A Hard Day For Leo
Summary: Piper must help Leo through a difficult day.
(This is the fourth installment in my charmed series after Finally A Midwife)
It was a quiet morning in the Wyatt household. Leo was off doing whitelighter work and the girls were taking their morning naps. Piper was in the kitchen drinking a cup of coffee and reading the paper.
"This is nice, no noise, no commotion, no demons just me and my coffee." Piper said taking in the silence that the manor only had at this time of the day. Just then Paige came in the back door with a screaming Breanna in her arms.
"Piper I can't take this. She won't stop crying. She won't sleep. I can't get any sleep myself or get anything done in the house. It's a disaster." Paige said in tears.
"Okay honey, come, and sit down. Here give her to me." Piper said getting off the kitchen chair. Paige handed the three month old baby to Piper and sat down.
"Piper why do I suck at this? I cannot get her to stop crying. She is exhausted but she won't sleep. Why can't I get her to settle down? I mean I used to be able to but in the last week I cannot seem to do anything right."
"Oh honey, babies do this. It is just a stage, she'll grow out of it. You don't suck at this. You do need to settle yourself down though. She can sense when you're upset and as much as it stresses you out it stresses her out too." Piper said as she bounced the little baby around. Breanna had been born March 30, 2006 and Paige was great with her. This little break down was surprising but over due. "Why don't you go and lay down in my room and I will take care of her for a little while."
"Are you sure? I really could use a nap." Paige said with big puppy dog eyes.
"Of course sweetie, go lay down."
"Okay than. By the way why is it so quiet here? Where are your girls?"
Piper looked at her not really wanting to tell her "their sleeping. It's my morning nap break."
"Figures yours sleep."
"Paige once she is in a routine she will sleep too."
Paige just gave Piper that "oh ya right" look and went up to bed. Paige had had an easy labour with Breanna. It only took her six hours. Eva had been very surprised because both Piper and Phoebe had had much longer labours. She also had about half the amount of pain that either of her sisters had. Piper wasn't totally convinced that the lack of pain wasn't because she was half whitelighter. About ten minutes later Piper had Breanna fast asleep. With Maddy in her crib Piper put Breanna down in the basinet and went back to her newspaper. She flipped to the back of the paper to the obituaries. It was a habit of hers to keep up on the deaths in the city. Phoebe always told her that it was sad and morbid habit of hers but Piper just ignored her. Today something caught her eye. An obituary that read,
Lillian W. Marks 1924 - 2006
Beloved wife, mother, grandmother died Saturday, June 20th, 2006. She will be sorely missed by her two children, five grandchildren and two great grandchildren. Born and raised in San Francisco Lillian married her first husband at the young age of 17. Sadly World War II took him from her. Several years later she meet and married Dr. Edward Marks, the one she often called her soul mate. They raised a wonderful family and continued a 58 yearlong marriage until his passing on December 5, 2005. She was a great benefactor to the War Memorial Fundraising Committee and the Young Doctors Association of California. She will forever be remembered as a truly kind and caring women. Funeral services will be held on Tuesday June 23rd, 2006 at The Douglas Family Funeral Home starting at 3:00pm. In lue of flowers please consider a donation to the War Memorial Committee, Young Doctors Association or the Children's Hospital.
"Oh my, this is Leo's first wife's obituary." Piper said after she finished reading it. She read it again to make sure that she was right. "How am I going to tell Leo? I know that he doesn't really love her anymore but still. What am I going to say?"
Piper couldn't believe this. She would have to figure out something to tell him but right now she needed to get lunch on. Soon their two beautiful girls would be awake and as usual hungry. She started to make her homemade chicken fingers and french fries. These were Melinda's favourites. Maddy still only 10 months old would be having carrots, peas, and apricots for lunch but she figured that Paige would stay. Just as she finished make the fingers and put them in the oven she heard Melinda climbing down the stairs. She went into the dining room to meet her.
"Mommy, I'm hungry."
"Lunch is in the oven sweetie. Is your sister awake?"
"No, but Auntie Paige is sleeping in your bed."
