Pain, tears & lies.
Hello one and all!! It's hard to think that I'm 34 chapters in, 35th coming up, and I wouldn't lose interest. I would just like to thank many of you who resumed reading this story, because ever since Charmed finished, a lot of people went off of it, the show and every fanfic. So the fact that my story gripped you enough means the world to me! Excuse the long gap in chapters, but after I finished college at long last, I begun to look for a job as well as a flat in which me and my fiancé plan on living in. But, life has become less hectic and that's why this chapter has been able to begin, to let's talk about the more interesting, and it begins with the events from last chapter!
For 33 chapters, you've wondered what Leo's secret was, but when it was revealed he self harmed, it all seemed a little farfetched that something so little, could get involve the secret organisation, the SAS. It wasn't until last chapter when it was revealed that people at hospitals had been getting cut open and left for dead and when someone found out about Leo's little secret, he blamed Leo for it. More shock was to come when Phoebe & Cole find out that the person to give in Leo was none other than Victor! Why would he frame his daughter's husband, and why does Victor bare such a grudge on him?Last chapter, Piper's mother, Patty, came to her to offer support and motivation for her to stand tall and help her family. They need her. In previous chapters, Prue was close to rumbling Cole's secret, and when she confronted him, he knocked her out! Once Piper confronted him about it, he hit her into an oncoming car, knocking her down and dislocating her leg. As the driver, a young teen, sat in shock, Andy killed him in order to take over his car, and then drove off leaving Piper in the road and the teen to die. Where did he go, and what will Piper do? Will any of these questions be answered? Probably not because this chapter is dedicated to one character, one character whose secret was never really detailed.
Oh and before I continue, thanks to Dutchygirl, I received my 191th review. Therefore, my 9th review to follow will be my 200th review. So please, if that lucky person is you, please make it a special review. My kind of special is for it to be long, lol, and for that reason, I pray it's your Nadine So with that said, sit back, enjoy and review the 35th chapter. Alright, here is the new chapter. Enjoy.
Chapter 35: Bad things to good people. 'Part 1'
"You're gonna' be fine" came Leo's hoarse voice, coughing on his tears.
"Always remember the lesson I taught you" says a man in his mid 40's, lying in his double bed. Leo, in his 20's, stood over him, crying heavily. Standing next to him was a middle-aged woman with long blonde hair.
"There's no need to dad, because you're gonna' live" said Leo, with all the hope he could muster. His father wasn't just lying in bed, he was dying. His father was shot when attempting to reason with a robber in a shop, but it ended badly. Not wanting to die in a hospital, Jason decided to die at home with his wife and only son. He had green eyes and faint brown hair, a bald patch and what hair he had left was turning gray. His wife, Kerry, had the blonde hair and blue eyes and wore a dark dress. Leo sat down beside his father, swallowing the tears, trying his hardest for them not to fall. His father had tubes attached to him with a heart monitor offering support but that wouldn't last for too long.
"You have to understand Leo" begins Jason in a husky voice, his life almost at its end. "I will die and soon... I was shot and I don't have too long now. The sooner you accept that, the less harder it will be to let me go" said his father which caused Leo to cry further, his mother standing there, hand clasped over her mouth, tears streaming down her cheeks. The man she loved was dying and there was nothing she could do but stand there and allow it to happen. Kerry placed a hand of support on her sons shoulder as he moved away over to the window across the bedroom. It held little items, but the essentials such as a bed, wardrobe and a few flowers.
"Kerry..." choked Jason and she slowly approached him, ever so slowly, full of distraught.
"Yes?" she asked him.
"Please don't hold off of love for me" he tells her and she frowns with confusion, the tears continuing to fall.
"What are you talking about?" she asked.
"I don't expect you to stop searching for love. You need happiness"
"Stop it Jason! I can't just go off and 'search' for someone. I love you! I always have and I always will understand that" she tells him with meaning and strength but hearing herself say this made her cry further. Leo turned his head, but when he felt himself cry more he turned his head to face outside.
"You know you have to" he tells her seriously.
"I can't! It's a lot more complicated then all of this"
"Doesn't mean you have to say goodbye to love. What you have will go"
"No it won't, they said that" cried Kerry and Leo turns around suspiciously.
"What will go?" he asked and Kerry faced him, his father attempting to relax as the heart monitor continued to beep every few seconds. Kerry, forcing back more tears shook her head.
"Nothing son, it's not the time to talk about it now"
No, you'll tell me now! I deserve to know!" shouts Leo.
"Guys..." croaked Jason painfully as he felt his life beginning to fade, but both Kerry & Leo failed to hear him.
