A/N: Thanks again to all my reviewers. Those reviews are what urge me on to write faster…so thanks!
JadeAlmasy- I was kinda proud of that line, so I'm glad you liked it.
drew fuller is the best- First, I completely agree with your handle! And thanks for reviewing; I'm glad you like it.
Good Witch- That's right… don't piss off a mother. You'll see more of that in the next couple of chapters.
Altaira- Ok, I think that you are seriously starting to have a psychic link with me. You seem to know the plots I'm toying with before I do! As far as Les goes, well actually, I loved his character on the show. But he's kind of a dud to write about, and Cole is WAY more fun. So, I had to find a way to ditch him. Sorry if you were a Les fan!
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Phoebe slammed the door to the attic open, and stalked angrily over to the Book of Shadows. She opened it with a bang, and started flipping pages.
Cole followed her into the attic tentatively. "Phoebe…what are you doing?"
"Finding a way to vanquish a dragon. Nogard isn't getting away with this. He's obviously still evil. The Charmed Ones vanquish evil. It's as simple as that."
"Phoebe, even I know that you aren't allowed to vanquish him. The elders protect dragons."
Phoebe whirled around and glared at Cole. "The elders should protect the people that need it most. They should protect the ones that have protected their Blessed asses for 25 years!"
"Phoebe, the elders have good reasons for their policy on dragons, I promise you." Leo's voice broke in as he walked into the attic.
"I'm sure you would think so, right? After all you are an elder." Phoebe said bitterly.
"That's not fair! I've been here everyday with you and your sisters. Your family is my family. You think I don't mourn Patrick? Huh, Phoebe? You think I don't understand your rage and pain?" Leo asked, hurt more deeply than he thought was possible.
"I think that no matter what I want, you are still going to side with your elder brothers and sisters, Leo. Disappointing me is so much easier than disappointing them after all." Phoebe's voice was tired.
Leo looked up as a jingling rang through his head. Phoebe snorted derisively. "See what I mean?" Leo just stared at her apologetically and orbed away.
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Leo orbed to the other elders. "What's up?" he asked brusquely. "I have a situation at home that I need to be there for."
"We are aware of your situation, Leo. Please, tell Phoebe that we regret the loss of young Patrick. However, in the scheme of things it was for the Greater Good." A younger elder named Thomas stated the phrase unemotionally.
"After all, if not for Patrick's sacrifice, the entire magical community would be mourning the passing of both the Twice and Thrice Blessed ones. It was a valid sacrifice. One for the lives of two."
Leo couldn't believe his ears. Were they honestly suggesting that he was happy that Patrick had gotten killed? Patrick's sacrifice had saved Chris & Wyatt; granted, but Leo would forever be indebted for Patrick's sacrifice, and he would forever mourn him.
Leo stared at Jacob, the older elder who had just spoken. "My family has taken a tremendous hit emotionally, Jacob. It doesn't matter if it had been Patrick, Chris or Wyatt that had lost their life. We would and do mourn them equally. If this is all you wanted, I really do have to go."
"Leo, we have a situation here. We know Phoebe is trying to find a way to vanquish Nogard. Now that he is a full fledged dragon that cannot be allowed. He holds more black magical powers inside him than any other evil being; equal to the white magic powers of your sons and the Charmed Ones. If she destroys him; a force of evil, then to keep the cosmic balance in order, the Charmed Ones and both of your sons will also be destroyed."
"You would destroy my family?" Leo said after finally finding his voice.
"We would have no choice but to recycle them all. If we didn't the cosmic imbalance would destroy the world as we know it."
Leo placed his palms flat on the conference table and pushed himself to his feet. "Let me make myself 100 crystal clear. I will do all that I can to make Phoebe understand why she should not vanquish Nogard. However, if I fail, and she succeeds in her vanquish, the elders will not kill my family. Because there is one other high level form of good magic in this world. And they will perish before the Charmed Ones and my sons do."
Jacob gasped. "Leo, you can't mean…"
Leo cut him off with a brisk motion of his hand. "I do mean. If the cosmic balance requires fixing, then I will be the one to do it. Starting with each and every elder."
"Don't be stupid" Thomas mocked. "In order to create the type of power you would need for that to work, you'd have to kill us all, including yourself."
Leo's voice went dangerously soft and violent. "Do you really think that's a problem for me?"
"Leo…to even think like this is a violation of your parole. You know that you are still held in contempt for killing Gideon. We do not take murder lightly, or the threat of it." Jacob warned.
"Neither do I, Jacob. The last time I killed an elder was because he tried and plotted to kill my son. What do you think I'll do this time if you try to kill my wife, my two sisters-in-law, and both of my sons? If I were you, I'd sit up here, and try to think up a way to appease Phoebe's blood lust for vengeance. Because if you can't save that dragon, then you can't save yourselves."
Leo orbed away angrily, back to the manor.
"Leo is becoming a problem." Jacob murmured to the other elders. "Is there any suggestions as to an effective solution?"
"He already gave us one. We simply have to figure out a way to soothe Phoebe's need for vengeance." The lone female elder, Laura, said calmly.
"We are assuming that he has the power to kill us all anyway. No one knows that he could withstand our combined powers." Thomas argued.
"He would do it. A parent backed into a corner turns feral. They are consumed with the need to protect at all costs. Humans have documented many cases where normal everyday people do extraordinary things because their loved ones are in mortal danger. Leo would be fighting for everything he has to live for. We need to find a way to placate Phoebe now. For all our sakes."
