"What are we looking for again?" Leo asked Piper as they moved hand in hand through the outdoor market.
"Portabellos," Piper responded as they stopped at a stand selling fruit.
"Are they apples?"
"No, silly, mushrooms," Piper punched him in the arm, "Very large mushrooms."
"I'm a child of the depression, remember," Leo answered, "Sometimes we were lucky to have food on the table."
Piper smiled at him, "Sometimes I forget you're over 80 years old..."
"I do too."
"Oh, here we go." Piper pulled him to the next stand. "These are portabellos."
"I don't know about those, Piper." Leo looked at them, the expression on his face a combination of wonder and disgust. "They just don't look right."
"Come on Leo" Piper said paying for the mushrooms, "You've got to have a little adventure in your life."
"I've had plenty of that." Leo took her hand again and they began to work their way through the crowd.
Piper stopped to look at something not letting go of Leo's hand. He kept going, their arms stretched out between them. Their arms suddenly caught a man trying to get through the crowd.
"Excuse me..." Leo said dropping Piper's hand. The man looked directly into Leo's eyes and there was something that unnerved him.
"Yeah, whatever buddy." The man replied and moved back into the crowd.
Leo watched him go and the man looked back at Leo, his black eyes piercing a hole into the daylight.
"Piper..."
"Hmmm."
"Let's get out of here."
"I still want to..." Piper protested.
"Now, please..."
Piper looked up at Leo. She had never seen him so scared, he was positively frightened.
"This way," Leo took her hand and went the opposite way of the man.
They ducked into an alley and Leo pulled her close.
"Can anyone see us?" he asked.
"No, Leo...." Piper looked around. "What about the car?"
Leo looked skyward and they turned into a cloud of blue light.
* * * "I don't know why you're doing this Prue." Phoebe was standing on a chair digging through the built in china cupboard. "It's not here."
"I know it's there."
"No, it's not," Phoebe hopped down, "And you're not answering my question."
Prue got up on the chair and peeked into the cupboard. She spied what she was looking for but couldn't reach it. She waved her hand and the silver ice bucket moved to her outstretched hand.
"Here it is." Prue replied, "Because I want to."
"It's just Jack.'
"So..."
Suddenly Leo and Piper orbed into the kitchen.
"Avoiding the high cost of gas, are you?" Phoebe asked as Piper was getting her bearings.
"I'll never get used to that." Piper plunked the bag of mushrooms down on the counter. "Are you going to tell me what that was all about?"
"About what?" Prue asked setting the ice bucket on the kitchen table.
"Well, we were just shopping and all of a sudden Leo had to come home."
"You look like you saw a ghost." Phoebe observed the scared look on Leo's face.
"I think I did."
* * * She's gone, he thought to himself. She was exactly what I needed and now she's gone. He scanned the crowd anxiously. It could be quite a while before he found another so perfect. She's gone.
He looked over his shoulder, the darn love birds are gone too. This is not going to be his decade.
* * * "Are you sure?" Piper asked Leo as he sat down at the kitchen table, "Was it really a ghost?"
"It could have been," Leo replied searching his memory. "I really don't know who or what I saw."
"Demon, Warlock, Ghost?" Prue asked.
"No... it was a man." Leo answered slowly.
"The one that ran into us?" Piper asked and Leo nodded "I don't remember much about him."
"There wasn't much to see but I know him from somewhere, sometime."
"Don't worry, Leo," Phoebe said putting her hand on his shoulder "Mortals we can handle."
Phoebe was transported to the farm market. The man was following a young girl and ran into Leo and Piper.
"What did you see?" Leo asked.
"Him." Phoebe answered, "I saw him."
"What was he doing?" Piper took Leo's hand, he was still shaking.
"Following a girl," Phoebe started to move toward the door. "Let's go Prue."
"Where are we going?"
"To get Piper's car."
"Be careful." Piper told her sisters as they left through the back door.
* * * If there was one part of his job he really hated, it was this. Morris thought as he pulled up to the crime scene. Children should never die. And certainly not like this.
"Whatsha got Dave?"
"DOA, female maybe 13." the uniformed officer replied pulling back the white sheet covering the body. "Raped, beaten and stabbed."
