"Hi. Anybody home?" Phoebe called. She had just finished her final mid-term and was looking forward to a night on the town with her sisters.
"Prue? Piper?" There was no reply. Phoebe made her way into the kitchen. Stuck to the fridge was a note.
"Hey Phoebs. Hope the exam went well. We've gone shopping. Be back around 5, then we'll paint the town red. Prue and Piper."
She glanced at the clock on the microwave. 4:30. There was just enough time to take a shower before her sisters returned.
"Ok, ok. Now you. What was your worst date?" Prue asked when her giggles had subsided.
"Ooh. Had to be the last date with Jeremy. It's not fun when your date tries to kill you or your sisters. He was quite a good kisser though," Piper replied as she opened the front door of the manor.
"New subject: Kissers. Best and worst, please."
"Worst kisser was probably…" Piper hesitated, thinking. "Robert. He had really thin lips. The best kisser has to be Leo, hands down. Makes me go weak at the knees!"
"Piper! Oh my God, your hair looks amazing. The red really suits you." Phoebe's voice rang out across the hallway.
"Thanks. It better do because it wasn't cheap."
"Why'd you do it? I mean, you don't normally act on impulse."
"Prue's a very bad influence. Plus I made her buy this dress so she returned the favour."
Prue grinned wickedly but said nothing. Her face said it all. Both she and Phoebe knew that Piper should act on impulse more. Besides, her hair really did look great. She had had the tips dyed bright red, which complemented her natural colouring. It was also well known that she had been considering changing her hairstyle for a while now.
The girls had come home loaded down with bags. It looked like they had spent a lot of money, which they had. After they had unloaded the car and taken the many bags upstairs, the Charmed Ones sat down in the living room with mugs of coffee to discuss what they were going to do.
"How about we go for a meal then onto the cinema before going clubbing?" Prue suggested.
"Which restaurant, film and club?" Phoebe asked.
"Piper can choose the restaurant, I'll choose the film and you choose the club Phoebs. That's fair."
"How about Chinese at the Golden Dragon? Next to the park?" Piper said.
"Sounds great. Followed by 'The Mexican' starring Brad Pitt?"
"Perfect. Then onto the best club in San Francisco. P3," Phoebe finished.
The three witches looked at each other. "Sounds like a plan," they said in unison, before going upstairs to get ready.
Half an hour later, the girls were standing in the hall, about to leave. Prue was wearing the dress Piper had convinced her to buy. It was a one shoulder, black and white, full-length dress with a long slit up the side, which showed off her figure. It looked really good with the new shoes Prue had bought. Phoebe was wearing a bright orange wrap-around skirt with a black strappy top and black mules. The orange was a good contrast to the black. Piper had on black flares, new boots and a see-through, red, off the shoulder gypsy top with a black bra underneath. No male who was still breathing would be able to resist them, and they knew it.
Just as Piper opened the door, they spotted sparkling white and blue lights appearing in the kitchen.
"Let's go. I'll lock up," she said, hustling her sisters out of the house. The lights meant that Leo, the girls' whitelighter and Piper's fiancé, had just turned up and if there was a demon headed their way, Prue didn't want to know. Of course, it was always possible that he had come to spend time with Piper, especially since Piper's 27th birthday was less than a week away. Oh well, couldn't be helped.
As Leo finished orbing in he heard Piper's jeep leave the driveway. He knew that the girls had seen him, and that he was the reason they had rushed out of the house. Normally, if they did that he would wait until they came home but it wasn't possible this time. They needed this information immediately. Leo closed his eyes and concentrated, trying to sense the Charmed Ones. He found them and orbed out, knowing how mad they were going to be.
Piper shivered as the cold breeze coming in from the bay lifted her hair. They had had to park quite a way from the restaurant, on the other side of the park. As they passed a row of large, unlit bushes Piper was behind her sisters, searching for her lip-gloss in her bag. All of a sudden, a hand reached out of the darkness and grabbed her arm. Piper screamed, raising her hands instinctively to freeze her attacker. Only he didn't freeze, he merely tightened his grip on her arm. Piper stopped struggling, as the implications sunk in. At last she came to her senses.
"PRUE! PHOEBE!" she screamed, before a hand clamped over her mouth. This time they heard her and came racing towards her. Phoebe punched the guy in the jaw until he released her. Then Prue flung him into the bushes just before running after her sisters. They stopped by the gates, in the well-lit area next to the restaurant.
"This dress is not designed for running. Neither are my shoes," Prue complained.
"What happened?" a voice asked, making the girls jump.
"Yeah. Why didn't you just freeze him?" Phoebe demanded, shooting Leo an angry glace as he joined them.
"I tried to but he wouldn't freeze," Piper explained, visibly shaken.
"Who wouldn't freeze?" Leo slipped an arm around Piper, pulling her close.
"Some guy. He grabbed me and when I tried to freeze him he clamped his hand over my mouth," Piper explained.
"Are you ok?"
"For now, though judging by the look on you face and the fact that you followed us, I'd say not for long. What's up?"
"It'd be best to discuss it at the manor, with the Book of Shadows," Leo said.
"Ok. You take Piper and we'll meet you there. And if that creep's still there I'll knock his teeth down his throat for you," Phoebe added, stroking Piper's hair.
"Don't. Just get back to the manor as fast as you can. I'll explain there," Leo said, seeing their puzzled looks. He and Piper watched Prue and Phoebe head into the park before orbing out.
As the blue and white sparkles faded, Piper rematerialized in the kitchen.
"Do you want a drink?" Piper asked.
"In a minute," Leo replied, pulling her closer. He bent his head, closing the distance between their lips. Their surroundings melted away as they lost themselves in each other's arms. Piper could feel his hands in her hair, supporting her neck as he kissed her passionately. After a while, they pulled gently apart, gazing into each other's eyes. Then Leo noticed her hair.
"What?" Piper asked, seeing the look on his face.
"The red really suits you. I know you've been wanting a change for a while but I didn't expect this."
"Prue persuaded me. Actually, persuaded isn't the right word. Forced is more accurate. I'm glad she did though, otherwise I'd never have got round to it."
Just then the front door opened and Prue came in, followed by Phoebe who was carrying a large bouquet.
"Hey. You two want some coffee?" Piper asked, filling the kettle up.
"Please. Why do you get all the attention?" Prue asked, staring at the bouquet, which Phoebe had placed on the table.
"What do you mean?" Leo moved to look at the flowers.
"Some guy left a bouquet of gorgeous lilies and roses on our porch with a note that has your name on it Piper," Prue explained.
"Huh?" she asked
"Yup. Well, who're they from?" Phoebe demanded, handing the card to Piper.
Piper read the note quickly. "There's no name," she said, giving to Prue who read it with Phoebe and Leo looking over her shoulders. "Just to let you know that I can't stop thinking of you."
"Well," said Prue. "Whoever he is, he has great taste. I'll find a vase."
"Yeah. And I'll go fetch the Book of Shadows for whatever was so important," Phoebe added as she left the kitchen.
"So, are you going to tell me what's up or do I have to guess?" Piper asked, looking Leo in the eyes.
"It's nothing," Leo replied, avoiding her gaze.
"Ah, nothing. That translates as the flowers and the anonymous note."
"Sometimes I think you know me way too well," Leo grinned. "Ok. You're right. I know I'm being silly but I can't help it."
