Q/A - Leana: Prue won't be mentioned in Yoko Factor. I do have her mentioned in several season five chapters though starting with Witch's Tail.
Chapter 100: Saving Private Leo
Buffy and Phoebe are sitting at the table typing on their laptops. Paige races in as Piper holds out a plate.
"Wheat germ pancakes?" Piper asks.
"Ah, bagel." Paige says as she grabs a bagel.
"Bagel?" Piper asks.
Buffy shakes her head, "Piper is the best cook in the world and you would rather eat a bagel than something she made from scratch?"
"Has anyone seen my deposition papers? I thought they were in this folder with the cream cheese thing." Cole says as he holds up a folder with cream cheese spread over it.
"Try the one with the jelly stain." Paige says.
"Okay." Cole says as he picks it up. "I got it, thanks. Phoebe, don't forget my law firm's having a party tonight. I wanna show off my new bride."
"If I could finish my work here, that would be great." Phoebe says.
"Cole, pancakes?" Piper asks.
Cole shakes his head, "Trying to watch my cholesterol."
"How about you, Phoebe? I know you want some of these." Piper says.
"No, you know what I want? I want quiet. My advice column is due today." Phoebe says.
"No pancakes?" Piper asks.
"No pancakes. But, shh, with syrup on it would be good." Phoebe says.
"I'll take them, Piper. Slayer metabolism as you well know keeps me pretty hungry." Buffy says.
Piper smiles and mouths, 'Thank you.' She places a plate in front of Buffy with a stack of pancakes.
Leo orbs in.
"Oh, Leo, just in time for some delicious wheatgerm pancakes." Piper says.
Leo shakes his head, "Uh, no, I don't have time. I just came to get my toolbox."
"Alright, you know what? I'm not cooking for anyone other than myself and Buffy anymore. From now on you're all on your own." Piper says as she walks behind Paige.
Cole flicks his hand and the toaster pops up.
"My bagel." Paige says as she turns around, she bumps into Piper and Piper drops the plate of pancakes.
"Ohh." Piper says.
"Can everybody please be quiet!" Phoebe says as her laptop beeps. "Oh, no. My battery died."
Cole looks at the smoke alarm and it beeps.
"Smoke alarm." Leo says as he levitates up to the smoke alarm to try and turn it off.
Cole leans next to Phoebe. "You know, you'd get all the quiet you want if we had our own place." Leo turns off the fire alarm and levitates back to the floor. Cole kisses Phoebe. "Gotta go. I'm meeting my new personal assistant today. Bye."
"And I am off to quieter pastures." Phoebe says as she grabs her stuff and leave the kitchen. Leo sighs.
"Honey, you look tired." Piper says.
"I've been working double shifts. The Elders have been piling it on me ever since you guys took out the Source." Leo says.
"What's with the toolbox?" Paige asks.
"Leo poses as a handyman, it's actually how Prue, Piper, Phoebe and I met him. And then Piper fell hopelessly in love with said handyman." Buffy says.
"Ooh." Paige says.
Leo nods, "The Elders want me to check out a potential Whitelighter. She's a school teacher about to fall off the path, she needs some inspiration."
"Speaking of inspiration, it's the 60th anniversary of the battle of Guadalcanal and they're having a reunion for local veterans, so I RSVP'd for you." Piper says.
"Piper, I can't be seen there." Leo says.
"Well, no, it's okay, I told them that you were your grandson." Piper says.
Leo frowns, "Well, that's not it. I-I don't want to go. You would've known that if you would've asked me or talked to me about it instead of just making decisions for me." He grabs his toolbox and orbs out.
"I wonder what's up Leo." Buffy says.
In the conservatory, Phoebe is there typing on the laptop as Paige walks in.
"Phoebe, have you seen my keys anywhere?" Paige asks.
Phoebe shakes her head, "No."
"Ugh!" Paige says.
Piper walks in and sits down, followed by Buffy. "Leo is not answering my call."
"Is it an emergency?" Paige asks.