"Darn, any ID yet?" Morris asked squatting next to the girl. She was so young, so innocent.
"Not yet," Dave answered.
"10 to 1 she was born in October."
* * * "Hey Prue," Phoebe nudged her sister."Isn't that Darryl's car?"
Prue looked across the street and saw the crime scene.
"Yeah, that's him."
"Wonder what happened." Phoebe grabbed Prue's arm and dragged her across the street.
"Pheebs, we really shouldn't..."
"Come on."
Morris covered up the girl and the medical examiners office moved in. Standing up he saw Prue and Phoebe crossing the street.
"Now, why did I know I'd see you two today?"
"Hey, Darryl." Prue greeted her friend.
"What's going on here?" Phoebe asked peeking over his shoulder.
"Young girl, murdered." Morris tried to sound unconcerned and businesslike, but this was really starting to bother him.
"Well, we just came down to get Piper's car." Phoebe explained.
Behind Morris the medical examiner was putting the girls body on a stretcher.
"You two really shouldn't be here." Morris tried to move them away from the scene.
The sheet slipped of the girl as she was being strapped on the gurney and Phoebe caught a glimpse of her face.
'That's her.' She pulled on Prue's shirt sleeve.
* * * Piper reached into the refrigerator and pulled out the pitcher of iced tea. She filled the tall glass on the counter and brought it to Leo at the table. They had barely moved since Prue and Phoebe had left.
"I'm sorry Piper." he said reaching for the glass. "Things don't usually effect me this way."
"It's OK." Piper tried to sooth him, but she had a feeling that nothing she said would help. "We'll get to the bottom of this, you'll see."
"I just feel like I'm a scared kid again and I don't know why."
Prue and Phoebe walked into the kitchen.
"Hey." Phoebe greeted them.
"Did you get it?" Piper asked and Phoebe threw her the keys.
"We got more than the car," Prue said mysteriously as Morris walked into the kitchen behind them.
* * * He found her. This might just be his day. Everything about her was perfect. Everything. Now he need two more. The search would begin immediately.
* * * "What's going on Darryl?" Piper asked as the three of them sat at the table with Piper and Leo.
"I saw her." Phoebe answered for Morris.
"We know that." Piper said.
"No, the girl from my premonition... she's..."
"Been found murdered." Morris finally got his answer in.
"Oh, no," Leo put his head in his hands. "I could have stopped him..."
"It's not your fault." Piper tried to comfort him.
"She's right Leo," Prue tried to help, "You had no way of knowing."
"Phoebe said you recognized this guy." Darryl looked at Leo. He could tell that this was tearing them both up inside.
"Yeah," Leo replied. "But I don't know from where."
"Here in San Francisco?"
"I think so, it's got to be."
"When?"
"Now, that's a complicated question." Piper answered for Leo.
* * * Shopping malls have been the best places for the search for the last 30 years. Someday he would have to thank the wonderful man that invented them. The video arcade, gift stores or fast food places, one of these places would result in the proper candidate. He had only a couple of days left. He had no time to be picky.
* * * "Complicated, how?" Morris loved the sisters, but everything about them was complicated. Leo always seemed pretty normal. But something told him that Leo was not what he seemed.
"Do you want the long version or..." Phoebe began.
"Too much information," Morris threw his head back. This was going to be good.
"...or the short one?" Phoebe finished.
"You see Darryl..." Prue began.
"Leo is..." Piper interrupted.
"I'm over 80 years old." Leo put an end to the sentence.
"Did you find the fountain of youth?" Morris was right, this was complicated. "Don't tell me you're a witch too."
"No, I'm a white lighter."
"A what lighter?"
* * * He scanned the crowd at the video arcade. There had to be 150 people here and not a one was an acceptable candidate. He could feel how close he was getting, but it was just out of his reach. Next stop, the fast food court. As he left the arcade an idea poised in front of him. The movie theater. Many, many choices. And it was dark in there. Oh the possibilities.
* * * "So let me get this right.." Morris regretted even getting out of bed this morning. "You guide witches."
"Yes."
"And you've been doing this how long?"
"Since I died in 1943." Leo said matter of factly.
"I think I have a headache."
"Darryl," Prue began. "It's much better if you don't worry about the why part of the equation."