"No I do not, now right now your father needs us more than ever, so we will deal with this and everything to come. After it all, I will talk with you, but you must leave it now" After Kerry said that, Jason heavily breathed in before beginning to shake and breath fast and hard. His life was now at its end and with the faster beeping of the heart monitor, this confirmed it. "Oh god! No not now, please god, not now!!!" screams Kerry running over to her husband and grabbing his hand, Leo standing back crying uncontrollably.
"Take care, my love" he struggled to tell her, tears now in his own eyes. Kerry nodded her head, every tear dropping onto her husband with every second which ticked by, Leo's doing the same and hitting the hardwood floor beneath himself, Kerry's hitting her husband's duvet.
"I love you, please never forget that... Leo...!" she calls and he, with the best he could, approached his father and held him by the shoulders, crying.
"I'll see you soon old man!" cried Leo, and Kerry doesn't take her eyes off of her husband. His breathing became slower as he starts to relax, his eyes drooping, full of pain and emotion of which made the situation even worse.
"Ok..." says Kerry gathering her strength, "Close your eyes baby. Time to go to sleep... It's time to sleep" she tells him. Leo's crying becomes heavier, but he continued to hold his father, letting him know he's there to the last second. Right before Jason lets out his final breath, he smiled at the two most important people in his life and clutched onto Kerry's hand harder of which she does the same too. At that moment, she felt his grip fade as well as his smile and his eyes finally closed and that final breath was exhaled. The heart monitor then went flat and combined with the heavy crying and sobbing from both Leo and his mother, Kerry.
"He's gone" cried Leo continuing to hold onto his father, more of a support for himself.
"He's gone" confirms Kerry, and sure as he suspected, the second Leo released his father, he collapsed into a heap on the floor, his crying now uncontrollable. Floods of tears just came out like buckets and soaked his clothing. Kerry released her husband and gently rested his hand on his stomach. Taking in the touch to the final release, she then bent down to console her son. Both mother and son cradled and hugging one another, gently rocking to and fro, crying. Sharing their tears as they collided and hit the floor and themselves. "He's gone" she says once more to not only convince Leo but to convince herself also.
-o-o-o-0-o-o-o-
"Leo?" came an emotional and stressed voice. "Leo?" came the voice again and he turned from looking out of his bedroom window. He wore black trousers and a black tux formally his fathers. "It's time" says the woman, his mother, Kerry. She too wore all black and a long flowing dress at that. Her soft blonde hair was in a bun held together by a French loop. The room was in darkness, no source of light entered the dark room. The beds duvet was a dark blue, whilst black cloths are laid across the wardrobes, chest of draws and computer to avoid any light, any good.
"I don't feel like going" replied Leo, turning back to face the outside. It was a cold Thursday afternoon and all that was to greet his eyesight was the darkness from the clouds and rain. It rained a lot lately, maybe a sign of things to come.
"You have too"
"Why do I?!" snaps Leo, "It's my 19th birthday and I have to celebrate it by first going to dads funeral and then forced to give a warm hearted speech with a bunch of people I don't even know! Happy birthday Leo!" he yells in a sarcastic yet angered tone. "To top it off" he says in almost disbelief and hurt, "I may be fired from my job. How crazy is that? What an awesome last teen birthday to spend!" he continued. Kerry just stood her, sympathetic but at the same time hurt and annoyed at her sons attitude.
"I'm hurting too" she tells him slowly and he turns back to her, backing down.
"I'm sorry" he tells her, "But it's all just too much... I've said my peace to dad at the funeral. Please don't force me to do it again"
"I need you. I need your strength. Please" she begs her son, tears welling in her eyes. All it took was that for tears to form in Leo's eyes, shaking ready to collapse.
"I just wish... Wish that he was here again you know?"
"I do son, every night of every day. I go to bed and pray he's beside me, stroking my hair, telling me he loves me and just... being there" she stops, choked up as a tear rolls down her cheek. "But he's not, and it's time we begin to realise that. He'll always be in our hearts and so, with the family and friends downstairs, I'm sure Leo would want his only son to address those people"
"I'm wearing dads favourite tux, is that not enough to do for him in memory?" asks Leo fighting back the tears. He had been crying all week, never went out to see his friends, and hardly ate a thing. It was his way of dealing with the death of his father, his friend and his mentor.
"You know the answer to that question Leo... Just please. If not for me, then for your father". Leo looks to the ceiling and tilts his head back, the tears now rising and then falling. Leo clamps his lips tight attempting to hold these back, mentally yelling at himself to stop, but nothing but tears were the answer. Looking back to his distraught mother, her make up running, he stood up.