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Leo orbed back to the manor, heading for his and Piper's room rather than the attic. His hands were shaking in suppressed rage. He took a deep breath and blew it out slowly, trying to gain control.
"Leo, what's wrong?" Piper said from the other side of the room. She'd only seen her husband this out of control once, right after he'd killed Gideon.
"We can't let Phoebe vanquish him, Piper. Terrible things, unimaginable things will happen if we do. Please, believe me." Leo begged, his eyes full of worry.
"I do believe you, Leo. But Phoebe deserves to kill him. She deserves the right to avenge her son." Piper smoothed his hair down idly.
"Then send her out on a demon spree. Summon every demon you can until she's satisfied. But you can't let her kill Nogard. This family cannot afford that."
"Why? What is so great about Nogard that the elders don't want him dead?"
"He's the greatest power of black magic there is, Piper. If he gets killed, then the elders said…they said that his power is equal to that of both the Power of Three and our boys, Piper. In order to keep the cosmic balance, if he dies…an equal power of good has to as well. If not, it means the end of the world."
Piper paled, and whispered hoarsely. "They'd take us and Chris and Wyatt? Why? After everything we've done…"
"They won't take any of you. I won't let that happen. There's another power that's more powerful than the Charmed ones and our sons. If the time comes, I'll get rid of that power instead." Leo purposely didn't mention who that power was.
"What power is stronger than the Power of Three and our boys, Leo?" Piper asked, still in shock.
"The elders." Chris spoke from the doorway of their bedroom with Wyatt beside him. He motioned to the door, "It wasn't closed."
"But, but, Leo…you are an elder!" Piper cried out.
"Piper, I will do whatever I have to, in order to keep you and our kids safe. I don't care how old they are. I am not burying my kids or my wife."
"Dad, you're not sacrificing yourself for us. There's been enough of that for one day already." Wyatt broke in frustrated.
"Look, this is all a moot point anyway. If we can keep Phoebe from killing that dragon, then no one dies. Will you help me convince her?" Leo shouted, finally having had enough.
"Of course, Leo."
"I'm there for you, Dad."
"Well, I don't seem to have anything else planned." Chris grinned at the look of distaste on his older brother's face. "What? So I'm not eloquent. Shut up." They argued playfully as they walked up to the attic.
"On second thought, maybe I should sacrifice the two of them." Leo said jokingly, shaking his head at Piper. He slung an arm around her shoulder, gave her a quick, firm hug and together they went to find Paige to recruit her help.
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"Phoebe! You have to stop. This is ridiculous! There isn't going to be a spell or a potion in this book about vanquishing dragons because it isn't something that you are meant to do!" Cole put his hands over Phoebe's. She'd looked through the book twice and was starting to flip through the third time.
"I don't care what this book or any elder says, Cole. You don't know what it's like to know that your child is dead because you couldn't protect him. I have two other children. Now the same creature that killed my son is trying to kill my daughters. I have a divine right to protect my children!" Phoebe screamed at him.
"I know that honey, I do, but you can't do it this way. You have to step back and look logically at the situation. Killing Nogard is not going to bring Patrick back. In fact, if the elders decide to recycle you for it, all it's going to do is leave Paisley and Patience without a mother, father or brother."
"I can't just let him get away with it. I can't Cole. I don't want to leave my girls, but if I don't avenge Paddy, then he'll think I don't love him enough."
"No, he won't. You know as well as I do that when someone dies, they can look over you forever. Patrick is seeing how badly you want to vanquish Nogard."
"Aunt Phoebe, you can't vanquish him. Not if you want to live." Wyatt announced dramatically.
Cole immediately stood in front of Phoebe, shielding her from Wyatt. He started to transform into Balthazor. "Whoa! Whoa, stop, Cole! Wyatt didn't mean he'd hurt her!" Piper ran in, putting herself between Wyatt and Balthazor. The demon looked closely into Wyatt's eyes and changed back into Cole.
"Sorry" he said shortly.
"It's okay. At least I know my favorite Aunt is safe with you around." Wyatt grinned.
"Favorite Aunt? You told me I was your favorite aunt!" Paige said, faking anger.
"You are my favorite. You're my favorite white lighter aunt. Aunt Phoebe is my favorite witch aunt." Wy replied quickly.
"Mmm hmm" she murmured absently.
"What did you mean, 'not if she wants to live'?" Cole broke in impatiently.
"Just what he said. Listen, Aunt Phoebe, Nogard is the highest concentration of evil powers on earth. If you go against the elders, and kill him, it creates a cosmic imbalance. If that balance isn't set back to equal, then the world ends. They'd have to get rid of the highest concentration of good, which means the Charmed Ones plus Wy and me. Dad told them he wouldn't allow that to happen, that he'd personally destroy the only power of good higher than us; he kill every elder there was to right the balance. That's every single elder, Aunt Phoebe, including himself." Chris explained, never breaking eye contact with Phoebe.
Phoebe fell to her knees, and stayed there, her head in her hands. She fought for control as she finally raised her head, and whispered to the room in general. "So, I can't kill Nogard or I destroy more of our family. I can't bring Patrick back because magic doesn't allow it. So what can I do? What good is this magic? All it ever brings me is more pain and heartache. I've given up everything for magic. I've lost Prue, Grams, Mom. I lost Cole for almost 20 years. I lost Les and Jason because of magic. Now I've lost Patrick. How much more do I have to lose?"
"Nothing more, Phoebe. We've reached a decision regarding your dilemma. And our own." Laura, the elder, looked directly at Leo.