Piper shakes her head, "No. But I just wanna talk to him so I can figure out why he's so mad at me. I mean, I can't believe it's just because he doesn't want to go to the reunion."
"I have to agree with Piper. Something is up with Leo." Buffy says.
"Maybe because it's because, I don't know, he died at Guadalcanal." Paige says.
"Yeah, but he died a hero. Although, come to think of it, he doesn't really talk about it very much. Phoebe." Piper says as Phoebe continues to type on the laptop. "Phoebe, come on, what do you think?"
"I think, Piper, that I came in here to get away from all the chatter." Phoebe says as she closes the laptop. "Okay, I have a deadline." She gets up and pulls out the plug. "I am working Phoebe."
Paige looks between the couch cushions. "Ah, found 'em!" She sees Ghost #1 standing on the stairs. "Ah! Who are you?"
"What? Wait, you can see me?" Ghost #1 says.
"More like through you." Paige says.
Buffy and Piper goes to Paige.
"Paige, stand back. Phoebe?" Buffy says.
"What?" Phoebe says as Ghost #1 disappears and she walks in.
"We just saw a ghost, that's what." Piper says.
"Yeah, my first one too. I mean, that I wasn't related to. It was kind of cool." Paige says.
Piper shakes her head, "No, not cool. Unless he was friendly which considering who we are and what we do probably not."
"Well he could be like, Mark." Buffy says. "Or he could be like Jackson Ward."
"This is great. This is exactly what I need today. What do we do?" Phoebe says.
"You go back to your deadline. Buffy and I'll go get the books and brush up on our ghost busting." Piper says.
"No-no-no. I'll go do it." Paige says.
"You just said you were late for work." Buffy says.
Paige nods, "Yeah, but I mean, he's a ghost. Who knows where he came from, what era. He's like a piece of man hunk history."
"Knock yourself out." Piper says as Paige leaves the room.
"I'm going to help her. Since I already know one way to vanquish a ghost. And let's just say I don't want to do that again." Buffy says and heads upstairs.
Piper walks over and picks up a photo of Leo in his army uniform.
Later in the Conservatory Buffy and Paige are looking through both Book of Shadows while Piper is going through some of Leo's stuff. Phoebe's in the dining room typing on the laptop.
"Did you know there's a potion in here to vanquish ghosts?" Paige asks.
Piper nods, "Yeah, uh, you pour it over their bones. We used it a couple of years ago. That's weird, look at this." She holds up a medal.
"What is it?" Buffy asks.
"Leo's medal of honor. And it's just stuffed in his old army file like it doesn't mean anything." Piper says.
"Aww, maybe he's just being humble." Paige says.
Piper shakes her head, "No, it's not that, it's something else. I know it, I know him."
"There's also a spell to vanquish ghosts. It should be in the book somewhere." Phoebe says.
"Yeah it's in there alright. Despite my wanting to burn it." Buffy says.
"Why?" Paige asks.
"You have to be ghost to say it." Buffy says. "We did that almost three years ago. I drank a potion that stopped my heart so I could be a ghost and say it."
"Oh." Paige says.
"That was one of the three times, I've died." Buffy says.
Paige's eyes go wide, "Oh!"
The power goes off.
"Oh, no, no, no. I didn't save any of it. I just lost half my document." Phoebe says.
"Alright, relax, I'll check the circuit breaker." Piper says.
Phoebe sighs, "I really need to get my own place."
"Sorry?" Piper asks.
"Nothing." Phoebe says.
"Would you like me to check and see if the battery for my laptop works in yours, Pheebs?" Buffy asks.
"Sure Buffy that would be great." Phoebe says as she walks into the kitchen
Buffy goes to check the laptops and shakes her head sighing. They don't match. She knew it was a longshot. She walks into the kitchen just as the lights come on.
"Power's on!" Piper calls from downstairs.
"Sorry Pheebs, yours doesn't match with mine." Buffy says.
