A/N: Sorry about making you wait so long, Ive been quite busy lately. Also my apologies for the shortness of this chapter, but I just had to finish it as it was.. (:
Hope you like this and again A HUGE thanks for all the lovely reviews. Its awesomeness :D

Enjoy!

Chapter four.

Piper had strange dreams about herself and Cole. About the future, how it was messed up because of them. She stirred in her sleep and constantly tucked on the pillow, not the pleasantest night, so to say. Her eyes were wide open before the sun came up and Piper pulled herself up to a sitting position. She was amazed at the beautiful room and if it hadn't been for the beeping boxes attached to her, she would have thought that she was in a fancy hotel room.

Cole was still asleep and Piper let herself explore the man's face. He looked peaceful and Piper was sure that he was smiling a little. Something was very attractive about this man. His tanned skin suited him perfectly, and his eyes...

"Do you know that is impolite to stare?" Cole asked with a smile on his face.

Piper jumped in her place. "God, you scared me!"

"Not exactly God, I'd say quite the opposite," Cole smirked as he got up from the couch and walked over to Piper's bed.

He sat beside her and wanting to put his palm on hers, moved his hand towards her, but then suddenly stopped himself and pulled back. Another smile found the way to his lips.

Piper couldnt help but smile back. He was amazing, even in this awkward situation that they were in, he was able to smile and make her feel good.

Cole raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"Nothing," Piper giggled back not being able to stop smiling.

"You're lying.." Cole whispered with a suspicious expression.

"No, Im not," Piper shook her head and poked Coles shoulder.

Cole looked at her seriously. He wanted to touch her, feel her skin against his, he cared more than he actually thought. "How are you feeling?"

"I guess, I'm okay. My stomach hurts a bit, which probably is normal since I was stabbed last night," Piper said, touching her wound and wincing.

"The doctor said that you can leave here today, but you have to get atleast a week of bed rest," Cole told her, pulling up her pillows behind her back.

"Hey, what about my sisters? Do they know? Did you call them?" Piper suddenly asked. How could she have forgotten about Phoebe and Paige? They were probably worried sick.

Cole hesitated. "No, I uh.. I didn't," he saw Piper's expression change and added a faint sorry.

"Don't worry, it's fine," Piper reassured.

"Hey, let me make it up to you," Cole said with a rush of excitement. He got off the bed, went over to the closed and pulled out a neat pile of clothes. He'd gone to the Manor last night and gotten something for Piper to wear. Cole put everything on the end of the bed and motioned at Piper. "Get dressed," he said. "Just slowly and carefully, I dont want you breaking the stitches," he added.

In spite of Piper's confused gazes, Cole left the room immediately. After ten minutes Cole walked back in the room and simply took Piper's hand. The next moment they shimmered in on a dock. Waves crashed against the shore with soft thuds and Piper looked around with a grin. "This is beautiful! What are we doing here?" she asked, not being able to take her eyes off the beautiful scenery.

Cole put his hands on Piper's shoulders and turned her around. With a wast movement with his hand he widened Piper's sight to a white sail boat, tied to the side of the dock.

They walked up to it, as Piper was staring in disbelief. "Is that yours?" she asked.

Cole chuckled. "Not really, I borrowed it," he said. "But it would be a nice idea to get one." He motioned Piper to move. "After you.."

The rest of the afternoon they spent laughing and talking about everything on their minds. After Piper got cold, they tucked themselves under a blanket in the cabin. The room wasnt big, but it was very couzy. Piper looked around as Cole pulled out another pillow and put it behind her back.

"So how come Leo didn't come?" Cole suddenly asked, not even being sure why he did it, because he didn't really want to know, but most importantly, he didn't want to hurt Piper. He realized his mistake as she looked at her palms, taking a deep breath.

"I'm sorry.. I didn't mean to.." Cole said, as he crawled in the bed besides Piper and wrapped his arms around her shoulders. She shook her head, but it wasn't long before a tear crashed against the puffy blanket. Cole ruffled her hair and sighed. "Talk to me?"

