DISCLAIMER: You know the drill. I don't own anything about this except the plot. So, don't sue me and don't reproduce without my permission.
"Tell me again why you two dragged me on a camping trip in the middle of nowhere," Prue says as she pulls a medium sized cooler out of the back of Piper's Blazer. She sets it next to Phoebe, who is sitting indian-style and reading the instructions to the tent. Piper is unloading the sleeping bags with a smile of encouragement.
"It's not the middle of nowhere, Prue," Piper says as she sets the sleeping bags next to the unfolded, unassembled tent. "It's campsite 159, ten miles from a ranger station."
"We're communing with nature," Phoebe says as she hands the instructions to Prue. "It's the Wicca way. Here, see if you can figure this out, my dear telekinetic sister."
"Communing with nature?" Prue asks as she looks over the instructions. She begins to assemble the tent without touching it. "This is coming from the girl who has been afraid of the Woogyman since she was five and the one who was recently injured because she was spooked by a mouse in the sewer."
"Hey, the Woogyman was real. You saw it," Phoebe defends herself.
"And those weren't mice," Piper adds. "They were giant, mutant sewer rats."
"I'm just saying that there's living creatures out here," Prue explains as she finishes setting up the tent. Phoebe and Piper give her a "golf clap," Prue bows, and continues to argue her point. "There's bears and deer and wolves..."
"And snakes," Phoebe interrupts. She smiles and pokes Prue in the shoulder. "You're saying all this BS because of your fear of snakes. Admit it, Prue. It's the snakes."
"All right, it's the snakes. Is it a crime to be afraid of snakes?" Prue asks defensively.
"Diamond backs, rattlers, boa constrictors," Phoebe taunts Prue, making claws with her hands.
"Oh, shut up!" Prue says with frustration. She walks over to Piper's truck and pulls out her backpack. "Everyone's got fears."
"Well, Prue, it's time to face your fears," Piper begins. She sits on the cooler and looks at her older sister. "The Book of Shadows says a true Wiccan should be one with nature. That includes snakes."
"One with nature? When did Wicca mesh with Zen?" Prue asks sarcastically. "Did I miss that training session?"
"Come on, Prue," Phoebe says reassuringly. "We can have some fun out here. You just need to stop being Miss Negativity. Now, I know it's hard, but Piper and I will help you. Right, Piper?"
"Of course. You know me. It's my job to keep Prue from reaching meltdown," Piper jokes.
"Ha, ha, Piper," Prue says with a sly grin. "Well, if we're really doing this, we'll need some firewood."
"I'm all about firewood," Phoebe says. She shoves Piper off the cooler and grabs a bottled water.
"Don't go alone," Prue says sternly.
Phoebe rolls her eyes. "Okay, with the negativity goes the mothering."
"But then there's nothing left," Piper comments sarcastically. Phoebe gives Piper a high five.
"Piper, you are on a roll!"
"Yeah, I think it's the absence of smog," Piper replies.
"If you guys have finished with the comedy at my expense, you can go get the firewood," Prue says, folding her arms across her chest.
"I won't go far, Prue," Phoebe reassures her sister. "Besides, Piper's our master chef. She needs to prepare."
"Fine. If you get lost, yell," Prue says. Phoebe has already started walking away.
"Yeah, whatever," she answers. Phoebe absently waves her hand behind her.
Prue watches skeptically for a moment as Phoebe walks away and then she continues to set up camp.
* * * Jonas watches the youngest Halliwell leave the campsite. He wonders if he should attack now, or if he should wait. 'The sisters are somewhat separated,' he thinks. Then he argues against himself. 'The older ones are too strong together. I won't attack yet.' He retreats into the shadows of the forest and waits for nightfall.
* * * Dusk approaches as the three finish their dinner. Piper throws their trash in a plastic bag.
"Best hot dogs I've ever had, Piper," Phoebe compliments.
"Thank you. I try," Piper says. She looks over at Prue, who is staring thoughtfully into the fire. Phoebe notices this as well.
"Earth to Prue," Phoebe says as she waves her hand in front of Prue's eyes. Prue jerks out of her daze.
"What?" she asks abruptly.
"You were spaced out, Prue," Piper answers. "What were you thinking about?"
"Andy," she answers quietly.
"It's been months. I thought you were past that," Phoebe says as she scoots closer to Prue and puts her arm around her shoulders. "Why the sudden memories?"
"I was thinking about when I first became scared of snakes," Prue explains. "I was playing in the yard with Andy. We were about ten. I ran through the garden and a snake bit me. Andy didn't laugh or call me a crybaby when I started to cry. He gave me a hug while Grams took care of my bite."
"He was such a sweetie," Piper comments. "I remember that vaguely."
"You should," Prue says with an evil grin. "You were the one that called me a cry baby."
