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Current mood:	busy
Entry tags:	challenge: fanfic100, character: cole turner, character: leo wyatt, character: paige matthews, character: phoebe halliwell, character: piper halliwell, fandom: charmed, pairing: cole/phoebe, pairing: piper/leo, title: justice

Justice (Parts 1-4)
Title: Justice
Fandom: Charmed
Challenge: Cole Turner, Phoebe Halliwell, Piper Halliwell, Paige Halliwell, Leo Wyatt
Prompt: Fixed
Word Count: 9178
Rating: PG
Author's Notes: When I heard that Julian was going to be guest staring as Cole in the 150th episode of Charmed, I had a bad feeling about it. I knew it wouldn't suck (because zomg Julian), but I doubted that Brad Kern or the "creative" staff would dare address the issues of what was wrong with the show and the writing. So without even knowing what would happen in the actual episode ("The Seven Year Witch"), I wrote this. It's canon up to and including "Show Ghouls." After that? The show gets "fixed."

1.

Piper sat in her room, rocking Chris in her arms, smiling as she watched Leo play with Wyatt. This, not the world the Avatars had brought about, was Utopia -- a peaceful home with her husband and sons. If only moments like this could last, uninterrupted by demons, but she'd come to terms with the duties that came with being a Charmed One. At least things had been relatively peaceful for the past few weeks, if one ignored the looming question of what the Elders might have planned for Leo.

"I think Wyatt wants to go to the park today," Leo said, pulling her out of her thoughts. "What do you think, big gu—"

Mid-word, Leo began to orb out. Piper had seen enough orbing over the years to recognize when it was against one's will. "Leo!" she cried.

Wyatt wailed in distress, reaching out his arms toward his disappearing father. Piper watched in horror as the magical orbs around Leo began to spin erratically, caught between the pull of the Elders and Wyatt's own power. She heard Leo's scream of pain and frantically told her son, "Wyatt! Let Daddy go!" Wyatt pouted and dropped his arms, and Leo disappeared. Chris began to whimper, and Piper gathered both her children in her arms to calm them.

She didn't have time for her rage and fear to build before a young man orbed into her room. She pushed the boys behind her and raised her hands instinctively. "Don't shoot!" the boy yelped, ducking behind a chair.

"Kevin?" Piper said, recognizing the young Elder.

"I know you're pissed," Kevin said, warily standing back up, "but I'm on your side here."

"What's going on?" Piper demanded. "Where's Leo?"

"Okay. The Elders are all sorts of pissed at Leo about this Avatar stuff, but you know that," Kevin explained. "But some of us -- like me -- aren't all about the punishment thing. We understand why what happened did. And we want to make sure justice is done."

"Justice?" Piper said suspiciously.

"There's going to be a trial," Kevin explained. "Leo has to justify what he did. The highest ranking Elders are going to preside over it."

Piper's hands twitched. "Justify himself?" she fumed. "The Elders are the ones who took him away from his family. They attacked our son! Bring Leo back here now or I swear to god I will find a way up there myself and...."

"Whoa, preaching to the choir here," Kevin interrupted. "Like I said, I'm on your side. Some of the Elders were all ‘He must be punished!' for going against the will of the Collective or something, but some of us -- mostly the younger Elders if that makes sense -- want to hear Leo's reasons. So we compromised on this trial."

"I've been through one of these trials before," Piper said, her eyes narrowing. "I think we'll pass."

"You really don't have a choice at this point," Kevin said. "But I did arrange for you and your sisters to be able to attend and speak on his behalf."

One hour later, after Piper had made phone calls to her sisters to return to the manor immediately, Kevin orbed the Charmed Ones to the location of Leo's trial. The setting was eerily similar to that used by the Tribunal that had passed judgment over the sister's misuse of their powers, but Kevin assured them that there would be no demons involved in these proceedings. "And they've learned to count. Three judges, not four," Paige said mockingly.

"Where's Leo?" Piper said, peering into the darkness around them. There were three Elders, two women and a man, seated on a dais at one end of the room, and another pair of Elders opposite them. The prosecution, Piper guessed.

"He'll be brought in shortly," Kevin said. "First we need to prep Leo's defense. I found the perfect person to handle it. Just...uh, trust me. Let me bring him in." He closed his eyes and concentrated, and a figure began to orb in.

"Oh my god," Phoebe whispered.

"Dude, I thought you were supposed to be helping Leo," Paige said in disbelief.

