It's been a bit of wait, but I couldn't update. Some error wouldn't upload documents. Anyway, thanks to everyone who reviewed and now I'll get on with the story.
Chapter 25 - Never
"Oh, I could eat you! Yes, I could! Yes, I could." Phoebe said brightly.
"Pheebs, after the demonic Parasites did actually kinda wanna eat him, not so cute." I told her.
"Gotcha. Ooh, I could smush you! Ooh, I could just smush your little face! Ooh, la, la, la, la." She said instead."Much better." I said. It wasn't really, but what else could I say?
"Is that his new name? Smush-face Halliwell?" Paige asked, as we stepped away from the crib.
"It's about as good as everything else we've come up with." Leo sighed. He was holding Patty. Credit to him, he hadn't ignored her at all. My sisters had been a little centred around the new baby, but Leo was careful not to ignore Patty.
I can understand my sisters, though. They didn't really see Patty a lot when she was this age.
Forget about Dan. I'm happy now ...
"No new ideas, huh?" Prue asked.
"Actually..." I said slowly, an idea forming.
"Uh, no, you know, we've been so busy with the alarm and the demon fighting and the sister saving." Leo said, with a pointed look at Paige.
"I'm sorry." Paige sighed.
"Oh, don't be sorry, Paige." I said. "You were brave and you inspired me to fight and you made the world a safer place for our baby ... Maybe you'd like to choose the baby's middle name?" I asked. It wasn't just that, Paige had supported me through the whole Dan thing, without fussing too much (Phoebe) or getting really mad (Prue).
She smiled at me. "Any name I want?" She asked.
"Any name you want." I nodded, hoping she'd pick something nice, and I hadn't just sentenced him to some horrible middle name.
She paused, looking down at him. "I kinda like the name ... Matthew?" She said shyly.
"I love it." I smiled warmly.
"I think that's a great idea." Phoebe said quickly.
"Me too." Prue nodded.
"What do you think?" I asked Leo.
"Yeah." He smiled.
"Thanks." Paige said quietly.
"And I also have an idea for his first name." I continued, a little self-conscious. What if they thought it was terrible idea?
"Wyatt. In honour of his very protective daddy." I said. My hero, my angel.
"Really? Well, it doesn't start with a P." Leo said carefully, smiling at me.
"Ah, so we break the tradition." I shrugged.
Phoebe picked up him up.
"Happy baby. Why don't we ask him?" Then she looked up at us. "I - That's probably your job." She said quietly, handing him over. I smiled at her.
"You're going to make a fabulous auntie, Pheebs." I said, as she leaned back into Cole.
"Maybe even one day a fabulous mummy." Cole whispered.
I looked down at him. "Wyatt Matthew Halliwell. Is that your name? What do you think? It's a good one."
Wyatt's almost six months old now.
A birthday card came for Patty in post a few months back. From Dan. It was about six months late, and he'd signed it 'Daddy'.
I cried a lot that day, then burnt it.
Thankfully, all the magic stuff distracted me from the Dan stuff - Lepracons, Warlocks, Nymphs, the Crone, the Necromancer attacking at Wyatt's wiccaning ...
And now, some future-whitelighter's come to help us beat the titans by turning us into Goddesses.
"You expect us to beat the Titans dressed like this? Maybe at a costume party." I snapped. I was upset. Leo had orbed up there a while ago, and not come back. Chris - the future whitelighter - had told us most of the Elders had died.
"That's not a costume. That represents your new position and power." Chris explained.
"Power? Power's good. I like power." Paige paused, looking thoughtful. "Why do I like power?"
"Because you are the goddess of war." He smiled.
"Ahh. Well, I guess that explains the pitch fork." Paige nodded.
"It's not a pitch fork, it's a trident. Be careful, that's a formidable weapon."
"What about me?" Prue asked brightly.
"The Goddesses of the Hunt." Chris said.
"Right on. Who wants to fight?" Paige interrupted.
"I'm a lover, not a fighter." Phoebe said dreamily.
"You're the goddess of love." Chris told her. She flipped her new long blonde hair over her shoulder, then looked at Cole, smiling.
"Naturally. Well, then that must make me the goddess of sanity because I find this ridiculous." I said.
