Death and Life

A day had passed since Melinda and Leo had met up with his regiment. She'd only gotten hit on a few times by Rick and Nathan. She'd had no problem telling them off. She was starting to get worried. Melinda knew this was getting very close to the day her father died. She needed to get back to her own time before she got herself blown up. She walked out of the makeshift tent she'd made for herself and spotted Leo. She checked her watch and realized that she had less time to get out of here than she thought. Today was the day

"Hey Leo," she called out, jogging towards him.

"Morning, Melinda," he greeted her. She took a deep breath. She was torn. She knew she couldn't save her father from dying today. It was his destiny but she didn't want him to die alone.

"I have a sort of strange request," she began, fidgeting with the pocket of her pants.

"What is it?" he replied.

"Do you have any chalk?" she asked. She was going to need find a solid surface to draw the portal. She was considering the inside of her tent. It should work, right?

"Chalk? I don't think so. Why?" he answered.

"I just…need some is all," she muttered. This was going to prove harder than she had thought. She only hoped she didn't get stuck in the past. How awkward would that be? He scratched his head and looked around.

"What do you need it for?" he probed.

"I can't tell you. I'm sorry," she apologized and headed off back to the tent. Maybe she could conjure some chalk. She disappeared behind the flap of the tent and within a few minute she had chalk. She began to try and draw on the canvas but found it nearly impossible.

"Ok, Melinda…improvise," she instructed herself.

"To help me get back home, make this tent hard as stone," she chanted. It was lame but it worked. Just as she was finishing there were footsteps outside the flap and Leo poked his head in. Melinda dropped the chalk and looked paralyzed. He was eying the triquetra.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"I…uh…" she trailed off. She couldn't reveal magic. He wasn't supposed to know about it until after he died.

"What is that? Is that some sort of pagan ritual? What are you?" he questioned harshly.

"Leo…please…it's not what you think," Melinda begged but it did no good. She desperately wanted to tell him everything. He stormed out and just as she ran out to follow him bombs started going off. Melinda hit the ground. Leo turned and saw Rick and Nathan coming. Panic began to set in. Suddenly Melinda felt woozy. She looked down to see a gaping wound in her stomach.

"Leo," she called out weakly. He didn't seem to hear her. He was trying to focus on his friends. She vaguely heard him ask if there was a medic in the field. She saw him running towards the action, carrying a medial kit. She tried to crawl towards him. She needed to get away from where she was. If she didn't then there would be no way she would survive. Weakly she made her way away from the medical set up. She closed her eyes and astral projected as close to Leo as she could.

"Leo…please…help me," she begged. Was bandaging a soldier's head wound when he turned to see astral Melinda. She was growing weaker every minute and just as Leo was about to go towards her she vanished. It was then that the medical station burst into flame and Leo was hit with a shell. Melinda lay on the ground, shivering as death set in.

In the future, Chris collapsed in the kitchen, clutching his stomach. The sound drew Piper and Leo. Piper cradled her son's head in her lap.

"What is it?" she begged.

"Melinda…ah…she's hurt…really badly…" Chris rasped.

"Oh god…no," Piper gasped, starting to hyperventilate. Leo suddenly felt like he knew what was going on. He remember ascending over his body and into the bright light of heaven.

"Piper…she's going to be ok," he breathed.

"How…how do you know?" she shot at him.

"Because…I'm going to save her," he answered, stroking her hair.

"Hang in there, son," he addressed Chris, squeezing his shoulder.

Back in the past Leo was floating above his body for a moment before he was surrounded by bright white lights. There white hooded figures all around him. One approached him and pulled his hood down. A young looking Gideon approached Leo.

"Where am I?" Leo asked, confused.

"You are in heaven my dear boy. Welcome," Gideon greeted him.

"I'm dead," Leo murmured.

"Yes…but you have the chance to do great things, serve the Greater Good, save more lives. We are offering you the chance of immortality to become a whitelighter, a guardian angel for witches," Gideon explained.

"A what?" Leo asked. This was so confusing.

"A whitelighter. You need to make your choice, Leo. Your friend, Melinda won't survive much longer," Gideon commented.

"Melinda…oh God. I need to save her. She saved me," Leo babbled. Gideon passed his hand over Leo and the younger man glowed brightly.

"Come…we must hurry," Gideon murmured, taking Leo by the arm. They disappeared in orbs. Melinda was shaking violently now. Leo and Gideon appeared. He looked around.

"No one can see you…except for her," he explained.

"Dad…" Melinda gasped. She was starting to lose it. Leo looked confused.

"Place your hands over her stomach," Gideon instructed. Leo bent over her and did as he was told. Slowly a golden light radiated from his hands and the wound in her stomach knit back together and she sat up, coughing violently.

"Thank God you're alive," Leo breathed. She looked at him with a grin.

"Not to sound mean but thank God you're dead," she murmured. Leo laughed a little and turned to Gideon.

"Is she a….witch?" he asked of the older man.

"Yes…I'm a witch. I guess now is as a good time as any to tell you….I'm not really from this time. I'm from very far in the future. I cam back to make sure you survived long enough to die the way you were supposed to," Melinda explained hastily. Getting up and heading back towards the tent. Leo and Gideon followed her. She heaved a sigh of relief that the triquetra was still there.

"Thank you for saving me. My family will be grateful," she said, giving Leo a quick hug. She didn't look at Gideon. She knew what he would become. But that was not for another sixty years. She reached into her pants pocket and pulled out the spell.

"Hear these words, hear the rhyme. Heed the hope within my mind. Bring me forward to where I wish in place and time," she recited. The tent wall turned into a swirling vortex. Leo looked scared and grabbed her arm.

"Are you sure you know what you're doing?" he asked. She gave him a smile.

"Yes, Daddy," she whispered in his ear. He looked shocked and stepped back to look at her once more before she disappeared. She reappeared in the attic and bolted down the stairs. Chris was leaning against the fridge, slowly drinking water. Piper and Leo were the first to stop their daughter.

"Thank God," Piper gasped and pulled her daughter into her arms.

"I'm sorry we didn't tell you the truth before, Mom," Melinda apologized.

"It's ok. You're safe. That's all that matters," Piper breathed.

"I told you I'd save her," Leo told his wife and son.

"I love you, Daddy," she said, jumping into his arms.

"I love you too," he whispered.