DISCLAIMER: None of these characters belong to me, except Mack or Zac whom I created. So, please don't sue me! I welcome any feedback, good or bad, as this is my first fan fiction. I have made no particular references to any other fan fiction.

It was a warm, sunny afternoon and all was well at Halliwell Manor. It had been a rather quiet and peaceful month, considering the things that usually happen.

Inside, Phoebe Halliwell, the youngest of three sisters known in the supernatural world as the foretold and legendary Charmed Ones, was practicing her self-defense moves on slam man. Beside her, her sisters Piper and Prue were engaged in a game of Chess. "It's been pretty quiet lately," commented Phoebe between punches. "I'd take that back if I were you," Prue says warningly in a half-serious manner. Piper nods in agreement. "You never know when things around here are gonna get wild."

The phone rings. "I'll get it," says Phoebe as she makes a dash for it. Piper and Prue continue in silence. Several minutes later, Phoebe comes back deep in thought and a frown on her face. "What's the matter, Pheebs?" Piper asks, noticing her sister's expression. Phoebe looks up. "Uh, that was some guy from Hit Radio calling to say that I had won a trip to New York for a week," Phoebe answers. "That's great!" exclaims Prue. "Yeah," agrees Piper, "But why the long face?" "Well, it's just that I could swear I know that voice, but I can't figure it out," Phoebe says, frowning again. "So, why not call the station and ask if you think it's a hoax," suggests Prue. "Okay." Phoebe calls the radio station and is surprised to learn that she has actually won a prize. She hangs up and relates this to her sisters. Prue gives her an 'I told you so' look and says, "Relax." "We've been battling far too many demons. We suspect everyone!" Piper says with a smile. "I guess so," Phoebe says, still not totally convinced. There was something familiar about that voice, even though it was a different one that spoke to her the second time. Despite her sisters reassurances, she still had a bad feeling.

On the other end of the phone were two men. One was siting behind the desk of an executive office, while the other was sitting beside him on top of the desk. "Thanks for the favour, Mike," said the visitor, "Now, I'll make her pay for doing that to me. The perfect way to lure her away." "Why lure her away at all?" asked Mitch. "Make her feel more guilty. She's out partying when her sisters are killed. I can't wait to see the look on her face when she finds out." Both men laughed loudly with evil grins on their face.

Two Days Later

Phoebe is upstairs in her room packing last minute items. She finishes packing, grabs her suitcase and goes downstairs. Her sisters are already there. "All set?" asks Prue. Phoebe nods before asking, "What are you going to do if you need the Power of Three?" "Like you said, we've been demon-free for a month now. It wouldn't hurt for them to wait a little longer," Prue says lightly. Phoebe shakes her head. She gives both her sisters a hug. A car horn sounds as they pull apart. "There's my cab," Phoebe says as she heads for the front door. "Take care," Piper calls after her. "You too," came the reply.

Phoebe gets into the cab and it drives of. During the ride, Phoebe thinks back to the voice on the phone. She knew that voice from somewhere. But where? She just couldn't shake off the nagging doubt at the back of her mind. She shook her head and sighed in frustration. "I am getting paranoid over nothing," she tells herself.

Prue finished her coffee and went over to put the cup in the sink. "I'd better get going or Claire will have my head," she tells Piper. With that, she grabs her car keys and leaves. Piper finishes washing up and prepares to leave for Quake. She picks up her purse and walks into the hall. She hears something behind her and starts to turn around when someone grabs her and clamps a wet, sweet-smelling rag over her face. She doesn't get a chance to see her attackers face before everything goes black.

Meanwhile, Prue has reached Bucklands. She parks her car and heads for the elevator. She arrives at her floor and walks towards her office. She opens the door and enters. She does not notice the darkly dressed man hiding behind the door until he grabs her and plants a rag over her face. The world goes blank.