Morris thought about Prue's words for a minute. He still had a headache.
"All right," He took a deep breath and a leap of faith. "So, Leo, do you think you ran across this guy before or after 1943? I can't believe I just asked that."
"My guess is before."
"Phoebe said this guy was about 40, so that would make him." Darryl began to do the math "About 100 years."
"Supernatural." Phoebe said.
"I knew you were going to say that."
* * * If there was one thing that hasn't changed over the years, it was the movies. The stories were all the same, just replayed over and over. But the customers they were very promising tonight.
* * * Prue knocked lightly on the bedroom door and opened it slowly. Piper was sitting in a chair next to the bed watching Leo sleep.
"How's he doing?" Prue whispered.
Piper got up quickly and met Prue in the hallway.
"I'm worried about him Prue."
"Me too."
"I've never seen him like this before." Piper looked over her shoulder at Leo. "It's almost like he's haunted by his past."
"Do you think he repressed it?"
"I don't know. I hope not, because if and when he remembers."
"Don't even worry about that." Prue saw how worried her sister was. "Just go be with him. Phoebe is searching the web for any ideas."
* * * "You know Morris, with Trudeau gone, you always seem to get the weird ones." The uniformed officer said as he plunked a pile of very dusty files on the desk.
"Guess I'm just a lucky kind of guy." Morris sighed.
"Shoulda bought that lottery ticket."
"Why?"
"Your DOA from this afternoon, born in October."
"This day can't get any worse."
* * * "Get away from her!" the blond haired boy yelled at the man standing over a girl in the dark and gloomy alley.
The man looked up and looked directly at the boy. A wicked smile broke across his face.
"I will call the police," the boy was running toward them, "I will!"
"It doesn't matter." the man said laughing. "I got what I came for."
"Oh my gosh," the boy was standing over the girl. "What have you done?"
"Taken what is mine."
The boy knelt on the pavement, stones scratching his bare knees. "We've got to help her. Somebody help." he laid his ear to her chest to see if she was still breathing. "Help!" he ripped off his jacket and pushed it onto her wounds. He turned around to look at the man and where he was standing was a single dime.
"Help! Someone! Anyone! Help!" the boy kept calling.
* * * "Help! Someone help!" Leo cried out in his sleep.
"Leo,"Piper sprung from the chair. "Leo honey, it's OK. I'm here." She pulled him close. He was shaking like a leaf.
"I saw him. I saw what he did." Leo stammered. "He wouldn't help her."
* * * Morris poured through the ancient files. He felt that he was missing something here. It was staring him in the face. Twelve unsolved murders every ten years since the turn of the century. There was only a handful of witnesses, most of them a good sixty years ago. He knew they were connected but how and more importantly why? Copycats were out of the question, the media didn't know about this. Heck, most of the force didn't either. What if Phoebe was right.
"Morris." he looked up from the files. "Got another one for you."
"Great," Morris said standing up. "This is just great." He grabbed some of the files as he walked out the door.
* * * "Piper, Leo," Prue pushed the door open. "Is everything alright?"
Piper was sitting on the bed holding Leo. The two of them rocked back and forth as Leo cried softly.
"Prue..." Piper looked up at her sister. "He remembered."
"I figured as much."
"We'll be down in a little while," Piper said. "Pheebs have any luck?"
"Maybe, we'll talk about it later."
"Thanks." Piper replied as her sister left the room. She thought of all the times Leo had held her, comforted her, helped her through the bad times. Now she was able to be there for him. If only she could make the pain go away.
"Did I hear Prue?" Leo lifted his head.
"Yeah, she's worried about you too."
"I'll be OK," Leo looked at Piper "I just forgot about this for so long."
"Do you want to tell me about it?"
"I must have been about ten..."
* * * The movie theater was emptied of all of the patrons. Yellow tape covered the entrance to the storage closet. Morris approached the cloaked body with a sense of dread.
"Getting tired of seeing you in places like this Dave."
"Yeah, Morris, me too." Dave stood up. "It's another one, same as before."
"Any ID?"
"Oh yeah."
"November?"
"Oh yeah."
* * * "...I've never felt so helpless," Leo continued. "I think she was alive when I got there but I couldn't help her. She was my friend and I couldn't help her."
