Destiny Unfulfilled
She knew it was too late. She could tell by the way the air smelled when she projected into the house. The smell of freshly shed blood was the first scent that hit her nose and she knew it was coming from her father.
Melinda ran from what appeared to be the kicten and straight into the living room where she soon saw him; on the floor covered in blood.
"Dad" she screamed as she immediately ran up to him. Placing his head in her lap, she placed two fingers on his neck and prayed for a pulse that she found but it was weak and faint; barely even there at all.
"Dad, can you hear me?" she cried out to him, cursing herself quietly for not coming sooner. She had called everyone she could but nobody seemed to hear her because no one answered her cry. She then recently remember about her astral projection and quickly concentrated on being with Leo and after a few seconds she was there, at the house with him; but it was too late. Her mom was no where in site and the damage had already been done.
"Dad" she cried one last time before she placed her head onto his bloody chest.
"Mel"
She jerked her head up with a snap as she looked at her father who had just opened his eyes and staring right at her. "Dad, I'm here"
"How did you get-?"
"I astral projected here" she replied as she grabbed a coat from the chair in front of her and placed it on Leo's wounds, trying to stop the bleeding but it wasn't working. It was still coming flowing out hard and steady and Melinda knew that wasn't a good sign.
"You have…to go and find Piper…Thomas took her" he stuttered as he tried to breathe. His whole body felt like it was on fire and he was having trouble breathing. His taste buds were filled with a metallic taste of iron and all he wanted to do was sleep.
"Dad I know, but I have to get you to the hospital before it's too late"
"It is too late" he gasped back as he squeezed her hand, tears falling from his own eyes. It wasn't supposed to end this way but he could his essence was starting to disappear and he knew he didn't have much longer. He had to say goodbye and soon. "Go find your mother."
"Dad it's not to late, I can save you"
"Mel"
"I can, I know I can" she cried to her father. Her mind raced trying to figure out what to do then she remembered her potion. She figured that now would be a good as time as any to test it out and knew she needed help fast. She laid Leo's head down gently and got up to grab the phone but as soon as she felt her body get up, she could feel her real body trying to pull her back.
"No, no, no" she screamed but it wasn't enough because the next thing she knew she was on the floor of the attic. She quickly got up from the floor and went over to the book of shadows and soon found a spell that might help her heal her father.
"What's mine is yours, what's yours is mine. Let our powers cross the line. I offer up these gifts to share, switch our powers through the air. I call on a power of another, switch my powers with my brother's."
She could feel the power be suck out of her and she felt something else entering her body as well. She suddenly could feel a burst of power flowing through her as her body separated into a million white and blue orbs.
"Potion, vial, cork" she called out and immediately the potion that she had been working on all night was vial right in her hand, a trick she had seen her brothers use a thousand times before. Melinda concentrated hard on her father and was immediately orbed back to Thomas's house but she noticed somebody else standing over her father.
"Get away from him" she hissed causing him to turn around and look at her, fear in his eyes.
"What…how did you get here?" he asked her, fear evident in his voice. He could feel his whole body shaking and started to move away from the pissed off girl.
"You're worst nightmare" she screamed as she raised up her hand, preparing to throw him across the room. Before she could however a small voice filled the room causing her to frown at what it said.
"Mel, don't do it. It's not what it looks like"
"What"
"It's not how it seems" the voice whispered again. She looked around the room and noticed that nobody was there beside her, Thomas and her father. Bending down, she heard her father still breathing and realized that he didn't have much time. She opened the wounded man's mouth; pouring the potion into it. Just as she intended, the blood seemed to stop pouring as soon as she got him to swallow it. She raised her hands to heal him when a click of gun caught her attention.
"I don't know what you are but the police are on their way" Thomas whispered as he walked back up to Melinda and Leo.
"Please, you obviously don't know who you're dealing with if you think a gun can stop me." she smirked as she stood up.
"What"
"And it doesn't matter because when the police get here I'm going to tell them what you've been doing, what you done Thomas or should I call you Jeff."
"My name's not Jeff, it's Thomas" Thomas whispered and then lowered his gun. His brother was the one who caused this and now everyone believed that he was the perpetrator.
"What"
"Jeff is my brother, my twin brother and he's the one who's been after your mother; not me"
Melinda gasped at what she heard but then suddenly remembered she had to heal her father. Seeing the gun was lowered, she knelt back down and placed her hands over her father's chest and prepared to heal the wounds. She had seen her Aunt and brothers heal before and knew that the trigger was love. Thinking about all the love she harbored for her father, she soon felt the power building inside her.
