Thhis is a new story by me!
Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot and Libby!
Hope you like it!
Crossing The Line
Chapter One: From The Other Side
I watched as the Elders chattered amongst themselves. I did not feel like joining in. True I was an Elder but it was nothing special to me. I had been for all my life. My name is Liberty (Libby) Tide and I am the daughter of Xavier Tide and Cassandra Tide the head of the Elder Council. So I had known nothing else. I had always lived in the realm of the Elders and always been an Elder. It was a way of life for me.
In truth I was nineteen and it could get boring. I was waiting for one of my best friends to return from seeing to a charge. His name was Leo Wyatt and in truth he was six years older than me, well he had been when he died. If he had still been among the living he would be in his late seventies early eighties now. Being a veteran fighter of World War 2 would do that.
But as it is he died in a battle, and was given his wings and a chance to join the ranks of the White Lighters. It was an amazing gift and a chance of a lifetime. At the time he had jumped at the chance and gave everything to our cause.
Now, now things were different.
Oh. He was no less caring and no less Leo than he had been when he joined us. He still put his life in danger to help his charges; he still jumped first and asked questions later. But he had changed. He no longer wanted to have to return to our realm. He no longer wanted to have to leave earth.
And there was one reason for this.
Her name was Piper Halliwell. The second sister of the Charmed Ones. The most powerful force of good in the world.
Luckily for him the Elders had been too mixed up in trying to find solutions to the surge in black magic use to notice that one of the best White Lighters they had was failing.
Or rather falling for a charge.
A strippable offence. White Stars cannot fall for their charges and neither can Elders.
When we have them.
I should do the right thing and tell my father but Leo is too much of a good friend for me to do that and besides I can tell its not just a fling he really is starting to fall for Piper Halliwell the only thing is she has no idea to his real identity.
She thinks he's a handy man. A human. One she needs to keep secrets from. What she doesn't realise is, is that he is keeping secrets from her and saved her life more than once without her even realising.
I shook my head. I was just too soft when it came to Leo. I couldn't have anything happen to him. He was fun to be around and willing to break a few rules with me, nothing big, he was one of the best White Lighters their were but enough to have a laugh and have some fun.
That was why Piper had so much fun with him. At that moment one of the Elders came up behind me. "Where's Leo?" "Still on assignment." I said naturally but I knew from the way he was looking at me that they had finally figured it out.
"When he returns escort him to the chamber Liberty." I cringed why was it just because I was the next in line to rule the Council should my father ever want to step aside (I doubted that he is a good leader and the Elders do well under him) that they insisted on calling me Liberty they were well aware that I hated it.
I nodded silently. Oh god. Leo, you are in so much trouble.
Why do you make me have to do this? I felt furious with him. He knew I hated having to do things like this. But then its not exactly his fault he fallen for Piper. She's sweet and her hearts in the right place. Anyone would fall for her.
But right then I didn't care if she was the named saint of San Francisco she was making me do things to her boyfriend that I hated. Leo was my best friend and it wasn't fair.
Why did Leo have to choose to break the one Cardinal rule in White Lighter realm? Never fall in love with a charge. He could loose his wings. I closed my eyes.
I didn't think I could handle that. It might seem selfish but I loved Leo. Yes, I probably loved him as much as Piper did but I knew I'd never be able to be with him. So I just had to believe that I would always be able to be around him.
Yes it was selfish, yes I knew it was pointless but I couldn't let him go. He loved Piper I know but I wanted to be able to love him from afar even if I knew he would never love me as I loved him.
The Elder looked at me but I said, "I said I'd do it what are you waiting for?" He bowed and walked away and I let out a breath. Mum and dad knew exactly how I felt about him so if they'd worked out what had happened they'd have worked out that I knew about it.
Oh shit!
At that moment the guy that was causing all my problems orbed in and smiled at me. "Hey Libby." I melted inside at the sound of his voice.
Stupid, Stupid, Stupid! I scolded myself. He loves someone else! He'll never love you that way! Get a grip of yourself girl!
"Leo," I nodded and greeted him in the way of the Elders. His face fell automatically and he simply nodded and greeted back.
"You are wanted in the main chamber." I reported. Leo looked up startled "have they said what for?"
"Might have something to do with the Charmed Ones." I shrugged. "Or maybe Piper Halliwell." The colour drained from his face.
"How long have you known?" I laughed "Me? I've known for about three months me as in the Elders have known about a day. Mustn't have covered that disappearance last week well enough."
The humour died from my voice and I said, "I'm really sorry Leo I tried my best." He smiled at me. "I know Libby you always do." He clasped his fingers in my hand and brought my knuckles to his lips and kissed them.