"Leo. I'm in love with you. No-one else, I promise." Piper came up beside him and laced the fingers on her left hand with his. The hand with her engagement ring on. Leo looked at it for a moment before pulling Piper to him, holding her tightly, as though he was never going to let go, which was just fine with Piper.
"It's just… I wake up next to you and I can't help wondering why you chose me. I worry that one day, someone will come along and I'll lose you, and I couldn't cope if that happened. I know it's pointless, but I also know that you are way out of my league," he whispered into her hair.
"Leo, I look at you and I wonder what I did to deserve you. You're so patient and calm. No matter what the problem is I can always talk to you and there is no possible way that I could ever love anyone as much as I love you," Piper finished, slipping her arms around his neck. They looked at each other for a long moment before Piper pulled his head down to hers, in a soft, romantic kiss that dispelled all doubts from Leo's heart.
"I hate to interrupt, but didn't you come about business?" Phoebe drawled, as she stuck her head through the door.
"Right," Leo said as he and Piper followed her into the living room.
He stood, cloaked in the shadows surrounding the house. As the youngest got up to close the curtains, he drew the darkness tighter around him. He had seen them together, and they had power. He had to divide them if he was going to succeed in destroying the Power of Three. And that wasn't going to be easy, especially if the whitelighter warned them. Silently, he watched the house, forming his plan of attack.
"His name is Tao Ling. He originated in the East. He's an elemental warlock, very powerful and very cleaver. He's come to San Francisco to destroy all of the good witches. You're the only ones left in the area," Leo explained, once everyone was settled in the living room.
"By powerful, you mean dangerous, right?" Phoebe clarified, not looking happy at the idea.
"How come all of the other witches have left? How did they know?" Prue asked, wondering what they were missing.
"They didn't. They just disappeared off the face of the earth. Literally."
"Oh, this is not good," Piper said as she picked up the book. "Ok. Lets see if he's in here, preferably with a vanquishing spell."
"What do you mean by elemental?" Phoebe asked while Piper was looking.
"It means he controls the elements," Prue explained.
"He manipulates his surroundings and nature," Leo added.
"I don't suppose he has another name because he isn't in here under Tao Ling," Piper said, closing the Book of Shadows and putting it on the coffee table. She looked at her family and saw the worry she felt reflected on their faces.
"So what do we do now?" Prue asked, voicing what everyone else was thinking.
"I could write a spell to vanquish him," Phoebe offered.
"That won't work if there's nothing in the Book of Shadows. Your best bet is to write a spell to prevent him using his powers in the manor, one that doesn't let him in. I'm going to see the Elders. Find out what I can from them," Leo said, standing up. "Be careful. Don't take any risks." He gave Piper a quick kiss before orbing out.
Phoebe picked up a note pad, preparing to write a spell to ban this warlock and his magic from the manor, while Piper got up to get some more coffee. She could tell that it was going to be a long night. Prue went to the window, parting the curtains so she could see out. All she could see was her face reflected back. Although she wouldn't admit it to anyone, she was scared. She didn't know what was so scary about this opponent, but she felt that they were in for one hell of a fight. She arranged 5 white candles in a pentagram, which the girls knelt in, holding hands. As one, they chanted the protection spell that Phoebe had come up with over and over.
"Cosmic forces, Protect us from himWho bends nature to his whim,
Banned from this house he shall be,
For now and all eternity."
As they repeated it, Piper could feel the magic building until, finally, it expanded and surrounded the house. Prue stood up and flicked on the lights while Piper and Phoebe blew out the candles.
After everything had been cleared away, the girls had decided to go to bed. An hour later, Piper lay awake. She had an uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach, as though something was wrong. Pushing it aside, she went down to the kitchen for a mug of cocoa. As she descended the stairs, the feeling of unease increased and she cautiously approached the kitchen. Flicking on the light, she saw that everything was where it should be and there was nothing out of the ordinary.
After making her drink, she turned to go upstairs when something caught her eye. On the island, in the middle of the kitchen, was a small box, wrapped in purple paper with a silver bow. Piper looked around. There was no one in sight. "How did that get there?" she wondered. She was certain that it hadn't been there when she first came down.
"Hey," a voice said in her ear, making her spill the coca.
"Jesus, Leo! Don't do that!" Piper placed her mug on the counter and reached for a towel to mop up the mess.
"Sorry Piper. I didn't mean to scare you."
"What did you find out?" Piper asked, throwing the sodden towel into the washing machine and turning to face him.
Leo didn't answer. He was staring at the box on the island.
"What's this?" he asked, picking it up.
"I don't know. When I came down it wasn't there and when I turned round five minutes later to go back upstairs it had appeared on the counter," Piper explained, going over to him.
"'Piper, you look great, whatever you're wearing, even pyjamas. This is a little something to go with your new look,'" Leo read off the tag. He handed the box to Piper and slid his arms around her waist, holding her from behind. He looked over her shoulder as she removed the paper, revealing a box from Tiffany's. Inside was a pair of ruby earrings and a matching necklace.
"Oh, my God," Piper breathed, gazing at them. She felt Leo tighten his arms around her possessively at the sight of the jewellery.
Leo felt as if he had been winded. Ever since he had first met Piper, he had known that she deserved things like this and more. He would have given her the world if he could. But he couldn't. He couldn't give her anything.
As if she knew what he was thinking, which was entirely possible, Piper closed the box, placed it on the counter and turned to face Leo, wrapping her arms around his neck.
"Stop it," she said, firmly. "I don't need things like this. You have given me something far more precious." She saw his puzzled look and smiled. "Love," she whispered as she pulled his head down for a loving kiss. The rubies were forgotten as they orbed out to their room.
Next morning, Prue and Phoebe were in the kitchen looking at the jewellery in awe when their sister and Leo emerged from upstairs.
"So, what did we miss last night?" Phoebe asked with a playful tone.
"Not much," Piper replied, her voice neutral. "Another anonymous gift appeared from thin air behind me. That was it."
"So what did you find out from the Elders?" Prue asked Leo, all business.
"The Power of Three can defeat Tao Ling, but only with help. That's why there's nothing in the Book of Shadows about him," Leo explained.
"Help? What help?" Prue demanded.
"An innocent. He's being brought over from Mexico by another whitelighter this afternoon. He has power but he doesn't know it and by adding it to yours, you will be able to defeat Tao Ling. However," Leo added. "If it doesn't go according to plan, he must be protected at all costs."
"'All costs'? You mean he's the priority, no matter what happens to us," clarified Prue.
"Right, so make sure none of you get hurt 'cos I won't be allowed to heal you," confirmed Leo.
There was a moment of silence as this sank in. Suddenly Piper looked at her watch and grabbed her briefcase.
"What's up?" demanded Phoebe.
"I'm late and the bank's coming for an inspection," explained Piper, as she grabbed her keys and headed for the hall.
"Piper, you have to stay here. It's too dangerous," said Phoebe, blocking the door.
"Phoebs, if I don't go I lose P3, now move."
When Phoebe didn't budge, Piper threw up her hand in exasperation and turned to the back door, which was guarded by Prue.
"Look. I promise I'll be careful and as soon as the inspection's over I'll come straight home. Promise," Piper said, turning to her younger sister with pleading eyes.