"Sorry," Piper says with a sheepish grin. "What can I say? I was seven."
"You were a vicious little kid," Prue jokes. "And don't think I didn't know about all the stuff you did that I got blamed for."
"You were quite the little brat, huh, Piper?" Phoebe asks with a smile.
"Hey, I had to get what I could before you started walking, Pheebs," Piper defends herself. "After you came along I became the stereotypical middle child. Shy, ignored. Well, ignored until something got broken."
"Do I sense bitterness?" Prue says with a sly grin.
"I'd say she's downright sour," Phoebe adds.
"You would be too, if you were me," Piper says with a mock pout.
"Oh we agree totally," Phoebe replies. "You're the perfect person for the role of the middle child."
"No one handles it better," Prue adds. "We wouldn't replace you if we could."
"Okay. Now we're getting sappy," Piper says. "Don't get me wrong. I like sap, but this doesn't feel like the place for it."
"You're absolutely right," Phoebe says. "We should be telling ghost stories and eating s'mores!"
"How about we go with just s'mores," Prue says as she reaches for the marshmallows. "I had my fill of ghosts with that Jackson Ward guy."
"Yeah, bad memories here. I still miss Mark. I mean I've moved on to Leo, but Mark's still in my mind," Piper says.
"Okay. No ghost stories," Phoebe agrees. "Well, we're camping. We gotta do something stereotypical. Campfire singing is out. Prue can't hold a tune."
"Hey! I resent that," Prue yells as she throws a marshmallow at Phoebe.
"Well, you can't! And don't waste the marshmallows," Phoebe says. "What should we do?"
"How about truth or dare?" Piper suggests.
* * * Six hours and a bag of marshmallows later the three sisters are still playing truth or dare. Amazingly, after six hours, Phoebe is the only one who has picked dare.
"All right, Prue," Phoebe says, buttoning her shirt. Piper had just dared her to run around in her bra yelling sexual innuendoes in Spanish. "Truth or dare."
"Well, I don't think I can top that performance. Does what you said even translate into English?"
"Yes, it does, but I don't think you'd want to know what I said," she answers with a sly grin. "Truth or dare?"
"Truth."
"Okay. How many times have you hit a homerun?" Phoebe asks with a suggestive tone.
"What? I hate baseball," Prue says, confused.
"Hello. It was a metaphor," Phoebe says. "Sex, woman! I'm talking about sex."
"Do we really want to know this Pheebs?" Piper asks.
"How many times or how many guys?"
"Guys," Phoebe answers. She's leaning forward eagerly, waiting for the magic number. "Come on, let's hear it."
"Two," Prue answers quickly. Phoebe's jaw drops.
"That's it? You're kidding. God, I am a slut."
Piper and Prue snicker. "You said it," Prue says with a smile.
"Well, who were they?" Phoebe asks.
"Roger and Andy," Prue answers. "Did you think I'd had more experience?"
"Well, yeah," Phoebe says sarcastically. "Now I feel like a hussy."
"You are not a hussy," Piper says with a smile. "Don't you watch MTV? You're called a hoochie."
"Very funny, Piper," Phoebe says sharply. She squirts some water from her bottle at Piper, who ducks away playfully. "All right, Prue. Your turn."
"Uh. Piper, truth or dare?"
"I'll take truth for 100, Alex," Piper replies in her best Jeopardy contestant voice.
"Piper, you wild woman!" Phoebe mocks her sister as she stuffs the last marshmallow in her mouth.
"How many time have you been in love and who were they?"
"I thought you knew the answer to that," Piper says in avoidance.
"I might have missed some along the way, and Phoebe was too busy stealing your boyfriends to notice if you were ever in love," Prue says with a pointed stare at Phoebe.
"Hey!" Phoebe yells. "Watch it, Prue."
"Well, of course, there's Leo," Piper begins. "And Mark. I thought I was in love with Jeremy, but that flopped. Oh, and there was James."
"James? I don't remember James," Phoebe says as she digs through her memory.
"I'd think you would remember him," Piper says accusingly. "You stole him from me shortly before you left for New York."
"Oops!" Phoebe says. "You know it's late. I think it's time to turn in, don't you?"
"Way to dodge the bullet there, Pheebs. Very subtle." Prue comments. She looks at her watch. "It is late though. I'm beat."
"Me too," Piper says, stretching. "I can't believe we ate a whole bag of marshmallows."
"We did?" Phoebe asks. "I wasn't even paying attention." Phoebe yawns and crawls in the tent.
"Piper, you're next to Phoebe. I'm not going to have her kicking me all night," Prue says as she crawls into her sleeping bag.
"Why do I get stuck next to her?" Piper protests.
"I feel the love," Phoebe comments sarcastically. "Really, I do."