"Actually, Leo gave you dominion over the earth and all it's natural elements."
"Wait a minute, you're saying that Leo did this to us?" I gasped.
"Chris? You never told us, do you have a girlfriend in the future?" Phoebe said sweetly.
"Phoebe!" Cole cried.
Ignoring her, Chris continued talking. "As you can see, all of you have drives and urges based on your powers. Don't let them distract you, alright? Stay focused, focused on the Titans."
"Hold it, pal. I don't know what kind of game you're running here, but Leo is not in the god-making business." I snapped.
"How old are you, anyway?" Phoebe asked Chris. Cole rolled his eyes. It's a good job he understands it's because of the Goddess powers ... at least, I think it is ...
"The Elders forbid it. And if anything, Leo is a company man." I continued.
"The Elders did forbid it. And guess what, they're dead. Most of them. Leo's in charge up there now and he's taken a huge risk that you four won't lose your humanity like the ancient Greeks... Whoa!"
Paige stuck her trident into Chris's shirt and held it up in the air.
"You killed the Elders. You could've prevented it. I say we castrate." Paige said, her eyes narrowed.
"A little control here, ladies, please." Chris said quickly.
"Can't we figure out something else to cut off?" Phoebe asked.
Chris orbed out and orbed back in across the room.
"That wont help. We'll hunt you down." Prue told him.
"I told you, stay focused. In my future, all the Elders were killed. That's why I came back to help Leo give you the power so this would never have to happen again."
"Hey, guys, watch this." Paige said brightly.
She pointed her trident at the piano and a bolt of lightning flew out of it, hitting the piano. The piano broke into pieces.
"Put that thing down, you're gonna hurt someone." I told her.
"I certainly hope so. Do you know the kind of damage this thing could do?" Paige said brightly.
"A lot." Chris said. He sounded a little bit scared.
"Paige, make love, not, you know. There's no door love can't open, no wall love can't climb, not hurdle love can't..." Phoebe paused, thinking. "Hurdle."
"This is Leo's strategy?" I questioned. "Well, he must have lost it up there because these girls can't be seen in public, much less..." I glanced over them. Phoebe dreamily quizzing Chris, Paige fingering her trident, Prue sniffing the air.
"Ooh, that reminds me. I'm late for the bachelor auction. I'm gonna go pick up a guy or two, or twelve." Phoebe said happily. She clapped her hands and a pink misty heart appeared. A pink swirl of mist surrounded her and she disappeared from the room. Cole made a grab for her, but missed.
"Phoebe?" Chris said.
"Ooh, that's a good idea. I'm gonna go get in some target practice with some demons. Watch out Titans." Paige grinned. Lightning bolts surrounded her and she disappeared from the room.
"And I have some hunting to do ..." Prue said. She faded slowly from view.
"I knew this was gonna happen. You gotta go after them." Chris said to me.
"Oh, no-no-no." I replied. "This was your big plan, you clean up the mess."
"No, your role is to provide balance. That's why you feel so grounded and in control."
"Wow, Chris, that was actually pretty good. You almost sounded like a Whitelighter. Too bad I already have one. And if he would like me to do something, he can come down and tell me himself." I turned my head towards the ceiling. "Do you hear that?"
"You want Leo, hm?" Chris said to me. "Then vanquish the Titans. If you can't do that, you're gonna find out what a world of darkness feels like. My world."
I rolled my eyes.
"Go."
"You -" I said to Cole, "keep an eye on our little friend here."
Then swirls of wind surrounded me and I was gone.
I reappeared in some woods. Paige was stood in front of some demons.
"Paige, what are you doing?" I asked loudly.
"How'd you find me?" She asked me disappointed.
"Apparently it's one of my powers to keep an eye on you. What is going on here?" I asked.
"Oh, I'm just building an army. I figured what better way to smite the Titans than with hordes of demons, right?"
"Wrong. All of you out." I said to the demons.
"We answer only to our liege." A demon told me.
Paige smiles and nods.
"I see." I said to him, suddenly angry.
"See, they're very loyal. And you know what? I don't know why I was wasting my time studying witchcraft when I clearly should have been earning my general stripes." Paige told me.