Suddenly, a glow illuminated from her hands and seemed to grow brighter and brighter till white light was the only thing that could be seen in the room. Thomas eyes widen in shock as he looked upon the girl who had light shining from her hands. When the light began to disappear he looked to see girl's head in her father's chest sobbing uncontrollably.
"Melinda"
"It's too late" she cried as she looked back up at him.
"What?" he asked confused, not knowing what was going on.
"He's dead, I was too late"
He opened his mouth to say something else when sirens were heard in the outside his house. He opened the door just in time for the paramedics to come inside the house and wheeled directly to Leo. Policemen soon followed and he was so caught up in giving out orders to them that he missed when the paramedics announced that Leo was DOA.
Dead on arrival.
He watched them place him on the stretcher and take him out of the house, a tearful young girl never leaving his side. "I may not know who you really are" he thought to himself as he got inside on of the squad cars himself, "but believe me, I intend to find out"
He knew he was dead, again. He could just feel it and this time he felt angry about it. Before he was calm, thinking that it was always his time but now; now he couldn't help but feel angry that Melinda had to watch him die like that. It wasn't fair he thought to himself as he looked around and realized that he was once again in the plane that he had been on twice before, this time no was there with him.
Leo couldn't help but he found himself screaming to the air around him. He could feel the anger building inside of him as he dropped to his knees and began to cry. He wanted to go back, be his family but he knew it was too late; he was already pronounced dead.
"God Leo, when did you become such a pessimist?"
Leo looked up and noticed that somebody was in the room with him now. He recognized the face of the person standing across from him and couldn't help but gasp.
"What…are you doing here?"
"Is that anyway to talk to an old friend?"
"But you're dead"
"So are you but yet here we are?" they laughed at the shocked Leo.
"Is this some kind of joke, what are you really doing here?"
"I'm doing what I did for your wife all those years ago, I'm saving your life"
"And how are you going to save my life Cole?"
"With the help of a few other friends, I'm going to help you fight the Elders." Cole smiled again as he held out his hand and linked it with Leo's before he had a chance to protest. Suddenly, in bright flash of light, the two of them disappeared and the next thing Leo saw was place that was completely white; a place that he hadn't seen in a long time.
"What are we doing here?" Leo asked Cole who just walked until he was in front of a pair of doors. He pushed opened the doors and walked inside and Leo did nothing but follow him. He walked into a room that was filled with other Elders sitting around a table who immediately gasped when they saw the two of them enter the room.
"What is the meaning of this?" Leo heard a voice scream who he recognized as Odin.
"Like I told Leo here, I'm here to help him fight for his life." Cole growled in return. "And that life doesn't include living it with the Elders."
"You got that right" another familiar voice yelled out into the room. Leo recognized that voice immediately and tears began to sprain from his eyes. He turned around to see someone he hadn't seen in fifteen years, someone he watched die right before his eyes and knew he would live with that image for the rest of his life standing right because a woman with flowing raven hair.
"Chris" he whispered as he walked over to the figure and pulled him into a hug. "Is it really you?"
"Yeah dad, it's really me" he whispered back as he allowed his father to hug him, embracing it for all that it was worth.
Her head was pounding. It felt as if two drummers would beating her brain on both sides; neither wanting to stop the banging. She tried to open her eyes, the pain only intensifying as she did so but she was soon able to see what was in front of her. At first, her vision was blurry but over time she was able to see more clearly and remember the events from the previous moments.
"Oh my God, Leo" was the first thing she said as she tried to move her hands to sit herself up but realized quickly that her hands were handcuffed to the bed.
"Still calling for Leo I see"
He hadn't known how long she had been out but he knew that she wouldn't be out long because the tranquilizer he gave her was only mild. He watched as she opened her beautiful eyes which soon were filed with remembrance of tonight's events. He got up from his corner and began to walk over to the bed but soon stopped when she finally spoke.
"Don't you dare speak his name you bastard" Piper hissed as him as she tried to move her hands again but to no avail, she was stuck.
"It doesn't matter if I say his name or not" Jeff laughed as he walked over to the bed again. He had been waiting for this moment forever, the day when he would finally take Piper as his.
"And why is that"
"Because last time I checked, he was dead."
Tears immediately began to fall from her eyes as she heard the words Thomas was speaking to her. The words Leo and dead swirled around her head and she looked up at the man with anger in her eyes. She wouldn't believe that her husband was dead, not again; he had promised to never leave her.
"You're lying."
