Leo gently pushed the Manor's door, and they opened. Piper was always mad when he orbed in the house, so he decided to go mortal way- walking.
Suprised, he stopped. Something wasn't right. Papers were all over the floor, bookshelves and desks turned upside down. In general, there was a huge mess. Piper didn't like mess.
Slowly, he headed for the kitchen. He started to get worried.
« Piper? Phoebe? Prue? » The kitchen table was on the floor, and he went around it.
He stopped, terrified. There, on the floor, was a petite figure with light brown hair.
Phoebe Halliell was lying there, covered with blood. Her skin was pale, and her eyes open, staring at her last image, image that was left forever in those beautiful eyes.
They couldn't see anymore, the eyes that were once full of life and happiness. Now it was only reflection of pain, and emptyness. He kneeld next to her, and tried to heal her, but he knew... It was over. Over for Phoebe Halliwell. Tears started forming in his eyes, as he stroked her brown hair for one last time. He closed her eyes, and now she looked so peaceful. Maybe she will be happier in the afterlife, maybe...
Leo just sat down and started crying. He couldn't believe that Power of Three let her down. Where are Piper and Prue? If she lost, what happened to others?
Piper would never leave her sister... Phoebe is gone... What happened to Piper?
He would come for Phoebe later, but now he had to go find Piper. Terrified, Leo noticed traces of blood on the kitchen floor, and they led to the dining room.
First, he noticed black stilletto heels, and they too were full of blood. Horrified, he didn't want to lift his head, he didn't want to face the truth. Another witch was on the floor. She wore a red dress, and her long hair was falling down her back. The woman was stabbed in the back, and lying face down.
For a moment, he stopped, and then approached the body. He couldn't feel anymore, like someone else was walking , and he was just watching.
« Don't leave me... I need you... I love you. Wake up, you promised we would always be together! » He turned her face up, and held her small hands in his. Her hands felt like ice on his skin, and he knew: she was dead. Her beautiful face was full of bruises and blood. Piper Halliwell was brutally beaten before she died.
Leo was on the edge of breaking down. He was holding his wife's lifeless body and crying.
« You're alive, aren't you? I love you...I'll never make you angry again, I promise, just come back! » He was shaking.
Memories were destroying him. He couldn't forget her kisses, her soft warm touch... The way she laughed, the way she used to toss her hair back... His wife... The love of his life was gone. Forever.
« I'm sorry... It's all my fault... I failed to protect you... Piper... » Guilt was taking him over. Leo knew, he could save them... If only he had been here... He couldn't help Piper because of Them. They called him.
« Why? Why are you doing this to me? Have I not been a good whitelighter? Is that why you're taking her away? She's the only one I have ever really loved! »
« I fucking hate you! I don't want to be a whitelighter anymore! I don't even want to live! Take my goddamn powers away! » His guilt became rage. It wasn't his fault, he realised. They were guilty.
« Piper, Phoebe, I'm home! » Leo heard the front door open. He wiped his eyes. Prue was alive. And she'll wanna know what happened.
« Hey, Leo. What happened here?» She kicked a piece of paper with her left foot.
« Not here, let's go out. » He took her by the hand and pulled her outside. It was a warm April day and the sun was shining. Everything seemed so peaceful. Like the world didn't know what happened today. They sat down on the porch, and Leo still held her hand.
« Where are Piper and Phoebe? And what in the world happened in that house? »
He didn't know how to say it. It just hurts too much. Huge smile was on her face as she stared at the sky, and he was now supposed to tell her that her sisters are gone.
His eyes started to fill up with tears again, and she noticed that.
« Leo, you're crying! What happened? » Now she was getting upset. She had never seen Leo cry.
« Prue, I don't know how to say this... Piper and Phoebe are...» His voice was cracked, and he looked older and tired.
« Gone. » He finished the sentence and burried his face in his hands. Prue was staring at him, like she didn't even hear what he said. It is just some kind of practical joke, right? She thought, but subconsciously, she knew that he was telling the truth.
Leo was fighting not to cry. He had to be strong for her. All she had left in this world was him. And he will not let her down.
She rose and headed to the door.
« Prue, don't go inside. » He wanted to protect her. Protect her from that horrible image that he had to see. He pulled her back down, next to him.
Tears were rolling down her cheek, and Leo hugged her. She was crying in his arms, and didn't really want to believe what he had told her.
She will now wake up and find out this was just a bad dream. Piper will be in the kitchen, making breakfast, and Phoebe will come down the stairs wearing Prue's new blue dress.
His touch snapped her back to reality, and she realised: they were gone. They won't go out together, they won't laugh together... Never again.
In the next moment, she ran inside.
« Prue, no! » Leo shouted and ran after her. She was crying over Phoebe's body, and shaking violently. He took her in his arms and held her for a long time.
---One year later---
« You know, I have never thought I could move on without them. » Prue Halliwell laid some
flowers on Piper's grave.
It was a warm April day, just like the one when they died.
« Thank you for being here. Thank you for helping me through this. » She looked him in the eyes Leo found her hand and grasped it in his.
« You know I'll always be here for you. I love you. » He kissed her. They were together for a six months now, and they knew it. That was true love.
« I think she'd want us to be together. » Prue glanced at the grave.
« Yeah. »
They walked away together. The sun was shining, and nature was smiling at them. Prue felt so happy. She knew her sisters were around here watching her.
Leo looked at her. His love. This time forever.