A yellow cab pulls up at the airport. Phoebe jumps out. She takes out some money and hands it to the driver. He gives her the change and she walks away. Phoebe opens her purse to put in the change. As she does, she accidentally touches a picture of her and her sisters. She is immediately overcome by a premonition and her world becomes black and white. She sees her sisters bound and gagged against a wall. They are both unconscious. She also notices that Prue is blindfolded. She snaps back to reality. She is visibly shaken by what she saw.

She hears a familiar male voice call her name. "Leo," she calls out softly as she looks around. She sees no one. She realizes that he is talking to her telepathically. He calls her name again. This time she responds telepathically, "Leo, we have demon problems." She knows that whoever captured her sisters knew that they were witches because it had blindfolded only Prue. "I know. You have to go home now," he says urgently. "Okay." Phoebe goes out side and hails a cab. She has completely forgotten about the trip.

She reaches the manor and has barely closed the door, when Leo orbs in. She opens her mouth to say something, but he cuts her off, "Book of Shadows." Phoebe nods and they rush into the attic. As she enters, Phoebe notices that the Book is flipping pages. She hurries over to see what it says with Leo close behind. The Book is opened to a page which is titled 'Rejection' (for lack of a better word). It goes on to say that this particular type of warlock attacks witches and mortals who have done something to reject or offend him. Zac does not hurt them directly, but destroys the someone or something that the witch in question values most. On the next page are instructions for making a portion to vanquish him. It must be poured on Zac by the witch who rejected him.

Phoebe looked up at Leo with a puzzled expression. "What has this got to do with us?" she asked. "Zac is the warlock you're dealing with. You rejected him…." Leo begins, but is interrupted by Phoebe. "Then why did he kidnap Prue and Piper?" she asks. Leo holds up his hand. "To you, your sisters are the most important things in your life. They mean everything to you and you would do anything for them. What more could he do than kill them to make you suffer?" he tells her. "But how, I don't even know who you are talking about or what I have done! Zac?" she asks. "That is something for me to know and you to find out in time," Leo answers, deciding to let Phoebe find out on her own. "We have to get Prue and Piper back and vanquish him. But I don't even know where they are!" Phoebe is starting to panic. "Try calling a premonition," Leo suggests calmly. Phoebe nods and gets out the same picture that gave her the first premonition. Nothing happens. "It's not working," she tells him frantically. "Concentrate," he urges her. Phoebe grips the picture and shuts her eyes tightly. She concentrates harder and pictures her earlier premonition. She sees her sisters all tied up. Suddenly, she feels the familiar tingle run through her body. She sees herself outside the same building. There is a board with 'Rockwood Timber Stores' painted in big black letters. She comes out of her trance and quickly tells Leo what she saw. He nods. "I'll orb out and find the place. You get the portion and be prepared," he orders. "Can't you help them?" she asks pleadingly. "I cannot interfere directly with the affairs on Earth, remember?" Leo says regretfully. With that he disappears in a mass of blue circles. Phoebe hurries into the kitchen to make the portion.

Piper opens her eyes and winces. Her head feels like a balloon and she can't see straight. As feeling returns to her arms and legs she realizes that she is tied up standing against a wall. Her vision begins to focus and she looks around. She sees a familiar figure also tied up. "Prue!" she says, but only muffled noises come out. She sees the gag on her mouth. She sighs in despair. "Great!" she thinks, "Phoebe's in New York and won't be back until next week. We're doomed." Piper doesn't even realize the tears slowly trickling down her cheeks. She continues to cry silently.

Leo orbs back in just as Phoebe finishes preparing the portion. "Ready?" he asks. She nods and grabs Piper's keys. "Did you find the place?" "Yes." They go outside to Piper's jeep and Leo drives off.