"Don't look at me like that. Ok. But, call when you arrive and leave and be careful," ordered Phoebe.
"Thanks Phoebs," called Piper from the door, after giving her sister a hug.
That afternoon, Piper rang at 1:00 to say that she was leaving P3. By 2:30 she still wasn't home and Leo, Prue and Phoebe were getting worried. Prue was just reaching for the phone to ring Piper on her cell phone when a rain of white, sparkling lights appeared.
"Leo! Phoebe! Our innocent's arrived," Prue yelled.
They entered the room just as the sparkles faded. In the kitchen stood a harassed looking whitelighter and a very puzzled Mexican.
"See you, Leo! Have fun!" Before anyone could clarify what he meant, the whitelighter orbed out. Phoebe turned to the new arrival and smiled.
"Hi. I'm Phoebe and this is my eldest sister, Prue. That's Leo, a friend," she said.
The stranger looked at her for a long moment and then rattled something off in Spanish. The three looked at each other and then back at the innocent.
"Do either of you speak Spanish? 'Cos I don't," asked Phoebe.
"Nope," replied Prue, while Leo shook his head.
"Hey! Sorry I'm late but the traffic was awful!" Piper called as she shut the door. She walked into the kitchen and stopped dead as she saw the stranger standing in the middle of the room.
"This is our innocent. None of us speak Spanish so this isn't going to be as easy as we first thought," said Prue, giving Piper a stern look for being late.
"Huh? What are you on about?" Piper asked.
"He can't understand a word we're saying and we don't speak Spanish," explained Phoebe. To her surprise, Piper started laughing.
"Giorgio enjoys winding people up by pretending not to speak English when he's fluent. Anyway, I should know Spanish since I lived in Mexico for two years. With him, may I add," replied Piper, still chuckling.
"It was working perfectly 'til you showed up. I had that whitelighter fooled and found out pretty much everything. By the way, what are you doing here?" Giorgio demanded.
"I live here. These are my sisters, Prue and Phoebe, and this is my fiancé, Leo."
"Wait a minute. You two know each other?" Leo broke in, trying to wrap his head around everything.
"Yeah, I used to live in Mexico and I let him live in my house."
"She spent most of her time partying and drinking tequila trying to get over Robert," Giorgio added.
"This is all very interesting, but do you think that we could get back to the reason he's here?" Prue demanded. "What happened at the club? Why are you so late?"
"I got stuck in traffic. The inspection went well and nothing unusual or supernatural happened," Piper said calmly. She wasn't about to tell her sister that a thorn bush had grown under her car, puncturing all four tires, which was the real reason she was late.
Phoebe and Prue went into the living room with their guest to discuss the situation, while Leo stayed in the kitchen with Piper, who had changed and was now preparing dinner.
"What really happened at the club?" Leo asked.
"What do you mean? Nothing happened," Piper replied, evasively.
"Come on. I know when you're hiding something, Piper."
"I'm not hiding anything!" She had her back to him and was concentrating on dinner.
"Piper! Please, tell me," Leo begged.
With a sigh, she opened up. "I hate the way you can get anything out of me! Ok, I locked up at 1:00 and went out to my car. A thorn bush had grown under my car in the short time that I was gone and punctured all of my tires. Luckily, Tyrell was there and he could replace them, without asking how I had managed to park my car with all four wheels on thorns."
"Why didn't you call? Or tell us when you got back?"
"Are you kidding? Prue and Phoebs are stressed enough, without having to worry about me!"
"Someone has to worry about you," Leo muttered as he came up behind her.
Piper smiled and sank into his arms. "You all worry about me, no matter how much I tell you not to! Now, go and tell them dinner's ready."
"In a minute. First I want to hear about the "partying and drinking tequila trying to get over Robert". Who was Robert?"
"Ummm… no-one important!" Piper tried to avoid answering.
"I'll get it out of you eventually! You'll see," Leo teased as he went into the living room.
"So… You're good witches, powerful good witches and you need my help why?" Giorgio asked.
"Because you have power. Your mother was a witch but her powers were bound before you were born. She had the ability to use the elements. You now have that power, although it is hidden. If we combine that power with the Power of Three…" Leo started as he entered the room.
"…We might be able to vanquish Tao Ling." Prue finished for him.
"Dinner's ready!" Piper called.
They filed into the kitchen discussing how to vanquish the warlock.
"Don't you need a spell or something?" their visitor inquired.
"Yeah, but we don't have one at the moment," Piper explained.
"I could try writing one," Phoebe offered. "But first I want to eat and to find out what Piper was like in Mexico. So spill!"
"First I want to know why you didn't tell me you're a witch?" Giorgio demanded of Piper.
"I didn't know! I found out three years ago, just after Grams died. Plus, how do you bring it into a conversation?" she countered.
"Fair enough! I hadn't realised how much I miss your cooking until now! So does dad, though you didn't cook much there."
"What! Piper didn't cook? Why not?" Prue looked shocked.
"She was out most nights getting over that asshole, Robert!" Giorgio explained.
"So, what do you do now?" Piper broke in, changing the subject.
Giorgio looked at her a moment and then asked something in Spanish. All heads turned to Piper as she replied. They had a quick conversation before he answered her question.
"I took over Tequila's from dad and I'm now trying to raise money to buy The Aztec Temple."
"Wait a minute!" Leo interrupted. "What was that little conversation about and why did you change the subject?"
"Yeah, and why did you call Robert an asshole?" Prue demanded, sounding protective.
Giorgio glanced at Piper briefly before replying. Leo followed his gaze and saw Piper's pleading look, begging him not to say anything.
"I just didn't think he was good enough for my Piper, that's all."
Piper was silent for the rest of the meal. She hardly touched her food even though it was her favourite.
That night, Piper lay awake with tears running down her face. She knew that Prue, Phoebe and Giorgio wouldn't hear and she thought that Leo was dead to the world. She was wrong.
"Do you want to talk about it?" Leo asked softly.
"Not really. I thought you were asleep," she replied.
"Changing the subject won't work with me. And it wasn't really a question, so spill!"
"Leo, it happened a long time ago, let it be."
"Piper. It may have happened a while ago but it's still making you cry. Please talk to me," he pleaded, wrapping his arms around her, letting her know that he was there for her.
"I met Robert in Las Vegas. I went there for a friends wedding as the singer." She saw Leo's puzzled look and explained. "I used to be a singer, but after what happened with Robert I never got back into it. Anyway we met and he seemed really nice. A perfect gentleman; kind, caring. God I was an idiot."
"What happened?" Leo encouraged her.
"We went out for a couple of months. Then we moved in together and… he started changing. He became possessive and jealous if I looked at another guy. I started fighting for space, went out with my friends more. After a couple of months he tried to get me to quit singing, saying that he didn't like the way I flirted with the dancers, even though that was the job. He said that if I loved him like he loved me then I would quit. So I did. I gave up the thing that I enjoyed most. I stopped seeing my mates so much as we worked together. Then we moved to Mexico, right away from any of my friends and family. We went to Topanga, where Giorgio was living. We had met at collage and we kept in touch. I used to go out with him and his brother and his dad, Machente, gave me a job at his bar. Things were starting to look up, I was happier than I had been in months. And then…" she trailed off. Looking down as more tears slid down her face.
