Hello. Anyone still there? I know its been a very, very long time, and I'm am really sorry. Please come and read this next piece, if it helps its another quite long part and as a further enticement I've put some Chris in it. Still not takers, mmm tough crowd. How about if I promise to stop Wyatt from ramble on about his feelings again.

In the hope that the extremely kind Stony Angel, Ligia Elena, Emma15 and Ayrlee do read this thank you very much for the reviews. I don't have the vocabularly to cover how happy they made me, but then again I don't think the dictionary has either.

What was he doing here? This was madness. It wasn't like him. He should go back, confer with the other elders. That would be the sensible thing to do, the right thing to do. To continue on this path went against all his instincts, against everything that he believed to be right, all his training as a whitelighter and elder. Though long immune to the cold he shivered as he looked across the bridge. The view of San Francisco in the distance was stunning but he could feel no appreciation for it, just exposed. This had to be a trap. He felt sick, what was taking so long? Something must be wrong, Wyatt knew, he was out there watching, laughing, waiting about to pounce.

Tiathon's sudden appearance startled him and he nearly fell of the bridge. Flustered he gathered his tattered dignity around him hoping that Tiathon hadn't noticed, the Demon laughed.

"Thanks Elder, I thought this would be dull as well as pointless, the comic relief is a bonus."

Graden bristled. "Well its about time, I've been trying to reach you for two weeks."

Tiathon affected anxious concern. "Oh no. I'm so sorry to have inconvenienced you. Was it something urgent? Did you want to tell me how you completely screwed up and didn't vanquish Wyatt after all?" He leaned closer to the elder making Graden wince as he said in a conspiratorial whisper, "Too late, I'd already noticed." Tiathon's mock good humour vanished and he continued more menacingly. "So with all hope gone I suppose I should just salvage what pleasure I can."

There was no mistaking his meaning and Graden almost squeaked. "WAIT! Wait, don't be too hasty, its not over. We can still vanquish him."

Tiathon's hands were twitching. It had been a bad week; he could swear that Wyatt suspected something and it was making Tiathon nervous. Wyatt wasn't known for his patience, or restraint. If he decided that there was even a possibility that Tiathon was a threat then his life would be over, no appeals and definitely no chance to argue his case. As for that officious new bodyguard, Wyatt hardly let him out of his sight. Tiathon looked at the elder longingly, comic relief wasn't the only pleasure an elder could provide. He sighed and restrained himself, what difference would 5 minutes make?

"I'm all ears. Really." The sneer was calculated. "Are you going to try and convince me that the other elder didn't fail to vanquish Wyatt?"

"He never even tried." Graden's face took on an expression of contempt. "I knew all along that he wouldn't be able to go through with it, Leo isn't..." Graden hesitated a moment. " Well he just can't be trusted where his family is concerned"

For fucks sake, what was this, some kind of cosmic joke? He was plotting to kill the most dangerous creature in the universe and he had to rely on Laurel and Hardy. No wonder Wyatt and his Alliance was wiping the floor with the Elders, they were idiots. "I'm sorry, did I miss the part which explained why I wouldn't be killing you. I'm still at no Leo equals no potion equals you being no use to me at all."

Graden raised his hand hastily as though to fend the demon off. "No, no, there is a potion, it's just that Leo wouldn't use it."

Tiathon paused, his interest finally piqued. "And do you think you can get it?"

For the first time in days Graden relaxed. "I already have and before you ask it's in a very safe place, where only I can retrieve it."

There was a moments pointed silence, which Tiathon used to rearrange his expression from that of impatient predator to trusty ally.

He gave the elder an engaging smile. "I never doubted you for a minute".

Graden raised his eyebrows and said dryly. "I noticed. Now lets talk tactics."

Mark walked back into Wyatt's suite looking thoughtfully at the envelope in his hand. The Elder had seemed if anything even more desperate this time, frantically trying to break through Wyatt's magical barrier, entreating Mark to help him.

Mark looked across at Wyatt who stood silently communing, with whom? Himself? One of his subjects? After two weeks service Mark was still no closer to understanding this man. Perhaps that was a good thing, considering what had happened to Loquarious. The other guards warned Mark not to get too close, but he wanted to help so badly sometimes it was difficult to draw back.