My breath caught in my throat. "Leo…"
I said my voice husky. He looked up his eyes confused and I sighed. He didn't even know how much Piper loved him and he was smitten with her what would make me think he'd know I love him?
"Come on then Libby." He said his eyes dancing despite the fact he could loose everything "We'd better go. I can say hi to your mum and dad."
I shook my head in wonder. My mum and dad, as I have said are the head of the Elders and Leo was never bothered by what that could mean.
"Aren't you scared you could loose your wings?" I asked as we made our way from the courtyard and Leo picked up his robes from the inner Hall.
Leo shook his head and my stomach fell to the floor. "Y-your n-not." I stammered. Leo shook his head again. My face must have shown horror or disbelief because then he said, "Once I would have been, that would have been the end of the world for me but now…now all I want is to be with Piper."
I can't tell you how much I hated Piper Halliwell at that moment. Elders are not meant to feel hate but I did then. I could lose my best friend and the love of my life and she didn't even know what her boyfriend wanted to leave behind.
I said nothing for fear of saying something I would probably regret the rest of the way to the Main Chamber.
Once we reached the main gates Leo and I put our hand against the gate for a second then drew away. The gate glowed gold and then swung silently open.
Inside Leo put on his ceremonial robes and we both raised the hoods to cover our faces. Then we donned our sashes. It's all for ceremonial purposes but when we meet with the Head Elders, that does include me yes, but usually I escort everyone to the Chamber, it is best to look professional and put up with all the hoopla.
Good impressions and all that.
Bullshit, if you ask me but what do I know?
There are three sashes. White for the rookies, light blue for the veterans and dark blue for the Elders.
Leo has been a White Lighter for almost sixty years so at the fifty-year mark he was given his veteran sash. It is a special honour.
And Leo was ready to throw it all away. Didn't mean anything? No, all right my real problem was this, didn't I mean anything to him?
I shook my head and donned my own sash of dark blue and then pushed open the door motioning for Leo to go in before me. He did, bowing at the door as a mark of respect.
I followed him in repeating the bow at the entrance and then we split up Leo went to one side to await being spoken to and I went and took my place in the Elders stands.
I sat beside Marley and when I sat down he leaned over and whispered in my ear, "This should be fun Lib, another White Lighter bites the dust."
I shot him a filthy look. Marley knew I was friends with Leo and he hated it. He hated that as an Elder I got on better with all the White Lighters than he did. But perhaps that had something to do with his superior attitude.
Just because we have more power does not mean we are any better than the veterans or the rookies that serve below us.
Sometimes, as I have discovered much to my disgrace, the White Stars know better than the Elders. I can admit this because while I like having the weight to throw around to do as I please, I know that White Lighter judgement taken above my own has saved lives.
And that is what we strive for.
I looked at Marley and said, "Perhaps if Leo is stripped then you'll get his charges."
I smirked at the look at horror on his face and turned to the front to watch the Gathering.
Leo was already stood in front of Angelo our head Punisher. "Leo Wyatt," Angelo boomed. (It always amazed me how loud his voice was) "We have recently discovered that you have been fraternising with one of your Charges."
Whispering broke out among those present and I had to smile that few had known. Despite my anger at Leo's obvious choice of Piper over the life he had known I had to smile at his discretion it had taken them a while.
Haven, (I'd love to say hell but its against the rules while in The Dome, our home territory) it had taken me long enough.
So long in fact I was quite disgusted with myself.
Leo stood straight and looked up at the Elders he knew better than to speak yet. He had not been asked. To speak now could make his crime, ha! Since when is, I have to say this, love…
There see I said it!
When is love a crime. Mother and father always told me Love is something that can't be helped it just is.
Well, its funny because Leo is, as much as I hate saying it, even to myself, in love with Piper and he just seems to be getting punished for it.
"This is a crime of the highest nature." Angelo continued his booming voice echoing round the Chamber.
"The punishment for this is the loss of your wings. The loss of your status as a White Star. What do you have to say for yourself?"
Leo said nothing for the longest time simply staring ahead his expression unreadable.
For a moment I hoped he'd deny everything and prove his innocence and then things would go back to the way they had been but then he said,
"I agree with the Charges against me."
My heart fell. Oh Leo! I whispered in my heart. Why?
Why are you leaving me?
There was uproar in the chambers but I never heard any of it. All I heard was the rushing in my ears because I knew nothing in my world would ever be as it had been for so long, because my best friend was leaving me.
Leo was leaving me.