Disclaimer: I do not own Charmed in any way shape or form because if I did it would still be on TV.
Piper was sitting at the kitchen table playing a game with her sisters and their husbands, while the children were playing in the living room. The adults were playing Life and Leo had the blue car full of children. Phoebe had the red car with a husband and one little boy. Piper had the white car and kept landing on disastrous spaces and had to go back to start. Cole had the green car with a wife and twins. Glen had the yellow car and a wife with two adopted little girls. Paige had the orange car, no job, three children, no husband and was stuck on lose a turn.
"Wahoo… pay day, pay day, pay day." Phoebe said dancing around the table.
"That's not fair!" Paige whined.
"Ha-ha I'm a doctor and your not." Phoebe taunted.
"Piper it's your spin." Glen said.
"Why spin I'm gonna get stuck at start again." Piper said being a poor sport.
"Piper it's just a game. It doesn't matter if you win or lose." Glen said.
"She doesn't like to lose!" Leo stressed.
"Please Piper." Glen encouraged.
"Okay." Piper said spinning.
Piper managed to make it passed the chapel and got married but kept missing the baby spaces. At the end of the game Leo ended up with an overflowing car full of children and all the rest ended with what they had. Piper on the other hand had nothing but herself and her husband in the car. Cole hadn't been paying attention to the game much, he was to busy watching his son Cameron James Turner playing in the living room. Piper had a grumpy look on her face while she spoke.
"I didn't even have a baby." Piper grumped.
"Oh Piper get over it lets go to bed." Leo said.
"Cameron come on we gotta go." Cole said holding his son's jacket for him.
"Bye Mininda." Cameron called.
"Min time to go to bed!" Piper said as the little girl jumped into her arms.
Leo went to the door to say good-bye to Phoebe, Cole, Cameron, Paige and Glen before he went upstairs to take a shower. Piper put Melinda to bed and went into her room to get ready for bed herself. Leo came into the bedroom an hour later while Piper was reading a book.
"Piper why did you have to make a big deal out of everything." Leo asked her.
"I didn't make a big deal out of tonight I was just stating the obvious." Piper argued back.
"No you were making a big deal out of it and you were embarrassing me in front the rest of the family." Leo's voice was beginning to rise.
"I'm sorry I didn't realize you were that concerned." Piper yelled getting upset at him.
"Do you want me to leave?"
"No!"
"Then stop being such a baby."
"I am not a baby!" Piper protested. "I'm having one." She said quietly so Leo couldn't hear.
"Well you sure act like one."
Leo was getting fed up with Piper's need to win every game and every argument they ever had. She was being selfish and he couldn't take it anymore, he had to get out. He went to the dresser and started pulling out enough clothes to last him a few days. He decided he would go and stay at a hotel while she was making up her mind on what she would do.
"What are you doing?" Piper asked screaming at him.
"I'm packing."
"Why?"
"I can't stay here as long as you are acting like this."
"Acting like what? Please tell me what I'm acting like. I would love to know." Piper said loudly.
"Being a baby like I said. You can call me when you have finally decided to act like a normal person. Good-bye Piper." Leo said orbing out.
Piper threw a pillow at Leo's form as it orbed away and she was left in the room alone. She picked up the phone at the side of the bed and dialed Phoebe's number. Piper was trying to control the tears that were running down the sides of her face but that couldn't be controlled. Phoebe answered the phone and heard Piper crying.
"Piper what's the matter?" She asked concerned.
"L-Le-Leo left me." Piper said trying to stop the tears.
"What do you mean he left you?"
"He just packed his bag and orbed out."
"There had to have been a reason." Phoebe said.
"We had an argument again and he said that he would come back when I decided to grow up."
"Oh sweetie!" Phoebe tried to comfort her sister.
"I can't help it." Piper said.
"What can't you help?"
"I can't tell you yet, can you come over?" Piper asked.
"I can't right know Cole took the car because he got called to the office." Phoebe said.
"Tomorrow then."
"Yes I'll see you then." Phoebe said hanging up the phone.
