Hey guys, thanks again for all the wonderful reviews. Quickly just one thing, as you know on the last chapter one of the elders mentioned a prophecy and said the second youngest charmed one. I'm sure you all knew that was just a type-o but I thought I'd mention it anyway, althought I've gone back and changed it.

Chapter 5 - A Little Test Along The Way

Piper finished brushing her air and set the brush down on her dressing table. She looked at her reflection, taking in the pale skin, dark circles around her eyes and her hair, which she'd neglected over the last few weeks. She knew Leo didn't mind ... heck, he had seen her at her worse, several times. He'd seen her after disastrous haircuts, with awful clothes her grandmother had proclaimed "cute", and he'd seen her cry more times than she could count. And yet he'd stuck around.

"Piper?" Prue knocked lightly on the door. "Leo's downstairs."

"Right. Good." Piper murmured. She needed to talk to him anyways.

Once downstairs, she cut right to it. "You need to visit your mum."

"Huh?" Obviously it wasn't the greeting he'd expected from his girlfriend, but she'd been thinking about it alot. She hadn't missed the hope in Mrs. Wyatt's eyes, and she was determined to keep her promise.

"I went to see her, and I told her about magic and how you really died and I promised her I'd get you back. You need to go see her." Piper said briskly.

"Piper, I can't. I'm not allowed. It's against the rules."

"Leo, I promised her -"

"Piper, I'd love to see her, but if I do, they might take me away." He said. "From you." He added for good measure. He wanted to see her, of course he did, and it was driving him mad, the thought of her alone in that big house.

"But ... Leo, can't you go just the once? Surely they'll understand ...?"

"Nope. They're not really an understanding species." Leo said.

"Well ... can I ... at least tell her? That you're OK, that you're not really dead?"

"I am really dead." Leo said, shaking his head.

"Yes, but you're not dead ..." Piper trailed off, aware she wasn't making any sense. Prue, Phoebe and Paige watched with interest.

"Leo, couldn't you go to your mum on a night?" Paige suggested. "Wake her up and talk to her. She'll probably think it's a dream."

"I ... I don't know." Leo muttered, thinking carefully. Only a nine-year-old could come up with such a simple, yet brilliant, plan. "I guess I could ... She would know it was me, but ... I could try it, I guess." He shrugged. "If it makes you feel better." He added gently to Piper. He knew she still blamed herself for things being this way.

"It does." Piper nodded. "Thank you."

"OK team, we got work to do." Prue said breezily. "Demons to vanquish, warlocks to destroy, innocents to save ..."

"Just another day." Paige said happily.

----

"See? They are doing fine." Zola beamed. "The sisters are vanquishing demons, Leo is doing better and better ..."

"They haven't had much of a challenge, though, have they?" Odin replied. "Not had any tests ..."

"What do you mean?" Zola asked nervously.

"We need to make sure neither party will be ... distracted." Odin said quietly. Zola frowned as Odin started to talk. This was not good news, he was sure.

----

"Demon nil, witches three." Phoebe said as the four teenagers orbed back into the manor.

"The Elders can't take Leo away now." Piper said firmly. "We're saving more innocents than ever."

"We know. Quit worrying." Prue replied.

"I can't. It's what I do." Piper said, then breathed with relief as Leo orbed in.

"Hiya. How'd it go?"

"Demon down, innocent safe." Prue reported.

"And your charge?" Piper quizzed

"She just needed some information." Leo shrugged. "Everything's fine -" He was cut of by a loud bang - unseen by any of them, a demon had shimmered into the attic, and thrown a fireball in their direction. It had missed, crashing into a sofa, and each of them sprang into action. Their powers weren't very affective on him, however - Piper's freeze lasted just a few seconds, and Prue was only able to move him a few feet.

"Uh-oh." Paige murmured.

"That's right, uh-oh." Phoebe muttered, and sprang forward, levitating into the air and starting to kick the demon.

Leo ... Leo ... Leo!

Bewildered, Leo looked around him, then realised one of his other charges was calling.

Leo! He's going to kill me!

"Piper! I need to - A charge -"

Leo!

Just as Leo was about to orb out, the demon grabbed Phoebe's ankle and threw her into a wall, then sent a fireball towards Piper. His other charge forgotten, Leo jumped forward, pushing Piper out of the way, just like he had before. The demon shimmered out, for no apparent reason, leaving behind a wreaked attic, dazed Phoebe and Piper and Leo lying on the floor.

"Are you OK?" Leo asked Piper breathlessly.

"Yeah ... Leo, you did it again." She said softly, reaching up to touch his face.

"Did what?"

"You saved my life. Only ... this time it didn't cost you yours." She smiled. "Your mum was right. She said you'd do it again if you had to, but ..."

"Of course I did it again. I love you." I replied.

"I love you too." Piper murmured. Prue cleared her throat, interrupting the moment. And then ...

LEO!

Leo swore loudly, a panicked look on his face. "Charge." He mumbled, then orbed out.

----

He orbed into a small tidy bungalow ... at least he remembered it tidy. The whole place was a mess now, and right by an overturned sofa was ...

"Miranda." Leo gasped, falling to his knees by the 30-something witch, who was bleeding heavily from a large hole in her abdomen. He held his hands over her, and a golden light illuminated his hands and Miranda's wound. Gasping and coughing, she came round.

"Leo ..." She mumbled.

"I'm here." He whispered. She'd nearly died, he'd nearly let her die.

"Why didn't you help ..." She mumbled groggily. "Why didn't you come ..."

----

"He nearly let her die." Odin said sourly. "I warned you ... and we warned him ..."