"Are you out of your freakin' mind?" Piper exploded.

"Nice to see you, too, ladies," Cole said with a small smirk.


2.

"No vanquishing the lawyer, please," Kevin said, slipping between Cole and the Charmed Ones. "I went through a lot of trouble to get him here."

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Piper sputtered. "Don't you know who he is? Don't you know what he's done?"

Kevin sighed. "I knew you would be difficult about this. Trust me, he's the best man for the job. Just...go with it."

"You're crazy!" Phoebe exclaimed. "He's a demon! He's evil!"

"Unfortunately, you're not going to find too many angelic lawyers," Cole said, a bemused look on his face. "Most law firms tend to be on the demonic side."

"We don't need your help," Phoebe fumed. "We can handle it ourselves. Why don't you just crawl back under whatever rock you came from. Get out of my life and stay out!"

"Given your method of proving a point tends to be taking off your clothes, Ms. Halliwell," Cole said disdainfully, crossing his arms across his chest, "I think I'm better qualified to defend Leo."

Phoebe's jaw dropped. "Oooh! You....! I should've known you'd find a way to watch me, pervert," she snapped. "I suppose you watch me in the shower, too."

"Actually, that's your former Whitelighter who watches people in the shower," Cole said. "Personally, you're too scrawny these days for my tastes. Trust me, if I was going to indulge in any voyeuristic tendencies, it wouldn't be with you."

"All right, enough!" Piper held up her hands threateningly, though she knew her power wouldn't work on her sister, and the last time she'd fought Cole, he'd been resistant to her powers, too. "Okay. If we're stuck with you, then do your job and get Leo out of here, then get the hell out of our lives."

"Straight to the point, as ever, Piper," Cole said. "I'm here for one reason -- to defend Leo. After that, you don't have to worry about me." He glanced at Phoebe and Paige. "You two should put something less...revealing on."

Paige rolled her eyes. "When did you turn prude?"

"Showing off your cleavage may get Elders like Kevin here on your side," Cole began.

Kevin blushed. "I wasn't looking, honest!" he protested.

"But I think you'll find the ones actually sitting in judgment are a little more conservative," Cole finished. "It's called knowing your audience, Paige. Take every advantage you can. I couldn't care less how you dress, but if you take a few tips from Piper, the judges may show you a little more respect. You wouldn't wear that to a job interview, would you?"

"Got a point there," Paige said. She used her powers of glamour to adjust the length of her skirt and the neckline of her shirt. Phoebe glared at Cole but nodded at her sister, and Paige similarly altered Phoebe's outfit.

"Much better," Cole said approvingly. "Now, Piper, Paige, Ms. Halliwell -- if you ladies would care to take a seat, Leo will be brought in shortly."

"Stop calling me Ms. Halliwell," Phoebe said. "You know my name."

Cole fixed her with a cold stare. "Phoebe is the name of the woman I loved. You, Ms. Halliwell, are most assuredly not her."

Phoebe took an involuntary step back, her hand coming up to her throat, as Cole turned away from them. "Phoebe?" Piper asked, concerned.

"My empathy isn't working on him," Phoebe said in a low voice meant for her sisters alone. "I can't feel what he's feeling. But that -- that I just felt. Like . . . like someone stabbed me in the heart."

"Oookay," Piper said. "Sit down. We'll worry about that later." She looked at Kevin. "Where's Leo?"

"He'll be here in a minute," Kevin said. "Let me tell you about the judges first. They're the oldest Elders. The two below are Darban and Esttai." He indicated the man first, then the woman. "Above them is Briel. She's the ranking judge." He pointed to the two Elders on the opposite side of the room. "They're in charge of prosecuting Leo. The taller one is Serris. The other one is, uh, George."

"George?" Paige snickered.

"Some of us do have normal names," Kevin said, making a face at her.

The woman on the upper part of the dais spoke. "Bring in the accused," Briel said.

Moments later Leo orbed in. "Leo," Piper whispered, rising and taking a step toward him. Kevin shook his head, and she reluctantly sat back down.

"His crimes?" Briel questioned the prosecution.

"Leo Wyatt is guilty of grave crimes against the Elders," Serris said. "He turned his back upon his duties and sought to help the Avatars remake the world. This blatant theft of free will goes against what all the forces of good stand for. In addition, he is responsible for the death of Zola, one of our own."

Briel nodded to Cole. "Your response."