In the bedroom next to Piper's Melinda sat up in her toddler bed holding her teddy bear tightly rocking back and forth. Why was her Daddy yelling at her Mommy again? She decided to go into her mother's room and see what was going on, but she needed an excuse for being in there. Melinda decided she would walk in crying saying she had a nightmare.
"Mommy?" Melinda asked in a small voice.
"Min what's wrong sweetie?" Piper asked wiping her eyes with her sleeve.
"I nigh-mare sweep whiff you." Melinda said crying softly clutching her teddy.
"Come here." Piper said lifting the covers up.
Melinda ran to the big bed and climbed up with Piper's help. She snuggled next to her mother. Piper put her warm moist cheek on the little girl's head after she gave her daughter a small kiss. Melinda fell asleep a little bit later but Piper couldn't sleep she missed Leo too much. She started to cry into the pillow, which woke Melinda up.
The sun came shining into the saddened bedroom where mother and daughter were both lying awake since the night before. Piper sat up and took the tired little girl down hall to the bathroom to take a bath before she put a long sleeve pink shirt with a flower on the front and overalls on Melinda. They walked down to the kitchen together and ate breakfast.
"Mommy where Daddy?" Melinda asked.
"Oh Min Daddy had to work last night. He's not going to be back for a while." Piper tried to explain without crying.
Just then the doorbell rang and Piper went to answer the door hoping that it was Leo coming back, she really had to tell him something that couldn't wait to long. If it did her sisters would find out and then it would ruin their promise to each other. Piper's hope was crushed when instead of her husband standing at the front door she saw her little sister Phoebe whom she had told to come over. She was holding little Cameron's hand as they stepped into the foyer of the big Victorian manor that now seemed so empty to Piper not to mention Melinda who was still in the kitchen.
"Hey Phoebe, I thought you might have been Leo coming back." Piper said leading them into the kitchen where Cameron went to sit next to Melinda.
"Sorry I didn't mean to get your hopes up but you asked if I would come over and here I am. Sorry I had to bring Cameron, Libby wasn't free to watch him today." Phoebe said referring to the babysitter.
"Thank you for coming you don't know how much this means to me." Piper said.
"Well it looks to me that you and Min need to get out of the house for a while so how about we go to 'Wet and Wild." Phoebe said
"Great the water-park sounds like a lot of fun I'll go get Min's swimming suit."
"What about your suit?"
"I'll get that too." Piper said disappearing upstairs.
"Auntie Phoebe why Mommy crying?" Melinda asked.
"She's just sad that Daddy had to leave so soon and can't come back for a while because the Elders won't let him."
Piper had disappeared into Melinda's room and started to go through her dresser looking for her daughter's swimming suit. Finally she found the one that she had just bought for her last week when they went summer shopping. It was still a little chilly outside and Piper didn't trust Melinda going outside without a jacket just yet. She went into her room and looked around for the swimming suit she just bought herself and hoped that it still fit. She found it and put it into the bag along with her hairdryer and some shampoo for them.
"God Leo I wish you'd come home… I have something to tell you." Piper said just above a whisper.
"Who you talking to Piper?" Phoebe asked wondering what was taking her so long.
"Myself…I miss him Phoebe… I really miss him!" Piper said as the tears were once again flowing.
"Oh I know but you have to give him time to cool off." Phoebe said hugging her sister.
"I have to tell him something… it can't wait… it won't wait." Piper almost pleaded.
"You can tell me and I can tell him. You can tell me anything." Phoebe said holding Piper tighter.
"I can't tell you it will break the promise I made to Leo to always tell him this news first. I tried to tell him last night but he wouldn't listen to anything I said and I didn't want to yell it. It's bad enough the neighbors are asking me questions… I don't want them knowing this too."
"I know this is hard but you are going to get through this… you have to be strong for Min."
Phoebe stopped before she could finish what she was saying she was pulled into another premonition and this time it had nothing to do with demons attacking the sisters it had to do with Piper and Leo. She saw Piper alone at the manor with Melinda and another little girl but Leo was nowhere to be seen. The scene changed, to another street across town were there was a little blue house. Leo was standing in the backyard. The vision ended and Phoebe stood there not wanting to tell Piper what she saw, she would tell Leo. She just had to help them get back together for that other little girl.
