Wow, I haven't updated in a while! Sorry about that!! The only excuse I have is that I have had looooaaads of work. So, here is the next chapter, with my apologies.

Chapter 13

The flames didn't come. Phoebe's eyes snapped open, and she gazed about in confusion.

'P…Piper? Prue? And…and Leo?' she whispered, convinced that she was seeing things.

'Come on, do you really think we'd let you burn?' Prue said, attempting to sound cheerful as she flicked her fingers and unbound Phoebe. The younger Halliwell stumbled away from her execution spot, straight into her sisters' arms. For a moment, all three sisters stood there, unmoving. Paige watched on, an ache in her heart. She wanted family like that as well. She just wasn't sure if these three women would allow her to join their family.

Leo cleared his throat.

'Piper, the freeze isn't going to last forever.'

The Charmed Ones, reunited once more, broke apart and looked at one another.

'This is far from over,' Prue muttered darkly. 'Once Pratt finds you missing, he's going to be even more rigorous with his witch trials.'

Piper nodded in agreement. Phoebe turned her face away.

'Prue. Piper. I'm so glad you came to get me…but…'

She couldn't continue, and instead just stood there, tears running down her face. Piper had her arms around her in a second.

'Honey, what's wrong?'

'This is my fault. And there's only one way to stop it.'

Slowly, Phoebe turned and retraced her steps back to the metal pole.

'I have to burn. No, just listen to me,' she said as Prue and Piper opened their mouths to argue. 'I was the only one Pratt really wanted. Once I'm out the picture…'

'Then he'll simply carry on hunting witches. Don't believe otherwise, Phoebe,' Prue told her younger sister seriously. 'Pratt is in this far too deep, now. He has to carry on, or lose face.'

'She's right, Phoebe. Once your gone, there's no Power of Three either.'

'But what other choice do we have?' Phoebe cried. 'I won't let innocents die because of me. That's our job: to save the innocents. If I could save some by sacrificing myself…then I'm willing to do it.'

Leo stepped forwards before the sisters could continue arguing.

'The Elders realised that you wouldn't know what to do. They told me to tell you this: reverse time to when this all started, and you will have a second chance. You can stop this all from happening if only you go down a different path.'

'We can't reverse time,' Phoebe argued, a faint glimmer of hope in her heart. 'We would need someone like the demon Tempus.'

'Why couldn't we reverse time?' Prue asked suddenly. 'We sped time up to vanquish Tempus. I'm sure I can come up with a spell quickly.'

Piper bit her lip.

'Messing with time is dangerous. What if we go back in time like we did before, and we aren't actually in our bodies?'

Paige gaped as she heard this conversation. Going back in time? Witches were far more powerful than she previously thought.

'It's our only chance, Piper. Do you want to lose your baby sister?' Prue demanded. Piper shook her head, but turned to Leo.

'How many years do we have to reverse?'

Leo shrugged.

'I think the Elders said it would be ten.'

'Ten years…?'

'Let's go,' Prue ordered. She held out one hand to Phoebe and the other to Piper. Standing between her sisters, Prue began to chant.

'The bond which was not to be done, give me the power to see it undone…'

Paige watched in horror. Only an hour or so ago, she had found out that she was a witch, and that she had sisters, and now they were going to reverse time. Today wouldn't have happened, and she wouldn't remember anything. She had to at least tell them she was their sister.

'And then turn time back to whence it was…'

Paige opened her mouth to stop them, but someone beat her to it.

'NO!' Leo shouted. Prue stopped, and spun around to face him.

'What? …Why?'

'Because…because…' Leo seemed to struggle with himself. 'Because I know what will happen if you reverse time and choose the other path. The Elders showed me your future.'

'Leo, what is it?' Piper asked.

Leo smiled weakly.

'I was forbidden to tell you, but forget the rules. We did.' He gazed at Piper before continuing. 'Piper…you and I are happily married, with three kids. Two boys and a girl. The girl is called Melinda, but she's not our Melinda who we have now. Phoebe…you find love, I promise, and you have three kids too.'

'Then what's the problem?' Phoebe interrupted. She didn't want to burn, and reversing time seemed the only other option.

'It's Prue,' Leo said quietly. 'She doesn't have a future.'

There was a deathly silence.

'I die?' Prue asked calmly. Leo nodded.

'Not right away. But you will. You try and save an innocent, and…'

He couldn't continue.

'Well, better me than Phoebe and countless innocents. But what about the Power of Three?'

'The Elders were confident that it would continue. But they didn't tell me how.'

'Let's carry on then.'

'No, Prue!' Phoebe said. Piper turned to Leo.

'And you were just going to stand there and let us kill our own sister? Because that is what we would be doing if we turned back time. God, Leo, I can't believe you sometimes.'

Leo opened his mouth, hurt, but was interrupted by Phoebe.

'You can't do this, Prue.'

'It's the only way. Only one life will be lost, instead of many.'

Prue had kept a hold of her sisters' hand all of this time, and now she opened her mouth again.

'The bond which was not to be done, give me the power to see it undone…'

Her hands were shaking, but she was pleased to find that her voice sounded quite steady. The cries of her sisters were faint in her ears as she continued the spell, trying not to think about what was facing her...or the fact that she had very little to face in her life ever again.

'And then turn time back to whence…'

Paige made a split decision. She had to tell them now.

'Wait!' she cried. Prue's shoulders slumped.

'Who is that?' Phoebe asked in confusion, only just noticing Paige.

'I have to tell you something,' Paige said urgently, 'I'm your…'

And then Pratt, the guards and the journalists unfroze.

'Witches!' Pratt screamed. 'They're all witches. Get them!'

'Run!' Prue shouted, pushing Phoebe ahead of her. Phoebe dashed out of the room, followed by Paige, Leo, Prue and finally Piper. They hurried down the corridor, running as fast as they possibly could with the guards and Pratt racing after them. Suddenly, a shot rang out. Piper raised her hands up to freeze the scene. Prue spun around, to move the bullet with her mind. Nobody moved for a few seconds, and then slowly, Piper sunk to the floor.

Soooo, I'm going to leave it on that nice little cliff-hanger for you all! If you are all really nice and review, I will try to get the next chapter up ASAP!!!

Thanks to: Shawn-n-Bell, Awf and Hotcutii for the reviews!

Please please review!!!