"Oh Melinda you didn't wake her up did you?" Melinda gave Piper a smile and shook her head no. "Good she needs some sleep. Why don't you come into the kitchen and help make some cookies for dessert with me until the rest of the gang is awake?"
Melinda took her Mommy's hand and eagerly followed her into the kitchen. Both of Piper's girls loved to cook with her. Maddy was obviously too young to do anything but play with bowls and watch as Mommy and Melinda cooked but it was her favourite thing to do. About 20 minutes later Maddy started to cry. Piper ran upstairs to get her up and hopefully prevent her from waking Paige and Breanna up. Paige was so tried that she didn't even stir when Piper came into the room to get Maddy. Breanna was still asleep in the basinet. Piper took Maddy down stairs and decided to give the girls lunch now instead of waiting until Paige was up. Paige and Breanna eventually did wake up and they spent the rest of the day with Piper. It wasn't until dinnertime that Piper remembered about Lillian. She decided not to bring it up at dinner and instead waited until the kids were in bed.
"Leo I need to talk to you." She said as she curled up into his arms on the couch. "I found this today in the newspaper." She handed him the obituary, which she had cut out of the paper earlier that day.
He read it and when he was done he looked back down at Piper. "You know that this part of my life is over right?"
"Yes Leo I know. I just thought you may want to go to her funeral. After all she was your first wife."
"Piper I don't need to go."
"Leo do you want to go?" He didn't answer. "Leo I love you with all my heart and I completely understand if you do. She was a major part of your life, or your past life. I want you to go."
"I will only go if you come with me. I do not love her like that anymore but I still think that I will need you there. Please will you?"
"Leo you do not need to ask. Of course I will go. The funeral is tomorrow. I will get Phoebe to watch the girls. Paige had a bit of a breakdown today and I don't think that two more kids would do her any good."
Leo nodded and gave her a soft kiss. They then went up to bed.
The next morning Piper talked Phoebe into watching the girls for her and Leo had work to get done before 3 pm. At 2:00 Phoebe and Lilly came over to the Manor.
"So when do you think that you'll be home?" Phoebe asked.
"Well the funeral is at three and there is coffee and tea afterwards. I don't know if Leo will want to go to the tea or not so we could be as late as 5:30 or 6:00. If we are late there is a bottle and food made up for Maddy and just throw anything in for Melinda. You guys are on your own for dinner tonight." Piper said.
"Don't worry about food. Matt is going to handle dinner so when you get home everything will be done. Just be with Leo."
"Thanks Phoebe. Leo are you ready to go yet?" Piper said as she went to the base of the stairs and looked up. Leo was upstairs getting dressed.
Ten minutes later Piper and Leo left the manor. Piper drove across town to the funeral home. Leo was very quiet the whole way there. Once they arrived at the funeral home Leo froze.
"Honey, we're here. Do you want to go in or not?" Piper asked.
"We better get inside it will be starting soon." Leo said as he snapped out of his trace and hopped out of the car.
"Leo, wait up."
Piper hurried after Leo. They went into the funeral home and got a seat near the back. The ceremony lasted about an hour. The preacher did a beautiful job. Her children got up and both of them said some wonderful things about Lillian. Piper asked Leo if he wanted to go to the coffee time afterwards and he said no. He just wanted to home and be with his real family. They got back into the Jeep and went home. Once again he was silent the whole way home.
Matt made a wonderful dinner and Luke and Paige did the dishes. Leo was very quiet throughout the evening and Piper had decided to talk to him after everyone else left. Piper went into the kitchen to thank Paige for doing the dishes and caught her and Luke making out over a sink full of dirty dishes.
"You know Paige you really shouldn't be doing that so soon." Piper chuckled.
"Piper? I thought you were busy in the family room." An embarrassed Paige responded pulling away from Luke.
"I am not the one getting busy in the kitchen. I have nothing against this just do it in your own kitchen. I just wanted to say thank you for looking after the dishes and cleanup. Leo is being very quiet. He says he feels nothing but I don't buy it. He must, he was married to her. We saw her family and I cannot help but wonder if he wonders if they could have that family."