"I said go! Now!" I yelled.
The ground shook. The demons disappeared, scared.
Did I do that?
Wow. These powers aren't half bad.
"What'd you have to do that for? I had followers."
"You can't have followers. None of us can. Now come on before I unleash my wrath on you." I have to admit, I felt pretty powerful.
Prue was in the underworld, sniffing the air again, her bow and arrow raised.
"Prue -"
"Shh." She whispered. She didn't move a muscle, then suddenly whipped round and fired her arrow through the darkness. Something screamed.
"Now can we go home?" I snapped.
"No. There's more."
"Tough." I replied, and we vanished with the wind.
We reappeared in the manor, Paige with her trident up and Prue ready to shoot.
"Not in the house." I told them, taking the trident from Paige and Prue's arrows. "Now let's go find Phoebe." I said, flinging them aside.
The nanny, an elf, walks in, Wyatt in his pram.
"My word, this is a house of ill repute. Hardly suitable for an infant." She said disapprovingly, then walked away.
"Wh- What do you mean?" I called after her. She didn't reply.
"How does that feel, Phoebe?" A man's voice said. We looked at each other then walked into the living room.
Phoebe is lying on a red sofa, surrounded by half-naked men. Some are fanning her with a large feather, another is massaging her feet, and another is feeding her grapes. Cole's sulking in the corner.
"Oh, make sure you peel those for me, will you?" Phoebe asked sweetly.
"Phoebe? We need to talk." I said.
"Yes, we do. The world would be over flowing with peace and love if only we just talked more." Phoebe said.
"Mm-hm. What are they doing here?" I asked.
"Oh, worshipping me, adoring me, exalting my name. There is so much love in this room I can barely stand it."
"Me neither. It's time to send your groupies away, now."
"But serving me makes them so happy."
"Alright, all of you, show is over. Move along." I said.
"We live to serve Phoebe." One of them said.
"Oh, you do, don't you? That's so sweet. Piper, you need to get some followers of your own. It's a really great confidence builder."
"I want some." Prue said.
"I had some." Paige said, throwing me a look. "Are you eyeing me, soldier?"
Chris walked in. "What the hell is this? Goddesses gone wild? I told you to keep them in line. What would happen if the Titans attacked right now?" He said loudly.
"Chris, I've got it. Thank you. All of you, out!"
A gust of wind blows through the room and the men land in the foyer all on top of one another. They quickly get up and race outside.
"Now that's what I'm talking about." Chris beamed at me.
"Time for a morality check. Leo did not give us this power so we could form armies or love cults. The ancient Greeks indulged in their whims that way and look what they became." I said.
"Petty, evil, vindictive." Chris inputted.
"Thanks, I've got it. Now... hi! Can you three get it under control?" Since when did I become in charge?
I kinda like it.
"Reason and judgement are the qualities of a leader. Tacitus, 100 A.D." Paige said.
"Love will keep us together. Captain and Tennille. 1970s."
"Fascinating." I muttered. "No more." I added, as Prue opened her mouth. "Now, can we figure out a way to beat the Titans, 'cause I for one would like my family back. Soon."
A loud jingling interrupted me.
"Is that a jingle?" Phoebe asked.
"There are no Elders up there. Who's jingling?" Paige asked.
"It's Leo." Chris said simply.
"Leo can jingle?" Prue asked.
"Yep. He says an Elder's under attack. Like it or not, it's time to face the Titans."
"Is everybody okay?" I asked. We had gone up against the Titans - nearly died and orbed down here. To ... Some sewer.
"No. Is my hair singed?" Phoebe pouted.
"You're fine." I snapped.
"I guess we're not so all powerful after all." Paige said nervously. "How'd we get out of there?"
"I guess Leo must have orbed us out. But I don't know how, he doesn't have that kind of power."
"Well, he must have because we're out of there. What is this place, a sewer?" Paige said, looking around.
"This is sanctuary." An Elder said. We turned to face him.
"Oh, my, my, my." Phoebe said, walking over to him. "Aren't you just the edible Elder? Have you taken a vow of celibacy?"
"Phoebe. Stay on target." I said sharply.
"Right."
"What do you mean this is sanctuary?" Prue asked.