"Ok" and his mother smiled happily. Leo nods his head and steps forward, holds his mother's hand and both walk out of the bedroom, shutting it gently behind them...
-o-o-o-0-o-o-o-
"Thank you for coming, it means the world to us" smiled Kerry as the mourners slowly left the house in New York. Outside were rows cars and flowers in memoration of Jason. At the end of the hallway stands two round tables, each with pictures of Jason and surrounded with candles and flowers. By the doorway of their small house stood Kerry, waving each mourner off. Once the final one approached the door, an old lady, she stroked Kerry's tear stained face and smiled.
"It will get easier, I promise you" she told Kerry and she smiled and slowly nodded her head. "Take care my dear".
"Thanks mum, I love you" smiled Kerry, and her mother nods her head and slowly hobbled off with her walking stick and towards a black mini. Kerry took in a deep breath and slowly shut the door as she turned and pressed her back up against it. Looking at the marmoreal table to her late husband. She smiled, tears trickling down her cheek. "I miss you so much" she tells the pictures, obviously talking to Jason. "Leo?" she asked and walked forward. "Leo?!" she called but again, no answer. Frowning with confusion, she quickly searched the downstairs but with no luck, and so had to resort to going up stairs. "Leo?!" she called out once more, getting worried. He's probably asleep she thought, but it could be something else. When reaching the top, she turned to her right and approached the black painted door with a sign reading 'Do not enter!'. It was Leo's. As she attempted to open it, she found it lock. "Leo open up!" she shouts.
"Leave me alone!" barks Leo. Surprised by this, she bangs on his door once more.
"Open the door!"
"No!!!" shouts Leo. Kerry quickly turns around and enters her bedroom, stopping for a brief moment at the bed in which Jason died in. Taking in a deep breath for strength, she walked to the side table and opened the draw to get to a set of keys. Taking them out, she walks back to Leo's door and puts one of the gold keys into the locks and turns it, successfully unlocking the door. After, she looked to the ceiling, or to her, the heavens and smiled.
"Thank you Jason for getting a spare" she smiled and opened Leo's door where she finds him frantically attempting to hide a knife and blood. She stops shocked, unsure of what to do, but she knew what to say. "What the hell is this?!" she asks him angrily, but he refused to answer. Eager for answers, Kerry quickly kneels down and opens up Leo's hand revealing the small medial knife. "What's this?" she asks him angrily.
"A knife" he replied with sarcasm.
"Don't get smart with me! What is with the blood on your floor and the knife?!" she asks him.
"Nothing" he tells her eager to get her to leave him alone in his little world. When grabbing his arm in order for him to talk, he flinched with pain. Frowning, she rolls up Leo's shirt arms to find several cuts. Some newly made, others had been there for at least 3 days. "Mum, no!" he yells and pulls back.
"Why are you self harming?"
"Why do you think?!" he snaps at her.
"Listen, I am hurting just as much as you, but self harming is not the answer! Do you hear me? It's not!" she yells at him, furious.
"Oh what do you know?" he barks at her, each word which left his lips hurting her further more.
"I need you right now, I need you for my strength, my pillar"
"No you don't mum"
"Yes I do!"
"Why? Why do you need me so much huh? Why are you finally being a mother, why does it even matter!!!???"
"I have cancer!!!" she yells making Leo widen his eyes in pure horror and shock followed by disbelief. He too, like his mother did a lot, frowned with confusion.
"How? I don't – how?"
"It's breast cancer... That's what me and your father spoke about on his death bed. I need to go in for chemo-therapy in less than a week. I need you right now Leo" There was a long emotional and intense pause, neither wanted to speak. The emotion from them both built further with every second past. Leo stared into his mothers eyes intently and vise versa.
"How long?" finally utters Leo.
"For what?"
"To live" he replied with great remorse, remorse that he even had to ask. Kerry shut her eyes with distraught, more tears beginning to fall.
"I don't know... After the chemo I'll know more" she tells him and he emotionally nods his head, "Why us? It's just not fair. We're good people!" cried Leo.
"Well, like your father use to say. "Good things happen-,""- to good people" jumps in Leo, both speaking in unison. They share a smile and a chuckle remembering all those times Jason would give that expression to both his wife and son. "He did say that a lot" smiled Leo. Kerry nodded her head with a smile, both recalling the memories they shared together. But it was over now as were their memories after Leo quickly confirmed, "But that's all finished now"
"Yes, but your father wouldn't have wanted us to remain in mourning. He'd want us to get on with our lives and for you to stop self harming yourself. You must stay strong, you're the man of the house now. Big responsibility" she tells him.