Cole stepped forward. "Leo Wyatt is indeed guilty of these crimes."

Piper stood up. "You son of a bitch! You're supposed to be helping him!"

Esttai turned icy eyes to Piper. "Silence, or you will be removed from these proceedings." Piper scowled, but obeyed.

"As I was saying," Cole continued, "Leo Wyatt is indeed guilty of these crimes. However, he is not entirely responsible for his actions. I will show how he was manipulated by forces demonic and otherwise into committing these crimes."

Darban looked back to the prosecution. "Is there anything else?"

George nodded. "Yes. We intend to show the Charmed Ones have abused the powers granted to them and no longer deserve them. They have neglected their duties -- in fact, gone against what good stands for -- and are no longer responsible enough to bear the title of The Charmed Ones. Their powers should be stripped and given to those worthy to bear them."

Now Phoebe leapt to her feet. "Wait one minute! We've already been through this! This isn't fair!"

"Perhaps you have failed to learn from the first time," Esttai said coolly. She looked to Cole. "Your response?"

He hesitated. "I was not brought here to defend them, only Leo."

"Your response?" Esttai repeated.

Cole paused for a moment, gathering his thoughts. "The Charmed Ones," he said slowly, "may also be guilty of what they are accused, but it is due largely to the removal of their Whitelighter from their lives and the subsequent actions of the Elders. Rather than working with the Charmed Ones to mend the division between them, the Elders have driven them further away, and as a consequence, their attention to their duties has suffered."

"Strong words, demon," Darban said, settling back in his chair. He looked about the room. "Very well. Let the trial begin."


3.

Kevin brought Leo over to his family. Piper threw her arms around him, almost afraid to let him go. "It's okay, I'm okay," he murmured, returning the embrace. "Where are the boys?"

"They're at the Magic School," Piper said, finally letting Leo breathe. "Grams is with them, too."

Leo glanced over to Cole. "Umm...what's he doing here?"

"I'm your lawyer," Cole said. He jerked his thumb at Kevin. "His idea."

Kevin sighed. "Lawyer, supernatural knowledge, and...well, you'll see. I was trying to think outside the box when it came to your defense here. Can you guys just put aside your differences for an hour?"

"I didn't agree to defend the Charmed Ones against misuse of their powers and dereliction of duty and overall bad fashion," Cole said. Paige wrinkled her nose at Cole and bit back a retort.

"They kinda sprung that one on me, too," Kevin admitted. "I thought this was going to be about Leo, but I guess they went for a two for one deal. Or a four for one as the case may be." He looked at Cole. "Can you handle it?"

"I don't have much of a choice, do I?" he sighed. "And Ms. Halliwell, kindly get your hands off me."

Phoebe jumped as Cole looked at her over his shoulder. She'd tried to quietly steal behind him to put her hand on his back, trying to see if physical contact would give her a better read on his emotions. "I was just trying to see if you really were on our side," she snapped. "I don't trust you."

"And I don't care," he responded sharply. "And please don't delude yourself to think I'm doing this for you. I frankly don't care if you are stripped of your powers or not. In fact, while I think I can help Leo out, I don't know if there's any way I can argue your way out of this mess. After all, it's plainly clear that you have put your own selfish desires ahead of protecting innocents. When was the last one you saved? That you haven't complained about the inconvenience of it the entire time? Your latest date or media appearance is far more important to you than vanquishing a demon, isn't it?

Phoebe found herself almost at a loss for words, unprepared from the coldness that radiated from Cole. Even without her empathy, she could sense it. Declarations of love she'd dealt with from him, unwelcome stalking, too, but not this bitterness, and she found herself ill-prepared for it. "When did you become so cruel?" she said quietly.

"When you killed me," he said simply, then turned away from her.

Phoebe shook her head and sat down with her sisters. She glared at Kevin. "I hope you know what you're doing, because I think this is a very, very bad idea," she said.

"You're not the only one, dude," Paige agreed.

"I'm not happy with it either," Piper said, "but if it means helping Leo...." She squeezed her husband's hand. Even though they hadn't been officially remarried, it was easy to fall back into the comfort of thinking of him as "husband."

"Shhh," Kevin warned. "They're about to begin."

The Elder Serris stepped forward. "What you are about to see is pulled from the memories of the accused himself by the Circle of Truth. The authenticity cannot be disputed. Leo Wyatt, step forward."

"Not this again," Paige groaned.