"Leo," Piper knew words would never make this pain go away, "You were only ten years old you could only do so much."
"I told myself that day I would never be in that position again. I would never not be able to help."
"Is that why you were going to be a doctor?" Piper realized the beginning of his dream to be a doctor was a tragedy.
"I never really thought about it like that." Leo smiled for the first time since that morning at the farm market, "But I suppose you're right."
"Piper, Leo," Prue poked her head in the room. "Darryl's here."
"Be right down." Piper replied giving Leo a kiss on the forehead and getting off the bed.
* * * That was easy, too easy. She was there for the taking and she was perfect. If he could only find one more he'd be set. He could spread his special brand of happiness for eternity. He needed to rest. For tomorrow was the day. The day he'd been waiting for, for a century.
* * * "There is definitely a pattern." Morris was sitting on the living room sofa next to Prue. "Every ten years, the second week of June."
"Twelve girls murdered, one for every month of the year." Phoebe answered from the table by the bay window. She had a laptop computer in front of her and books upon books spread across the table.
"No physical evidence except..." Morris continued.
"A dime by the body." Leo said as he and Piper entered the room.
"How'd you know?" Phoebe asked.
"I was there. I saw what he did." Leo took Piper's hand for support.
"You did?" Prue asked. "Is that what you remembered?" Leo nodded in response.
"Do you have the file from 1930?" Piper asked Morris.
"Yeah," Morris dug in his briefcase and found the file. "There were two witnesses that year, both dead now."
"An alley off Canal Street, the witness was..." Piper continued.
"It was me." Leo sighed.
Morris quickly scanned the file. "Sure enough, Leo Wyatt, age ten. So that's where you knew him from."
"But I don't think he knows me."
"Good thing." Prue thought out loud. "Hey, Pheebs, how did you know about the twelve girls?"
"In this book." Phoebe dug through her pile of books, "It's a myth, a legend really. His name is Dimetrus."
* * * Rest was something that just wasn't going to happen. He couldn't wait. He had to find the one. The one that would release him forever.
* * * "Dimetrus? Who's that?" Leo asked.
"It's a legend." Phoebe picked up the book and began to read. "He's an evil spirit that was supposedly cursed into a urn by a group of gypsies in the year 1000."
"So why is he back? And why now?" Prue asked.
"Because in 1900 he escaped his prison and he took on human form just long enough to kill twelve girls. By killing these twelve girls he could continue his evil for another ten years." Phoebe continued.
"Lemme guess." Morris said, this new world he'd been dragged into was getting weirder by the moment. "He kills the week of the summer solstice."
"Yep." Phoebe replied "Every 10 years he gets more powerful and the legend says after his tenth killing cycle he will become invincible."
"So how do we get rid of him?" Prue asked.
"I don't know, this is just a legend, remember." Phoebe said closing the book.
Morris looked over his files," Seems like a pretty real legend to me. I have 119 unsolved murders in 100 years."
"Now?" Leo looked to the sky. "Be right there." He turned to Piper, "They need to see me. I'll be back as soon as I can. Don't go anywhere or do anything while I'm gone."
"I won't," Piper answered, "You either promise me you'll let us help you this time."
"I will," Leo kissed her. "I love you."
"I love you too."
Leo looked upward and he was cloud of blue light.
"How?" Morris asked.
"Remember," Prue patted him on the shoulder. "You can't worry about these things."
* * * Morning dawned with eternity before him. This was the day, the day he'd been waiting for. A thousand years, he'd been waiting. He was going to make the best of it.
* * * "I'm worried about him," Piper paced the living room floor. "He better not go off and play hero."
"He hasn't been gone that long," Prue reasoned.
"Long enough to get himself hurt. I don't know what I'd do if anything happened."
The room was engulfed in blue light and Leo appeared before them.
"I made you a promise, and I keep my promises." he told Piper.
"I know," Piper made her excuses "I was just worried because I love you."
Leo pulled Piper close and hugged her. "I know I love you too."
"Did they have any ideas?" Prue asked Leo.
"No," Leo was frustrated, "They know of Dimetrus, but they don't know how to curse him back."
Phoebe walked into the room, her nose buried in a book.