"But I'm only 19... It's my birthday today... Self harming felt right at the time... Still is" he said with much pain.
"Well I'm here for you... I'm not going anywhere" and mother and son smiled. She held out her hands and Leo smiled, edging closer to his mother. "I'm not gonna' wait here like a statue" she told him and both laughed. Leo kneeled up as did his mother and both embraced, attempting to rebuild on their relationship and life. "How about we go out to your favourite restraint, aye? My treat"
"Awesome!" beamed Leo. "McDonalds!" he told her happily and again, they laughed...
-o-o-o-0-o-o-o-
"You told me you wouldn't be going anywhere" heaved Leo, his crying becoming uncontrollable. He knelt down in front of the head stone which read;
'Kerry WyattSeptember 7th 1961 – January 10th 2003She graced everyone she met, her son, her husband and her friends & familyMay she continue to grave lives in heaven.R.I.P'
"You promised me!" cried Leo, now 22 years old. He took a handful of dirt into his hands and clenched it as hard as he could in anguish. "Why did this happen? It's so unfair!" he continued until bursting into hysterics. Across the cemetery stood three weeping sisters; Piper, Phoebe & Prue. They are hand in hand across their Grams' grave stone which revealed she died 'December 29th 2003'. Their grandmother's funeral had finished much like Kerry's, and like Leo, the sisters remained. Piper turned to look over at Leo's wailing but was unable to see his face except his black tux which was now too short on him, but he wore it in respect.
"Poor guy" sobbed Piper, and Prue put her arms around her sister and squeezed her gently.
"It's time to go home"
"How can we cope without Grams? She was everything..." cried Phoebe. Prue put both arms around both sisters and remained strong, slowly leading them off. At that point, Leo turned his head to look at the three women, wiping his eyes. Turning back to his mother's headstone, he stands himself up and takes a deep breath.
"I love you" he tells his mother, turns around, and slowly begins to walk off. A gust of wind blows which gives him some energy but his tears continue to fall...
-o-o-o-0-o-o-o-
"Leo, are you in here?" asks a voice.
"Urm, yeah!" shouts out Leo startled and worried.
"Oh, urm... Where are you?" asks the voice. A male in a smart suit stood in a toilet, three cubicles to his side. He had brown eyes and blonde hair, hair much similar to Kerry's. Leo was held in one of the cubical- self harming. He too wore a suit, he on his toilet break from work.
"In here!" replies Leo from the middle cubical attempting to deposit his knife and blood stained tissues. "Just a moment!"
"The boss wants a word with you" says his work colleague.
"When?" asks Leo worried and rushed. At that moment, the boss walked inside. He wore a pair of brown trousers, a white shirt overlaying a white vest and a black tie. He had gray hair going around the sides of his head with a large bald patch in the middle. His face was stern and serious with a hint of frustration and anger.
"Leo I need a word with you" called out the boss strongly.
"Now" replied his work colleague surprised and nervous for his friend. Biting his lip, he quickly sailed out of the toilet. Leo in the meantime had just managed to hide everything, and quickly got out from the cubical.
"Hello Leo" said his boss sternly which made Leo gulp nervously. Whenever the boss was in this mood it was never good news. "You're slacking" he said bluntly, a personality trait which he has very well. "Now, I know your mother was buried only last week, but this matter has been happening for over 4 years now". Before he continued, Leo knew what it would lead to, but wanted to fight for his side, and quickly jumped in.
"I know, and I am so sorry for slacking. I've just been under a lot of stress those 4 years"
"But that's not all" says his boss, also jumping in. He doesn't like being cut off, and therefore was even more annoyed which didn't help Leo's case. "I know you self harm"
"What?! No I don't!"
"Don't lie to me!" shouted his boss, "A certain colleague of yours revealed all" said his boss and Leo looks hurt and shocked. Behind the toilet door stood that very same person, the worker who warned Leo about his boss. He had his ear touching the door, and he bit his lip ashamed when hearing his boss reveal what he had done. Although his name wasn't given, he knew Leo knew it was him after Leo told him everything a couple months back. "Of course as well, we have CCTV oh which didn't help your case you can imagine" tells his boss.
"I'm sorry" says Leo ashamed, looking to the floor. He thought if he did this, his boss would show mercy that Leo realises what he's done. But Leo should know better, because with less than a minute after saying it, his boss quickly put.
