Charmed by Love 1--The Beginning (Completed

[mcharmed21]

In the meantime, Prue and Andy manged to find Daisy, but unfortunately, the darklighter got away. After Prue told me, I went up to the attic--where you’d gone to return the Book and check on Leo--to tell you. I entered the attic, calling out, “Hey, Prue's home, she just ...I hear rhyming, what are you doing?”<br>
You looked at me, tears and determination still in your eyes. “Everything I can. Look, we know Leo can't heal himself, but maybe with his powers I can.”<br>
I looked at you in shock. “What are you talking about?”<br>
“It's a power-switching spell,” you explained. “If Leo and I exchange powers, then I'll have the healing touch, and maybe I can fix him.”<br>
Just then Prue walked in. “Hey, what's going on?”<br>
“Ah, you know, the usual,” I told her. “Made some coffee, read the newspaper, walked in on Piper switching powers with Leo. You know.”<br>
At Prue’s shocked look, you explained, “I have to save him, Prue.”<br>
As always, one thing was on Prue’s mind. “Okay; is it safe?”<br>
The determination in your eyes grew. “To tell you the truth I don't really care. He's slipping away and if either one of you have a better idea then I'm all ears. If not, then I'm casting the spell and I would like to do it with the support of my sisters.”<br>
Prue shrugged, “Cast away,” and I nodded.

So you read the spell:

“What's mine is yours,
What's yours is mine,
Let our powers
Cross the line,
I offer up this gift to share
Switch our powers through the air.”<br>
“Did it work?” I asked.

“I don't know,” you admitted. Just then Kit, our cat, came running in, so you tried to freeze him, but Kit kept running. “I can't freeze,” you told us, hope in your voice.

“This is a good sign,” Prue agreed.. “The spell must have worked.” Just then Kit, still running around, brushed against Prue's leg. She gave a long gasp as her face went pale and her eyes closed.

“Prue! Prue!” we cried, scared silly.

Then she shook her head, saying, “Oh, I think I just had one of Phoebe's premonition thingies.”<br>
She WHAT???!!! So that’s what I look like when I have a premonition! “Really?” I asked. “What did you see?”<br>
She pointed to a lamp. “That shattering.” Just then Kit jumped on the table where the lamp is.

“Kit, NO!” I cried out. I put up my hand to catch the lamp, but instead it flew across the wall and smashed, just like when Prue used her telekinesis! “Did I just do that?” I asked, bewildered.

“Uh, huh,” Prue nodded. “And that’s what I saw in my premonition. So, okay, you're moving things, I'm having premonitions and Piper can't freeze which means ...”<br>
You ducked, sensing what was coming. “Am I gonna get yelled at?” you asked in a small voice.

“IT SWITCHED *ALL* OF OUR POWERS!” screamed Prue.

“It's a supernatural freaky Friday!” I cried out.

Just then the phone rang. ”Okay, you know what?” Prue told us. “ I'm going to get that downstairs, and I'm sure you guys will have all this worked out by the time I get back!” and out she marched.

You hardly noticed. Knowing that the only power that wasn’t accounted for was healing, you walked over towards Leo. “Okay,” you told yourself, trying to convince yourself. “I can do this.” You sat down next to him and put your hand over his wound. “Now, heal. Come on, heal!” But your hands didn’t turn golden and no golden thingies fell on it nor did it begin to heal. You looked up at me, desperation on your face. “Why aren't these working?”<br>
Although Prue probably could’ve done it better, I tried to help. “Okay, okay, okay, uh, Piper, relax. Uh, remember when we first got our own powers, uh, it took us a while to learn how to trigger them.”<br>
“Well, I'm doing what I always do.”<br>
I nodded. “Yes, but maybe you have to find *his* trigger not yours.”<br>
Just then Prue came back in. “Hey, that was Andy. A new charge came up on Daisy's credit card report. She bought a bus ticket twenty minutes ago. She's running again. If she leaves town we'll never be able to find her. Let's go.”<br>
“Wait!” I cried. “We have to switch our powers back.”<br>
“Not until I heal Leo.” you insisted.

“Piper,” I reminded you. “We have to get Daisy. She’s our innocent.”<br>
You nodded. “I know. But I have to heal him, I'm not losing him again.”

[mcharmed21]

Prue gave a heavy sigh. “Okay, you know what, you stay here. We have to find Daisy before the darklighter does. We'll just have to do it using each other's powers. Come on, Phoebe,” and we walked out the door, down the stairs and out the door of the Manor.