"Hi Leo, you're back."
"I wasn't gone that long."
"You know, I've been reading, and I think I've got an idea."
"Go for it." Leo said, "It's got to be better than the nothing I have."
"Well," Phoebe plopped on the sofa and crossed her legs under her, "I was thinking Dimetrus can only kill the week of the full moon."
Piper and Prue were interested in where Phoebe was going with this and sat down next to her.
"He's only human when he kills." Leo remarked.
"Yeah, so if we delay him long enough to let the full moon pass.."
"Won't accomplish his goal." Prue started.
"And he'll go back to where ever it is he came from." Piper completed the thought.
"It's an idea." Phoebe shrugged
"We don't have better one," Leo said, "Now we just have to find him."
* * * The day was bright and sunny. Gloomy days were so much better. One could move about unnoticed. He needed a place where there were many choices. The perfect selection would result in power beyond his wildest dreams.
* * * "Help! Somebody help!" the boy called in the gloomy alley.
"It's no use," Phoebe let go of Leo's hand "I just keep going back to that day in 1930."
"Try again." Leo took her hand.
"No... I don't like seeing you that way."
"Your connection must be to that one day." Piper took his hand from Phoebe's. "There's got to be another way."
"Can't you find him telepathically?" Prue asked Leo.
"No, that only works for dark lighters and witches."
"What good are our powers if we can't help!" Phoebe was getting frustrated.
"I keep thinking there's got to be something here." Prue said as she flipped through the files Morris left behind.
A coin from one of the files fell on the floor and Phoebe reached down to pick it up. She was suddenly transported to another place.
"I think I know where he is."
* * * Some call it a tourist trap. Some call it a great place to eat and shop. He called it a great place for the search. So many families, so many daughters. One would be just right.
* * * "Where?" Piper and Leo asked in unison.
"Fisherman's wharf." Phoebe answered.
"Why there? It's so crowded?" Prue added.
"A perfect place to find Miss December." Phoebe joked.
"Phoebe!" Prue scolded.
"I'm just kidding." Phoebe scolded back, "We're up again an evil we know little to know nothing about and we're not even sure if we can vanquish him...so give me a little joke before we go kick butt. Please."
"You're right.." Prue apologized "Sorry."
"I'll drive." Piper said grabbing her purse.
* * * This was perfect absolutely perfect. By being part of the crowd, one can blend in. Crowds were wonderful. The aura could be felt with out anyone suspecting. This will not take as long as anticipated.
* * * "Do we have a plan?" Prue asked as they drove toward Fisherman's Wharf.
"The usual." Piper answered.
"Freeze him and send flying might not work this time." Prue was skeptical.
"What we really need to do is keep him away from girls long enough for the summer solstice to pass." Leo thought out loud.
"And what time is that?" Prue asked.
"12:32 pm" Phoebe answered while talking on the cell phone. "Darryl said he'd be here as soon as possible."
"That's three hours." Piper said turning toward the bay. "I wonder if I can keep him frozen that long."
Leo smiled, "Your powers are growing."
"Not that much." Prue said.
"Shut up. Miss Astral Projection." Phoebe said nudging her big sister.
Piper pulled the jeep into the parking lot.
"Where do we start." She asked.
"We split up," Prue answered, "One active power and one eyewitness per team."
They went into the crowd.
* * * Ice cream. Ice cream made everything sticky. Not that it mattered. he could take this one eating ice cream with her family. She was after all an acceptable choice. But she could be better. He would get a perfect one. One who's birthday was precisely six months from today.
* * * "Are you sure you'll know him when you see him?" Prue asked Phoebe as they picked their way through the throng of people on the wharf.
"Pretty sure." Phoebe said, "He's tall dark and scary."
"That could be anyone."
* * * "Are you sure you're up to this?" Piper asked Leo as they watched the tourists.
"I really don't have much of a choice." Leo said squeezing her hand "I need to banish this ghost from my childhood."
"We'll get him."
"I know we will. I don't see him anywhere."
"How are Phoebe and Prue doing?"
They stopped for a minute and Leo concentrated on the others.
"Nothing yet."