"That's what you think." Jeff laughed again. "but as I recall you had already passed out from the wine that I spiked so you have no clue that I pulled out my brother's gun and pointed it directly at Leo. You have no idea how he tried to fight me but as usual, he was too weak and I shot him. I shot him three times Piper and oh, you should him fall to the floor like the pathetic person he was; it was beautiful."
"Stop it" she hissed at him, trying to block out everything he was telling her. She cringed at every word he was saying and she tried not to believe it but she couldn't help it. She could feel it, she couldn't feel Leo connected to her anymore.
"But I'm not finished because you see Piper after I shot him I watched as the blood poured out of him like a fountain and it was one of the best sights that I have ever seen."
"Why would you do this to me, why?"
"Because I wanted to take back what was mine, I had you first and you should have been mine."
"What are you talking about first?" Piper asked confused. "I just met you"
"Oh Piper, don't tell me you forgot who I was. I was the first person that saw you as a human being at that hellhole called Baker High and now you pretend not to remember me. Piper that just hurts."
"Thomas I have no idea what you're talking about, maybe you're just con-"
"I am not confused" he yelled at her, finally walking over to the bed so she could see his face. "And I am not Thomas."
"Then who are you"
"My name is Geoffrey , Piper and you should already know that by now but no matter, I will make you remember me. One way or another" and without another word he left Piper alone in the room and headed out the door.
"Chris I can't believe it's really you."
"Yes dad it's really me and I'm here to help you fight to go back home."
"We both want you to go back home."
"Prue-"
"Hey Leo long time no see." she smiled as he let go of Chirs and wrapped his arms around her. The last time he was in her presense was when she had saved him from dying not to long ago and now it appeared that she was doing the same thing again.
"What are you doing here." Leo smiled as she let go of him and made her way to stand beside Cole.
"I'm here as backup for Chris and they demon thug here."
"You know I could be seriously offended by that." Cole scoffed only to be punched in the arm by the ex Charmed one.
"Shut up."
"What are you doing here, what are any of you doing here." Odin screamed again acknowledging the new presense of the people in the room who all rolled their eyes at him and ignored them, some looking at the Elder with disgust in his eyes.
"You know why we're here Odin, don't play stupid" Chris sneered as he walked in front of his father.
"I don't know what you're talking about"
"An Elder that doesn't know anything, some things never change" Cole laughed as he sat down in the chair at the end of the table, placing his feet on the table."
"Remove your feet from the table" Odin spat, knocking Cole's feet off the table. "You have five seconds to explain what you are doing here along with why this demon is here."
"I would like to know that too, if you don't mind" Leo finally said, joining into the conversation; still confused about what was going on.
"Well Dad, all you have to do is ask Odin; he's the one behind everything."
"Chris, what are you talking about."
"What you're son is trying to tell you is that the Elder's sat this whole thing up. It was there way of getting you back into their ranks."
"No…you're lying; the Elders wouldn't-"
"Wouldn't what dad; try to make you choose between them and you're family. They've done it before and they would do it again, wouldn't you."
Leo waited for Odin to say something about the accusations that slung against him. Tell him that it was all lies but the more he wanted to hear it the more he realized that Cole and Chris were right. The elders were so desperate to have him back that they went as far as to put his family in danger.
"You bastard" he finally yelled as he lunged towards the robed Elder only to be pulled by Cole who really didn't want to hold him back but knew that he had too; he didn't want to be thrown out.
"Leo calm down-" Prue tried to say only to be cut off by an upset Leo
"You want me to calm down, my wife could be dead because of you" he screamed again only to continued to be held back by Cole.
"Leo, I assure you that Piper isn't in any real danger"
"He drugged her and he took her-"
"She's a Charmed One and he's human. I pretty sure that she can handle herself."
"That's not the point, my father is dead because of you and my mother could die as well."
"We need Leo-"
"What about free will and all that other crap you preach about." Cole interrupted. "What about letting magical creatures decide what side they want to fight on and not interfering in their lives. How can you teach one thing and practice another because if you ask me, you're being a hypocrite."
"It's not like that" Odin sighed as he walked over to Leo who was still being held back by Cole. "We are only doing what needs to be done for the greater good."
"Greater good, you sound like Gideon"
"I am nothing like that Elder-"
"Oh really because he wanted to kill my brother because he thought of him as a threat." Chris scoffed as he did his infamous eye roll. "And you killed my father for the concept of the greater good so it looks to me that the two of you are in the same category."