"Thanks for being here, for being my sister." Piper said walking with her.
"Did I have a choice?" Phoebe said jokingly.
"No not really, Mom decided that for you." Piper said a smile coming across her face.
"Hey Cam got your stuff you left?" Phoebe asked.
The little boy nodded and they left for the water-park. Phoebe had managed to get Piper's mind off of Leo and onto all the fun they were having as they went down slide after slide. By the end of their day they had, had so much fun that Piper was about ready to burst out in laughter if it wasn't for the manor coming into view. It made her sad knowing that Leo was not going to be inside and she would have to spend another night staring up at the ceiling waiting for him to come to his senses.
"Thanks for the ride Pheebs." Piper waved as she pulled away. "Hey Min did you have fun?"
"Yes Mommy Cam too."
"I know Cameron had a good time, he was with you." Piper said walking up the stairs to get her little girl ready.
"Mommy me sweep whiff you nigh?" Melinda asked.
"Of course you can sleep with me tonight." Piper said as they both got ready and got into bed.
At Phoebe's place after she put Cameron to bed she went down into the living room and called for Leo to come down. All around her it was dark except for the nightlight that was plugged into the corner for them when they needed to get to the kitchen for a glass of water. Leo appeared a few minutes later but not as bright as he usually was.
"What's wrong Pheebs?" Leo asked.
"Nothings wrong with me but there is something the matter with Piper." Phoebe started.
"Great not you too."
"What do you mean?" Phoebe asked.
"Paige called me this morning to talk about Piper and when I told her we weren't together anymore she flipped out on me."
"Well do you blame her I mean Piper is head over heals in love with you and if you can't see that you are completely blind. Plus she needs you and so do you daughters."
"What do you mean by daughters?" Leo looked at her now.
"I mean I had a premonition about you and Piper and I saw Piper at the manor alone with two little girls and you across town in a small blue house." Phoebe said quietly as not to wake her son or Cole.
"Piper's pregnant?" Leo asked.
"According to my premonition yes but you might want to let her tell you just to make sure. I don't want my sister to be unhappy Leo and I don't think I could stand it if you were the one that hurt her. She is already in a lot of pain because she misses you so much, I don't think she slept at all last night and she looked sick. Leo please be the good husband you are and take care of her." Phoebe said looking him in the eye.
"Thanks Pheebs but I think I will let Piper call me when she is ready to tell me."
Before Phoebe could get another word out Leo was gone and refused to reply to any more of her calls. She was just trying to help but unfortunately things were just going to have to unravel for Piper. Phoebe would go over there again with Cameron and have Libby take the children somewhere so she could talk to Piper alone.
The next morning as the night before Piper had gotten no sleep and neither had little Melinda. She was now refusing to take naps during the day and wouldn't eat when Piper told her to. Piper knew what Melinda wanted. She wanted her Daddy to put her down for her naps like he always did. She wanted her Daddy to make her special snacks like he use to when Mommy wasn't home. She wanted her Daddy to read her bedtime stories about princes and princesses living happily ever after. Piper tried but couldn't read the stories just right and couldn't make the special snacks the way Leo did, she couldn't even tuck Melinda in the way he did.
Weeks went by and the same thing happened. Every night mother and daughter would lay in the same bed and stare at the ceiling. Every day Melinda and Piper were getting thinner and thinner because they weren't as hungry as they were when Leo was around. Phoebe had come over every day and called for Leo every night but still he stayed away thinking that it was best for Piper and Melinda. It wasn't until one day in late July did he realize his mistake when Piper collapsed right in front of Melinda.
Melinda was sitting at the kitchen table in her booster chair, watching Piper make dinner when all of a sudden Piper just fell to the floor. Melinda didn't know what to do so she slowly got down off her chair and ran over to where her Mommy lay on the floor. She shook her Mommy trying to get her to wake up and after about five minutes Piper came to long enough to tell Melinda what to do.