"It's a safe house. Set up by Leo to protect the Elders."
"Well, it doesn't look so safe to me." Paige said, looking around. "I can see unprotected points of entry all over the place."
"Don't worry, the Titans can't sense our location. We're hidden from them by a web of fairy magic. Another of Leo's ideas."
"Leo did all this?" I asked. So what, he can set up all this but he can't orb home for a second to let us know he's OK?
"I was surprised myself. I'm afraid I was one of the Elders who always sold Leo short. What with him marrying a witch and all. No offence."
"Offence taken." I replied.
"I will never make that mistake again. Without Leo we'd all be dead. He's out there now tracking Elders as we speak, moving them here. We owe Leo everything."
"I guess so."
"Well, good luck with the Titans." He said, turning slightly.
"One more question. What are you wearing under that robe?" Phoebe asked.
"More robes." He replied.
Paige and Prue laughed. Roland walked away.
"Oh, that is so hot." Scary think is, I'm not sure if Phoebe was kidding or not ...
"This is getting tired." I sighed.
"A warrior preparing for battle cannot be weary." Paige said.
"No, I'm tired of getting all this information second hand. I would like to hear it from Leo."
"Piper, I'm sensing a blockage in your spiritual energy. What's wrong, sweetie?" Phoebe asked.
"I need to talk to my husband. I-I appreciate him becoming a magical folk hero for the masses and all, I really do, but enough is enough. Leo! Remember me? Your wife!" As an answer, he jingled.
"Don't you jingle me. I need more than a jingle here, mister. You will get down here right now!" I yelled.
The sewers shake like an earthquake.
Oops. That was me again.
"Are you trying to alert the enemy?" Prue asked me.
"Piper, I'm sure as soon as Leo figures out how angry you are, he's gonna come running down here." She looked up and we waited a moment. "Okay, you can come running now ... "
Look, sweetie, it's not like he's not busy. He's saving the world." Prue assured me.
I don't care about the world. I want Leo, I need Leo.
"And buying us time to vanquish the Titans. Although, I don't know where we're gonna get the strength from. They had no problem with my power." Paige said, while Prue nodded.
"Then let's try my power." Phoebe smiled.
While they did whatever they were doing downstairs, I was upstairs with Wyatt.
"I know you miss him. I miss him too." I said softly.
"I need help." Chris said, walking in.
"Uh, excuse me, this is my bedroom. You can't just walk in here anytime you want to." I said angrily.
"Yeah, I know, but your sisters need you. I got them working on the Titans but I don't know how long that's gonna last."
I put Wyatt down.
"I thought you needed me." I said.
"I did. I mean, I do. I need you 'cause they need you. Actually, they need Leo. Look, will you please just go deal with them?"
"What's the matter, Chris? The all-knowing running out of answers?"
"Yes, yes, I am. If that will motivate you, yes. I'm losing control because I'm watching history repeat itself and nobody's willing to do a damn thing about it." He said.
"I feel your frustration." I replied, slightly sarcastic.
"Piper, if it helps, I get it, okay? I do, really. You need Leo. Your sisters need Leo. But if you can't stop..."
"You forgot the baby. The baby needs his father too." I said.
"Fine. But if you can't stop missing your husband long enough to see the bigger picture..."
"There is no bigger picture than my family." I snapped.
"Well, then pay attention because the world I grew up in families hardly existed. I never had a chance to know mine."
"Not my fault." I said.
"Not yet." He replied. He blushed a little, when he realised what he'd said.
Great. A future whitelighter that hates us.
"Is that what this is about? You blame us for what happened to you?" I asked.
"I just want you to get it right this time. Use your power of three. Use your power as gods. Save the world from going to hell."
"If that's what you want, then I will say it one more time and maybe you will hear me. We need Leo. Now excuse me, I have to go warm up a bottle."
A while later he still hadn't come back. I was laid on my bed, trying not to cry.
"Leo, how could you leave us?" I whispered. An Elder orbed in, his hood up. Do these people not understand privacy?
"Who are you?" I snapped.
"Hi, Piper." It's Leo. He pulled his hood down. I ran to hug him.
"You're home. You heard my calls, right?"
"Of course I did, honey. But I had to make sure the Elders were safe and then I was cornered by the Titans."