"That's okay Buffy. Thanks for checking though." Phoebe says as Piper comes up from the basement. "Uh, call me on my cell if you need anything. Okay, I've gotta go." She leaves as Paige walks in.
"Nice job with the lights, sis." Paige says.
Piper shakes her head, "I can't figure out what keeps tripping the breaker."
"Maybe it's a ghost." Paige says as she holds up a photo. "Found this in the file. The guy to the left of Leo. Does he look familiar?" Buffy and Piper look at the photo. "That's our ghost. He was killed in action. His brother's on the right. They died the same day as Leo. Could be a reunion he wants to avoid having."
"Leo? Leo, I mean it this time." Piper says.
Leo orbs in. "What? What is it?" Piper shows him the photo. "Nathan."
Piper nods, "Yeah, we just met him. He looked pretty good, a little transparent, but otherwise he looked pretty good. For a dead guy. Talk to me."
Leo shakes his head, "There's nothing to talk about."
"Hey, Wyatt." Rick says as Buffy, Piper and Paige back away from the voice. Rick and Nathan walk through the wall. "You're right, little brother. He is the spitting image of his grandfather."
Rick grabs a kitchen knife.
"Rick, don't!" Leo says.
Rick throws the knife, hitting Leo in the chest. Leo falls to the floor.
"Rick? How did he know your name?" Nathan says.
Leo pulls out the knife and the wound heals itself.
"Leo." Rick says.
"I can explain." Leo says as he gets up.
"Rick, let's go. Rick, come on, let's go!" Nathan says as they disappear into the wall.
Moments later they are in the living room.
"I can't believe they've been holding on this long just to hurt me." Leo says.
"What I don't understand is why they're not transparent anymore. I mean, other than the walking through walls thing, they kind of seem normal to me." Paige says.
"They've been practicing. Corporealising so they can move things." Leo says.
"Yeah, like butcher knives." Piper says.
"Well, they're holding onto their pain, that's what keeps them from moving on." Leo says.
"Their pain? Leo, they just tried to kill you." Buffy says.
"Yeah, lucky they're not Darklighters otherwise you would've been killed. Again." Paige says.
Leo shakes his head, "You don't understand, we were friends. We grew up together down in Burlingame. I went to school with Nathan. When the war came we made a deal with our recruitment officer that we would enlist as long as they kept us in the same unit."
"You were close." Buffy says looking at Piper.
"Yeah." Leo says.
"So, um, what do they think you did?" Piper asks.
Leo sighs, "We just got transferred onto the island. We got ambushed outside the air field. Heavy artillery, order fire. They couldn't keep up with the injuries, the bodies. And I heard Rick's voice." He goes on to tell them how Nathan and Rick died. "I should've stayed. I should've tried to save Nathan and get him outta there."
"Then you would've all died in the tent. And all the guys in the field that you did save would've died too. You did the right thing." Piper says.
"And Leo, god sakes, you were awarded the medal of honor, posthumously I might add." Paige says.
"I didn't deserve it." Leo says.
"Right, so I suppose you didn't deserve to be a Whitelighter for sacrificing your life to save others." Piper says.
Leo sighs, "Were those lives any more important? Then Nathan's or Rick's? Or anyone else in that tent? You know, a good friend put his life in my hands and I left him to die. All the good that I've done since then, can't erase that fact. Maybe I didn't deserve to become a Whitelighter."
"Hey, news flash, friends don't kill each other, okay. I say we douse their dusty bones with our magic potion and vanquish their sorry asses." Paige says.
Leo shakes his head, "No, you can't do that. They didn't do anything wrong."
"Okay, so what do you suggest?" Buffy says.
"If I could talk to them, make them understand why I did what I did. Then maybe they can move on." Leo says.
"Maybe you all can. We need to find where they were buried so we can summon them. Before they try to hurt anybody else." Piper says.
"Yeah, like us." Paige says.
Moments later Paige hangs up the phone. "Found them. Rick and Nathan Lang, buried November 22nd, 1942 at the local V.A." She walks into the living room where Buffy, Piper and Leo are.