* * * Morris arrived at the bay not knowing what to expect. The Halliwells were used to hunting strange things like this. If he pulled a gun on this guy would he flinch or even die if the gun was fired. Prue said not to worry about things like this. His head was throbbing just the same.
"So Morris." the officer asked, "What exactly are we looking for?"
"Not really sure." Morris answered as several other policemen arrived. "Just keep your eyes out for anyone following or trying to snatch girls about twelve or thirteen years old."
"That's not much to go on."
"It's all I have."
* * * The moment has to be right. Following her ever so carefully will result in the perfect opportunity. Good thing there are so many people, they will never notice.
* * * "Do you ever regret not becoming a doctor?" Piper asked Leo as the continued to walk hand in hand.
"No, not really," Leo answered "I helped so many soldiers during the war. And now I suppose I'm a type of doctor because of my ability to heal."
"You can do things that no doctors can do like save me."
"If I had become a doctor we wouldn't be together today."
"But we are and that's what counts." Piper said smiling up at him.
* * * Step by step matching her every movement. Yes, yes the clothing store. You must go into the clothing store. Go in now. It's so important that we meet.
* * * "Prue," Phoebe said quietly, "I think I see him."
"Where?" Prue looked around the crowded street.
"There." Phoebe answered, "Across the street going into Old Navy."
"Are you sure?"
"No but..."
"But he's following someone!" Prue said in a panic as they darted across the traffic.
* * * "Darryl, you made it." Piper greeted the detective.
"Wouldn't be any where else." Morris said shaking Leo's hand.
"Where's Prue and Phoebe."
"Looking too." Piper replied.
"Any luck?"
"Not yet," Leo said.
"We still have time." Piper thought out loud.
Morris looked at his watch. "Not much."
"I know," Leo sighed, "Believe me I know."
* * * That's it, pick up those jeans. And that shirt, that would look nice on you. Try them on, why not. See you in the dressing room.
* * * "He's following her into the dressing rooms hurry," Phoebe said breathlessly as they ran into the store.
"I'm going as fast as I can." Prue said as they went into the dressing area. As they rounded the corner he was there, about to pull the curtain.
"Don't you know this is a women's dressing room?" Phoebe asked him.
He looked up and glared, his dark eyes sending shivers down the witches spines. "Of course I know that," he said turning the knife over and over in his hand.
"Knife, Prue," Phoebe pointed.
Prue waved her hand and the knife went flying across the room. The girl behind the curtain screamed.
"What are you?"
"Your worst nightmare." Prue replied.
There was a sudden commotion behind Prue and Phoebe and a few other girls entered the dressing rooms, giggling. He saw his opportunity and shoved Prue into them and took off out the alarm door.
The alarm was shrilling as the girl behind the curtain peeked out.
"What happened?" she asked.
"It's OK." Phoebe took her hand, "We need to get you out of here."
Prue stood up and dusted herself off, "When's your birthday, by the way?"
"December, why?"
* * * Witches. He had not counted on witches. He could handle them, but he has to be careful and work quickly. Now there was no time to think.
* * * "Oh Darryl, thank god!" Phoebe saw Morris, Leo and Piper as they walked into the street. "We need you to keep her safe."
"What happened?" Piper asked as a uniformed officer took the girl away to safety.
"He tried to get her and he caught him in the act." Prue said.
"Which way did he go?"
"Out the back door." Prue answered, "He couldn't have gotten to far."
"He's going to kill quickly," Leo said, "Before we can stop him again."
"Then we better work fast." Morris said as they went toward the alley.
* * * Drugs and prostitution. The choice of a lost generation. People after his own cold heart. Any other day he would allow then to go about their business. Today, one of these lost souls would have to go. There were two to choose from.
* * * The alarm was still sounding as the group arrived in the alley.
"He could have gone anywhere." Prue said looking around.
"Should we split up again?" Piper asked.
"I don't think so." Leo answered, "He'll be more prepared for us next time."
"Leo's right," Phoebe agreed as she pushed the door shut. Her world suddenly turned black and white in slow motion. She saw him watching some prostitutes on the street.
"He's close." Phoebe said returning to the others.
"Where?" Leo and Morris said together.
"A few blocks over by the old Astor Hotel."
"Let's go." Prue said as they began to run down the alley, but Leo held back.