Well, just like I told you, it took awhile for me and Prue to figure out the triggers for our new (hopefully) temporary powers, but by bringing up some old not-so-pleasant memories, like my high-school nickname of Freebie (rumor only, I insist!) and the time I got blamed for denting Gram’s car fender, when it was actually Prue, we figured out where the darklighter and Daisy were, managed to get her away from him and brought her back to the Manor.

As soon as we got in the door, Daisy’s face turned pale. “Oh, God, he found me again!”<br>
“How do you know?” I asked.

She pointed to the flowers sitting in a vase on a table. “That's what he does; he sends me flowers so I know he's watching.”<br>
There was a note with the flowers, so I grabbed it and opened it. I shook my head, “No, honey, these are for Prue.”<br>
Prue grabbed the note from me. “They're from Andy; he needs to see me right away.”<br>
“Something wrong with his phone?” I asked.

“It's a long story,” she sighed, “but I can't leave you guys.”<br>
I shook my head. “No, Prue, you go. Daisy and I will go up and check on Leo. I’ll protect her. Remember I'm the one with the active power now. Go!”<br>
“Are you sure?” she asked, although new respect for me was starting to come into her eyes.

I nodded. “Yes, absolutely; we'll be fine. C’mon, Daisy, let's go check on Leo. He’ll be happy to see you safe.”<br>
So as Prue went out the door, Daisy and I ran up the steps. There we found Leo apparently asleep on the couch, while you were sitting on the floor, your back to us.

“Piper,” I told you. “We found Daisy ...”<br>
You turned back, devastation and agony on your face and in your tearless eyes. “I tried. I really tried. He's gone.”<br>
“NO!” screamed Daisy.

“No!” I also screamed. “Piper, what happened?”<br>
“I tried to find the trigger, I really tried. But I just couldn’t. Then Leo looked at me and said, ‘When I die,' and I told him that he wasn’t going to die, but he finished, 'And when it happens this is where I want to be. I love you,’ then he closed his eyes and stopped breathing. Why couldn’t I save him, Phoebe? Why?”<br>
I ran to hug you as tightly as I could. “I don’t know, honey; I don’t, but I wish I did.”<br>
Suddenly I heard clattering on the steps. “Daisy!” and I ran off after her, grabbing her at the landing. “You’ve got to stay here! I don't think this is the best time for you to be alone.”<br>
She shook her head. “Without Leo, it's just a matter of time before Alec finds me again. I have to get away.”<br>
“No,” I insisted. “My sisters and I can take care of Alec.”<br>
“I don't want you to try. Too many people are dead now because of me. and now Leo...” and she started to cry.

“Honey, that's not your fault,” I tried to consoled her.

“It doesn't matter. When Alec finds me again, he's not gonna let you get in the way either. It's better off that I leave. Trust me. I have to go.”<br>
“DON’T YOU DARE!” At the sound of your voice, we both turned to see you standing at the doorway, tears now flowing down your cheeks, but rage burning in your eyes. “Don't you dare leave! Leo gave up his life to bring you here. If you leave, Alec will find you for sure. And Leo's death will mean nothing. You're not going anywhere!”<br>

[mcharmed21]

Later, I walked back up to the attic, to find you standing in the doorway, staring at Leo. I put my hand on your shoulder. “I thought you might like to talk.”<br>
“He could have stayed with us,” you told me. “He could have fought harder.”<br>
“He was in pain, sweetie, great pain. He had to let go.”<br>
You shook your head. “He didn't have to. Our magic has never failed before. I cast the spell; I took his power; all he had to do was show me how to do it, and he never did.”<br>
I couldn’t believe it. “How can you be mad at him?”<br>
“Because it should have worked!” you insisted. “Prue's having premonitions, and you figured out how to use her power, why couldn't I find a trigger? Why couldn't he just help me, give me the trigger?”<br>
“He wanted to live, he didn't want to leave you. It's hard to lose someone you love.”<br>
You nodded, tears beginning to well in your eyes again. “Yes, he told me he loved me, but I never told him!”<br>
“Well, you can still tell him now.”<br>
So you walked over to the couch and sat down next to him, tears rolling down your cheeks. You picked up his hand and squeezed it, sobbing, “I love you, Leo. I truly love you!” One of your tears fell on your hand, and your hand started to glow! Oh, yes, Piper, YES! You did it! You knew it, too. “I found it, Leo! I found it!” You held your glowing hand over his wound. “Can you hear me?” you begged, as I prayed that it wasn’t too late, “I love you, Leo; I love you!” and Leo’s wound began to glow! “Oh, yes!! Hear me, Leo. I love you! I’ve always loved you! I will alwys love you!” As you cried out the words, the wound slowly healed itself, and after it did, Leo opened his eyes! YES! He looked around, looked into your eyes and whispered your name as you hugged each other tightly, and joyous tears poured down my own cheeks.