Meanwhile, Prue has also begun to stir, Piper looks at her sister through her own tears. Just then, a handsome man with dark hair and dimples, in his late twenties appears out of nowhere. Piper is startled. Seeing the look on her face he laughs. She realizes that he can blink. "I am sorry I had to do this but your sister deserves it. I wonder how she'll feel after coming home from a great trip only to find that her sisters were murdered. Even better when she finds out it was her fault!! She might even beg me to kill her as well. As a bonus I get all the credit and admiration of being able to eliminate the Charmed Ones!" The last thought made him snicker. He was facing Piper and Prue and did not notice the figure approaching him from the side. Neither did Piper and Prue. Phoebe had come within reach to hear what he had said. "Don't bet on it!" she said angrily. Zac turned around to face her. Phoebe's jaw dropped with surprise. "Mack!" she gasped. "Hi Pheebs. Nice to know you remember me. I didn't think you would after you met that worthless mortal." "You! You made that call. I thought I knew that voice. Why you….you bastard! You tried to get me out of town so you could do this!" Phoebe's own anger was rising rapidly. At the same time, she was edging closer towards her former boyfriend with the potion hidden behind her back. "It was all your fault. You just met Clay and took me for dirt. Did you know how I felt? I am going to make you regret everything," he told her with a pained look. "I did no such thing. You were imagining it! I didn't know warlocks had feelings. The only thing I regret is ever being with you, not leaving you!" Phoebe retorted angrily. Only Piper noticed the hurt look that came into her sister's soft brown eyes. "That's too bad, Phee. I really liked you. I loved you, but you didn't. Clay was more important, wasn't he? I've waited a long time for this." Phoebe bristled at the mention of her pet name. She didn't mind the name - actually she liked it. It was who said it that put her off. "What a waste of time," was all Phoebe said before throwing the potion onto Mack's face. Phoebe and Piper watched in disgust as green blood came out of him. Prue was furious because she was blindfolded and couldn't see a thing. Zac stared at Phoebe in horror as he screamed in pain. That expression was replaced by one of determination. "I'll still make you pay!" he yelled. This being said two crossbows materialized in his hands. He raised them, and without a moment of hesitation, took aim and fired directly at Prue and Piper's chests. Phoebe watched, horrified. Then, without giving it a second thought, she dived into the path of the oncoming arrows. Prue would be glad not to have seen this. Piper watched unbelievingly as the arrows struck her sister. One arrow hit Phoebe on the arm and embedded itself deep in her left shoulder. The other caught her on the stomach and buried itself deep into her abdomen. She cried out softly as she hit the floor.

Unfortunately for him, Zac did not live long enough to see that his arrows did not reach their intended target. As he disappeared, the bonds tying up Prue and Piper did the same. They stared at their now non-existent bonds for a second, and then rushed to their fallen sister's side. Blood was oozing out of Phoebe's wounds. Phoebe looked at the blurry faces staring down at her and made a desperate attempt to speak, knowing that she was dying, and that she wouldn't get another chance. She managed to mouth the words 'I love you' to her sisters before she collapsed.

Prue began to search frantically for a pulse. She found none. "Pheebs, please! Don't do this to me!" she begged. She grabbed the limp form by the shoulders and shook it, sobbing uncontrollably. Piper, who was cradling Phoebe's head, said nothing but was openly letting the tears flow. Knowing that their sister was gone, Prue and Piper turned away, in to each other's arms, from her body so that they wouldn't have to deal with the deadly arrows sticking out, not that they were going to forget the terrible sight. While the sisters were looking away, they didn't notice a yellow glow originate from Phoebe's chest and spread to envelope her whole body. It disappeared as the door to the warehouse burst open. In came Andy, Morris and several other cops. When Andy saw Prue and Piper's faces, he knew immediately that something was terribly wrong. He soon saw what. He ran to Phoebe and checked for a pulse. "It's too late. She's gone." Prue told him softly, barely believing it herself. Andy shook his head firmly. "Get the medics in here now! She has a pulse!" he ordered. Prue and Piper looked incredulously when Phoebe's body was hooked onto a heart monitor. Prue could have sworn that she found no pulse. She was alive! They were relieved to know that their sister was alive. But for how long? Both Prue and Piper didn't need to be told that the injuries were very serious, if not fatal.