"I'll be all right," Leo whispered to Piper, then did as requested, stepping into the circle of light that appeared in the center of the room. Next to him, an image appeared of Leo speaking to a man the sisters now recognized as the leader of the Avatars.

"We are...a power. One that offers a better way, a solution to this," the Avatar said. "You see, Leo, the future Chris failed to mention -- the death of all the people that you love, sometimes peaceful, sometimes painful, but always inevitable. And all well before their time."

"Death is a part of life," the image of Leo responded. Their conversation went on for several more minutes as the Avatar offered Leo a different life. Leo seemed dubious, but not entirely unconvinced about the promises to end a life of danger and strife.

The scene shifted. "We can save everyone, Leo, with your help," the Avatar stated. Leo nodded, and the Avatar held up his hand, sending a beam of light toward Leo. "So be it," he said. "Welcome to the fold."

"What do I do next?" Leo asked.

Another shift, and Leo confessed to Piper and Phoebe. "I'm an Avatar."

Piper stared at him in disbelief. "What?! That's insane! What does that mean?"

"That means," Leo said slowly, "I believe in what they want. A world beyond good and evil."

"As you can see," Serris stated, "Leo quite willingly joined with the Avatars and worked with them to remaking the world, seduced by a promise of an easier life for him and his family. He put his own desires above the good of the world. He also convinced the Charmed Ones to assist in the destruction of the free will of the mortal realm."

A new image appeared. An angry Paige said, "I'm not just gonna sit around and wait for him to attack Kyle!"

"You want to protect him?" Leo responded. "Help the Avatars bring in Utopia so Zankou can't stop it."

"And finally," Serris said, "Leo is responsible for the murder of one of our own." Leo visibly winced as the image was pulled from his memories.

"Where is he, damn it?" Leo demanded, standing atop the Golden Gate Bridge with his fellow Elder.

"Wait!" Zola protested. "Listen to me, Leo. Don't do this!"

His face twisted in rage, Leo raised his arms and made an inarticulate sound of fury as he unleashed his powers upon Zola. The Elder screamed as he was slammed against the bridge. His lips moved to beg for mercy, but Leo gave him none, not stopping the blast until Zola had exploded and vanished in a cloud of smoke and flames.

"Why am I not surprised the Elders leave out pertinent details?" Cole said in response to the accusations when the image had faded. "Is it because you want to see the world in black and white? Good and evil?"

"Careful, demon," Esttai warned. "Watch your words."

"Stay where you are, Leo," Cole said. "I think the judges need to be shown more -- the circumstances around these decisions you made."

Leo closed his eyes as if unwilling to watch as another image of himself appeared. Two strange disembodied heads swirled madly around him. "Let go of all you know. Don't resist us," they commanded.

"Why are you doing this to me?" Leo yelled, backing away from them in fear and panic. "What do you want?"

Now the leader of the Avatars appeared. "I want you to see the truth, Leo. I want you to see the real future." He pointed to a tombstone engraved with the names of the Charmed Ones and Wyatt and Chris.

"And most importantly," Cole said as the final image appeared, showing what the other Elders had already displayed, only the entire scene this time: Piper and Phoebe, dead at Leo's feet, and the Avatars offering him the power to save their lives. "Under those circumstances, one can hardly blame Leo for his decision. He had no choice. He acted to save the lives of his loved ones by agreeing to become an Avatar. His duty for years, after all, had been protecting the lives of his charges, and you cannot expect him to abandon that task so easily. He would sacrifice anything to protect the Charmed Ones, the most powerful force for good in the world."

"That does not mean he had to agree to follow the wishes of the Avatars in remaking the world," the Elder George argued. "Saving the lives of the Charmed Ones is one thing. Robbing the world of free will is another."

"The accused was not in his right mind," Cole said calmly. "Allow me to demonstrate."

An image now appeared of the head Avatar speaking to a dark-skinned woman. "Leo is being drawn back to his family, back to good," the woman said.

"But he's not there yet. We must drive him away, make them afraid of him if we're to succeed."

"I object!" Serris said. "Leo was not witness to this conversation. We cannot ascertain its accuracy." Leo looked puzzled as well.

Cole nodded in agreement. "Yes, he was not witness. However, Avatars have access to their collective powers...and their collective memories. Leo never knew this, but I do."

Serris opened his mouth to protest again, but now Briel spoke. "The images are valid. Let him proceed."