Leo gently brushed her tears away, holding her cheek in his hand. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the door move slightly. Thinking it was a draft he turned his attention back to Piper. "And then… what?"
"I came home from work one night. Robert was completely drunk. He started mouthing off about how I was unfaithful and how I didn't love him. I started to reply when he hit me. When he was sober, he started saying how sorry he was and how he didn't mean it. And like the fool I am I believed him. I stayed with him for three months while he knocked me around. One night I had gotten soaked at work so Giorgio gave me a shirt to wear and promised to drop my things off when they were dry. Rob hit the roof. He really laid into me. He grabbed a knife and started threatening me with it. That was when Giorgio and his brother, André came in. The door hadn't been shut properly so they just walked in and had seen what happened. André held Rob while Giorgio phoned the police and looked after me. After he had been taken away, they helped me pack a few things and I stayed with them. I got drunk regularly and it wasn't a good time for me. Eventually I pulled my act together. I moved back into my house, Giorgio insisted on coming with me, which I am so grateful for."
"Why? What aren't you telling me?" Leo asked protectively.
"Robert got bail. He started following me around, leaving threats and gifts at the house. He turned up one night and begged me to listen to him. Giorgio got rid of him and phoned the police. He was arrested again and charged with assault and stalking. I never saw him again. After that things got better. I was happy for the first time in over a year. The guys always looked out for me. I moved back here after Grams divorced for the last time. I never told anyone what had happened. I was so ashamed. I knew they'd all be mad and I couldn't handle it. I just wanted to forget," she finished softly.
Leo didn't know what to say. He was shocked and upset that Piper hadn't told him before now, angry that this had happened and thankful that she was okay all at the same time. He held her close, trying to provide comfort. They both looked up as the door opened and Phoebe walked in.
"Sweetie." She came up to Piper and hugged her. "I'm so sorry. And before you say anything I'm not mad at you for not telling. I understand. But you have to tell Prue."
Piper just nodded. Phoebe stayed for a few more minutes before going back to bed with Piper's promise that she would tell Prue. Piper lay down with Leo next to her. She snuggled up to him in a way that reminded him of a frightened child. He watched her as she fell asleep, looking so angelic. He wanted to find Robert and make him pay but he knew that it would be better left alone.
Leo tossed and turned all night, plagued by nightmares of Piper being beaten. He woke suddenly, sitting upright, trying to dispel the lingering images from his nightmare.
"Leo, honey? Are you alright?" he heard Piper mumble as she sat up, his sudden movement waking her.
Leo pulled her into his arms and held her tightly, needing to know that she was safe.
"Leo… I'm here, what's up?"
"Just a nightmare. It seemed so real. You're ok, right?" he asked, looking deep into her eyes.
"I'm fine. Come here." Piper wrapped her arms around him and stroked his hair, reassuring him. After a few moments, Leo stopped shaking and glanced at the clock, trying to figure out what time it was. The display showed that the time was 3:30 am.
"So, you want to tell me what the nightmare was about?" Piper gently prodded.
"You. I lost you and this guy kept beating you. It's been happening all night," Leo confessed.
"Oh sweetie. This was why I didn't tell anyone. I didn't want anyone to get hurt by this. It's not gonna happen. I am staying right here, with you, no matter what. Besides, my sister's won't let anything happen. Neither will you or George for that matter."
"George?"
"It's short for Giorgio; it's what I used to call him. Now, lie down and go to sleep," Piper whispered.
"I don't want to. I don't want to have that nightmare again and I want to know you're alright."
"Ok. You've left me with no choice."
Piper lay down with Leo next to her. She put her arms around him, and he wrapped his around her. She started stroking the hair at the nape of his neck while humming a soothing tune softly. Within minutes Leo was sound asleep. Piper laid her head on his chest and closed her eyes, drifting off into a deep sleep.
The next morning, Leo woke early, praying that it hadn't happened; that everything she had told him was a dream. But as he watched her, he knew that it was true. "God, why did this happen? Why can't she just be left alone? She doesn't deserve any of it," Leo thought. As Piper began to stir he heard the Elders call with more information on Tao Ling. He gently slipped from the bed and dressed quietly. He placed a note on the pillow next to Piper and kissed her before orbing out.
Piper woke about 10 minutes later. She rolled over expecting to find Leo there, but he wasn't. She opened her eyes and spotted the note.
"Morning Beautiful. I'm sorry but I should be back soon. The longer you sleep, the sooner I'll be back! Sorry about last night but you are the most precious thing in the world to me. How did you get me to sleep? I love you! Leo.
P.S. Talk to Prue. She needs to know."
Piper couldn't help but smile as she read the note. She got up and showered and on her way downstairs she bumped into Prue, who was going up to check the book of Shadows.
"Prue, can I talk to you?" she asked.
"Sure sweetie. But can we do it in the attic while looking through the BOS?"
"Yup. What are we looking for?"
"Something to help Phoebs write a spell. So what do you want to talk about?"
The book lay forgotten as Piper recounted everything that had happened in Mexico with Robert. There was a stony silence that followed while Prue took everything in.
"Why didn't you say something before now?" Prue asked, hurt evident in her voice. "You can trust us you know."
"Oh god Prue. I do trust you and I know you would have done nothing but support me if I had come to you but…" she trailed off, thinking. "I guess that I was too ashamed. I had got myself into this mess; I didn't want to drag anyone else into it. And I wanted to be able to prove to myself that I could get myself out of it."
"Do Leo and Phoebe know?"
"Yeah, Phoebs overheard me telling Leo last night. That was what the conversation was about last night at dinner, with Giorgio. Now, hadn't we better start looking?"
While Piper was talking to Prue, Leo orbed into the kitchen where Phoebe and Giorgio were in the middle of a discussion.
"So, what was the stupidest thing Piper did in Mexico? That isn't to do with Robert, I mean," Phoebe demanded.
"Ummmm. I'm not sure. Oh hi Leo. So, how long have you and Pipe been engaged?"
"A month yesterday, but we haven't even started making plans yet."
"Taking things slowly, huh? Well, a word of warning. Hurt her and I will hunt you down and kill you. But, somehow, I doubt that'll happen. It looks to me as though you really love her."
"Yeah, I do. She means everything to me." There was a long pause as everyone contemplated this statement. Leo then looked at the guest and asked, "So, what was she like when you knew her? Was she still responsible and sensible?"
"To a point. She used to let her hair down more, especially when she was singing, but she never really went over the top. She got pretty close though. She used to perform at Tequila's and the place would always be packed. She was so good for business, dad wants her back," Giorgio laughed. Then he grew serious. "But after everything with Robert, she lost her confidence, she didn't think that she deserved anything good because that was the message he had drummed into her. She became really down trodden. She improved over time but never really got the sparkle back in her eyes. Until now. I don't know what happened to put it there, but I have a feeling it must've had something to do with you Leo, and I hope it stays there, whatever happens."
At that point, Prue and Piper entered the kitchen. Both looked slightly upset and Piper was trembling slightly. Leo drew her close and held her tightly, providing comfort.
"Well, it's all out in the open now, and I have to say that it feel good having shared it with you guys. So, what have you been discussing in our absence?" Piper enquired.
"You!" came Phoebe's reply.
"Ohh! Feel free to tell embarrassing stories!" added Prue.