The waiting room clock said 3:15pm. Prue and Piper were waiting anxiously for any news of Phoebe. She had been wheeled into surgery immediately when they brought her in. That was over an hour ago. Why are they taking so long? Is it good or bad? Will she be all right? What will happen? These thoughts were ringing in both sisters' minds. Prue was pacing the floor nervously when Andy came in. She looked up. He had an apologetic expression on his face. "I know this is hard, but I have to make my report. Its my job." He told her gently. She nodded briefly. "What happened?" "I don't know. When me and Piper arrived, it was too late." Prue lied, biting her lower lip. Andy nodded. He knew he'd get nothing more from them. "I'd better go. Call me when you hear anything," he said. With that he left. Prue continued to pace the floor for a while. She glanced at her watch. It now read 4:00pm. Just then an authoritative voice called out, "Miss Halliwell." Prue turned around and Piper leapt to her feet. "That's us!" they said in unison. He motioned for them to follow him. The doctor's expression was solemn. "I am Dr. Sanders. I operated on your sister," he introduced himself. "Prue and Piper Halliwell," Prue answered for both of them. They shook hands. "Your sister has severe muscle damage to her left biceps. It may never fully recover. She also has severe injuries to the stomach and liver. Her right lung has been ruptured," he informed them. "She has lost a massive amount of blood. Luckily, she has AB blood type, so we won't need to take transfusions from one of you. We have already begun giving her blood. Right now she is in a coma, but stable," he finished. "How long before she wakes up?" Prue asked. The doctor looked down at his feet. "It was surprising enough that your sister was alive when she arrived at the hospital. So far she is stable, but her injuries are extremely serious. We have to be careful because there are high risks of infection. As for coming out of the coma," he sighed hesitantly, debating whether or not to tell them, and Prue and Piper exchanged fearful glances. "If she comes out, she is most likely to have some permanent injuries. There is a very slim possibility that she will fully recover." The sisters gasp. "If Phoebe doesn't come out of the coma within the next 48 hours, chances are she never will," he said solemnly. Prue gulped before asking, "Can we see her?" The doctor nodded. "She's in Intensive Care right now."

Prue and Piper make their way to the Intensive Care Unit. They open the door to see Phoebe hooked up to half a dozen machines. She is very pale. Prue holds Phoebe's good hand while Piper strokes her hair. "Pheebs, please come back to us," Piper says tearfully. It broke her heart to see her sister like this. "I will, Piper. I will," says a soft familiar voice. Piper jumps. Prue looks at her with concern. "Did you hear that?" Piper asks uncertainly. "What?" "Phoebe's voice." Prue looks at Piper like she's gone crazy. "Phoebe's in a coma. Are you alright?" Piper shakes her head tiredly and looks at Phoebe hopefully. Phoebe hasn't moved. Someone knocks on the door, interrupting their thoughts. The door opens and a pleasant looking, elderly nurse enters. She introduces herself. "I'll be keeping an eye on Phoebe," she says. Prue and Piper nod approvingly. "Why don't you dears go freshen up and get some rest? You look like you need it. I'll take very good care of her. I promise," she tells them kindly. Prue and Piper kiss Phoebe's forehead before leaving.

When Prue and Piper got home, they went straight to the attic. They found the Book of Shadows opened on the same page Phoebe had left it. Prue read the page and shook her head in confusion. She looked at Piper who seemed to be just as muddled. "Whatever it is, I am sure Phoebe knew Zac," Prue said thoughtfully. "I guess we'll just have to wait for Pheebs to wake up," Piper said, thinking about her sister's confrontation with the warlock. "That is, if she wakes up," she added silently. She glanced at Prue who seemed to be thinking the same thing. "Lets try and get some sleep," suggested Prue, deliberately changing the subject. Piper nodded in agreement. They go downstairs and into their bedrooms. As tired as they were, both Prue and Piper knew that sleep was one thing they weren't going to get.