He looked back down at the envelope; the Elder had said it was vital.

When he looked up again, Wyatt was watching him expressionless. It was unnerving this silent scrutiny; sometimes it was as though he could read your thoughts.

Wyatt smiled at something and then indicated the letter. "So he came back again." his tone was full of satisfaction. "Good. File it with the others."

Mark walked towards the bin then hesitated perhaps he should say how important it seemed.

"Something to say Mark?"

"Its just it might be important. Sir."

Wyatt gave a twisted smiled. "No doubt it is, just not to me."

Prue looked at Leo doubtfully. "You are sure about this?"

"No, not even nearly, but I've tried everything else."

"And vanquishing him is definitely not an option?" She spoke carefully, knowing the answer already.

Phoebe interrupted before Leo could reply. "No it isn't. I let you guys talk me into this before and all we got was a pissed off Piper. We are not going down that route again."

Paige patted Leo on the back. "Look on the bright side big man, she can't blow you up any more."

Phoebe grinned. "Are we talking figuratively or literally here?" All three sisters smiled at Leo's obvious discomfort.

Prue turned to him. "Seriously Leo, if you want us to stay..."

"Hey speak for yourself. We only agreed to dragging Piper here against her will on the very specific understanding that we would be gone when she arrived." Phoebe looked to Paige for support and got it. "You're on your own this time Leo. Demon's, warlocks and various evil dudes yes, pissed off Piper a definite no."

Prue glared at her sisters before Leo intervened. He smiled ruefully. "No Prue, its OK they're right, this is my responsibility, anyway, we need to talk, just the two of us."

There seemed little else to say and the sisters grouped together holding hands to chant.

"The power of 3 can't be denied.

Our wished Piper must abide.

We wish her here. We will not wait.

To attend us now is Piper's fate"

As Piper's struggling form slowly began to materialise they vanished.

Piper gave up fighting and quickly came into focus. "Well you got me here, what..." She looked around angrily, expecting to see her sisters and was surprised to see Leo, alone. "You?"

"Hello Piper." He smiled sheepishly. "We need to talk."

There were a million clever answers to that, but instead she gave him an appraising hard stare and waited.

Leo watched her carefully. Ok, so no shouting, or sarcasm, no instinctive attempts to blow him up, that was either a really, really good sign or very bad one. He took a deep breath. "I need your help, or rather Wyatt needs your help."

She hadn't expected that and her surprise showed. To Leo's experienced eye there was a slight thawing in her expression, but she still said nothing, so he continued. "It's the potion, someone stole it, and Wyatt needs to know he's in danger."

She finally cut in, her tone icy. "More danger than his family trying to kill him?"

"Piper please. I get it. You hate me, Wyatt hates me, the elders hate me, even I hate me, but this isn't about me, or even what's right. All I know is I don't want my son to die and I can't get anywhere near to warn him, he is blocking me out. You are the only one who can reach him."

"No."

Leo was shocked and taken aback. "You can't hate me this much, not at the expense of Wyatt...."

All the fight left her. She coalesced and sat down suddenly. "Leo I didn't say I wouldn't help, I can't. You're not the only one he is keeping away. He's got some magical barrier against me too." She was too forlorn to even pretend to be angry any more. "Apparently he is not at home to family period."

He sat beside her. "I'm so sorry Piper"

She managed a small smile. "Why? You are not the one he is killing for. Some sons show their love by visiting their mother's grave, mine..." She didn't finish the sentence and they sat for a moment each in thought.

Piper finally broke the silence, saying uncertainly. "Does this mean that you don't think he is completely evil?" She looked at him pleadingly. "He is trying to do good..."

"I know honey, and that counts for a lot, it's just...."

"You don't think that there can ever be any justification for killing innocents." Her voice was expressionless and he looked at her with apprehension, was this the start of another argument? Her face just showed doubt and pain.

"How can I? If he is right then everything I have ever believed is wrong. Every sacrifice that I have ever made." He hesitated. "That we have ever made is pointless, your Mom, Prue, You, Paige, Phoebe, us. I just can't accept that, all those years all that pain for nothing, and yet..."