"I'm just thankful you're okay. My mind was just racing." I said.
"I know. I felt it. Good thing Chris came when he did."
"Chris?"
"He distracted the Titans so I could escape. Right now they're probably following his orb trail so we don't have..."
I looked up at him. He has a little patch of white hair on his head. Weird.
"What's wrong with your hair?" I asked.
"What?"
"Um, it's white."
"Is it?" He looks in the mirror. "Wow, it must be from staying up there for so long." He said vaguely.
"I ... guess so ..."
"Where are your sisters?"
"Well, they can wait a minute while we spend some time alone and then you need to hold your son." I replied.
"Spoken like a true earth goddess." He smiled.
"What are you talking about?"
"You need to channel your hearth and home instincts to fight the Titans."
"Leo, I was speaking from the heart not the hearth. Hi, I'm your wife, remember?"
"I do, but Chris can only throw off the Titans for so long. We need to be ready with a battle plan. Now, let's find your sisters." He said, walking out of the room. I followed.
"Ma'am, I was just coming to check on the baby." The Elfin nanny said.
"That's okay, 'cause he is actually sleeping, so..." She looked up at Leo in awe.
"Welcome, wise one." She whispered.
"Oh, no, this is just my husband. He's not an Elder. He's just wearing this robe because ... Why are you wearing this robe?"
"It was windy up there." He shrugged.
"See, so you can take a break 'cause, you know, Wyatt's asleep. Okay, here we go."
Leo gave them a pep talk. I think it must have helped them.
"Paige, you know exactly where to find the power to conquer the Titans." He finished.
"I do?"
"Yes. You just need to focus."
She looked thoughtful, then a look of dawning spread across her face. "We have to declare ourselves gods."
"It's how the ancient Greeks did it." He nodded.
"Chris told us not to do that." Phoebe warned.
"Well, Chris is wrong. He doesn't know you like I do."
"But Leo, the ancient Greeks lost their humanity." Prue said.
"You're not the ancient Greeks, you're the Charmed Ones. I didn't give you anything you can't handle."
"You really have that much faith in us?" I asked.
"Do you really even need to ask that? It's like I've always said, your power comes from your emotion and right now you need to dig deeper than you ever have before. Whatever motivates you. Your heart, your soul, your darkest fears. Whatever it takes, you need to find that and channel it into power. Power not to capture the Titans, but to destroy them forever."
Suddenly, Leo glows all over.
"Leo?" I asked, suddenly scared.
He looked up at us. He looked scared too. "What's happening to me?"
"I'll never leave you, I promise." Leo was saying to Wyatt and Patty as I walked in to our room. He was sat on the bed, holding Wyatt, with Patty on his knee.
"Why would you? Leo, what's going on?"
"I'm not sure."
"What do you mean you're not sure? Chris! Where ever you are, get your ass over here!" I yelled. He did this, it's his fault.
"It's okay, Chris."
Chris orbs in.
"This better be an emergency. You are going to lead the Titans straight to us."
"What's happening to my husband?" I asked.
"Something amazing." He replied shortly.
"You know what? Cut the crap. You knew the Elders were gonna die. You coached Leo up there. You knew all of this was gonna happen."
"Did you?" Leo asked softly.
"You're not serious." Chris asked.
"Whatever it is you think you're doing, you need to make it stop." I said.
"Piper, nobody chose this. It chose Leo. What he did up there for all of us was nothing short of a miracle. Now he's receiving the ultimate reward. A chance to become..."
"Don't you dare say it." I snapped, realising what he meant.
"The world needs sources of good to watch over it. Do you know a source of pure goodness better than Leo?"
"Leo is not..." I stopped, close to tears. I can't lose him. I can't.
"He's not an Elder, okay?" I snapped. "Because Elder's don't live on earth. They don't have families. Okay, just tell him you're not an Elder." I said to Leo.
"I don't know that I can." Leo said quietly.
"I think you should get back to your sisters." Chris said.
"No. Not until you tell him."
"They're waiting for you." Chris continued.
"Chris is right. You need to get back to Paige, Phoebe and Prue.
"No. Not until you say it." I repeated.