It was late and all was quiet. In the ICU, the only sounds were those of the beeping heart monitor and other machines. All of a sudden, blue circles appeared beside Phoebe's bed. They subsided to reveal Leo. He stepped forward and placed his hand gently on Phoebe's chest. It began to glow bright yellow. A minute later, Phoebe opened her eyes. "Leo," she said weakly, "Thanks." "Sorry, but I am not allowed to heal you completely," he said with an apologetic smile. She nodded with understanding. "That was some sacrifice," he told her with admiration. "Like you said, they mean everything to me. I couldn't let anything happen to them," Phoebe responded modestly. "Phoebe, I talked to the Elders. They said that it was time to tell you who I really am. That means your sisters too," he told her, changing the subject. "I thought that you weren't allowed to," she said. "I told them that you already knew. I also told them that it would be easier to work with you that way." "But Piper…." "I know, that's what I wanted to ask you. Do you think that she will see me after I tell her?" he asked softly. Phoebe looked him in the eye. "Piper may be my sister, but a different person altogether. You know I can't answer that. It's not fair to either of you. I know she cares about you a lot. And she's always been the more reasonable one. But to find out, you're going to have to ask her," she said softly. He nodded. "Could you break the news to them?" he asked hopefully. Phoebe looked at him and smiled, "It's not going to be easy, but I owe you that much." Leo smiled at her gratefully. "I better go." Phoebe nodded. Leo kissed her forehead before orbing out. As he disappeared the door opened, and the nurse returned. It seemed like she had gone to the bathroom. Phoebe squinted to see who was there. "Hi," she called weakly. The nurse looked startled. "Well, I'll be blessed.." she muttered as she went off to find the doctor. It wasn't long before half a dozen personnel were wheeling Phoebe out of the room for some tests.

Finally when Phoebe was returned to her room, she was exhausted and soon drifted off to sleep.

Piper heard her alarm clock ringing. She turned to see what time it was - 6:30am. She groaned and pulled herself out from under the covers. She'd spent the whole night tossing and turning restlessly. She couldn't get the image of Phoebe lying there with two arrows in her, out of her mind. 'I might as well get breakfast ready' she told herself. She showered and went downstairs. She made the coffee and went to fetch the paper. She picked it up and carried it to the kitchen. Prue was there. "You didn't sleep either, huh?" Piper asked, setting the paper down. Prue shook her head wearily. "Pheebs. I can't stop thinking about her. She could die because she tried to stop us from getting hurt." Piper sighed sadly. It was nice to know that your sister cares for you so much, but to know that Phoebe was throwing away her own life to save hers and Prue's made her feel bad. Prue felt just as guilty, maybe even more since she was the oldest. She wished she could take back everything she had said to Phoebe about being irresponsible. 'Maybe, its too late now' she thought regretfully.

The phone rang, breaking the sudden silence. Piper answered it. "Halliwell residence, Piper Halliwell speaking." "Miss Halliwell, this is the San Francisco General Hospital. We'd like to inform you that your sister, Phoebe is out of the coma and has regained consciousness. Visiting hours begin in an hour." Piper can hardly speak. "Thank you so much," she manages to say. She hangs up and looks at Prue, tears of joy filling her eyes. "Pheebs is gonna be all right." The two sisters hug and cry tears of happiness at the same time. They smile for the first time since the kidnapping.

When Prue and Piper arrive at the hospital, the doctor they met the day before greets them. He brings them up-to- date on Phoebe's condition. "It is amazing how your sister made such a dramatic recovery. She must be a very strong young woman. However, it is still too soon to tell if there will be any permanent damages. As a precaution, I would suggest that you do not speak to her about the events leading to this…um,…unfortunate accident," he tells them.