Piper brushed her cheeks. "I don't know what to tell you. It's just.. I knew that we would seperate, I was ready for it and I wanted to initiate it, but once it happened, I suddenly felt as if a part of me was torn out of me and shattered in so many pieces that no one could ever put them back together. And I suddenly felt so alone, even though Paige and Phoebe wanted to help, I just wanted to run away from it all and then.. when I felt the blood run down my stomach at a vicious speed, I just didn't know what to do. I called for him, because he was the one who always saved me. Who protected me. But, he just didn't come and.." Piper nervously played with her hands. The emotions were taking over her - pain, grief, but also a relief, a sense of freedom and hope. And that was what made her feel even worse, she felt incredibly guilty for feeling such things. Because she did really love Leo, it just wasn't meant to be.

"I still think that it was all my fault that he didn't come. I'm pretty sure that he's hurting so much right now.." Piper's voice cracked and she hit her face in her palms.

Cole wanted to help her. He wanted to take all the pain away. "Shh, don't cry.." he whispered in her ear and brushed her hair with his fingers.

"I feel so guilty, Cole," Piper faintly said.

"Why?" he asked.

Piper looked up Cole, one last tear rolling down her cheek. "Because I feel free. Because I actually think that I can start over again.."

Cole closed his eyes and pulled Piper closer. "Dont feel guilty, you deserve it.." He pulled her chin up with his hand and looked firmly in her eyes. "Dont forget that."

Piper gazed up at him. His eyes were so deep. "Cole.."

He hesitated. "You know that I don't want to be friends with you..." he finally whispered. The warmth coming from Piper made goose bumps appear on his skin.

"You don't?" Piper was suddenly confused.

Cole couldn't help but smile. She was so cute. "What I meant was, I want us to be something more.." he said, sinking his fingers in her hair again. They were as soft as silk. "I want to touch you.." he caressed her cheek with his other hand, still looking in Piper's eyes. "I want to know what you are thinking, I want to hear you breathing next to me when I wake up in the middle of the night, I want to protect you and make you smile, and I want to be everything you've ever dreamed of..."

Piper watched him, felt every word sink in her skin, she knew she wouldn't ever forget what he said, but she also knew that she didn't know what to answer.

Cole's eyes searched for something he couldn't find. He felt like there wasn't enough he could offer. "Do you know that?" he asked and watched as a strand of hair fell on her face. He reached up and brushed it behind her ear and leaned closer. They were just mere inches apart, so close that he could feel their breaths colliding, the tips of their noses almost touching. "Do you know that I love you?" he whispered and terminated the space left between them as Cole locked their lips with a soft kiss.

This was it, this was the feeling that made him fly - the presence of Piper's lips on his. The sweet taste and the tingling in his stomach. The form of her shoulder's in the palms of his hands. He didn't want to pull away, ever. Cole wanted to stay like this forever, but he knew that Piper wanted to be just friends. And that he was pushing it, so he unwillingly opened his eyes and broke the bond.

Piper hesitated for a moment, but then pulled Cole back to her and kissed him again.

"Why did you do that?" he asked, resting his forehead against hers. "That's an invitation for more, Piper," he whispered.

Piper closed her eyes and then opened them again. "I know."

"I don't understand..." Cole said pulling back a little. He was confused.

"Neither do I," Piper replied. "But I know that with you everything feels so right, as if it was meant to be all along. I can't describe it, it's something magical..."

"No, you're magical..." Cole whispered with a slight smile and pressed another kiss on Pipers lips.

"Come here," Cole said in between and pulled Piper close. "Tell me anything that comes in your mind, I want to know everything about you.."

And Piper started telling him everything, but the rocking of the boat was so calming and the warmth coming from Cole so soothing that it wasn't long before Piper's eyes closed and her breathing became slow and rhythmic.

--

"I don't have powers anymore! I can't help you!" he screamed at the crying witch.

"That's ridiculous, how can that be?" she asked looking in the man's eyes.

"No, it's not.."

"I don't understand, Leo."

"I gave them up," he finally said, almost inaudibly. "I gave up my powers. I can't help you anymore. I can't heal you," Leo whispered feeling as helpless as ever. His insides were screaming and the sight of the dying witch made his heart beat so fast that it felt as if it would climb out of his mouth any minute. But he brushed away the one single tear that had formed in the corner of his eye, even though the sight was torturing. Leo knew that he had given everything up for a reason, this was his punishment and he had to endure it. Otherwise it had been all for nothing.