“Oh, thank God!” you cried out. “Oh, Leo, I tried so hard, and I couldn't make it work before. Why didn't you tell me?”<br>
“That love was the trigger?” he asked. “You had to find that out on your own. Why couldn't you tell me?”<br>
“I don't know.” But I did, and after a moment, you did, too, as you admitted it. “I was afraid. Leo, I was afraid,” and I nodded. “I was afraid that if I admitted how I really felt, it would hurt more if I lost you. I'm so sorry! I should have said it before.”<br>
He smiled at you. “It's better late then never,” and you hugged him again as he kissed you tenderly, and I left you two alone, knowing that you two had never even noticed me.

Later, when you helped Leo down the steps, Daisy cried out, “Leo! Oh my God! How did you ...?”<br>
“There's no time to explain,” you told her.

Leo smiled gently at Daisy. “You've been out of the cloak too long. Alec can find you.”<br>
“Where's Prue?” you asked. “We need to get her back here, and we need to find a spell to vanquish the darklighter.”<br>
Leo nodded. “A Power-of-Three spell.”<br>
I nodded. “Okay, I think she has her cell phone on.”<br>
But before I could call Prue, Alec, the darklighter appeared! “NO!” I cried, as I tried to use Prue’s telekinesis to throw him against the wall. But I missed as the light bulbs above him smashed.

[mcharmed21]

He smirked at me, then grabbed you. “All right,” he said, “no more tricks, ladies.”<br>
“Let her go, Alec.” Leo warned.

Alec shook his head. “I don't think so. I have what you love; you've got what I love. Care to trade?” I raised my hand, getting ready to try to make him go flying again. “Don't do that,” he warned and his hand began to glow. “I will kill her if I have to. You still think I'm incapable of love, Leo? You wanna see far I'm willing to go?”<br>
“Alec, no!” begged Daisy.

“Daisy,” you commanded. “Stay back.”<br>
“You shut up!” Alec yelled.

Just then, the door opened and Prue walked in. In the confusion, Alec shoved you into me, and then grabbed Daisy.

“No!” cried Leo, agony in his voice.

“Phoebe, stop him!” cried Prue, but before I could, Alec shimmered out, taking Daisy with him.

“Now what do we do?” I asked in despair.

Leo turned to you. “Piper, you’re going to have to find her. You can do it.”<br>
“Me??!!” you protested. “I can't do it!”<br>
“Yes, you can,” he insisted. “You have every one of my powers including the power to find Daisy.”<br>
“Leo,” Prue asked. “Wouldn't it be faster for you guys just to switch your powers back?”<br>
He shook his head. “No, I'm still too weak. It's up to Piper. Trust me, Piper. You can do this. Just look deep inside yourself. Find a place where you can find peace; a place where you find love.”<br>
So you took a couple of deep breaths, settling yourself in, concentrating. “Right, I can hear her!”<br>
“Listen to her,” Leo instructed. “Let her tell you where she is.”<br>
“She's screaming,” you told us. “She's afraid; he's pushing her passed some trees.”<br>
“Can you recognize the place?” Leo asked. “Can you tell where they're at?”<br>
“Hero's Grove,” you cried in excitement. “Golden Gate park!”<br>
“Let's go!” cried Prue, already heading for the door.

“What about Leo?” you asked, reaching out to grab his hand.

“I'm fine,” he replied. “Save Daisy.”<br>
“Piper,” Prue told you. “We really need the Power of Three to do this.”<br>
But I’d been thinking about it. “Actually, I don't think we do. I think there's a better way. Piper, you stay with Leo. Prue, you drive; I'll talk,” and out we ran.

My plan was rather simple--I’d use Prue’s power to throw Alec away from Daisy and then Prue would use the same power-switching spell you used, but this time use it so Prue could switch powers with the darklighter! I’d seen the way his eyes glowed with hatred before his hand began to glow, so I was certain that in the same way that love was the whitelighter trigger, hate would be the darklighter trigger, and I was right! Prue threw all of her hatred at this demon who had hurt Daisy and Leo and you and others so much, and vanquished him, then we both gladly switched our own powers back.

When we returned to the Manor, you were there, but we didn’t see Leo. We figured that he must be resting, so we asked you what had happened.