When Prue and Piper enter Phoebe's room, the nurse stands up with a warm smile and leaves. Phoebe is still asleep. Prue and Piper notice that there are not as many machines hooked up as there had been yesterday. Phoebe's skin is now not so pale. As they approach her bed, she begins to stir. She opens her eyes slowly. Phoebe looks up into her sisters' concerned faces. With a weak grin she says, "Hi guys." "Oh, Pheebs! I thought we'd lost you," Piper whispered so that Phoebe wouldn't hear her voice crack. "I told you I'd come back, didn't I?" Piper stared at her sister. "You! But how…." she managed to say. "I am telepathic. I think I got it yesterday, before…" Phoebe trailed off. Piper managed a nod. Phoebe turned to Prue who had said nothing. She looked her in the eye and held the gaze as she spoke. "None of this is your fault, Prue. So quit blaming yourself. I did what I did because I wanted to. I couldn't just stand by and let him hurt you because of how he felt about me. Nothing you could have done would have changed that. Besides, it was because of me that you got into that mess in the first place, so it's only fair that I get you out," Phoebe told her quietly as she reached out with her good hand for Prue's. She gave it a gentle squeeze and Prue nodded tearfully. "The doctor said that your recovery was amazing and unbelievable," Prue told her sister lovingly, trying to change the subject. "What do you guys think?" Phoebe asked quietly, yet seriously. Piper shook her head and smiled. "I don't know, but I sure am glad that you're getting better." "Me too. Why do you ask?" questioned Prue. "There's something I need to tell you guys,…." Phoebe began, but Piper cut her off. "Whatever it is, it can wait till you get better," she said, giving Prue a warning glance. Phoebe couldn't help but ask, "Let me guess, the doc said it was too much of a strain for me or some other bull, right?" Before Piper or Prue could answer, the nurse came back in and said that it was time to leave. The sisters kissed Phoebe's forehead before they left.

Phoebe panted heavily as she leaned back slowly against the couch. "Boy, am I out of shape!" she muttered to herself. She had just come home from the hospital. It was nearly two weeks since the accident. Her left arm was in a sling and she couldn't make it to the bathroom on her own. She was still pretty weak. It would be a while before she was on her feet again battling slam man. Even now her sisters had to help her onto the couch, yet she was panting as if she'd just been in the Boston Marathon. She was still wondering how to break the news of Leo to her sisters. She sighed and eased her head against the couch. She closed her eyes and covered her face with her good arm. The events of the past weeks had brought back memories - ones she'd chosen to forget. She couldn't believe how things had turned out.