"I'm older and I put up the tent," Prue argues.
"Fine," Piper says. "But don't get upset if I'm cranky tomorrow." Piper lies down between her sisters. "Goodnight Prue. Goodnight Pheebs."
"Goodnight Piper. Goodnight Prue."
"Goodnight Phoebe. Goodnight Piper."
"Goodnight Jim Bob. Goodnight Maryanne," Piper yells with a loud Southern drawl.
"Goodnight John Boy," Phoebe adds with a giggle.
"Goodnight grandma. Goodnight grandpa," Prue continues.
"Goodnight," the three sisters say together, although they continue to talk and laugh for a couple more hours.
* * * Piper reaches down and grasps the arm around her stomach. She is still mostly asleep as she pulls it closer to her face. "Leo," she whispers as she rubs the arm. Then she opens her eyes and sees that the hand that she was about to kiss does not belong to Leo. She cries out in shock and pushes the arm away. Phoebe wakes up suddenly and stares, confused, at Piper. Prue rolls over slowly and stares at her sisters.
"What's your problem, Piper?" Prue asks sleepily.
"Phoebe got a little to frisky while we were sleeping," Piper says with a giggle.
"Huh?" Phoebe asks, still confused.
"You had your arm wrapped around my waist, and, well I was having a dream about Leo, so-" Piper trails off, knowing that they will fill in the blanks.
"Ew!" Phoebe says, scooting away from Piper. "You thought I was Leo?"
"You're lucky I woke up," Piper says. "Who knows what I could've done?"
"Ew! Don't go there," Phoebe says with disgust. "Talk about gross."
"If you two are both finished," Prue says, trying to change the subject. "Could one of you tell me what time it is?"
"Uh. It's 7 o'clock," Phoebe answers. She flops back down. "I can't live on five hours of sleep!"
"Well, you're gonna have to," Piper says sternly. "If we're awake, you're awake."
"Just five more minutes, mom," Phoebe whines jokingly.
"Phoebe Halliwell, rise and shine," Piper says cheerfully.
"All right, all right," Phoebe gives in. "I'll rise, but I'll be damned if I'm gonna shine."
"That's the spirit," Prue says as she crawls out of the tent. She stretches and looks to the east. She had never taken the time in the morning to actually notice how beautiful the sky was. "Piper, do you know how to make coffee on a campfire?"
* * * Jonas watches as the Halliwell sisters eat breakfast and decide what to do for the day. He listens to their trivial conversations, plotting his attack. The younger ones want to go hiking. The older one doesn't want to go hiking, but she can't come up with a better idea. So, hiking it is. Jonas likes that idea. It won't be difficult at all. One by one he can separate them, take their powers, and kill them. Not only will he be the strongest warlock in the world, but also his reputation will soar. To be the warlock who rid the world of the Charmed Ones; it was the best evil resume builder he could have. With their powers he could take over the world, and he could finally get his hands on the infamous Book of Shadows. His head is swimming with the possibilities.
He waits patiently until the sisters leave for their hike. Then, he follows them.
* * * "See, Prue, aren't you having fun?" Piper asks cheerfully. They are walking along a path that runs on the edge of a slope that turns into a cliff after about twenty yards. At the bottom of the cliff is a rushing river. Piper walks up to the edge and looks down. "Wow! What a drop!"
"I'll be having fun when you get away from the edge," Prue says nervously.
"Prue's fears, number two," Phoebe says, making an imaginary check mark with her finger. "Heights!"
Piper comes away from the edge. "Relax, Prue. We're communing with nature, remember."
"Well, I think I'm going to commune back at the campsite," Prue says. She turns back the way they came. "You two have fun."
"Oh come on, Prue," Piper protests. Phoebe grabs her arm.
"Forget it, Piper. Prue is 100% city girl," Phoebe comments. "Let her go."
"Okay, fine," Piper says with a mock pout. "It's just that this was supposed to be a trip for togetherness."
Phoebe shrugs. "I guess Prue's not in the mood for togetherness. Come on, let's go."
They walk for about ten more minutes chatting about whatever comes to mind. Then, Phoebe stops. "Okay, nature is calling. Time for a break."
"I'll wait here," Piper says as Phoebe walks off into the trees. Piper walks to the edge of the path and looks across to the other side of the gorge. 'This is a great view,' Piper thinks. 'Prue doesn't know what she's missing.' A moment later Jonas grabs her by the shoulders. He uses his powers to paralyze her and then looks deeply into her eyes. Piper can feel him draining her power, but she cannot move.