“Well, after you left, I brought Leo back up to the attic, so he could lie down and rest, but this time I lay down with him,” and we smiled at your pink cheeks. “I told him that I almost wished I didn't have to give him his powers back.”<br>
Prue smiled, understanding. “Then he wouldn't be able to leave.”<br>
You nodded. “He thought so, too.”<br>
I’d been wondering about something else. “So if Daisy's a whitelighter-to-be, doesn't that mean Leo used to be...”<br>
"Human?” you asked with a smile. “I asked him about it and, yes, it does. He was actually born right here in San Francisco. He lived here all the way up until he went off to war.”<br>
“War?” Prue asked. “You mean like Vietnam?”<br>
You shook your head. “That’s also what I thought, but, no. It was World War II,” and we gasped, realizing that this young man we’d gotten to know and that you had gotten to love, wasn’t as young as we thought. “He told me all about it,” you told us, your eyes misty with memories. “Leo left med school and enlisted as a medic. He wanted to help save people, not shoot them,” and we smiled--that sounded so much like Leo.

“The last thing he remembers,” you continued, “he was bandaging a soldier’s head-wound, and suddenly he felt a sharp pain in his own head, and the next thing he knew, he was floating, surrounded by whitelighters. They offered him immortality and the chance to help special people like Daisy--and us.”<br>
“Wow,” we breathed. “Immortality!”<br>
You nodded. “But not real life. He told me that he never once doubted that he didn't make the right choice. Never, until he met me,” and tears began shining in your eyes again. “Oh, Prue! Oh, Phoebe! He told me that ever since he looked into my eyes, all he could think is how he’d give it up and have a mortal life again to have a family, grow old with me.” and both Prue & I melted.

“Is that possible?” Prue wanted to know.

You nodded. "Yes, Leo could become human again. He said he would if I wanted him to.”<br>
“Are you kidding?” I cried. “Oh, honey, that’s wonderful! I know you want that more than anything--you couldn’t stand to lose him again.”<br>
But Prue saw the sad look in your eyes. “But...”<br>
You smiled at her and nodded. “But then he wouldn't be able to help other witches or other future whitelighters, would he?” and tears began rolling down your cheeks again. “He couldn't save the next Daisy.”<br>
There was silence in the room as neither Prue or I knew what to say to something like that. We then drew near you and hugged you tight. From there, you finished your story. “Leo said he better go, and I agreed. We kissed good-bye and he told me he loved me, so I told him I love him, and then he became all golden sparklies again and when the sparklies vanished, so did he,” and all we could do was cry, knowing the tremendous sacrifice you had both made.

Later, Prue and I were sitting in the kitchen. “Is it just me?” I asked. “Or can you draw a chalk outline around this place?”<br>

[mcharmed21]

Prue grinned. “Well, I don't know what you could possibly mean, Phoebe. I mean the weekend's almost over; we never made it to Cabo; Andy and I agreed to never see each other again, and Piper just lost the love of her life."

I smiled. “The glass is way more than half-full here, Prue.” As I talked, I got two pineapples out of the fridge. “Piper saved the love of her life; Alec is long gone and Daisy's on her way back to her family. And we even managed to straighten out our powers, thank God.”<br>
That surprised Prue. “Thank God? I thought that you always wanted an active power.”<br>
“Maybe,” I admitted, “but I never thought I'd actually miss my premonitions. Your power was like wearing a dress that was too tight. Not that would ever happen.”<br>
She smiled, then became serious. “Remember when I said you had no vision?”<br>
I grinned. “Which time?”<br>
“Well, you will never hear it again. It takes a lot of strength to see what you see.”<br>
I grinned and raised my pineapple. “I'll drink to that. We can't go to Cabo, we might as well bring Cabo to us.”<br>
“Can I have one of those, too?”<br>
At the sound of your voice, we turned to see you standing in the doorway, listening to us. You were wearing something around your neck. I got up and checked it out--dogtags. “Leo’s?” I asked and you nodded, as you went to the cupboard, found the Sangria and began pouring it into our pineapples, then finding one for yourself.

“I don't know, Phoebs,” Prue said. “Why celebrate when we still have some serious problems?”<br>
I grinned as I turned on the radio, scanning until I found some reggae music. “Problems are for Monday mornings, Prue. What do you say?” I asked, looking at you.

You managed a small smile. “It's gonna be a hell of a Monday morning but until then ...” and we all raised our drinks.

Well, Piper, I just looked at the clock and you should be back from P3 at any time. I better hide this until you’re not home. If you find this before I get a chance to write more, I hope it will get the message across. You love Leo, Piper; you truly do, and he truly loves you. You two belong together. You’ve been through so much; I just know that you can beat this, too. I truly hope I’m right.