"What?" Phoebe said with panic in her voice.
"He's not dead" Piper said.
"Did you guys vanquish him?" Leila said.
"Yes a couple days ago when he attacked. I used to be his girlfriend before I knew he was a demon" Phoebe said.
"That means he's the source now" Leila said.
"That's just great" Piper said.
"What?" Prue asked walking in.
"Cole isn't dead, he's the source" Piper said.
"How do you know that and what is the source?" Prue asked.
Leila told her everything she had just told Piper and Phoebe.
"Why can't demons just stay dead?" Prue asked.
"Okay let's eat dinner and then we'll figure this all out later" Piper said.
She started making the sandwiches.
"Did you see where Leo went?" Piper asked.
"I think he's working in the basement" Phoebe said. "And Andy is down there with the girls watching because you banned him from helping with the building"
"Guys, dinner is ready" Prue yelled down the stairs.
"In a second" Andy said.
"No, now" Prue yelled.
The guys came upstairs with the girls.
"I thought you said it was ready?" Andy asked.
"I figured it might take a while to persuade you to come up from the basement" Prue said.
Andy put the girls in the height chairs.
"We have news for you" Phoebe said.
"Leo what do you know about the source of all evil?" Piper asked.
"That he's the most powerful demon in the entire underworld and he controls every single demon unless they turn against him and then he kills them" Leo said.
"Well Cole is now the source" Phoebe said.
"What?" Leo and Andy asked.
"He didn't die he got more powerful" Prue said.
"But the source has to die in order for there to be a new one" Leo said. "And the Elders would have told me if he had died"
"It wouldn't be the first time they didn't know something" Prue said.
They were quiet for a while.
"You guys are the Charmed Ones aren't you?" Leila asked.
"Yes, you know about the Charmed Ones?" Phoebe said.
"Joyce said that you guys would save the world from the greatest of all powers by making the greatest sacrifice of all. She always was predicting stuff, maybe she was a witch too but she never told me that" Leila said.
"The greatest sacrifice of all?" Phoebe said.
"Our lives maybe, I don't know" Prue said.
"We're going to die?" Piper said. "Leo go ask the Elders what the hell is going on"
Leo orbed out.
The family continued the dinner in silence.
"Leila I think you should stay here tonight" Phoebe said. "You can sleep in my room"
"I'd just be troubling you guys, I think I should go home" Leila said.
"No please stay" Piper said.
"Yeah the girls seemed to have taken a liking to you" Prue said.
"Alright but only for tonight" Leila said.
"I'll go get some sheets and a cot for you" Phoebe said.
"I'm going to go check on Patience" Piper said.
"Andy, I'll get the twins, you get Aidan" Prue said.
Everyone went their separate ways.
Prue was in the nursery getting the girls ready for bed.
"You've been hurt a lot, haven't you?" Leila asked coming into the nursery.
"What makes you think that?" Prue asked.
"The look in your eyes" Leila said. "It's the look Joyce always had"
"I haven't had the best life but it not so bad" Prue said.
"You lie too. To cover up the pain" Leila said. "When the last time you told yourself or someone else you hurt?"
Prue sighed and continued getting the girls ready for bed.
"I'm taking that as never" Leila said. "You're terrified and you just can't admit it. You're not the only one like that, I was like that too"
"First of all I'm not like that and second of all when were you like that?" Prue asked.
"Right after Joyce died" Leila said. "But then I realized that I have a right to be afraid and a right to be in pain. Human beings were not meant to go through life alone"
"Wise words for a thirteen year old" Prue said.
"I've been through a lot more than a normal thirteen year old" Leila said.
It was quiet again.
"So have you ever said it" Leila asked. "Have you ever said you're terrified and you hurt?"
"Once" Prue said. "A long time ago"
"Do you still feel that way?" Leila asked.
"Are you suddenly my counselor?" Prue asked.
"No but I know it's my destiny to help you and I sensed that you were the one who need my help the most" Leila said.
"Well you sensed wrong" Prue said. "I don't need any help"
"What happened to make you like this?" Leila asked.
"Make me like what?" Prue asked irritated.
Leila said a quick spell.
"What are you doing?" Prue asked.
Leila closed her eyes.
"What was that spell for?" Prue asked. "Leila answer me"
Leila opened her eyes.
"I saw and I felt was in your heart" Leila said. "Guilt, pain, sorrow, regret, and anger"
"You had no right to do that Leila" Prue said.
"In order to face what is to come, you and your sisters need to let go of what is in the past" Leila said. "You can't let go of your pain and anger and that's keeping you from something that your heart needs to heal"
"You've been sent by her haven't you?" Prue asked. "Wait, Joyce is…
"Yes" Leila said.
"But she said the greatest sacrifice is your heart" Prue said. "She wasn't talking about a demon being the greatest of all powers, she was talking about love"
Leila smiled.
"So we saved the world by sacrificing our heart to love" Prue said. "That doesn't make sense. How can we save the world by loving?" Prue asked.
"That one, you're on your own with" Leila said. "You and your sisters will have to figure this out soon, before it's too late"
Leila started to walk away.
"Wait, what do you mean by too late?" Prue asked.
Leila was already gone.
Prue put the girls in their cribs.
"You're twisted" Prue said to the ceiling. "Why did you pick Leila? You didn't even tell her about you. The least you could have done was left my issues out of this. You were the only one I told and I can handle it. I know you said you'd help protect Piper and Phoebe but can you at least give me some of what you know so I can help them. I don't want to leave this all to Leila"
It was quiet.