"Leo, let's go," Piper said grabbing his hand. "Are you OK?"
"Yeah," Leo replied taking her hand and following the others.
* * * "How much?"
"For what?" she answered.
"How much?"
She looked him over, he didn't seem as scary as some of the others. "One hundred bucks, up front."
"Done." the deal was sealed. "My car is this way." He took her and led her toward the parking structure.
* * * "Now what?" Prue asked as they arrived in front of the hotel.
"I don't see him." Phoebe said looking around.
"This is a needle in a haystack." Morris said throwing up his hands.
A scream pierced the noise of the crowd.
"Where'd that come from?" Prue pivoted on one foot as another scream echoed through the street.
"There." Phoebe pointed to the parking structure.
They began to run across the street. Leo grabbed Piper's hand and they orbed together.
* * * "What are you doing?" she exclaimed seeing the knife, "Get away from me!"
"You're what I need." He grabbed her hands and pinned them behind her.
"Stop!" Morris pointed his gun on them. Like this is even going to help, he thought.
Prue ran up behind him breathlessly and with a wave of her hand flung Dimetrus across the parking stalls. "Get away from her."
The teenager got up and began to run, looking back at Prue and Morris in disbelief.
"Get out of here, now!" Phoebe yelled as she was joining the group.
Dimetrus caught the girls ankles as she tried to run by him. He pulled his knife and was about to plunge it into her.
The parking structure glowed blue as Leo and Piper orbed in.
"Hold it!" Piper said as she put up her hands to freeze him.
"Wow," Morris said, "When I say freeze it never works like that."
Piper released the girl leaving Dimetrus frozen.
"Let's go, now." Phoebe grabbed her hand, "Come with me," she said leading her into the stairwell.
"What time is it?" Prue asked.
"12:30" Leo said looking at his watch, "Give or take a few."
"I think I can keep him frozen." Piper said standing next to Leo. "Are you ready for this?"
"Oh yeah, " Leo pulled her close, "I've been waiting for this moment all my life."
"It's 12:32." Morris announced.
"Let's hope this works." Piper said as she unfroze Dimetrus.
"What where am I?" the evil spirit looked around him. "You!?" he said looking at Leo.
"I was there. I saw what you did all those years ago." Leo said with a venom in his voice that neither Prue or Piper had heard before. "And now you're going to spend eternity paying for it."
Dimetrus looked at his feet and they were beginning to disappear then his legs. "What's happening?"
"Summer's here.," Prue answered as Dimetrus vanished.
"Now that was..." Piper began.
"Strange, really strange." Morris finished putting away his gun. "How do you guys do this?"
"You get used to it." Leo offered.
"And you don't ask why." Prue said.
* * * Piper and Leo were sitting in the sun room on the love seat talking.
"I don't know how to thank you." Leo told her.
"You don't have to." Piper gave him a hug, "It's part of our jobs, to protect the innocent, remember?"
"I know," Leo smiled at her, "I just never realized how important it was for me to banish this ghost from my past."
"I'm just sorry you had to see it then. No ten year old should have to see that."
"It's strange, but you were right before. I think getting rid of Dimetrus made me realize that my calling to help others really did start there."
Morris walked in the room with Prue and Phoebe close behind him.
"There they are," Prue said going to the files on the table.
Morris reached down and began to gather them. "You know these cases are closed but how do I note that?"
"Vanquished." Phoebe offered.
"We don't have a code for that." Morris laughed. What a day this had been. He turned to Leo and Piper. "Leo," he said shaking his hand, "Great working with you... I think."
"Don't worry, you'll get used to it." Phoebe said smiling.
"No, no I won't some of this is just too weird. I gotta get back to the station." Morris said as he began to leave.
"See you later Darryl." Prue called after him.
"That's what I'm afraid of."
"So Leo," Phoebe parked herself on the love seat as the doorbell rang.
"Jack, I completely forgot," Prue said as she sprinted to the front door.
"So Leo, How are you doing?"
"Actually," Leo said, "It feels pretty good to have that part of my past resolved."
"You don't have anymore skeletons in your closet do you?" Piper asked him.
"When you've been around as long as I have," Leo said mysteriously, "You never know."