"Thank you," Cole said. He looked to the frozen images of the Avatars, which now shifted to the likenesses of the leader of the Avatars and another male Avatar. "Perhaps we've pushed him too far," the second Avatar said.

"We have no choice. He must join us willingly, but first must see there is no other option," his leader said.

"The Avatars," Cole said, drawing attention back to himself, "are masters of manipulation. It is undisputed that the Elder Gideon attempted to murder Leo's son Wyatt and did kill his second child, Chris." The judges nodded. "This act opened a doorway for the Avatars. They are drawn to power, and they able to seize upon any perceived weakness and exploit it. In Leo's case, it was protecting his family. They appeared to him as phantom images until he was unbalanced and thus more susceptible to their machinations."

"No Elder should be so vulnerable," Serris scoffed. "This does not prove that the Avatars are these so-called masters of manipulation. It only proves that Leo's mind is weak."

"This is not the first time they have done this." Cole looked at the judges. "If I may, I would like to establish a pattern of emotional manipulation by the Avatars." The judges nodded, but Cole hesitated before continuing. "I would further request the Charmed Ones be removed from this court."

The three judges exchanged glances. "No," Esttai said.

"But...," Cole protested.

"You will proceed," Darban ordered.

Cole looked decidedly displeased with this decision as he motioned Leo to rejoin the Charmed Ones. As he sat down, Piper whispered, "Why does he want us to go? What's going on?"

"I have no idea," Leo said, looking to Kevin.

"I think you're about to find out just why I got him to be your lawyer," Kevin said. "Just watch and listen."


4.

"The Avatars," Cole began, addressing the judges, "have a long history of seeking out those with power and convincing them to join them. Some, of course, jump at the chance for even more power. Others, whether for personal reasons or a wish to act unbound by the dictates of others, are more resistant to the Avatar's words. Such refusals do little to stop the Avatars, for when they discover a source of power, they will have it. Their most common tactic is to find their chosen victim's weaknesses and exploit their deepest desires until he or she has no choice but to join them."

"You have a specific person in mind," Esttai said, a statement, not a question. "Another example of their alleged behavior."

Cole nodded. "Yes." He hesitated, glancing at the Charmed Ones then quickly looking way.

"And this person is...?" Darban prompted impatiently.

"Myself," Cole admitted.

"You have got to be kidding me," Piper said, looking at Leo for confirmation.

"It explains a lot," Leo mused. "How he was able to alter reality -- Cole is an Avatar!"

Phoebe fluttered her hands at her sister and her husband. "Shhhh!" She leaned forward, intent on listening to Cole.

"Explain," Darban told Cole.

He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "After I was vanquished when I was possessed by the Source of All Evil, my human soul survived. I figured out how to escape the demonic wastelands. But when I returned to Ms. Halliwell, she rejected me. When I realized that I could not win her back, I made plans to leave San Francisco -- until Paige convinced me to stay and used a spell to show me Ms. Halliwell still cared for me."

Paige winced. "It seemed like a good idea at the time?" she said, looking guiltily at her sisters. "And, hey, it worked, or we'd be the Power of Two and a half-naked mermaid here." Now it was Phoebe's turn to wince.

"I...tried again," Cole went on, ignoring the conversation behind him. "I tried to give her room to deal with her feelings, hoping we would reconcile, but despite what she had said, she insisted I was evil and wanted nothing to do with me. When the Demon of Fear, Barbas, began tormenting me, she and her sisters would offer me no help. Well, Paige did, but she was sorely chastised by her sisters for it."

Esttai nodded in agreement with the last statement, and Paige felt a rush of vindication. But the judge also noted, "We see no evidence of any manipulation by the Avatars, demon. The failings of love do not excuse your behavior."

"True," Cole agreed. "But it was not these ‘failings' alone that affected my behavior. I...started seeing and hearing Ms. Halliwell where she wasn't." He spoke slowly and carefully, as if reluctant to make this admission. "I would hear her voice or see her out of the corner of my eye. When I slept I'd hear her name whispered to me over and over again. Every night I dreamed of her. I did not know it then, but it was the Avatars. They took my desires and twisted them until they became an obsession. I killed to protect her. I killed to make her mine. The conflict between the man what I wanted to be and the Avatar's influence...made me go mad."

Cole took a few steps, moving into the Circle of Truth. "And then the Avatars came to me and offered me their powers."

An image appeared of Cole, unkempt and unshaven, speaking to two Avatars, their leader and another dark-skinned man. "I told you last night, leave me alone!" Cole said angrily.