"Sweetie he has a family. I know and you know that he thinks of you two as soul mates. I really don't think that he would change how his life has turned out." Paige said giving Piper a hug.
"I know you're right and I know he loves me and the girls. It's just that he is hiding his feelings and that makes me nervous."
"Look Piper why don't we go home now and leave you two to talk. Honey will you go and get Breanna from Phoebe. Lets go home." Paige said to Luke as he left the kitchen to get his baby daughter. "It will be okay honey."
"I know thanks."
Luke came back into the kitchen two minutes later and Phoebe, Matt and Lilly were right behind him. They said good night and left. Piper took her girls upstairs and got them ready for bed. After putting Maddy in her crib, she tucked Melinda into bed and read her favourite story to her. Melinda was fast asleep by the time Piper finished it. She turned out Melinda's light and went down to the sunroom where Leo was. He was sitting on the couch and looking at Melinda's baby book.
"Leo what are doing?"
"Oh hi, nothing much. I just wanted to look back at Melinda as a baby. It seems like yesterday I was holding her in arms for the first time. Piper she's three and a half. Soon she'll be school, than boys, than she'll be the one getting married and we'll grandparents." He said as flipped through the book that Piper had so carefully put together.
"Slow down Leo. I just got her to remember the alphabet I think that marriage and grandchildren are a little ways away yet." Piper said climbing on to the couch with him.
"I know I just cannot believe how fast time is going."
"Is this why you have been so quiet since I told you about Lillian?"
"I guess so. Piper I know I have said this before but she was part of a different life. I never think about her. Especially since we have been together. But knowing she has died and seeing her family and extended family all grown up has made realize how much time has gone by. We joke all the time that I am dead already but I don't feel dead. Today was the first time I did in a very long time." He played with Piper's hair as he spoke.
"What do you mean you felt dead today?" She said looking up at him.
"Well it's not that I really felt dead I just felt the time that has past. If I had not of died in the War that would have been my family, my wife in that coffin. Our children would have been in their fifties by now. Than I think of Melinda and Maddy just starting out. What's in store for them? Piper I don't want to miss it. Even more than I don't want to miss it I don't want to still be alive when it's our children and their children and their children that are in that coffin. Piper I am immortal. I don't think I could stand to see my family leave me behind. Never mind the girls but even you. I never want to replace you as my love. Today I felt like I replaced my first family with another."
"Leo what are you saying? Do you want to give up your wings?"
"No I don't know life without them. They are what makes me, me and part of what you fell in love with. I would never want to change that. But at the same time I want to grow old with you. I want to see all of our life changes the same way you do. I want to move on to the next life with you. I don't really know what I want only that I don't want to lose you. I want to follow you when the time comes." He bent his head down and gave Piper a soft kiss.
"Leo if our past lives have taught you anything it is that we will always be together. Lillian was not the life you left behind she was what brought you to me. Think about it. When Phoebe saw you and I together that was the same year you were reborn. You lived that new life with such a pure and gentle soul that the Elders had no choice but to make you a whitelighter. Lillian taught you how to love and honor someone. Without her help you would not have stayed by that soldier and you may not have died at that time. If you didn't die you wouldn't have become a whitelighter and I would not know or love you. I think that fate will always have you and I together. When it is my time your life will change and once again I will be there. Leo I have to believe this because I do not think that I can live any of my lives without you." She put her head back down on his chest and they both stayed silent for a minute.
"Piper how do you know just what to say? I love you so much it hurts. Promise me no matter what life throws at us we will always stay like this."
"Leo cannot imagine anything different. I will always love you. As for the aging thing don't worry about it. When the time comes we figure something out to make you appear to be older even if your not. Besides I am not planning on aging that much that fast, or at least I hoping not to." She smiled at him and he gave her the softest, most tender kiss. She melted into it and into him. Just then the grandfather clock hit 10 pm.
"Leo let's go to bed." Piper said as the familiar warm blue lights surrounded them again.
To Be Continued …