Piper walked into the living room carrying a jug of orange juice. She looked at Phoebe with concern. "Pheebs, you okay?" "Yeah, just a little dizzy." Phoebe sat up slowly, cringing with every movement. Piper came in and sat down beside her to her right. Prue came in with three glasses and sat on the other side. Piper poured out and handed out the glasses. The three sat in silence for a moment. Phoebe glanced at her sisters and smiled knowingly. "Fire away. I know you've been dying to ask questions," she told her sisters. Prue spoke first. "So Phee, would you mind explaining things to us?" she asked jokingly. Phoebe flinched, her smile faded and her lips tightened. She looked down at her glass and shut her eyes to fight back the emotions that were building up inside. Piper shot Prue a glare. She remembered the expression in her sister's eyes at the warehouse. Prue put a hand on Phoebe's shoulder and said, "Sorry Pheebs. I didn't mean to upset you." Phoebe shook her head and took a deep breath. "It's okay. It's about time that I faced the facts," she said quietly. "Want to talk about it?" Piper asked gently. Phoebe sighed. Instead of telling her sisters about Mack, she began to tell them how she found them "At the airport I had a premonition of you guys tied up and all. So, I came straight home. The BoS did its flipping thing and came to that page." "That page didn't make sense when we tried to figure it out," Prue put in. "I couldn't figure it out either, but I had some help. I didn't know that it was Mack we were up against," Phoebe said grimacing. Piper was quick to notice this. "I am glad I didn't know. Anyway, I called another premonition. It showed the building you were in. So I made the potion and came over. You know the rest," Phoebe finished, not wanting to go over the rest of the events. "So, you knew Mack or Zac?" Piper prodded gently, knowing that Phoebe was upset though she was trying not to let it show. Phoebe nodded slowly, not wanting to discuss it. She knew she couldn't get away with it. She wasn't sure if she could hold herself together through it. "Mack. I met him in New York. He was cute and nice. I really liked him and I guess he liked me too," Phoebe paused to look at her sisters faces. They said nothing. "We went out for a couple of weeks. Things were going great. I felt so comfortable with him. I could tell him anything and he always seemed to understand how I felt. I thought I had found the perfect guy. He never used to call me Phoebe. It was always Phee. I used to love it." Phoebe's eyes were beginning to well up with tears. Piper put an arm around her little sister. Phoebe decided that she might as well let it out and tell her sisters. "Then one night, we went to a new club. That's where we met Clay. He was a friend of Mack's. Clay and I seemed to get on pretty well. At that time we were just friends. I didn't even give him a second thought. But Mack didn't feel the same way. He got more jealous and angry everyday. I told him that there was nothing between us, but he was too furious to even listen." Phoebe's voice was beginning to waver and tears were streaming down her cheeks. "A week later, he came to my apartment and told me that it was over between us. That he couldn't bear to watch me cheat on him with Clay. He seemed really upset. Then he walked out and I never saw him again until….." Phoebe trailed off and broke down into sobs. She never thought it'd hurt so much after all this time. Piper pulled Phoebe close and hugged her younger sister tight - as tight as she could without hurting her. Phoebe sobbed quietly into Piper's shoulder. Neither of the sisters spoke for a long moment. "Its okay, sweetie. I know how you feel. I hope Jeremy and Mack are having a great time together in Hell," Piper said softly while stroking Phoebe's hair. Phoebe pulled away slowly and looked at her sisters through her tears. "I guess even warlocks have feelings, huh?" "I thought it was only of greed and hate, but I guess they can love," Prue said gently. "Guess you're not the only warlock magnet," Phoebe said to Piper. "As long as we're the Charmed Ones we all are," Prue says. "At least Mack really liked you. Jeremy was just playing with my feelings," Piper told Phoebe. Phoebe smiled slightly before saying, "That doesn't matter. Even though he's got magic in his life, the guy you're going for now is really great." Phoebe realized what she said just a little too late. "Pheebs, what are you saying?" Piper asked, confused. Prue echoed the same reaction. Phoebe sighed. "Here goes nothin'," she muttered under her breath. She took a deep breath. "Guys, there's something I have to tell you. I was going to earlier at the hospital but you never gave me the chance. Promise you're going to listen," she began seriously. Her sisters just stared silently at her. "Do you know what a whitelighter is?" she asked them. "A sort of witch protector. They're a legend. They don't really exist," Piper paused uncertainly, "or do they?" she added, looking towards Phoebe. "They do. Each coven of witches has their own whitelighter. It can be a he or a she. A whitelighter has the healing power. A whitelighter isn't supposed to reveal himself to the coven he protects. But sometimes he has to." "Alright, Pheebs. What are you getting at? Do you know who our whitelighter is?" Piper asked impatiently. "If whitelighters didn't exist, I'd be dead right now. At the warehouse, Prue found no pulse on me, right?" Prue nodded slowly. "I didn't, but…." "Andy did," Phoebe finished, "I did die, but our whitelighter healed me. Later that night, he came to the hospital and brought me out of the coma." "Why didn't he or she heal you completely?" Prue asked, baffled. "They have to follow the Rules or whatever set by their superiors, the Elders," Phoebe informed them, thinking whether or not to tell Piper that witches and whitelighters weren't allowed to fall in love. She decided against telling them. 'That's between Leo and Piper' she thought to herself. Piper interrupted her thoughts. "You still haven't answered my question. Do you know who our whitelighter is?" "I do. But I wasn't allowed to tell you. He's more like an unseen guardian angel. Since I know about him, he usually tells me about stuff telepathically. I told you guys that they were visions." "Why are you telling us all this now?" "He got permission to reveal himself to you and he kinda asked me to tell you guys all this." "Okay, that's it. Enough with the details. Who is he?" Piper asked, slightly agitated. Phoebe grinned with amusement at her sisters' impatience. She silently called out telepathically, "Leo, come on. Good luck and keep your fingers crossed." She opened her eyes. As she did so, blue circles appeared in front of them. Instinctively, Prue and Piper leapt to their feet. Phoebe grabbed Piper's arm with her good hand. "Hang on," she told her sisters. The circles vanished and Leo stepped forward. "Hi Piper, Prue." Prue stood still frozen in shock. Piper staggered backwards in surprise and would have fallen if Phoebe hadn't braced her. The sudden weight of her sister made Phoebe wince in pain, but she bore it down through gritted teeth.