"Min, call Auntie Phoebe, all you have to do is press the big button on the phone. Can you do that for Mommy?" Piper whispered.
She nodded her head and ran as fast as she could go trying to find the cordless phone that Piper had told her to call from. It took her a little while to find it sitting on the top of the bookshelf, realizing she couldn't reach she went to get a stool. She got the phone and pressed the on button, then the big button that dialed the number for her. It was a good thing that Phoebe was the last person Piper called.
"Hello?" Phoebe said into the phone.
"Auntie Phoebe Mommy, Mommy sick."
"Min is that you sweetie?" Phoebe asked.
"Uh-huh Mommy sick on for, no uppie."
"She's on the floor and she's not getting up?"
"Uh-huh, I scared." Melinda said.
"Okay sweetie I want you to go to the front door and unlock it for me okay?"
"Uh-huh." She said as she unlocked the door.
"Okay now I want you to go and sit by Mommy and talk to her until I get there. Can you do that for me?" Phoebe asked.
"Uh-huh, Bu-bye." Melinda said pushing the off button.
Melinda ran back into the kitchen and started talking to her Mommy even if Piper wasn't talking back to her. Auntie Phoebe told her to and that was what she was going to do. Back at Phoebe's place she was screaming at the top of her lungs for Leo. Cole had taken Cameron to a baseball game and so she didn't have a car to get to the manor in.
"LEO IF YOU KNOW WHAT IS GOOD FOR YOU GET DOWN HERE NOW!" She yelled."
"What?" Leo said orbing in.
"Piper is sick and she's lying on the floor. Min is terrified that she is going to die."
"What do you want me to do?" Leo asked stubbornly.
"I want you to orb me there and save her please. At least do it for your daughter. She needs a mother, she needs a father to but I guess you are to good for that, you to good for her is that it?" Phoebe was getting angry this had gone on long enough.
"What if she doesn't want to be saved? What if she wants to die?" Leo said.
"My god did you lose your soul too? Is that back at the manor with the rest of you? She's your wife Leo is it too much to ask to save her? To save us, The Charmed Ones?" Phoebe was really getting to Leo with what she was saying. Of course she had always been good at that.
Within minutes of her saying this he orbed them both to the manor and ran into the kitchen. He saw his daughter being strong and doing exactly what Phoebe had told her to do. Melinda was what was holding him at the manor. His love for her was what was keeping him from leaving Piper forever. Yes he still loved her but the love he felt was in some way different then before. He healed her and helped her up not expecting her to kiss him. She wrapped her arms around him tightly and made him feel like she would never let him go.
"I'm so sorry I acted the way I did but I couldn't help it." Piper said holding on to him tightly.
"Why couldn't you help it?"
"Well I still can't but I can control it a little better than before."
"What do you mean Piper?" Leo asked.
Piper's response was taking his hand in hers and placing it on her abdomen, which had grown slightly over the past few weeks. Through his hand he was able to feel not only Piper's heart beat but also another one although not as loud as Piper's it was still there. A smile crept across his face as he looked in Phoebe's direction giving her the sorry look. He hadn't believed her when she said that Piper was pregnant but now he believed every word. Maybe this time they would get it right, maybe this time Leo wouldn't leave like he had before.
THREE YEARS LATER"Be careful Bethany!" Piper warned as she watched Bethany ride her tricycle up and down the driveway waiting for Melinda to get home from her first day of Kindergarten.
"Hey how you doing?" Leo asked walking out from the manor.
"Great, look at her go she's so happy!" Piper said leaning into Leo.
"I can't imagine what life would be like if I hadn't listened to Phoebe three years ago. I might have lost both of you."
"Don't forget Melinda, she would have been with Phoebe, Cole, Cameron, and Kylie." Piper said looking up at him.
"It's a good thing Phoebe and Cole had Kylie. Cameron needed a little sister to play with."
"Well he can't play with her yet but soon he will."
"Mommy Bus!" Bethany said watching the bus come down the street.