"Piper you'll never believe-" Phoebe says as she emerges from the forest. She sees Jonas and reacts immediately. Phoebe picks up a large branch and whacks Jonas upside the head. He falls to the ground, dazed, and Piper collapses to her knees. Phoebe grabs Piper by the arm and they run away towards their campsite. Jonas recovers and starts to chase them, knocking down tree branches along the way. In his rage, he accidentally knocks down an entire tree, blocking his own path. Phoebe and Piper continue running, not knowing that Jonas has lost them. Then, suddenly, Phoebe trips on a root and goes flying down the slope towards the cliff. Piper, who is close behind, also trips. They roll down the slope. Phoebe falls hard into a tree that is jutting out. She is knocked unconscious, but she is also no longer falling. Piper continues. She is about to go over the cliff when she grabs onto a tree root. Her legs continue over the edge and Piper clings onto the root for dear life. She is bleeding from dozens of cuts all over her body. Pain is shooting through her right arm and left leg, and she knows they must be broken. She tries to pull herself up with her arms, but the pain is too great. The cliff crumbles when she tries to push herself up with her legs.
"Phoebe!" she yells desperately. She is succumbing to panic. "Prue! Oh, please! Prue!" she screams. She is beginning to lose her grip. "Prue, help!" Piper's grip slips some more. She closes her eyes, shutting back the tears. She tries to strengthen her grip, but the pain is overwhelming. She says a quiet prayer just before she loses her grip and plummets to the river far below.
* * * "Where the hell are they?" Prue asks as she paces around the campsite. It has been two hours since she left them on the path and she is getting worried. Prue looks at her watch and then decides to look for them. She heads for the hiking path. "Piper! Phoebe!" she yells. Prue walks along the path, being sure to stay as far away from the edge as possible. Unknowingly, she walks past the spot where Phoebe and Piper went over the edge. "Piper! Phoebe!"
Phoebe, who has been slipping in and out of consciousness, hears Prue calling her name. "Prue," she says, trying to yell. Her voice is hoarse and shaky, but she finally manages to yell. "Prue!"
Prue spins around, trying to pinpoint the location of the voice. "Phoebe? Where are you?"
"Down here!" Phoebe yells, excited to hear Prue's voice.
Prue realizes where Phoebe is and carefully inches toward the edge. Her breathing quickens as she faces her fear and looks down the slope. She sees Phoebe lying against a tree about halfway down.
"Prue help!" Phoebe yells frantically.
Prue closes her eyes, takes a deep breath and works her way down to Phoebe. When she reaches Phoebe she gasps. She couldn't tell from the top how bad Phoebe was, but now she could see the seriousness of Phoebe's injuries.
"Oh my God, Pheebs. What happened? Where's Piper?" Prue asks as worry spreads across her face. She has a feeling she knows where Piper is, but Prue doesn't want to accept it.
"I don't know. I thought she made it back to you," Phoebe says weakly. She sees the look in Prue's eyes. "No, Prue. Piper's okay. She has to be," Phoebe says defiantly.
"Pheebs, we don't know anything for sure, but-"Prue says. Phoebe interrupts her.
"Don't say it, Prue. She's okay," Phoebe says. Tears are welling in her eyes. "You have to find her."
"I'm not going to leave you alone, Phoebe," Prue says. "You need to get to a hospital."
"But Piper-" Phoebe protests.
"No buts. There's a CB radio in Piper's truck. We can call the ranger station," Prue explains.
"It would be faster if you went back alone," Phoebe suggests.
"No. I told you, I'm not leaving you," Prue says. She grabs Phoebe and helps her up. Phoebe yells in pain with every movement. They start up the slope for the long and painful trip to the campsite.
* * * "Cursed witches!" Jonas screams with rage. He has begun to take the long way back to the Halliwell's campsite. He decides to kill the young one first. He can't believe that insolent little witch could have done such a thing to him. "She will suffer," he says.
* * * "Prue, I can't go anymore," Phoebe says weakly. Every part of her body hurts. Prue just pulls her along. For the first part of their hike, Phoebe filled Prue in on what happened and it helped her get her mind off the pain, a little. But now nothing could keep her from thinking about the pain.
"Come on, Pheebs. It's not much further," Prue encourages her sister. In truth, Prue really isn't sure how far away the campsite is. "Hang in there, sweetie."
Phoebe just groans in response. She is so weak that Prue is mostly dragging her. Finally, they reach the campsite. Prue helps Phoebe into the tent and starts to head for the truck.
"Prue, wait," Phoebe says, doing her best to sit up.
"What, Pheebs? I need to call the ranger station," Prue says impatiently.
"Get me to the truck," Phoebe says. "I'll call. You have to find Piper."
"Phoebe, I won't be able to find her out here alone. It'll be dark in no time," Prue argues.
"Prue, that guy was definitely a warlock," Phoebe says worriedly. "If he doesn't have Piper already, he will find her. He'll kill her."