"Okay, where's the books? We need the summoning spell." Buffy says.
"Already ahead of you." Paige says as she holds up a piece of paper. "Who are you gonna call?"
"Cute. Lets go." Piper says.
The Elders call Leo.
"Wait, something's wrong. It's Maria, the teacher, she's in trouble. I have to go to her." Leo says.
Rick and Nathan pop their head through the wall.
"But what about the ghosts? I thought we had to find them before they hurt someone else." Paige says.
"If something happens to one of my charges..." Leo says.
"No-no, it's okay. Um, go, and-and just meet us there when you're done. It's all gonna be okay." Piper says as Leo orbs out. "Let's go."
A couple hours later Buffy, Piper and Paige walk in through the front door.
"Okay, you can get the vanquishing spell and I'll get. Leo!" Piper says.
"Uh, don't you mean potion? Remember, the spell only works if you're dead." Paige says.
"Right. Spell potion, whatever. Leo!" Piper says.
"So does that mean we're not interested in helping them move on?" Paige asks.
"To hell maybe. That's what they deserve. We went to the VA to help misguided ghosts, not killer ghosts." Piper says.
Buffy sighs, "We don't know for sure that they killed that guard."
Piper glares at Buffy and Paige.
Paige sighs, "Vanquishing potion, I'm on it."
Buffy nods, "I'll grab the spell we used for Jackson Ward. But I'm telling you now. Someone else can die. I don't want to make this number four."
Phoebe stands on the stairs wearing the black outfit.
"Phoebe." Piper says.
"What's the matter? Don't you recognize me? What do you think?" Phoebe says.
"You look beautiful." Buffy says.
Phoebe smiles, "Thank you."
"Wow, Cole is kinda splurging lately, huh?" Piper asks.
Phoebe nods, "Yeah, and I am not complaining. I enjoy being the bell of the ball."
"Well, sorry, Cinderella, the ball's been cancelled. We have killer ghosts." Piper says.
Phoebe laughs. "You're kidding? You are not kidding. Okay, well, is it possible that you guys can maybe handle this without me?"
"Phoebe, they tried to kill Leo." Paige says.
"What?" Phoebe says.
Buffy nods, "They're holding a grudge against Leo. Come on Paige let's go get the potion and that spell."
"Okay, and I will call Cole and tell him no to the party. I guess I can tell him no to anything." Phoebe says as she picks up the phone.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Piper asks.
"Nothing, nothing. Cole wants us to get our own place." Phoebe says.
"What, you mean move out?" Paige asks.
"Yeah, you know, like normal married couples do." Phoebe says.
"We didn't." Piper says.
Phoebe sighs, "Yeah, but you're not normal."
"Neither are you." Buffy says.
Phoebe sighs, "Look, I don't wanna fight about this, but I just don't like the feeling that sometimes I have to choose between my sisters and my husband."
"It's not about that and you know it." Piper says.
"How long are we all gonna stay here? You know, another year? Another five years? Another fifty years? At what point do we move on with our lives and not let evil dictate with them?" Phoebe asks.
Buffy sighs, "You're right. Go to your party. We'll take care of the ghosts."
"Uh, you guys hate me right now." Phoebe says.
Piper shakes her head, "No, we don't."
"No." Buffy says.
"Yes they do." Paige says.
"Look, we can talk about this later. Right now you need to go take care of your man and I need to take care of mine. It's as simple as that. We don't need the power of three to do this." Piper says.
Phoebe heads for the door.
"You know, I've got a bone to pick with you. Seeing as how you practically forced me to move in here." Paige says.
"Where's Leo? I already called for him twice. Leo! You're half-Whitelighter, see if you can sense him." Piper says.
"Sense him? I've never done that before." Paige says.
"You can do it, Paige. It's just like the orbing. Clear your mind. Focus."
Paige closes her eyes for a moment, then opens them. "I think he's in trouble."
"Well, go find him. Now." Piper says.