"No don't! I forbid it!" Piper said. She pointed a finger at Giorgio threateningly. "If you say one word I won't be held responsible for my actions."
"Oh? And what actions would they be exactly?" he enquired innocently.
"Oh, you know. The usual secrets that I could blab about. Not to mention a certain car that went missing along with the daughter of a rival club!"
"You wouldn't! Besides, if you do I'll start telling your family about Vegas, and you wouldn't want that, would you?" Giorgio's expression had changed from smug to challenging.
"You're just sore because I won the bet and you lost 100!" retaliated Piper.
"Oh that is so low! How was I supposed to know that you could get five total strangers to buy you a drink and dance with you in an hour…?" Giorgio trailed off when he noticed the look on her face.
Everyone in the kitchen was staring at Piper with a shocked look on their faces, while she had her head buried in her hands and had turned bright red.
"So. We should be working on the Tao Ling situation…" Piper started.
"Oh no! This story is far too good. You are going to tell us everything. Yourself!"
"No! No power on this earth will ever possess me to tell any of you that story. I'll never live it down." She turned on the guilty Mexican and said, "And if you even think of finishing your little tale, I will tell your father and brother everything, and you know I will!"
"Ok, ok! I swear I won't say a word. Would I do that to such a close friend?"
"Yes, you would! No more stories or questions about me, Ok?"
"We will find out what you're hiding, don't doubt that. But for now we will concentrate on the current demonic problem," said Prue, putting an end to any further threats or discussion.
"I'll get started on writing a spell. It should be a pretty easy vanquish. He shows up, bent on killing us, Piper freezes him, we say the spell and no more bad guy!" Phoebe explained.
"It's a good plan except for the fact that Piper's power won't affect him. He's too powerful and he'll just break through it in a few seconds," Leo said regretfully.
"Those few seconds may save our lives. 'Scuse me," Phoebe replied as she left the room for the attic. She didn't know how or why, but she was always able to concentrate better in there. It made her feel safe and confident. And right now, she needed all the confidence she could get.
Meanwhile, Leo and Prue had been pestering Piper about her little stunts in Mexico until she was ready to scream.
"Ok! I had a talent of getting any guy I wanted to buy me a drink and dance, so I bet Giorgio that I could work my magic, metaphorically speaking, on any five guys in one hour and I did. I also did a lot of other reckless stuff, such as dancing on bars whilst performing and knocking back tequila slammers. After Robert I never got my confidence back so I became me. And before you say anything, I don't regret it. It made me who I am now and I like me. Now, if you two would stop bugging me, I have a lot of paperwork that needs doing so scram!" Piper turned back to her work as Prue left the room to check on her baby sister.
Leo, however, didn't leave. He snuck up on Piper and snaked his arms around her waist before lowering his lips and devouring her neck, kissing every bit of available skin.
"Piper, leave that for now, I want to talk to you about something."
"Mm hmmm. Because you're doing so much talking. Besides, you can talk to me whilst I do my work, which has to be done, and you know it so stop trying to distract me!"
"I think I'm doing better than trying and you know you want me to keep going. Besides, I need a shower and you know that you want to join me. We haven't spent any time together in weeks. I miss you!"
"We spent last night together, and the night before that."
"Yeah, but I haven't been able to spoil the love of my life in ages and I want to show you just how precious you are to me. Please, sweetie?"
"I hate to interrupt but we're ready. I promise that me and Phoebe will give you the Manor to yourselves for a day or two once this has been sorted out," Prue said. "Phoebs is scrying for our warlock as we speak so we can go vanquish his ass. Any questions?"
"Yeah, how long were you standing there?" Leo asked.
"Not long. Come on."
She led the way up to the attic where they found Phoebe and Giorgio holding a crystal over a map of San Francisco, searching for their elemental.
"Got him!" Phoebe exclaimed triumphantly. "He's on the Golden Gate Bridge."
"Great. A public place. Now what do we do?" Prue asked the room.
"Why don't we summon him? I mean… we still have the summoning spell for Balthazor, why don't we just alter it for Tao Ling?" Piper suggested, looking at her sisters.
"Piper, you are a genius!" Prue cried.
Leo just wrapped his arms around her as her sisters set to work.
Ten minutes later they were ready and the sisters formed a circle and chanted the altered summoning spell. There was a flash of lightning and there before them stood Tao Ling himself. Before any of them had time to react, he grabbed Prue and Phoebe, who were closest to him and disappeared in another flash of light. All Piper could do was stare at the spot where her sisters had last stood. She knew Leo had moved over to her and had caught her in his strong arms as she fell to the floor.
"She's in shock. We need to keep her warm. Get some blankets and meet me in her room," Leo told Giorgio as he swept Piper into his arms and carried her out of the attic.
Giorgio found them a couple of minutes later in Piper's room as Leo tucked the covers under her chin. He took the blankets from him and added them to the bed before ushering him out and closing the door.
"She's not good. It's like she's locked herself in her mind. I can't get her to respond to anything. I'm really worried," Leo confessed, glancing at the closed door.
"I've only seen her like this once, which was when Robert sent that letter. Mind you, considering the contents, I'm not surprised at how she reacted. She snapped out of it when she saw him hit dad. Boy, her reaction was funny…" Giorgio trailed off. "What do we do?"
"We have to get her back but I'm not sure how. I'm going to try and talk her out of it. Can you look in the Book of Shadows? There might be something in there," Leo suggested.
"I'll talk to her. You know the book better than I do. If anything happens, I swear I will come and get you, no matter how small it is. And the sooner you look, the sooner you can get back to her."
"Ok. I'll be back soon. Tell her I love her," Leo said as he moved towards the attic.
Giorgio walked into Piper's room, and sat next to her.
"Hey Pipe. You have to come back. Leo's going crazy, he loves you so much. I think even dad will approve of him. You'll have to bring the whole family down to visit us soon so we can share a lot more embarrassing stories. You have to snap out of this in order to do that. Besides, we need you to come up with a plan to rescue your sisters. Only you can do that and I know you can. Piper, please say something. Tell me to shut up or that I'm wrong or even blame me, just say something. Fine, I'll just sit here and run on. Remember when you dived off that cliff. I thought that dad would have a heart attack. You just ran to the edge and jumped. He almost went after you. Then you surfaced and yelled at us to join you. God, I miss your recklessness. So does everyone. You were always so full of life and always thinking of others…" Giorgio trailed off when he saw Leo standing in the doorway holding the big, ancient Book of Shadows.
"She jumped off a cliff? Why?"
"She wanted to prove me wrong. I told her that she was reliable and dependable and that she would never do anything unexpected." He chuckled. "When you least expect it, she will surprise you."
"She already does. I found a spell that will let us enter her mind. We might be able to find out what's so wrong if nothing else."
"It's worth a try. What do we need?"
"Something Piper treasures and a candle. I hope this works."
A few minutes later they had lit a candle and were using Piper's engagement ring as the 'something treasured'. Together they chanted the spell. Their bodies collapsed as their minds entered Piper's.
Mean while, Phoebe and Prue had been transported to Alcatraz, where they were held in one of the secret cells that the public never knew existed. They had tried calling for Leo until they were hoarse and had finally accepted that he couldn't hear them. They had found out the hard way that the bars on the cells were cemented in place and their powers had no effect on them. After experimenting Prue discovered that her powers were blocked by whatever was blocking their calls to Leo.