"What makes you think he won't come after you?" Prue asks. "If I leave you here, he'll get you. You won't be able to protect yourself."
"Prue, please. You have to find her," Phoebe pleads. Tears are forming in her eyes. Prue thinks about it for a moment and then gives in. She helps Phoebe to the truck, grabs some water, and hands it to Phoebe.
"Lock yourself in here, and call the ranger's station," Prue says. She grabs a sleeping bag out of the tent and covers Phoebe. "Tell them everything that happened, minus the warlock part, of course. Tell them where we are, and that we need paramedics right away, and possibly a search party."
"You'll find her, Prue," Phoebe says. Prue squeezes Phoebe's hand and smiles.
"I hope so, Pheebs," she says quietly. She shuts the door to the truck, grabs a flashlight and some water, and heads out to find Piper.
* * * Piper lifts her head and coughs up a lungful of water. 'Ugh! Fish,' she thinks. Then she remembers what happened.
"I should be dead," she says aloud. "This is impossible." She rolls onto her back and pain shoots through her body. She groans and lies still with her eyes closed. She replays everything that happened from the moment that man showed up until now.
"Phoebe," she says finally. "I hope Prue found her."
Piper decides that it won't do her any good to just lie there. She struggles to stand on her good leg. Then she hobbles towards the trees and grabs a long branch. She breaks the twigs off of it and uses it as a crutch. 'Look out MacGyver. Here I come!' she thinks with a smile. 'All I need is some string and two cans and I can call Prue.'
Piper laughs aloud at that thought and begins to hobble in the direction she thinks will lead her to the campsite.
* * * Three hours have passed since Prue left Phoebe in the truck. "Piper!" she yells, switching on the flashlight. "Piper, can you hear me?"
Prue has become tired and frustrated. She has started to give up. She only continues because she doesn't want to have to tell Phoebe that she has given up. 'Piper's dead,' she thinks as tears form in her eyes. Prue wipes them away and continues walking. Then she hears a noise and stops in her tracks. "Piper? Is that you?" She gets no answer. The sound becomes more like a rattle. (Side note: I have no idea if rattlers are indigenous to California, but they're the most common snakes that I know of.) Prue realizes what that means and backs up against a nearby tree. She starts breathing in short gasps and closes her eyes.
'Not snakes. Anything but snakes,' Prue thinks. She is paralyzed with fear. The rattle continues for a moment and then suddenly it stops. In fact, Prue can't hear any normal nature sounds. She opens here eyes and smiles widely when she sees Piper standing a few yards away from her. Tears stream down her cheeks.
"We don't have time to face our fears right now," Piper says with a smile.
Prue looks down and sees the snake directly in front of her. She quickly walks away from it towards Piper. "I agree," she says. She walks up to Piper and gives her a hug. Piper welcomes the hug, but winces when Prue squeezes a little too hard.
"I thought you were dead," Prue says, wiping away the tears. "The only reason I came looking was because of Phoebe."
"Oh, you found her. Thank God," Piper says with a sigh of relief. "How is she?"
"Pretty bad," Prue replies. "We better get back."
Prue braces Piper as they head back to the campsite
* * * Jonas is not far from the campsite. He can hear a man's voice crackling over a CB radio, but he can't make out the words. All he can tell is that the man is getting no response. Jonas approaches the perimeter of the Halliwells' campsite. He peers through the trees and sees the youngest Halliwell either asleep or unconscious in the truck. 'Perfect,' Jonas thinks. 'This will be easier than I thought.' Jonas is about to approach the truck when the two older sisters emerge from the forest.
"Damn," he swears under his breath. He decides he will have to devise a different plan. Then he notices that one of the girls is injured badly. 'That will help,' he thinks as he leaves the Halliwells to come up with his strategy.
* * * Prue and Piper finally reach the campsite. Piper is pale and weak. Prue helps her lie down in the tent.
"I thought you said she was going to call the ranger station," Piper says.
"She was. I'll go check on her," Prue replies as she approaches the truck. As she gets closer she sees that Phoebe is unconscious, or possibly dead. Prue scrambles to get the keys out of her pocket and unlocks the door. She can hear the ranger station on the CB. Prue reaches for Phoebe's neck to check for a pulse and breathes a sigh of relief when she finds it. Then she grabs the CB.
"Halliwell, come back. We didn't get your location," the man says.
"This is Prue Halliwell at campsite 159. My sisters are seriously injured and need paramedics."
"Okay, ma'am. We can get a forest ranger to you in 15 minutes, but the paramedics won't be able to reach you for another 45 minutes."
"45 minutes!" Prue exclaims.
"Yes, ma'am, I'm afraid so," the man says. "We'll try to get help there as soon as possible."