"The Titans are gonna be here any moment." Chris said.
"I said no!" I yelled, pointing at Chris. He went flying across the room. He hit the door, was knocked unconscious. Leo rushed to him.
"He'll be okay. You did it, Piper. You found your power. Now control it, don't let it control you." Leo said.
A crash came from downstairs.
"Piper!" Phoebe yelled.
"Go." Leo said.
I can't lose him. I can't.
If I can get rid of them ...?
The wind surrounded me and I found myself downstairs.
"It's not nice to piss off mother nature." I said.
I held out my hands and the room began to shake. In front of the Titans a hole appeared. The light fitting about felling into it. So did a dresser.
Paige grabbed her trident and zapped the floor at the Titans' feet. It crumbled and they fell into it.
It closed back up, as Leo ran down the stairs.
"So much for the Titans." Paige smiled.
"Thank god." Phoebe breathed.
"You're welcome." I replied.
"You did it, Piper. You found the power you needed. You all did. Now it's time to give it back." Leo said, smiling.
Like hell. Once I give it back, I'm going to lose him, aren't I?
The wind came, and I left.
Up on the hill by the bridge, I looked out over the city.
I'm losing Leo to save this?
A tear slid down my face and it began to rain.
How dare he leave me. He saved me, and now he's leaving me?
Lighting and thunder joined the rain.
I can't. I can't survive without him.
I can't.
I need him, Wyatt and Patty need him.
The storm intensified.
I'm doing it. I'm destroying the city.
Good.
I raised my arms, sent lightening crashing down.
It's beautiful. The storm. So many emotions, so much disaster ...
And I'm doing it all. My revenge on the world, what it's put me through. My revenge for taking Leo from me.
My sisters orbed in at that moment, holding an umbrella.
"Piper!" Paige cried.
"Stay away from me." I said.
"We're taking you home." Phoebe told me.
"To you're family." Prue said.
"What family?" I said loudly, the rain beating down harder, the lighting striking again, and again.
"To your children. Patty. Wyatt. Remember them?" Phoebe asked.
"They need their mother." Paige said.
"They've already lost their father, don't take their mother away too." Prue said.
No. We are not losing Leo.
I'm getting him, and bringing him home.
I appeared in ... Elderland, dripping wet.
"Where is he? Where is Leo?" I said loudly. They turned to face me. Leo walked over.
"Piper, what are you doing here?"
"How can you do this?" I asked.
"Uh, excuse us for a minute."
He pulled me across the room.
"You saved me. You offered me support, when I was trapped." I told him. "You - You convinced me to leave, and I did. You asked me to marry you and I did. You wanted a family and I gave you a son. And now you want me to watch you just walk away?"
"It's not that simple." He said. He did look torn. But it wasn't good enough.
"Then make it simple. Because I'm trying really hard to understand."
"Piper, if I had a choice in any of this, I would choose you. I always have."
"Then choose me now. Then let's go home."
"Don't you think I want to?"
"I don't know. And that's what scares me the most." I replied.
"Our love is transcendent, Piper. It lifted me up so high that this was the only possible result. Being an Elder wasn't my destiny, but yet here I am because of you."
I started to cry.
"I can't lose you. I can't do any of this without you. You gave me the strength to break away, and without you I will fall apart."
"Piper ..."
Those God powers left me, floated back behind a door.
"I can't survive without you. I love you too much."
"I love you too, and Patty and Wyatt. I always will. That will never change."
"Then come home." I whispered.
"I don't have a choice." He said.
"You always have a choice, Leo. You taught me that. So choose now."
He looked at me for a long time.
"I love you." I whispered.
"Let's go home." He said softly.
I looked up at him. Did he mean ...?
He nodded.
"Leo -" One of the Elders behind us said.
"I can't leave my family." Leo said. "They need me, I need them. I'll still be a whitelighter, if you'll let me, but this ... this isn't my destiny, my future." He looked back at me. "She is."
"I'll never leave you." He whispered. "Never."
He hugged me tightly, and orbed us home.
That's how I always thought "Oh my Goddess" should have ended, so I thought I'd slip it in. Just to, you know, show how much they love each other. I honestly don't think Leowould have chosen to leave them in the show. Review, please.