Phoebe and Leo exchanged nervous glances as they waited with anticipation for her sisters' reaction. Finally Prue spoke. "Now that we know, we might as well learn to live with it," she said smiling with a slight shrug. She turned to Phoebe. "How long have you known?" she asked. "Since the Max incident. He sent you the messages on the spirit board." Leo grinned sheepishly. "She caught me levitating while fixing the chandelier. She took me by such surprise that I fell like a dead weight," he said. Piper turned to face Phoebe. "He knew all along about us?" she asked unbelievingly. Phoebe nodded. "He knew Mom and Grams as well," she told her softly. Piper's back was turned to Prue and Leo, so they didn't see the spark of rising anger in her eyes. Phoebe just happened to. She said nothing out loud. "Piper, I know you're angry, you have every right to be. But give him a chance. He cares about you a lot. Don't throw it away because of this. You can be as mad at me as you like, but forgive him. I know how much he loves you. We both know how much you love him. Don't throw it away, please!" she rattled off everything telepathically to her sister. Phoebe looked Piper squarely in the eye, waiting for a response.

Piper's eyes softened a bit. She turned to Leo. "You're still the same person, right?" "You bet!" he said smiling and coming over to give her a hug. From behind Piper, Leo held out his hand for Phoebe to see. She smiled when she saw his crossed fingers. Prue saw it too and grinned. "So, nothing's changed?" Leo asked Piper softly. His only reply was a long, sizzling kiss.

When they finally pulled apart, Piper turned to Phoebe. "So this is your unseen guardian angel, huh?" Phoebe nodded. "Not mine alone. And a whole lot more," she said softly. Piper came over and gave Phoebe a great big hug. "Thanks. For everything. I really needed that," she whispered gratefully, so that only Phoebe heard. Phoebe returned the hug as best as she could with her good arm. "No prob, sis. Anything, anytime, anywhere for you," Phoebe whispered back, smiling. Out loud, she asked, "So you're not mad?" "Nope." Phoebe broke the hug and turned to Prue. "I'd love to give these two lovebirds some privacy, but I can't walk out of here on my own." "Allow me," said Leo, stepping forward. "That anxious to get rid of us, huh?" Prue teased, thinking that he wanted to help Phoebe out of the room. "I thought you weren't allowed to," Phoebe told him seriously, having realized what he meant. "The Elders said it was alright once all of you knew." "Great!" Phoebe closed her eyes as Leo placed his hand over her chest. It began to glow and the glow spread around Phoebe. She opened her eyes and gave Leo a great big hug. "Thanks. I've been wanting to do that for a long time, but you're never around physically," she told him gratefully. "Pheebs, you better finish soon. Piper's getting jealous," Prue said teasingly. "Hey!!" Piper protested, blushing hotly.

Phoebe turned towards the stairs. "I'll be glad to be in my own room tonight," she said. "Thanks Phoebe. You did a great job telling your sisters about me. I am eternally grateful. You didn't tell them about the Rule, did you?" Leo's voice rang in her head. She stopped and turned. "It's nothing compared to what you've done for us," Phoebe said out loud. Looking Leo in the eye, she continued telepathically, "Leo, that's something only you can do. Do it soon before it goes too far. You should tell the Elders about this. Whatever you decide, remember she is still my sister and I don't want to see her get hurt." Prue and Piper could sense the silent, heavy communication going on between Leo and Phoebe. Phoebe's expression was both serious and severe. Suddenly, Phoebe turned and headed upstairs. Piper stopped her. "Hold it! Do me a favour. No more silent chatting between you two. At least when Leo is actually here," she said half - jokingly pointing a finger at Phoebe. Phoebe simply smiled at her and nodded. "Remember," she told Leo telepathically. With that she turned and went to her room. Prue followed.

We fade out leaving Leo and Piper alone in the living room.