Buffy grabs Paige's hand as she orbs out.
At Maria's place, Leo is sitting on the floor beside Maria, crying as Buffy and Paige orbs in.
"Leo." Buffy says.
Leo sighs, "I tried to stop them but I couldn't."
"Okay, come on. Come on. Let's get up." Paige says as she and Buffy pull him away from Maria. "Let's go over here. That's it." They sit on the couch. "Okay, what happened?"
"They're getting even with me. They killed her because of me." Leo says.
"Who? Rick and Nathan?" Buffy asks.
Leo nods, "Because I left them to die. They're making me pay." He cries.
"Come on, let's get you home." Paige says.
Leo shakes his head, "I don't have my powers anymore."
"What happened?" Buffy asks.
"I can't orb or heal." Leo says.
"But how?" Paige asks.
"It doesn't matter. I shouldn't have been given them in the first place." Leo says.
Buffy shakes her head, "That is not true. Your powers must be tied to your emotions like ours. That means you can get them back. You just have to pick yourself up. Don't let them defeat you. You are not responsible for their actions."
"Aren't I? They're ghosts because of me. Their rage comes from something that I did. If I can just give myself to them." Leo says.
"They'd kill you. Because without your powers you're defenceless, like a mortal. Okay, we've got to get you home." Paige says.
Leo sighs, "No! Nobody else is gonna die because of me. You understand? These are my demons, not yours!"
"Okay, just, just give me a minute. I-I am gonna go and I'm gonna get Phoebe and Piper, I'll be right back, I promise. Paige stay with him don't leave him alone." Buffy says as she flames out into the elevator at the apartment where Cole's party is going on. She exits the elevator and heads straight for Phoebe and Cole.
"Mmm, maybe. Now who's disappointing who." Phoebe says.
"You could never disappoint me." Cole says as they kiss.
"Sorry to interrupt." Buffy says.
"Buffy, what are you doing here?" Phoebe asks.
"I thought I'd track you down first, Leo needs our help bad." Buffy says.
Phoebe looks at Cole.
Cole nods, "By all means. Go." He kisses Phoebe quickly.
"Okay." Phoebe says.
"Call me." Cole says.
Phoebe and Buffy enter the elevator and when the doors close, Buffy flames out with Phoebe.
At the Manor in the attic, Piper has set up candles and a potion on a table. She puts some things in a pot.
Rick appears behind her and grabs a knife.
Piper turns around and he throws the knife. She freezes it in midair. She unfreezes it and it drops to the ground. "I'll kill you."
"That potion only works on my bones. Remember?" Rick says as Nathan appears behind her. She spins around and he stabs her. She falls to the floor. Rick and Nathan kneel beside her. Rick covers her mouth. "No calling out for help, Mrs. Wyatt, not this time. Not that he can help you anyway."
"Rick, let's go, man, let's go." Nathan says.
Rick shakes his head, "No, no, I wanna enjoy this. Every last beat." He reaches inside her chest and squeezes onto her heart. "Your husband's next." Piper stops breathing. "There."
Buffy flames in with Phoebe.
"Hey!" Phoebe says.
"Piper!" Buffy says.
They race over to her. Phoebe feels for a pulse.
"We'll be back." Rick says as they disappear.
Phoebe starts doing CPR.
"Paige!" Buffy calls out as Paige orbs in. "Get Leo back here now."
Paige orbs out and a moment later she orbs back in.
"Come on, breathe." Phoebe says.
Buffy dials her cell phone, "Hello my sister isn't breathing and were getting no pulse. 1329 Prescott Street. Hurry." A moment later Paige orbs in. "Where's Leo?"
Paige shakes her head, "He wasn't there when I got back, I knew I shouldn't have left him. Where's the ambulance?"
Buffy shakes her head, "Still not here."
"Is she...?" Paige asks.
"No, as long as we keep the blood flowing she still has a chance. Buffy, put some pressure on her wound please." Phoebe says.
Buffy hands the phone to Paige and gets down on her kneels and places her hand on the wound applying a little Slayer strength.