"Leo please listen to me." Odin pleaded again. "You were one of the best that we ever had and to lose you, well it was a major lost for us. Do you know how many other white lighters we lost because they fell in love too. Hundreds gave up their powers because they wanted to be just like you. We figured that if we could get you back, on our side, then the others would see that leaving was the wrong decision and come back."
"You think that's a good enough reason for what you did" Leo hissed, "why didn't you just ask, I could've-"
"And have you refuse like many times before."
"But it would have been my choose, not yours and instead of asking me you put my entire family in danger all for your sake. How dare you?"
"It's for the greater good Leo." a familiar voice called out to the crowd of people. They all turned around to see a brown skinned woman with long locks of black hair down her back. Leo immediately recognized her as the same woman that came to take him away all those years ago.
"It's an angel of destiny."
"Please, call me Nala and I am not hear to discuss matters with any of you only Leo."
"But why me, I thought that I was going to be happy seeing my children grow up and growing old with my wife. It was what I was promised and now you're saying that I can't have that."
"Leo I know you must be devastated but please-"
"No I'm mad, I'm pissed off that you keep taking me away from my family. I gave up everything to be with them and not it feels like it did no good because you still keep interfering. Why won't you leave me alone."
"Because your families life depends on your death." Nala finally said causing Leo to look back up at her in shock as well as every one else in the room.
"What-"
"Leo it was never your destiny to become an Elder but it was never your destiny to stop being a white lighter either. You were always destined to, however, marry Piper and conceive the magical children but at a cost." she smiled as she walked closer to him. "You lost your path and because of it there wasn't a choice in the matter at hand, you had to die just not how we expected."
"I don't understand, what do you mean."
"She means" Prue sighed as she grabbed her brother-n-laws hand and pulled him into a loving hug. "That you have to die in order to became a white lighter again."
"But why do I need to be a white lighter again."
"because you have a destiny to fulfill. The underworld has mobilized once again and this time it will be your children going into the battle, the new power of three and they will need someone to teach them the proper ways of fighting evil."
"But they already have Piper, Paige and Phoebe; they don't need me."
"They may have them but they don't have your knowledge, wisdom nor do they have healing powers of a true white lighter."
"But Chris and Wyatt-"
"As well as Paige are half white lighters, I know but that isn't enough. What happens when they are hurt and cannot heal another, they are not self healing you know. They need you to do this, you need to do this for yourself to fulfill your purpose."
"But what about Piper, I don't want to leave her or the kids; I can't do that to them."
"Who said anything about leaving them" Nala smiled as she reached down into the satchel that was connected to her belt and blew a sandy white powder in his face. Everyone in the room watched as Leo closed his eyes and fell to the floor, smile plastered onto his face."
"What did you do to him." Cole sneered as he tried to grab his once brother and law from the floor only to be pulled back by Chris.
"She put him to sleep to help him with the transition."
"So he really is dead."
"You know what they say about the my family; we never stay dead for long." Chris smiled as he pulled Cole farther away from his father's body and couldn't help but shed a tear as Nala bent down and grabbed Leo's hand, disappear in a ball of sun yellow light nodding at two fellow elder's to follow her.
"I can't believe it, you bastards won again." Cole sneered as he watched Odin disappear along with the female elder intowe with the angel of destiny.
"They didn't win Cole, he had to do this because his family's life depends on it." Prue smirked as she walked over to Cole and grabbed his hand. "Our family's life depends on it."
"If you say so."
"And thanks"
"For what"
"For telling me about the vision plane, for letting me contact Phoebe and warning her what was about to happen."
"It was nothing." Cole smiled as he ran an hand across her cheek and kissed it. "They were my family once too and I just wanted to help out one last time."
"It still meant a lot to me, just like you mean a lot to me."
"Can we please go" Chris finally scowled as he pulled the two apart and away from each other. It wasn't like he wasn't used to it ever since Cole was released from purgatory and slowly started liking his aunt. Sure, they still fought like cats and dogs but the attraction was still there and very much mutual. Chris sighed as they didn't pay him much attention and continued to touch each so instead of watching he decided to leave and ponder what was going to happen to his mother and father.
See I didn't kill Leo off entirely, I could never do that and I hope you liked how I brought everyone back for an appearance and created a relationship between Prue and Cole. Don't know why I did but I did. I think it's because I saw "The Good, The Bad, and The Cursed" the other day and I love the part where they are pressed up against the wall together. Oh well, I will try my best to get the next chapter up as soon as possible and it will probably be my next to last chapter.
Next Chapter: Letting the Pieces Fall in Place
Peace Out,
Ricka