"Last night, you crossed a line," the dark Avatar said. "The power inside you has grown."

His leader nodded in agreement. "You have nowhere else to turn...except to us."

Cole gritted his teeth. "I won't turn evil."

The Avatar leader moved closer to Cole. "Good and evil are such useless categories, endlessly embattled, neither side ever winning. It gets rather boring, don't you think?"

"Then what are you?" Cole asked.

"The Avatars," he responded.

Cole didn't seem impressed by the name. "Avatars of what?"

"Force and power," the leader said. "And we don't have to limit ourselves to choosing between good and evil. We can drive them both."

"What's that got to do with me?" Cole said suspiciously.

"We're only a few," the Avatar said, "but we are preparing to wield a power the likes of which this world has never seen."

"And we want you to be part of it," his partner added.

"Let me make myself clear," Cole growled. "I want nothing to do with you." He conjured energy balls, one in each hand, and threw them at the Avatars. The blasts had no effect on their targets much to Cole's surprise and chagrin.

"You can't fight us, Cole," the leader of the Avatars said. "It is futile to try. Sooner or later, you will join us. It is inevitable."

Cole stepped back out of the circle and the image faded. "I refused them at first. But their torment persisted. I loved Ms. Halliwell, yes, but now my every moment, waking and sleeping, became consumed with her due to the Avatar's actions. They knew Ms. Halliwell was my weakness, and they used that against me. They made it so I couldn't get her out of my head, and the only way to make the pain end was to possess her."

Phoebe was trembling now as she listened, and Piper put a comforting arm around her younger sister's shoulders. "Whatever happens here, we won't let him hurt you, I promise," she said.

"It's...it's not that," Phoebe whispered. "I just never realized...."

Meanwhile, Cole had moved back into the circle, letting another image play out. The Avatar leader spoke with the woman who had appeared in the memories pulled from Leo's mind. "His power is incredible," she said, "but are you certain about this course of action? Our interference has made him highly unstable and it will be difficult to control him."

The leader nodded. "The end result will be worth it. We need him if we are to remake the world. And he will give us the Charmed Ones."

She frowned. "How can you be sure, given the current animosity between him and Phoebe Halliwell? If he joins us, will she and her sisters not oppose us for simply that reason?"

"At first, yes," the leader admitted. "But the witch still loves him. And the promise of a life with him, free of demons and evil and danger...it will sway her to our side. And with her come her sisters and all their power."

"And we will be unstoppable," the female Avatar said, smiling now. "We will create our Utopia."

"Indeed our work has left Cole Turner very unstable," the lead Avatar continued. "His desires are very strong, and enflaming them as we have is dangerous. There is a chance we will destroy him with madness before we are able to convert him to our cause. But it is worth the risk, and I think it will not be long before he accepts our offer of power in order to possess the witch again. From there it is a simple matter of calming him and undoing the damage that we have done his mind so that we might utilize his power for our cause. And if we should we fail here, I do have a contingency plan to bring the Charmed Ones into our control."

The image dissolved as Cole left the circle again. He paused, closing his eyes as if to shut out the memories. "They knew...I would accept their offer to join them in order to make Ms. Halliwell mine. I fought it, but as powerful as I was, against them I was helpless. However, they erred in how far they pushed me into madness. I used the powers they gave me to create and impossible world and...well, here we are. And when they failed with me, they turned to Leo, knowing he would serve as a gateway to the Charmed Ones as I could not. They seized upon his vulnerability -- his family -- and exploited it until he had no choice but to join them as well. As to the charge of murdering a fellow Elder, it is ridiculous that this is even being brought up. Leo was being influenced by the Demon of Fear and was not truly in control of his actions."

"Further proof that an Elder should have no ties to the mortal world," Serris sneered.

"Leo did his job and did it well for years," Cole said evenly, "while involved with Piper Halliwell. If anything, his love for her made him more devoted to his task. I doubt you will find any Whitelighter could have done a better job than he at keeping the Charmed Ones alive and well. They would've died many times over were it not for him, and you know it. Do you wish me to waste our time and use the Circle of Truth to prove it?"

"Unnecessary," Briel spoke from the judges' dais. "We have heard all your words and will consider them. What remains now are the charges brought against the Charmed Ones themselves, and whether they should be stripped of their powers so that those more worthy to bear them might be found." She inclined her head toward the prosecution. "Present the charges."