A/n: I'm very sorry that this chapter took me so long to get up. Clearly my original timetable for this story is out the window, but I do intend to finish it (hopefully soon). Truthfully this chapter gave me a lot of trouble, but finally looking at it from a different point of view clear my writer's block. I hope you all enjoy this short but sweet chapter.

Katie

Disclaimer: I don't own Charmed nor do I own anything related to Roxette's song, "It Must Have Been Love." This takes place after "Magic Hour."

Through the Years

Eight: It Must Have Been Love

Make believing we're together
That I'm sheltered by your heart
But in and outside I turn to water
Like a teardrop in your palm

And it's a hard winter's day
I dream away...

It must have been love, but it's over now
It was all that I wanted, now I'm living without
It must have been love, but it's over now
It's where the water flows, it's where the wind blows

-Roxette, "It Must Have Been Love"

Leo wrenched open his eyes with some effort, but the bright white light sent a lightening bolt of pain straight through his head, so he shut them tightly once again. He had never felt this badly in his entire life. His head pounded; his muscles ached; movement seemed unlikely to ever occur again. He hadn't felt this awful since he was alive.

"Just lie still, Leo," someone said. The voice was brazenly familiar, but for a moment Leo couldn't place it. Even thinking seemed to take effort. Then, when she spoke again, Leo realized it was his good friend Natalie.

"I don't know what they did to you," she said, and he felt a cool hand rest on his forehead.

"Can't you heal me?" Leo whispered. The words came unwillingly from the only strength that seemed to remain with him and his voice rasped as though it didn't want to be bothered with the strain of talking.

"That's against the rules," said Natalie. She sounded, though, as if there was ever a time to break the rules, this would be it. Leo knew, of course, that wanting to break the rules wouldn't mean Natalie ever would.

"You've been out cold for two days now," she continued. "You really must not have wanted to come back Up Here."

Two days? Piper must be frantic. Unless they had done something to her as well. But no–they wouldn't have–would they? "Piper?" rasped Leo desperately, willing Natalie to understand.

"She's fine," said Natalie. "The Elders put a different Whitelighter in charge for now. They want to see you as soon as you're well enough to stand up."

Leo shook his head, unable to understand why the Elders didn't simply heal him if they wanted to speak with him. Why put him through this torture?

"What were you doing anyway?" asked Natalie. Her voice dropped to a whisper and he felt her come closer to his face, her breath warm on his cheek. "There are rumors going around that you tried to marry a Charmed One."

"Piper," Leo said again, annoyed that Natalie refused to call her by her name. He knew that she knew exactly which of his charges he was involved with and he knew that she was not saying Piper's name on purpose.

"Yes. Her. It's not true, is it, Leo?"

"'t's true," he said. "Love her."

"It doesn't matter if you love her," said Natalie, wholehearted disgust evident in her tone. "Leo, you can't go down this path. It won't end well."

"I'll clip..." Leo began.

"Clip your wings?" said Natalie incredulously. "It's not worth it, Leo."

"Is."

Natalie sighed and clasped one of his hands, squeezing it in a friendly manner. He knew that she was trying to comfort him in her own way. He also knew that she didn't quite understand why he was willing to give everything up for Piper and never would be able to understand it. They'd had the argument before and it seemed likely that they would have it again.

"The Elders won't let you," she said after a moment.

"Can't...stop me."

Natalie snorted. "They're the Elders. They can do whatever they want. And they can stop you from doing what you want. They'll stop you from being with her. You'll see."

Leo shook his head, unwilling to agree; unwilling to admit the possibility that he might never see Piper again.

"It's over now, Leo," she said. She sighed again. "We shouldn't be talking about this now. I should let you rest. You're not well."

He felt a light brush of her lips against his cheek and then she was gone from his side. Alone, he drifted away from consciousness again, the thought of Piper still burning in his mind.