Chris, and talking to Wyatt, but he just couldn't. Their last fight, 6 months ago, had been their worst ever, she hadn't come when he summoned her, he'd even resorted to summoning her sisters, all three, they were sympathetic, even loving but couldn't help him. He had thought that he'd already lost everything, but these 6 months had shown how wrong he had been.

She had finally stopped talking and looked up at him expectantly, Her eyes were red and swollen, her face a puffy mess and yet she looked beautiful, so vibrant and alive, determined that no matter what she would succeed. Ghost or not there was nothing etherial about Piper and comparing the apathetic existance he had been living he was struck by the irony that she was the spirit.

Unable to fatham his face she touched it. "Leo I know what you believe, but at this moment I need you to believe in our sons, in us, all of us" and feeling alive for the first time in months, infected by her passion, at that moment he did.

Early next morning Graden went to find Leo; he had decided to accompany him to see the Alliance. While he didn't suspect Leo of spying for Wyatt, he equally didn't feel Leo to be the best representative of the Elder cause. He was also curious to see the reunion, not to mention the Great Man himself.

Deep in thought he walked straight into Leo's rooms then stopped in shock, in an almost cartoon reaction he wiped his eyes, before looking at the bed again. Piper and Leo were curled tightly together in deep sleep. Graden backed away, furious, how could he, after all of the misery they had caused by rule breaking how could he? Had he learnt nothing? Did he have no shame? No guilt?

Gradlen walked quickly away as though trying to put as much distance between himself and Leo as possible. One thought running through his mind, if after everything that had happened Leo could do this, how could they trust him at all.