"Okay, thank you," Prue says disappointedly. She replaces the mike for the CB and turns to Phoebe. "Phoebe, can you hear me?" Phoebe doesn't move. Prue strokes Phoebe's hair and fights back tears. "Help is on the way."
In the meantime, Piper has struggled over to Prue. She puts her hand on Prue's shoulder. Prue turns and they hug for a moment. "She'll be okay, Prue," Piper reassures her. They pull apart. "Phoebe's a fighter."
"I know," Prue says as she wipes her eyes. She tries to regain her composure. "We have to take care of this warlock."
"But we don't even know where he is," Piper says.
"He's on his way here," a familiar male voice says. Prue and Piper spin around to see Leo. He approaches them and gives Piper a gentle kiss.
"It was you," Piper says. "You kept me from dying when I fell."
"Yes," Leo replies. "It was me. But I am not allowed to heal you or Phoebe"
"Why not?" Prue ask desperately.
"I can't say, but she'll be okay," Leo reassures her.
"What are we going to do?" Prue asks. "How can we defeat this warlock without the power of three?"
"You'll have the power of three," Leo begins. "Did you bring the Book of Shadows?"
"Of course. We would never leave it behind for so long," Piper explains. Prue goes to retrieve the book from the tent.
"Good. Your grandmother showed me a spell in there that will give Phoebe enough strength to help banish the warlock. It's only temporary, but it should be enough," Leo explains.
Piper looks at him quizzically. "You knew Grams?"
"Yes, as you know I was assigned to protect the Charmed Ones when necessary," Leo begins. "That included protecting the entire Warren line. I met your grandmother shortly before you were born, Piper. She figured out that I was whitelighter somehow and she showed me the Book of Shadows. She asked that if anything happened to her and your mother, I should watch over Prue and the Book of Shadows. I knew nothing would happen to them, of course, but I promised to do as she asked."
"Wow, that's amazing. How did Grams figure you out?"
"I wasn't very good at controlling my powers back then," Leo says with a sheepish grin. Then he grows serious. "But none of that's important. You three have a warlock to get rid of. I'll move Phoebe out of the truck while you look over the spell, Prue."
A few minutes later Phoebe is lying on the ground and Prue is kneeling beside her. Leo and Piper are sitting nearby. Prue extends her arms palms down over Phoebe and begins to say the incantation.
A boost in strength is what we seek
But this witch has grown too weak
Give her the strength and the will
To banish the impending evilThe three stare at Phoebe patiently. Just when they think it didn't work, Phoebe opens her eyes.
"Piper," Phoebe says weakly.
"I found her, or she found me," Prue says with a grin.
"I'm here, Pheebs," Piper says.
"It doesn't hurt as much," Phoebe says, confused. Then she sees Leo. "Where did he come from? What's going on?"
"I did a spell that will temporarily give you enough strength to help us banish the warlock," Prue explains.
"I'd ask why Leo didn't just heal me, but I'm guessing there's some kind of whitelighter rule that says he can't," Phoebe says as Prue helps her sit up. Leo slides the cooler over for Phoebe to use as a backrest.
"Sorry, Phoebe. I wish I could," Leo says with an apologetic smile.
"I know. So what about this warlock?"
"Power of three spell?" Piper suggests.
"Sounds good to me," Prue agrees.
"I'll distract him while you do it. With Phoebe and Piper not at full strength it may take longer," Leo says.
"No, it's too dangerous," Piper objects.
"Piper you keep forgetting I'm immortal. He can't hurt me," Leo explains, grasping her hand.
"It's a reflex," Piper says quietly. She looks at Leo lovingly. "I just don't want the people I love to get hurt."
"I know," Leo says giving Piper a peck on the cheek. Leo stands. Then he helps Piper up while Prue helps Phoebe. "He's close. He'll be coming from that direction." Leo points in front of him.
"How do you know?" Phoebe asks. "I thought I was the psychic."
Leo smiles. "It's a whitelighter thing. I'm going to ambush him from that tree." He waits till Piper gets her balance and then climbs the tree.
Prue, Phoebe and Piper stand facing the direction Leo indicated. Piper and Phoebe are a little shaky, but they manage to look as intimidating as possible. It is not long until Jonas arrives. He is not even able to utter a word before Leo pounces on him. Immediately the sisters begin the power of three spell. Jonas quickly throws Leo aside, but he is unable to do anything to the sisters. A bright light encompasses him. He screams in rage and then disappears. Almost instantly after, Piper and Phoebe collapse. Leo rushes forward and catches Piper while Prue catches Phoebe, who is unconscious. Minutes later the forest ranger arrives and relays information on the sisters' injuries to the paramedics, who are on their way.