"Fine, be that way, but one day, hopefully far from now, I'm going to see you again" Prue said. "And I'll have something to say to you"
"Do you need any help Piper?" Leila asked coming into her room.
"I'm fine, you should go to bed" Piper said.
"I'm not tired" Leila said.
"I'm just going to wait for Leo" Piper said.
"You're scared that Leo is going to leave and never come back" Leila said.
"I am not, what makes you think that?" Piper asked.
"Just a feeling" Leila said. "I've been sent by someone, to help you and your sisters. Please let me help you"
"Who were you sent by?" Piper asked.
Leila smiled.
"You will have to ask someone else to get an answer to that question" Leila said. "Why are you so afraid?"
"Because I've been through a lot more than you know" Piper said.
Leila quickly said the spell she had used on Prue.
"What did you just do?" Piper asked.
"A spell, to see inside your heart" Leila asked.
"I thought you needed our help to advance your powers" Piper said.
"I do, just not right now. My first job is to help you because even if fail at learning my powers better I will at least helped you" Leila said. "Now tell me what you feel"
"I feel like one wrong move and I lose Leo forever. I feel that the Halliwell family is cursed. At first I didn't understand why Prue was so terrified of becoming like our mother but ever since I got pregnant I understand. To think that I could die and leave my daughter without a mother terrifies me. Every time we face a demon all I can think about is what happens if I die. I could cause all that pain that you see in Prue, Phoebe, and me to be in my daughter. If I mess up, there's no going back. There are no second chances. If I mess up with Leo, he's gone. If I mess up during a demon attack and die or let one of my sisters die then I've taken away child's aunt or mother and I can't live with that" Piper said. "We told Prue she wasn't going to die but we never knew that for sure. Nobody can honestly tell you, you aren't going to die and abandon your child"
"Live each day to its fullest. Fill your daughter with memories so that if one day it happens, she'll have something to hold onto. You cannot control fate but don't let it control you or you will not make it" Leila said. "I have to go to bed now"
Leila walked out of the room. Piper sighed and sat down on her bed.
"Your bed is ready" Phoebe said as Leila walked into the room.
"Thanks" Leila said. "I'm going to approach this a different way with you"
"Approach what a different way?" Phoebe asked.
"I'm not all I seem to be" Leila said. "I really am homeless and everything I told you is true but our meeting wasn't a chance encounter. I've been sent to help you and your sisters with emotional problems that will eventually lead to your fall if they are not solved. I can't tell you who has sent me but I can tell you that demons are not your worst problem right now"
"I'm sorry, are you insane?" Phoebe asked. "You can't come up to a Charmed One and say that without them suspecting something"
"It's the truth" Leila said. "You're afraid to love and you think you'll never settle down with a husband and children. You are jealous that your sisters have found their perfect family and you're afraid that you'll betray them again"
"Okay and how is this going to kill me?" Phoebe asked.
"I can't tell you but that is keeping you from getting what your heart needs the most" Leila said.
"Let me guess, you can't tell me what that is" Phoebe said.
Leila smiled.
"I should get to bed, it's getting late" Leila said.
"Just convince me you're not a demon" Phoebe said.
"Would a demon have no idea how to use her powers and be living on the streets alone?" Leila asked.
"Okay no, but that could be your cover" Phoebe said.
Leila stared at her.
"Okay fine maybe you're not a demon" Phoebe said.
"Tell you what, we'll go to bed if you wake up alive then I'm not a demon" Leila said.
"Comforting" Phoebe said.
They went to bed.
Later that night Prue went to the attic to summon her.
"I know you can hear me" Prue said.
She appeared.
"Don't say anything I know what you're thinking" she said.
"Keep your voice down or you'll wake everyone up" Prue said.
"Why don't you just tell them about me?" she asked.
"Because it wouldn't be fair" Prue said.
"It's not fair that they don't know about me"
"But it wouldn't be fair that they wouldn't get to meet you" Prue said.
"You could summon me and then they could meet me"
"But I knew you before and it just wouldn't be fair"
There was silence.
"Why did you choose her" Prue asked.
"Leila? Because I'm hoping you guys can help her after she's done helping all of you" she said.
"What do I need help with, I'm doing fine and I wouldn't let this kill me" Prue said.
"Maybe not now but what about in the future? Eventually it's going to get to be too much, Prue"
"It won't unless you've seen something that I haven't seen"
She smiled.
"You have, haven't you" Prue said.
"You know I can't tell you" she said.
"I just need to know if Piper, Phoebe, or any of the kids are in danger" Prue said.
"I said I'd watch over them and I will not break that promise" she said. "And I also think that you should start watching out for yourself too"
"Am I going to die?" Prue asked.
"I sent Leila here for a reason you will realize when that reason is no longer a problem" she said. "I have to go now, please just be careful and listen to what she has to say. Convince Piper and Phoebe to listen too. It's going to take a lot of work but you guys can do it, especially you. I envied you when I met you because you were so strong, please don't forget that"
"I won't" Prue said.
"And don't be afraid to tell them about me" she said.
Prue looked down at the floor.
"Good bye, Prue" she said. "Blessed be"
Prue blew out the candles.
I won't reveal who she is for a while but feel free to review and tell me who you think she is.