"This is not good, Prue. Our powers don't work and he could come back at any second." After depositing them in their cell, Tao Ling had promptly disappeared and had not returned.
"Calm down Phoebs. At least we're not hurt. I'm more worried about Piper. I have a feeling that we're bait and I don't know how she will be handling this."
"Leo's with her. He won't let anything happen. And Piper is more capable than anyone realises. She'll kick his ass, find us and then we'll force her to tell us everything about Mexico."
"I just hope she doesn't do anything rash."
"Please Prue. This is Piper we're talking about; she's never been rash in her life."
"Where are we?" Leo asked, as he and Giorgio walked along a path. They were in a small park by a pond. A bit further along the path they could see a little girl with long brown pigtails. She was feeding the ducks with two other girls.
"Oh my… Is that who I think that is?" Leo asked.
"If you reckon that's Piper as a little girl then we are on the same wavelength. Come on. Let's go and talk to her."
The two men walked up to the small group in time to hear who they assumed was Prue say, "I promise that you will never be alone Piper. I'll always be there with you. And Phoebe. Now, let's feed these ducks and go home. Grams should have your birthday tea ready by now."
"Yay! Happy Biwfday Piper!"
"Thank you Phoebe. I'll always love you two. Now let's go home."
With that the three girls walked home together, arm in arm. Leo and Giorgio watched them and then looked at each other, wondering why Piper was remembering this particular day.
Suddenly the memory changed and the pair found themselves in a Las Vegas casino. Three women were on the bar dancing provocatively. Leo's eyes widened as he recognised one of the women as Piper. He scanned the crowd and noticed a guy staring at Piper with a very crude expression on his face. He nudged Giorgio and pointed the guy out. Giorgio mouthed "Robert" and started moving through the crowd towards Piper. They reached her at the same time as Robert.
"Piper, what's going on?" Giorgio asked. "I don't understand."
"This was the beginning. Where it all started to go wrong," she replied.
The scene shifted again and they were in a wood, by a crystal clear stream. Piper was sitting on a rock looking at nothing in particular. Leo moved to approach her.
"Piper, sweetie. Can you explain what you meant? I want to help you, but to do that I need to understand. Please help me. We need to rescue your sisters," he pleaded.
"I can't," she whispered, still not looking at him.
"Why not?" Giorgio enquired cautiously.
"They're the strong ones, the confident ones. I can't even take care of myself. I thought I didn't matter as long as I looked after my sisters, but I couldn't even do that. You'd do better without me."
"Don't say that. Piper, you are a very powerful and talented witch. Your sisters wouldn't be as strong or as confident without you. And you have looked after your sisters. They wouldn't be speaking to each other if not for you. You keep them together, provide someone they can confide in and you've saved their lives more times than I can count. You didn't know what would happen, no-one did," Leo reasoned.
"Don't you see? It was my idea and they got hurt. I was responsible, just as I was with Robert. I didn't deserve a big sister like Prue, she was always there for me, no matter what. And I just caused trouble, I'm not worth people's concern. Who knows, maybe if I had never met Rob I'd be stronger and more able to something, like I used to be…" she trailed off, once again staring at the rushing water.
Leo couldn't stand it anymore. He walked around the rock so he stood in the cold water, facing Piper. He placed one finger under her chin and lifted her head so she was looking him in the eye.
"Piper, there was no way that you could have known what would happen. No one blames you. Secondly, you are strong. You are one of the strongest people I know. Most people would have given up on us, but you kept fighting for what you believed in. You don't let people push you around and you speak your mind. It's one of the many things I love about you. If you hadn't met Robert, you wouldn't be the amazing woman you are today and that would be a great shame. You don't cause trouble. People fight for you because they care and you are worth it. We can't do this without you Piper. Please come back to us, to me," he begged, staring into her tear filled brown eyes.
"Do you honestly believe that?"
"Yes I do. You should know me by now. I don't say things I don't mean. Come on." He took her hand and a golden light surrounded them.
In their cell, Phoebe had found a bit of wire and was trying to pick the lock. After an hour of twisting the wire this way and that, a definite click resounded through the cavernous area and the door swung open.
"Ta da!" Phoebe exclaimed proudly.
"Oh Phoebs! You are amazing! Let's get out of here while we can." Prue grabbed Phoebe's hand and the two of them rushed through the long, complicated twists and turns until they found themselves standing at the waters edge.
"What now? We don't have a boat!" Prue exclaimed, frustrated. They had come so close to escaping but now they could go no further.
"Leo!" Phoebe screamed at the top of her voice. They waited a few minutes in hope but no sparkling blue lights appeared.
Prue suddenly got an idea and tried using her telekinesis to move a small pebble. To her delight, it worked. She closed her eyes and concentrated on the manor. With a sharp intake of breath, her astral form left her body and appeared in Piper's room, where Leo and Giorgio were trying to revive Piper.
"Hey Leo. Can you come and get us? We're in Alcatraz and we're…" At that point she felt a sharp pain, which drew her back to her body. When she became aware of her surroundings, she found that they were back in the cell and were chained to a wall. The pain she had felt had come from the knife slicing her flesh just below her ribs. It wasn't fatal or deep, but it hurt a lot.
"Don't ever try that again or you will be sorry witch," Tao Ling snarled when he saw she was awake. "Your sister is helpless, trapped in her own world after failing her precious sisters. It is that bond which is your weakness. If you try anything again, you baby sister will suffer!" he threatened as he strode off into the tunnels.
"Oh God, Piper help us!" Prue prayed desperately, unaware that Phoebe was thinking the same thing. She struggled against her restraints and felt her world turn black and white. Her premonition was of the tunnels that led to her cell. It showed everything that had happened and it showed how Tao Ling accessed his powers. But that wasn't what gave Phoebe her confidence. The cause of that was the feeling she had gotten. Somehow, Piper had seen the premonition and she would save them. Phoebe knew this and was content to share her news with Prue and wait for Piper.
At the manor, Leo and their guest were staring at the spot where Prue had appeared, wondering what to do when they heard Piper whisper, "Prue?"
"Piper? Are you with us?" Giorgio asked.
"Where else would I be?" she shot back cheekily. "Leo… thank you. You mean the world to me." She moved her hand to his cheek and stroked his hair gently.
"Piper, I meant every word I said. You are worth everything and don't you ever forget it! Now, Prue was just here. She said that they were in Alcatraz, so it must be one of the secret areas where tourists don't go. I tried orbing there but I can't. She seemed fine and unhurt until she disappeared in the middle of saying something. I assume that she was found but she's still alive. I know that for a fact," Leo said after planting a quick kiss on her cheek.
"Alcatraz… Is there any way of breaking down the barrier without the warlock knowing?" she asked, focused on reaching her sisters.
"No. It's gonna be virtually impossible to get there undetected," Leo said regretfully.
"What's the time?" she asked suddenly, jumping to her feet.
"Half two. Why is that important?" Giorgio asked, completely baffled.
"That gives us an hour and a half to get ready," Piper muttered to herself.
Leo was about to ask what she had in mind when she became unsteady on her feet. He caught her as she tumbled to the floor and held her until she became aware of their existence once again.
"Are you alright? What happened?" Leo fired questions at her, concerned.