* * * Leo sits next to Piper's hospital bed while she sleeps. The doctor said that she was lucky to be alive, that her fall should have killed her. "In fact, her survival is nothing short of a miracle," he had said. Prue had given Leo a grateful smile when the doctor said that. Now, Prue is asleep on a sad excuse for a couch across the room. She fell asleep finally, even though she had been insistent on waiting for Phoebe to get out of surgery.
Leo holds Piper's good hand in his and stares at her lovingly. He had broken so many rules that Piper didn't know about. The elders had never allowed him to save her or make any contact with the sisters. While Piper had been in surgery the elders had called him back. They gave him an ultimatum. Either he would cease all contact with the Halliwell sisters or he would live out the rest of his life as a mortal. He made his decision and returned to the hospital. He could not imagine never seeing Piper again. He still does not know how he will tell her that he gave up being a whitelighter. He knows she will be upset with him, but he is hoping that she will begin to accept it. He looks at her face and ponders that task. Then, the doctor comes in and wakes up Prue.
"Miss Halliwell," he says, touching her lightly on the shoulder. Prue sits bolt upright. It almost looks like she hasn't been sleeping. Leo looks over from where he is sitting.
"How's Phoebe?" Prue asks. "Is she okay?"
"The surgery went well. It took longer than we expected. There was more damage than we had anticipated, but she'll make a full recovery," the doctor explains.
"When can I see her?" Prue asks eagerly.
"They're bringing her here right now. We thought it would be more convenient to put your sisters together. I just wanted to get down here ahead of them to let you know how she is doing."
"Thank you," Prue says gratefully. She smiles and shakes the doctor's hand before he leaves. She wipes her eyes and turns to see Leo watching her.
"Leo, I don't think I really thanked you for saving Piper, so thank you. I don't know what I would have done-" Prue says, trailing off. "I couldn't bear it, after Andy."
"You're welcome, Prue. I don't think I could have stood by and watched her die," Leo explains. "I love her too much."
"Are you saying that you decided to save her, and not the elders? I thought the elders had to clear all your actions."
"Where did you get that idea?" Leo asks in surprise. "I didn't say that."
"But you insinuated it," Prue replies. She looks at Leo impatiently. "Something's up, I can tell. So, spill it."
Leo sighs and decides to tell the truth. "Yes, I broke the rules and intervened for personal reasons. And I paid for it."
"What do you mean?"
"I am no longer a whitelighter," Leo explains. "I am a mortal and I will live out my life and die."
"But I thought you and Piper had decided that being a whitelighter was more important than your feelings for her," Prue says. She is completely shocked.
"I couldn't do it, Prue," Leo says frustratedly. "I couldn't let her die. I love her, and you can't tell me you wouldn't have done the same."
"What I would have done doesn't matter. You're a-" Prue starts to say when two nurses enter, wheeling Phoebe in on a bed. Prue watches as they hook Phoebe up to a heart monitor and EKG machine and then leave. Prue walks over to Phoebe, who is still under the effects of the anesthetic. Prue holds Phoebe's hand quietly for a moment. Then, Leo breaks the silence.
"Prue-" Leo begins, but Prue cuts him off.
"Leo, it's not my place to judge you or say you made the wrong decision," Prue explains. "I'm glad my sisters are alive, but does that justify the cost? You better come up with a good explanation for Piper because what you've said to me isn't going to cut it with her."
Leo sits quietly and stares at Piper. 'Does it justify the cost?' he wonders. Leo stands, kisses Piper on the forehead and says, "I will always love you, until the end of time."
Prue, who had been staring at Phoebe, looks up.
"Prue, I need your help," Leo says. His eyes are filling with tears. "I need to contact the elders."
* * * Leo and Prue are standing in the attic with the Book of Shadows. It is open to an incantation that will send Leo to see the elders.
"I'm ready, Prue," Leo says as he walks to the center of the attic and turns to face Prue.
Prue looks at him and nods. Then she recites the incantation. Leo disappears in a white mist, and Prue silently wishes him good luck.
* * * Leo is standing in a white room. On the other end of the room two women and three men sit behind a table. All of them are wearing white. Leo approaches the table.
"Leo, what are you doing here?" one of the men asks.
"I've changed my mind. I realized that being a whitelighter is more important, and it doesn't matter how much I love Piper. She could not stay with me knowing that I gave this up for her."
"How can we be sure that you are sincere?" one of the women asks. "Love is a powerful emotion. It is what drives your powers."
"I wouldn't have come back if I was not sincere," Leo argues. "Please, give me another chance."
The elders huddle together and whisper to each other. Quickly they separate. They all look at Leo grimly. The man in the center of the group gives their verdict. "We are sorry, Leo. You made your decision. It is too late. You must live out your life as a mortal and die. Goodbye."
There is a flash of light and Leo is back in the attic.
"That was fast," Prue says.
