Chapter 4 - Charges

"This was not ... supposed to happen." Zola said nervously. "No one knew this was going to happen ..."

"But it did, it has to be ... fate, or something ..." Leo replied.

"Leo, she is still greiving. To return to her so soon ... she needs to accept you have gone."

"But I haven't. We can still be together -"

"Leo, you know how we feel about that ..."

"And you know that the rule doesn't exist anymore. You allowed it after Paige -"

"It is still discouraged ... you are the youngest whitelighter to exist in well over three thousand years ... many do not think you are up to it, and having a relationship with a charge - and a Charmed One no less - would not count in your favor. Many of my kind are still set in the old ways, and ..."

"I love her." Leo said simply. "I gave up my life to save her, and I ... I love being a whitelighter, you know I do, but I will give it up too if I have to."

Zola sighed. "I know you would. Leo, I know I cannot discourage you ... but I warn you to be careful. Do not let your ... feelings for this witch cloud your judgement as a whitelighter. Or there will be hell to pay." Zola added weirily.

"She's calling again." Leo said absently. "Can I ... can I go to her?"

"Yes." Zola sighed. "Go." As Leo orbed out, Zola rubbed his head. "I really am too old for all of this." He murmured, then wondered away.

----

Leo wasn't sure how to approach Piper, but he was in the manor before he could think about it. She was sat on one of the sofas, staring blankly at the wall.

He walked slowly forward, and whispered her name. She looked at him, blinked several times, then screamed.

Prue came rushing into the room, looked at Leo in shock, then used her power to send him into the wall.

"Who are you?" She demanded. "Who are you!"

"It's me, it's Leo!" He yelled. Had they forgotten him?

"Nice try. You demon's make me sick, you know that?" Prue snarled. "Who are you? Who sent you -?"

"Prue." Piper siad softly, walking slowly over to them, watched curiously by Phoebe and Paige. "Prue, stop." Piper walked right up to him, stood infront of him for a long, long time, just staring into his eyes. Then she leaned forward, wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him.

"Piper! Are you crazy!" Prue yelled, but Piper didn't flinch, holding onto Leo for dear life, assuring herself he was real, that she wasn't dreaming. Finally, she drew back, and turned to face her sisters, gripping his hand so hard it hurt, but he understood her desperate need to keep hold of him.

"I'm not crazy, Prue." Piper replied. "It's really him."

"Oh yeah?" Prue scoffed.

"Yes."

"How did you know?" Leo murmured, and Piper smiled at him.

"Your eyes. I saw it in your eyes."

"OK, if you're really Leo, explain how you are stood here in our house, when we saw you die a few weeks ago." Prue demanded.

"I became a whitelighter when I died." Leo replied. They all knew what a whitelighter was - Paige's father was one and Grams had explained. But he had to tell them exactly what had happened to him over the last few weeks.

"So we can still be together?" Piper asked once he'd finished.

"Well ... they're not happy about it, but they can't stop us - that rule was throw out when Paige was born. But ... one step wrong and I'll be taken away ..."

"Well, we'll just have to be careful." Piper replied. "All that matters is that you're back." She whispered.

----

"This is impossable." An angry looking elder by the name of Odin snapped. "He is just a kid, he cannot handle the responsability of the charmed ones. Add to that his feelings for the witch, and, well, there's no chance."

"We need to trust Leo." Zola replied. "I am sure he can handle this -"

"And, you know of the prophecy." A female elder interrupted. "That the second oldest Charmed One will bear three twice-blessed children."

"So?" The elder snapped.

"So Leo could be the key to that, the father."

"We should at least give them a chance." Another elder agreed. "We owe it to them."

"Agreed."

"Yes."

"So be it."

----

"I need to go." Leo said suddenly, looking, for some reason, towards the ceiling.

"Go where?" Piper said, unable to to keep the note of panic from her voice.

"Shh, it's OK, I'll be back, I promise. The elders need to talk to me, that's all." He kissed Piper goodbye, and orbed out.

"He never left that quick for him mum." Paige commented.

"His mum!" Piper gasped suddenly. "I - I promised her I'd get him back - do you think he's allowed to see her?"

"You'll have to ask him." Prue shrugged.

----

"Wh-what is it?" Leo asked nervously once he'd orbed up there. He wasn't used to seeing this many elders gathered around him.

"We just wanted to assure you that you have you're chance with Piper." Zola said warmly.

"But one chance and one chance only." Odin said. "You have been warned."

As another charge started calling for him, Leo made his excuses and orbed out.