"Now I know how Phoebs feels. I think I just shared a premonition. I saw the layout of the rooms and how to reach their cell. They are ok, except Prue got a cut for when they tried to escape and I saw how Tao Ling controls his powers. He uses his hands, like I do, which gives us an advantage as he doesn't know that we know." Piper climbed unsteadily to her feet, only to be caught again as her knees buckled.
"Not so fast. You're not used to the effects of visions. Take a minute to get your strength back," her fiancé murmured, pulling her onto his lap as he sat on the edge of the double bed.
"So, what's your plan for getting there without being seen?"
"Wanna do some sight seeing?" Piper replied, grinning.
"We don't have time for sight seeing, Piper. We've got to rescue you sisters and vanquish Tao Ling!" Giorgio cried in disbelief.
"Men! We go on a sight seeing trip with the tourists over to Alcatraz. He assumes we're tourists. We split off from the main group, find Prue and Phoebe, get them out of their cell, vanquish Tao Ling and come home in time for tea," Piper explained.
"You are a wonder, Piper Halliwell! I knew you could do it!"
"I hate to wreck the plan, because it's good, but your powers won't work there," Leo said, apologetically.
"Want a bet? I think I'll be able to come up with a potion, which will allow us to use out powers or to give them a boost. And in case that doesn't work, I have something else up my sleeve. Now, we have an hour before the last trip leaves, so we have to hurry.
The small group left the bedroom and went to the kitchen where Piper filled a saucepan with bottled water.
"How are you planning on making this potion?"
"I think that by combining a protection potion and a potion to restore bound powers, it might have enough power to let us use our powers inside the force field," she explained, whilst removing another pan and throwing some ice and other frozen items into it along with herbs.
"What's the other vial for?" Leo asked, intrigued.
"Never you mind. Can you go and get the vanquishing spell from my bedside table, please sweetie?"
"You are being very mysterious!" he called over his shoulder as he left the room.
Half an hour later they were ready, so they got into Piper's jeep and headed down to the docks. They managed to get on the 4 o'clock trip out to the island. The tour guide told them that they would have an hour there before they had to get back on the boat. Everyone had been counted onto the tub, so Piper, Leo and Giorgio had to make sure that three people want back by boat. During the ten-minute trip, Leo kept a close eye on Piper to make sure that she was still calm.
"Leo, will you stop looking at me like that! I'm fine and this is going to work. So stop making me nervous!" she told him after catching him studying her.
"I'm sorry. But can't I be concerned about my fiancée?" he asked, leaning over to kiss her.
"Concerned, yes. Paranoid, no!" she responded pulling back.
"Don't play dodge," Leo said as he caught her face in his hands and planted a loving kiss on her lips.
"Thank you. I needed that," Piper muttered.
Before they could continue, the captain announced that they were docking at Alcatraz. It was time to put Piper's plan into motion.
They walked from cellblock to cellblock, searching from the opening that Piper had seen in the premonition. They wandered around the prison for twenty minutes finding nothing. At one point they reached a dead end and Piper spun round, throwing her hands up in frustration. She missed the uncertain look, which passed between Leo and Giorgio, as though they were beginning to wonder if there had been a vision at all. The next thing they knew, Piper was pushing at a section of the wall.
"Um… Piper honey. What are you doing? That's a wall?" Leo said uncertainly, worried about the stress she was under.
"No it's not. Phoebe's necklaces don't get stuck under sections of wall," Piper replied, pointing to the pendant her sister had been wearing when she was witchnapped.
"You know what? I will never question you again!" Giorgio swore, moving to help Piper push the wall out of the way. Under pressure from all three of them, the concrete moved to create a gap big enough for the three of them to slip through. They followed the passage, right into the heart of the island, Piper's excitement growing with each turning she recognised. After a couple of minutes, the group saw light at the end of the tunnel and crept forward silently.
When they reached the end, they saw it opened up into a cavern full of cells, in which Prue and Phoebe were held with Tao Ling taunting them. Piper quickly swallowed a vial of potion and gave her powers a quick test by freezing Leo. She felt Leo squeeze her hand and smile at her reassuringly.
They moved into the cavern and Piper tried to freeze the warlock. That was when he realised that they were there. Prue screamed as the fireball sailed towards Piper, sighing in relief when she froze it and moved out of the path. She tossed the two vials of power restorative into the cell and told them to drink it. Prue used her powers to open the cage in time to deflect another fireball, which had been sent towards Giorgio. The three girls ran to the Mexican, more than ready to end the warlock's life. Piper pulled the spell out of her pocket and they were about to recite it when the earth at their feet exploded, sending them flying into the wall.
Leo ran over to them, healing Giorgio's dislocated shoulder whilst Prue kept Tao Ling distracted.
"Impressive power, witch. But not enough to defeat me!" he said, after being thrown across the room away from Phoebe. A whipping wind sprung up, lifting them off their feet and tossing them into the tunnels.
"Follow me," Piper said, as she got up. They raced along the twists and turns until they came to a dead end.
"Over here!" Giorgio called. The group hid behind the pipe, ready to surprise the elemental.
Tao Ling walked right up to the wall when Piper threw the last vial at his feet, encasing him in ice.
"Hurry. It won't last long." The group huddled together and recited the spell.
The one of elemental fame
End Tao Ling's evil reign
Take him down below to dwell
For his endless time in hell
There he'll stay for eternity
Banished by the Power of Three
As the last words of the spell left their lips, a flaming vortex opened up beneath him and sucked him into hell.
The four slumped to the floor while Leo healed any injuries, including Prue's stab wound.
"I'll take Prue and Phoebe home, then come back for the boat trip, ok?" Leo asked as he pulled them to their feet.
Piper just nodded, too emotionally drained to say anything. She watched Leo orb out with her beloved sisters, and then moved through the tunnels, which would lead them back to the main prison. All the way, she and Giorgio talked about the days when they would do countless numbers of reckless things. This continued on the boat with Leo, telling him all sorts of stupid stunts that his fiancée had pulled in her time.
"I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw you dancing on that bar!" Leo said, planting tiny kisses against her cheek.
"Just don't tell my sisters! I'll never hear the end of it and Prue would be even more protective!"
"Is that even possible?" Giorgio asked cheekily.
Piper's response was to hit his arm, even though she was grinning.
"Changing the subject. I told you that you could do it!" Leo said, smiling down at Piper.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah. You were right. Blah, blah, blah!"
"Where did you come up with that potion?" Giorgio asked. "That was impressive."
"Well, I remembered Phoebe saying that a few seconds could save our lives, and I knew that my freeze wouldn't last that long. So I decided to try a potion. I had no idea if it would work."
"I think I'll be expecting you to have more ideas like that in the future!" Leo added.
"Maybe…"
That night, Prue and Phoebe were showing their guests the sights and sounds of San Francisco, while discussing when to visit Mexico. As promised, Leo and Piper were given time alone. They lay in bed together, talking about stupid stunts they pulled, their wedding and their future.
"Piper?"
"Mmmmm?"
"How did you get me to sleep that night?"
"It was a trick I learnt with Phoebs. I just hummed a song I wrote a few years ago. It works wonders!"
"Will you sing for me?" Leo asked, stroking the hair at her temple.
"Leo…"
"Please?"
"Stop it!"