"Piper!" Leo calls from downstairs.
"Leo, upstairs, hurry!" Phoebe says.
Leo runs in. "What happened?"
"Where have you been?" Phoebe asks.
"I went looking for them." Leo says.
Rick and Nathan appear.
"And here we are." Rick says.
Nathan punches Leo and he lands on a table, breaking it. Paige lunges at Rick and he turns invisible. She goes right through him landing into some boxes. She looks up and he slaps her.
Buffy looks at Phoebe, "Whatever you do don't stop."
"You can't hurt us, but we can hurt you." Rick says and he picks up the knife and aims at Phoebe.
"Wait! You don't want them, you want me! You wanna get even, get even with me!" Leo says.
"You're right. I trusted you with my life and you left me!" Rick says as he punches Leo in the face.
Piper's spirit floats out of her body. "What's going on?"
"Piper?" Phoebe and Buffy says.
Piper sees her body. "Oh. Oh my."
"We need to get the Book of Shadows!" Buffy says as her Book flames out and flames in next to her. "Woah. Ok!"
Rick and Nathan beat up Leo.
"You were our friend and you left us to die." Rick says.
"Quick, find the spell, you know the one Buffy." Piper says.
Buffy opens her Book and flips to the spell for a ghost to vanquish another ghost. She finds the page and turns it to face Piper, "Here."
Rick holds a knife above Leo.
"Do it." Nathan says.
"Ashes to ashes..." Piper says.
"What the hell?" Nathan asks.
"Spirit to spirit, take their souls, banish this evil." Piper says.
"No." Rick says and he and Nathan are vanquished.
Piper starts floating up. "Uh, little help here, people."
"Damn it, Leo, do something. You're a Whitelighter for a reason, because you did good things." Paige says.
"Think of all the lives you've saved, all the good you've done." Phoebe says.
"And all the lives you won't save if you give up now, including your wife's." Buffy says.
"Piper." Leo says as he rushes over to Piper's body. "Come on, damn it, breathe." He starts CPR. "Don't die, not this way. Because of me." His powers come back and he starts healing her. Her spirit returns to her body and she gasps.
"Well, it's about time." Piper says as Paige giggles. "That was close." Leo hugs her. "Really close."
"At least it wasn't me this time." Buffy says.
"Yeah but you better watch it Buffy," Piper says. "I'm closing in. That's two for me."
Buffy laughs and hugs Piper.
At the Guadalcanal reunion Elderly people have gathered in a room as Buffy. Piper and Leo arrive.
"Come on. You belong here." Piper says.
Leo shakes his head, "I don't know, I still don't think it's a good idea."
Buffy smiles, "Your grandfather would want you to be here."
They walk into the room.
"Hey, you. Dear, god. I'm looking at a ghost." Elderly Man #1 says.
"You know him?" Piper asks.
Leo nods, "Yeah."
"You're related to Leo Wyatt, aren't you?" Elderly Man #1 says.
Buffy nods, "Yes, this is his grandson, Leo Wyatt the third."
"Billy, Frank." Elderly Man #1 says as two men stand beside him. "I want you to meet the grandson of the man who made it possible for you to be born. His grandfather died, saving my life, sixty years ago. You wouldn't be here today if it wasn't for that man."
Billy smiles, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Wyatt." He shakes Leo's hand. "My dad's been telling stories about your grandpa since I was a boy. I'd like you to meet my family. Hey, guys, come here."
"Franklin, Serdez..." Elderly Man #1 says as another two men walk over. "He's kin to Leo Wyatt. He's the one who saved your butts too."
Franklin smiles, "God bless you, son." He shakes Leo's hand. Other elderly men wander over to Leo and they all shake his hand.
"A pleasure to meet you." Elderly Man #2 says.
"Nice meeting you, son." Elderly Man #3 says.
A woman walks over to Piper and Buffy. "What's going on? Who is that?"
Piper looks at Buffy and smiles, "My hero."