"What?" Leo asks.
"You were only gone for five seconds," Prue explains.
"Time moves faster there," he replies.
"So, what happened?"
"They said it was too late. I had made my decision."
Prue doesn't know what to say. She just looks at Leo and sees that he is not sure how to react either. He could be happy that he will get to be with Piper, but being a whitelighter was really important to him.
"Let's go back to the hospital," he says finally. Prue nods her head and they leave the attic.
* * * At the hospital Piper and Phoebe are awake and talking about what happened. Leo and Prue walk in and the talking stops.
"Where have you been?" Piper asks. Leo walks over to her and gives her a kiss. Piper sees the look on Leo's face and her smile fades. "What's wrong?"
"I have to tell you something and you won't be completely happy about it," Leo begins.
"Just tell me what it is," Piper says in concern. Prue is sitting on Phoebe's bed and Phoebe is listening eagerly.
"The elders did not give me permission to save you," Leo says quickly.
"What are you saying?" Phoebe asks.
"I am no longer a whitelighter. I broke the rules. I let love get in the way," Leo explains.
Piper and Phoebe just look at him in shock. Finally, Piper says angrily, "Why would you do that? There are so many people you might have saved in the future whose lives are more important than mine. What were you thinking?"
"I was blinded by love," Leo says. "I didn't realize what I had done until I spoke with Prue. I tried to change the elders' minds, but they said it was too late."
Piper is looking away. She is touched that Leo would do that for her, but she is still angry.
"I'm sorry Piper," Leo says. "I wish that it could have happened differently, but you'll just have to accept that I made my choice. I chose you." Leo storms out of the room. Prue looks at Piper and then follows Leo.
"Piper, say something," Phoebe says. She looks at Piper patiently.
"How could he give it up? Why did he do this?"
"He loves you Piper. I thought you knew that," Phoebe says. "You know, Piper, aside from me, you are the biggest believer in fate I know. You're the only person that agrees with me when I say things happen for a reason. Can't you see that here? There could be something we're missing."
"Maybe," Piper says as she wipes the tears from her eyes. "But it's just hard to accept."
"Think of it this way," Phoebe says. "Leo was originally sent to us to watch over the Charmed Ones. So, he did. He has preserved the power of three. Now, you, Prue and I will be able to fight evil and save a lot of people."
Piper ponders that statement silently.
* * * "She hates me, Prue," Leo says sadly.
"Don't say that. You know she loves you as much as you love her," Prue says sharply. "She's shocked and angry."
"But she's right, all those people who I could have helped and I just disregarded them."
"Leo, think of it this way," Prue says. "By saving Piper you preserved the power of three. That was the main reason we ever met you. By preserving the power of three we can go on to fight evil and save a lot of people.
* * * Leo pushes Prue into the room in a wheelchair.
"Prue what happened?" Phoebe asks with worry.
"Nothing, Leo was just taking me for a spin," Prue says hopping out of the wheelchair. "You wanna go for a tour, Pheebs? The doctor said it's okay."
A nurse walks in the room and waits for instructions. Phoebe realizes what Prue is doing and says, "Sure! I wanna get out of this bed."
The nurse walks forward and helps Phoebe into the wheelchair. It takes a couple minutes, but finally Phoebe gets situated. Prue gets behind the wheelchair and pushes Phoebe out the door.
"Prue has never been good at subtlety," Piper says with a grin.
"That was rather blunt," Leo says, smiling back. "Piper, I-"
Piper cuts him off. "Wait. Let me go first. I'm sorry for the way I reacted. I shouldn't have gotten so angry with you. I've decided to look at this situation from a positive perspective. You did your original job. You were assigned to protect the Charmed Ones, and you did. Now my sisters and I can fight evil and save a lot of people."
"Funny, Prue said the exact same thing to get me to come back up here," Leo comments.
"Prue and Phoebe must be on the same wavelength."
"So, where do we stand?" Leo asks.
"Where did we stand before?"
"Lovers that would never be able to have a relationship," Leo says in response.
"Okay. Take the 'never' out of that, and I'd say that's where we stand," Piper says with a smile. Leo smiles and then leans over and kisses her long and soft. He pulls away and Piper smiles.
"Mmmm. You remembered that I like long slow kisses," Piper says contently.
"I remember everything," Leo says. Then Prue and Phoebe come back in the room. Phoebe smiles. "So, all done? How are things?"
"You know exactly how things are. You two were listening at the door," Piper says sternly.
"Piper! We would never do such a thing," Prue says with mock disgust.
"Correction. I would never do such a thing. My chauffeur insisted on eaves dropping," Phoebe says accusingly.
"I don't think so! I was just driving Miss Daisy," Prue quips.
Piper looks at Leo with a grin and says, "Welcome to the family."