"Pretty please? I'll do anything…" he promised, flashing her a seductive grin.
"Oh all right."
And there they stayed, wrapped in each other's arms.
"Morning Piper!" Giorgio greeted when she got up the next morning.
"Hey. How did you find San Fran?"
"Good, but there are too many steep hills around here," he grinned. "By the way, this arrived for you." He handed her a large, heavy box. On closer inspection Piper found that there was no return address, which she found peculiar. She tore off the parcel tape and lifted the flaps, peering into the box.
Leo rolled over in bed, expecting to find Piper. Instead he found warm sheets, indicating that she had gotten up recently. He decided to go and find her so he shrugged on a pair of pants and a white T-shirt. He had just turned the doorknob when he heard a terrified scream echo through the old house. He was halfway down the stairs when he recognised the scream as Piper's. He skidded to a stop in the kitchen, finding Piper with her head buried in Giorgio's chest and Prue and Phoebe standing next to them, looking rather green.
"What is it?" he asked, expecting a demon or something supernatural.
Piper pointed towards the box with a shaking hand, unable to say anything.
Leo approached the box with some trepidation after seeing the reactions of others. He lifted the flap and looked in. Inside was a human hand. It looked as though it had been underwater for a few years and was crawling with maggots. Leo closed the flaps and backed away from the box.
"I'll go call Morris. You might want to go into the living room." With that he left the room, finding the phone and calling the girls friend, Darryl Morris, a member of the SFPD.
When he came back they were all seated in the living room. Piper and Giorgio were having a quiet conversation in Spanish while Prue and Phoebe were watching them trying to figure out what was being said. Suddenly Piper stood up and the conversation switched to English.
"Wake up! You don't think it's a bit of a coincidence?" she said, beginning to pace.
"That's exactly what it is. A coincidence!" he replied with just as much force.
"Time out!" Prue yelled. "What are you two talking about?"
"And no lies. I think we deserve to know!" Phoebe added, looking at one then the other.
"I left something out when I told you all about Robert. One of the dancers I used to work with went missing after we broke up. At first I didn't think much of it, just an unlucky occurrence. A month later he was found dead in a fishing net." Piper stopped, tears threatening to flow.
"So? What does this have to do with that gift? Wasn't it an accident?" Phoebs asked, confused.
"He was missing both of his hands. They had been cut off with a hunting knife. The day of his funeral, we arrived home to find a parcel on the doorstep. Inside was his right hand. Everyone assumed that it was a 'gift' from Robert, but there was no proof. The Coroner said that it had been in water since being cut off, but couldn't say where," Giorgio continued.
"Why did you think it was from Robert?"
"He'd been leaving those kinds of gifts around for weeks and had threatened the dancer before, telling him to stay away from Pipe."
"You don't know it was from Rob. There was no name," Piper argued.
"You expected him to sign his name?" Prue asked incredulously.
"He had on all the other things he sent. Besides, he just threatened to beat the dancer up, he wouldn't have killed him," Piper stated.
"Wait a minute. You're defending this asshole?" Leo was stunned.
"No. He deserved everything he got but I don't think he was a killer. A bastard, yes, but not a murderer. It may seem odd, me saying this, but I knew him better than anyone else did. He was too much of a coward to kill," she explained, begging Leo to understand with her eyes.
He looked away, unwilling to hurt her but unable to understand.
"I'll go call dad. Get him to alert the authorities down there in case this is his left hand." Giorgio broke the silence, feeling bad for his friend.
The group sat in a uneasy silence until they heard the door open.
"That was quick. He must have been up already," Phoebe said, assuming it was Morris.
"He wasn't. He complained about being woken up," Leo said, standing up.
In the doorway stood a big guy, who looked as though he had once been a bouncer. Prue, Phoebe and Leo hadn't got a clue who it was, but they heard Piper's sharp intake of breath and realised that she did.
"It was you? Why Max? He didn't deserve it," Piper spluttered.
"He did. He got you in trouble with you boyfriend and the way he looked at you and touched you…" the newcomer spat, obviously unstable.
"Who is he?" Leo asked, pulling his fiancée behind him, trying to provide protection.
"He was my bodyguard when we were on tour. How did you know? No-one knew."
"I followed you. You deserved better. You deserved me," he said, pulling a gun out.
Behind him, Piper saw a shadow move and knew it was Morris. She realised she needed to keep him talking.
"So you killed an innocent man. Thomas was just doing his job and you knew that. You stalked me and left his hands as… what? Love tokens?" Piper asked, trying to get a confession for Darryl.
"Yeah. It was so rewarding, feeling the life slipping away from that ponce as he drowned! Then I cut his hands off for thinking he had the right to touch you." The madman raised the gun and pointed it at Leo.
Before Piper had the chance to freeze him, someone tackled him from behind wrenching the gun from his hand and pushing him so he was face down on the floor with the stranger on top of him.
"Rob? I can't take much more of this. What are you doing here?" Piper asked, completely stunned.
"I always knew he had a thing for you and a spotted him following you once. When I was arrested, I realised something might happen. I tried telling the cops but they wouldn't listen, no more than you would have. So when I was released, I left presents, trying to keep you on your guard. It work, you moved and I thought everything would be ok. Then, a couple of months ago, a saw a programme on P3 and I knew that he'd come here, so I've been keeping an eye on you, leaving you gifts that you didn't pay much attention to. Your powers are kinda cool. Don't worry, I won't tell anyone," Robert said, assuring the sisters.
At this point they were interrupted by Morris, who was completely astonished.
Once everything had been explained and Max had been arrested and the hand had also been removed, the remaining group gathered in the kitchen for coffee. Robert sat between Prue and Giorgio, opposite Piper, who was perched on Leo's lap with his arms encircling her.
"I'm glad you moved on. I never wanted to hurt you Piper," Robert confessed.
"Unfortunately, that wasn't the impression I got. But thank you for looking out for me. And for the jewellery. But I can't keep it." With that, Piper slid the rubies across the table to him.
"What?" Phoebe exclaimed. "Am I missing something here? Why not?"
"Because I don't want them and you need the money more than I need jewels," she explained, giving him a look the showed she was getting her way.
"No really. Keep it. Think of it as an apology. I've got to go." He stood up and moved to the back door. "Oh," He turned round, placing a cassette next to the box of rubies. "This is his confession. Your friend might like it. See you around." With that he left.
"You were right. I apologise," Giorgio said, grimacing as he admitted it. "So, what do you say to taking me home and having a holiday in sunny Mexico? You game?" he asked, raising his eyebrows for emphasis.
"We'll go tomorrow. I want to do nothing today," Piper said, leaning against Leo's chest.
He responded by planting a kiss on her forehead before excusing them both and carrying her upstairs to spend some time together.
The next day the extended family left for a well-deserved holiday of two weeks in the sun, staying in the suites of a five-star hotel. Leo and Piper got one room, and Prue and Phoebe the other. Leo had managed to get the time off, unless there was an emergency. There were none. They spent their time on the beach and in clubs. Piper proved to be an excellent surfer, and an amazing performer, singing at Tequila's every other night. Halfway through the holiday Darryl phone to say that Max had been convicted and imprisoned for life. Giorgio's dad even approved of Leo, promising to be at the wedding. Life was looking good for the Halliwell's. Very good.