Has it been so long already? Or just a few days? I'm so confused... Anyway, I was thinking of starting another fic, one that intertwines with my life, but it won't be for a while. And it may not take off, who knows... Anyway, enjoy Chapter 4. I'll proof-read 5 and hopefully get it up before long. ("Long" being more than a week.)

Leo orbed to a field a week later and summoned Piper. She came in a swirl of wind.

"What do you want?" she asked coldly.

"To help."

Piper eyed him suspiciously . "...What's in it for you?" she asked, just as cold.

Leo explained, and Piper just listened. When he was finished, he said, "But it'd have to be kept secret. Dropping hints in here and there. Subtle." He was talking about leaving his House then.

"Leo... No. I mean-- no."

"C'mon, Piper. You know you need my help. I have as many powers as you and can heal and orb. You need me."

"True, but I can't get you in."

"Well, we'll work on that as we go."

Piper looked at Leo. She liked him, as much as she hated him. Having someone like Leo on their side would be amazing, but impossible. Oh well. Piper knew she needed his help, though. Her sisters wouldn't help her. They were too busy preparing. Training, as she would have to when she went back to the Houses. Living their lives to the extent while they still could. With Leo's help, if they fought the Other Side, they could win. They might win.

Piper sighed. "We cannot alert my Houses unless it's an emergency. This must be kept a secret... And it'd have to happen in a year, so no promises on that. If anything, the transaction would have to be made before the wedding."

"I know."

Piper reached out her hand and Leo shook it. "Partners?"

"Partners."

Piper didn't trust Leo completely, but somewhere in the back of her mind, she knew she trusted him, and that he trusted her. He'd always kept her mind racing. It confused her how a whitelighter could end up on the Other Side. But it fascinated her how he kept it together. How he lived through each day.

It hurt her in a tiny way to fight him. She liked Leo, but couldn't let it out. They were enemies, whitelighter or not. But they were partners now, outside the so carefully guarded circle. Now they had to protect each other. If anyone found out, they would have to take the consequences together. It didn't mean they had to be friends, just that now they were working together-- on the same side. A third party sort of thing, as Piper saw it.

Both Piper and Leo knew this, and they also knew that no one could find out until the very end. When everything came together. By then they would probably be forced into being friends. Neither wanted that-- kind of. They were still enemies to the end. Right?

Unless, Piper thought, I could get him into the Houses on my side... No... she corrected herself. Not yet... He's still evil... No matter what...

It was three days before Leo contacted Piper again. Piper was the only one in the manor, her home on earth. It belonged to her sisters, as well, but they were gone. Each sister had a routine. One was always home to protect the manor. Phoebe was taking classes in college, Prue worked at Bucklands, and Piper owned the nightclub P3. But she didn't have to go in until tonight, when Prue would be back home and Phoebe would be on a date. It was hard to keep a normal life present when you're a witch, but it was nearly impossible for the Charmed Ones. Keeping the club was the one thing that kept Piper sane. It was her link to a normal life, and she loved it. She'd opened the club up two years ago, and got it going. Now, Prue was considering quitting her job at Bucklands, so she would be home a lot, and Phoebe was in college, so she didn't have a job. They would be home more, especially since Phoebe was graduating in a few months. She was very excited.

Piper moped around the house, just waiting. Leo orbed in behind her. Piper jumped around.

"Where've you been?" she demanded.

"...Tied up."

Piper raised an eyebrow suspiciously. "With what?"

Leo walked around her to the other side. Piper turned in a circle. She was not about to turn her back to him.

"None of your business," Leo answered simply.

Leo walked out of the living room where Piper had been standing and around the house. He'd never been in the Halliwell manor before without being attacked. There were charms on the house that attacked evil.

"Where are the charms?" Leo asked, turning around. Piper was still in the living room.

Piper was grinning. "Oh, they're still up."

Leo looked at her questionably. He turned around only to meet a dagger. The charm on it kept it following something it believed to be evil and attack. It'd killed demons before. But then again, so had the lasers... Lasers always came out of the sides of the house, inside and out.

Leo threw the dagger down with telekinesis. It was a born power. He took a step back, and one of the lasers shot through his leg. Leo hovered away from it. His leg healed itself. "Anything else?"

Piper was laughing quietly. "No." She smiled.

"Good..." Leo hovered back down-- cautiously-- and stared at Piper. He could try to tap into her mind, but she already had a guard up. "Why's your guard up, Piper?" he asked sarcastically.

"I don't like to work with evil."

"Uh huh, just tell me some of your plans."

A/N: This seemed so short, didn't it? I'll be sure to make chapter 5 longer, and 6 longer still, if I can. I dunno. This just seemed like a good stopping point... I'll update soon.