"And yet despite all that you want to believe he is right so much it hurts."

So she did feel the same. He took her hand and squeezed it gently, reassured she smiled up at him and recognising their common fears for a moment each felt comfort in not being alone.

But the moment passed, she looked away hopelessly and without expecting a reply asked. "So what do we do now?"

"We save him." Leo's positive response surprised them both, but he thought why not? They had overcome worse, probably, and with Piper on his side he suddenly felt that nothing was impossible.

Piper on the other hand was finding his u-turn more of a struggle. "Wait, wait a minute, I thought you said it was inevitable that he would become an evil tyrant and..." She hated herself for saying this " ...that there could be no coming back from evil."

"It was inevitable, just as it was inevitable that Chris would go back in time and die in my arms, but now that's history. What happens next nobody knows." He grinned with excitement at the prospect of finally having an unknown future. "And as for coming back from evil, since when did you listen to Elder propaganda?"

She began to catch his enthusiasm. "You're right, we can do this. We just need to give him what he really wants."

Leo was momentarily taken aback. "What world domination?" Had she gone mad?

"No Leo, keep up, that's not what he wants, that's just the means to his ends. What he really wants is his family back, all of us and that's something that we can do, the rest is just..." Piper stiffened. "Oh no, the potion. Who has it?"

His good mood faded slightly, how could he have forgotten? "I don't know. The only ones who knew about it were Graden and Tiathon."

"Tiathon? Wyatt's Tiathon?" Her tone was incredulous.

"Long story. It can't have been him anyway, there is no way he could get up here, but Graden says he doesn't know anything about its disappearance and I can't believe he would lie to me, he's an elder."

Piper was scornful. "Oh right and they never lie, or try to kill our sons."

Realising that she was right Leo got up quickly, taking Piper by surprise. "Where are you going?"

"To get Graden. You get Chris and send him to me, maybe together we can find a way past Wyatt's barrier."

Eager for action he orbed out without giving Piper a chance to reply. She smiled, happier than she could have thought possible an hour ago, she thought of Leo and the smile grew wider, until he unexpectedly reappeared seconds later with an anxious expression. "What? What happened?"

Her alarm turned to amazement when he took her in his arms and kissed her.

She broke away impressed. "Leo! Very smooth, have you been practising?"

He grinned. "I love you." He felt foolish, but for some reason it had seemed vital he came back to tell her.

Piper laughed, pleased and amused. "I know that silly, now go save my son."

Bianca giggled, it had been a good couple of weeks, the best she'd ever had, surprising really as she'd hardly got out of bed.

Chris's head appeared from beneath the covers and he looked at her with mock disapproval. "Was that a giggle I heard? A little respect please, its not good for a man's ego."

She pushed aside a lock of his hair so that she could better see those green eyes. "Oh I think that an ego as big as yours might just survive, besides you're wrong, Phoenix witches never giggle, its bad for our image."

He grinned wickedly. "Really? So if I tickled you here, nothing would happen."

"No! No Chris don't you dare."

She tried to wriggle away but he was too fast for her and then it was too late she was gone, too giddy from laughing to fight him off.

"What about here?" He was remorseless.

Gasping for breath she just managed. "Stop it, stop it, you'll pay for this. I'll..."

Suddenly she stopped laughing, pushed Chris away and grabbed the sheets around her. Seeing her terrified expression he jumped out of the bed his arms raised for attack, expecting a demon, what he saw was worse, much, much, much worse.

"MOM!"

Piper was amused at his horror. "Chris put some clothes on and stop gaping, that's not a good look."

Ok, so I admit that to make you read this I might have implied that there would be a bit more Chris than this little bit at the end - sorry. You could always think of it as a teaser for the next part, hes in that a lot, which is surprising, well to me anyway, as if it wasn't for a promise I made to Stony Angel he would probably still by dieing on Piper's bed in 2004. No I can't decide if that end bit with Piper and Leo works either, but you all got naked Chris in bed, so I think I should be allowed to indulge myself with a loving, slightly romantic Leo - whose story is this anyway? (Ligia Elena really sorry about the gramma, at some point I seem to have lost the ability to construct a sentence).