"Damn!" As he exited from the portal into the temple he saw past Leo scrambling backwards, visibly panicking at the emergence of another self. Leo raised a reassuring hand. "Don't worry, its just me... us… future me. I've..."

Anything that he might have added was abruptly cut short as his soul exploded through his rib cage and shattered his body into billions of atoms that hurtled to the far reaches of the temple. His molecules swirled furiously around, frantically trying to reconnect they mingled with those of past Leo, spinning faster and faster they became an ever decreasing circle until finally all slammed together leaving him reformed and gasping on the floor. Paralysed with shock and pain he just lay there as his bewildered brain tried to reconcile the two separate consciouses that it now contained.

After a while the sensation faded and he forced himself to stand and push aside the confusion, he would have time to figure out who the hell he was once this was over and he was safely back home. Making his way unsteadily to the door he was relieved beyond all measure to see Chris, again sat indifferently among the dead elders.

"LEO." Piper's call caught him by surprise. He whispered her name, not sure if he dared believe what he had heard.

"NO!" Chris broke through this dream and drew him back to reality and his mission.

"But she needs me." Leo almost pleaded, his hunger to see her like a physical pain.

"Not as much as the rest of us do. You need to stay here, even afterwards, to coordinate."

Leo reluctantly pulled himself together, conscious of the cost of delay, but he couldn't bear that she should cry for him in vain, or think that he might be ignoring her.

"All right. Then you should go. Otherwise, the girls won't understand."

Chris nodded, said, "Good luck", and left. Jealously, Leo watched him go.

This was it then, the moment of truth, but as Leo sat down and slowly opened the urn his resolve faded. What if it wasn't enough? What if the sisters failed and the Titans killed them anyway? The thought of losing her again terrified him. He didn't have to do this, to gamble everything. He could just go home, back to his family and wait for the magic to disappear. Piper might like that, a normal life at last with out magic. Then he thought of the scene at Magic School and the illusion faded. A life built on that lie, on the misery of others would be no life for them at all. Defeated he recited the spell.

He watched the spirit of the urn as it soared away, suddenly aware of the surrounding magic as it flowed through him engulfing every cell of his body with joy and love. He felt ecstatic, moved beyond anything he had known before. At once connected to every magical being alive yet remaining supremely alone, the master of his own destiny and the protector of all.

Greatly soothed by the sensation Leo sat back. So what now? He thought of Piper and as he did so to his surprise a clear picture of the Manor formed in his mind revealing a frustrated Chris arguing with the sisters in vain. The scene made him smile, partly with pleasure just to see them alive and partly in amusement at seeing someone else suffer the whitelighter run-around usually reserved for him. Still it would not do, this was too important to mess up. His attention lingered on Piper; she was calling him again. Maybe he should pop down, just for a moment, he could give the floundering Chris some pointers and...

"LEO Help me! NOW!"

Shit! What was that? A new image flashed unbidden in his mind as the frantic cry exploded in his head. He saw the Titans advance on….was that Kevin, Remus's replacement as an elder?"

"LEO!" The gods unleashed their power at the trembling elder.

Instinctively Leo waved a hand and to his amazement a slightly singed Kevin appeared by his side.

Visibly shaken Kevin flopped to the floor. "Man, you cut that a bit fine didn't you?"

"Erm, sorry." Leo looked at his hand nervously as though scared what it might do next. "How did you know I was up here? Could you sense me?" A thought occurred to him. "Do you think the Titans know we're here?"

"Hello, second sight. I saw you rescue me but I've got to say I was getting worried." He smiled. "Thanks by the way."

Kevin got up and dusted himself down, saying, "I wouldn't worry about the Titans just yet, they think I'm vanquished and at the moment they've got other elders to fry. Possibly some of the jammy orbing bastards who just up and left me to their tender mercies. You ex whitelighter Elders don't know how lucky you are."

"No, you've got it wrong. I'm not an elder, not a real one, its all just temporary. When this is over I go home."

Kevin looked doubtful and his expression alarmed Leo.

"No really. I don't know what you've seen but this isn't me. It can't be, I'm not cut out to be an elder."

"And I was? Face it Leo, I was in the right place, or the wrong place depending upon how you look at it, at the right time, why not you?" He laughed. "Cheer up, its not that bad, most whitelighters would give their wings for this opportunity."

"Yeah! Well not this one."

Realising this was neither the time nor the place Kevin changed the subject.

"So, decided what to do with us yet?"

"Us?"

"Me and the other elders that you are going to rescue."

"Oh!" Leo was a bit taken aback; part of his mind was still having a hard time accepting that he was here at all. "Will there be a lot off you?"

"Can't say, that would be cheating, not to mention personal gain."

"Right, right of course. Obviously its not safe here. Erm…what about the magic school, do I put you there?" He looked at Kevin hopefully but the elder gave nothing away. "No, the Titans are sure to look there eventually but it should do as a temporary fix until I can sort out something better. I'll need to hide you somewhere they would never look and disguise it with something they would never expect. Which would be…think Leo, think, you can do this, think you dolt….. Fairy Magic! Yes that could work."

He looked up at the smiling Kevin who said, "Still think you're not suited for this?"

Leo scowled "I'll orb you to the school for now."

Kevin stayed his arm. "Seriously Leo, take my advice and don't fight this, don't even try. I've seen glimpses of what will happen if you do. Felt the descent into near madness you'll take if you turn your back on us. Killing other elders, trying to destroy the cosmic order as we know it."

Leo was incredulous. "Me?" He shook his head. "Look I can't think about this now." Then seeing the concern on Kevin's face he added, "But I promise you, if the time comes I'll wont be hasty. Now, Magic school. Ready?"

Gideon massaged his temples as he tried to take in what the Leo pictured in his mind was telling him. "OK, let me get this straight. You came back in time to save the lives of your wife and her siblings. You've now made them goddesses in an attempt to vanquish the Titans and you wish me to house this growing band of wandering elders that you keep acquiring until you can hide them in a collection of remote shacks covered in fairy magic. Oh yes and my future self thought this insanity was such an excellent notion that I persuaded the other elders to concur and we made you an elder to boot."

Leo was relieved by Gideon's quick grasp of the situation, he had 12 disorientated elders now, with more joining them all the time, dealing with them while marshalling the growing queries from the various magical communities and issuing orders to whitelighters was taking its toll. The fairy magic construction seemed to be taking forever and to top it all Piper's growing frustration and anxiety was a constant ache.

"Pretty much, well apart from the Elder part." He added hastily, " That's only temporary. What ever Kevin says."

"Kevin? Ah Elder Kevin, I see." Knowing Leo as he did Gideon saw a lot. "Look I know how you feel Leo and if its any consolation if this comes up for debate I will argue most strongly against your invest….WHAT THE..?"

His image disappeared from Leo's mind "GIDEON!" It had to be the Titans. There was no time to persuade the sisters to attack, Leo would have to go himself, but before he could orb to the school Gideon reappeared.

"NO! Leo you can't come here. Or rather there is no need for you to come here, its just a school emergency I need to deal with. Your place is there saving the world. You are doing good work my friend and don't worry about the Elder part you can count on me." And with that his mental image vanished.

In the flesh Gideon turned back to the dishevelled newcomer that had appeared in his study and was now slumped against the wall. His futuristic clothes a tattered mess.

"Good Grief Man, what the hell happens to you?"