"You're fired Leo. I'm sorry, pack up your stuff and leave". Before Leo could argue once more, his boss turned on his steel capped heels and walked off, shoving open the door which hits the worker in the face. His boss, not acknowledging him, walks off as he attempted to remain casual and looks around. "Get back to work" he told him, which before he could, Leo exited the toilet and turned to his former friend.
"Leo, I-,"
"Don't! I thought I knew you... But I don't know you at all do I? I cannot believe you would do that to me... How could you?" asked Leo still hurt but angered at the same time. "Just, go to hell Aaron" said Cole and when about to walk off, Aaron got in front of him.
"Dude wait... Look, I have a stash of drugs which you may be interested in trying. It would calm you down and – oh they're free of charge. My way of saying, sorry" he told him with a cheesy grin, expecting Leo to agree, as if drugs are the answer. Leo responded with a sarcastic smile which caused Aaron's to widen, but shortly after, Leo clenched his fist and slammed it into Aaron's nose, breaking it. Yelling with pain, Aaron fell into the toilet door and collapsed to the ground. Fellow workers turned and looked, but Leo simply smiled triumphantly and walked off...
-o-o-o-0-o-o-o-
It's been almost 3 months since Leo was fired from his job, and still, he has yet to get a new one. He had applied, but no responses. He was giving up, and was close to being kicked out of his 2 room apartment in New York. One sunny afternoon, Leo sat in Central Park, bored and depressed. Glumly looking out at the sun, the lush green grass and the trees lightly swaying in the cool breeze. Birds were lightly heard singing in the background, but none of these beautiful sights gave him any source of happiness. Letting out a depressed sigh, three young and beautiful women were walking down one of the pavements. But one of them caught his eye the most; she had long brown hair and hazel eyes, cute freckles on either side of her face and a red woolly top with black trousers. Her name was Piper Halliwell, and he couldn't get his eyes away from her. Despite where he was, she was the only thing to make him smile and make him feel warm and fuzzy inside, a feeling he hadn't felt in a long time. "When? I hope soon!" beamed the youngest sister, Phoebe.
"Hopefully, I mean seriously... If we don't do something, Grams' manor will be taken in by someone else. I don't want that" says the eldest, Prue.
"Well, especially after it was left in our name" says Phoebe. Leo at this time begged for Piper to speak, to hear her name.
"It's been 3 months now, I think we're ready" said Prue and Piper and her sister nodded. When close enough, Piper turned to face Leo, both eyes connecting and immediately, fireworks begun to rise between them. Piper had to hold onto her sisters before her knees buckled from beneath her. Leo widened his eyebrows, she had finally looked at him.
"My god Piper, lay off the drink" joked Phoebe, and Prue laughed until seeing the look of content on her sister.
"What is it?" asked Prue.
"That guy... Isn't he the guy crying at that headstone?" whispered Piper, and Prue and Phoebe turned to look at him making Leo more nervous.
"I'm not sure... It's been over 3 months now since that day" said Phoebe, "But he is cute. Don't wait up for me" she said with a big smile, and walked off towards Leo. Piper became depressed, defeated. Prue noticed this as Phoebe stood in front of Leo, and the two begun to talk, but Leo's eye sight kept going to Piper.
"You going to let her just take him?" asked Prue.
"What do you mean?" asked Piper confused.
"You clearly like him... Ask him out"
"You stupid? A type of guy like that would never go for someone like me? The former geeky girl from high school who had no friends and was bullied every few day"
"What's her name?" asked Leo, cutting Phoebe off mid sentence.
"Who?" asked Phoebe.
"The woman with the brown hair and freckles"
"Oh, that's just my sister, Piper. Anyway-."
"She single?" asked Leo cutting her once more. At that point, Phoebe gave up and about to answer, notices another cut guy across the park, and lit up.
"Ohh!" she beamed and skipped off towards him. Leo turned to face Piper and she done the same, Prue pushing her closer to him. Piper looked at her sister frustrated, but knew she meant well. Turning back, she walked towards Leo who also stood up, approaching her, Prue looking on. She got caught of Phoebe snogging the cute guy she spotted and Prue rolled her eyes.
"Hey... I'm Piper" greeted a shy Piper.
"Leo" he replied back to her, smiling. Both smiled as they shook hands, feeling weak at the knees and a tingle went down their spines making the pair giggle...
To Be Continued...
Another chapter gone. I felt that Leo's secret had to be looked in further and how it really begun. There will be a 2nd part to this which will most probably be next chapter, and it will detail Victor's involvement and so on. But focusing on this chapter, what did you think of it? I tried my hardest to keep it as much as past tense as possible and attempted to make the emotional words... well, better, lol. I tend to lack the descriptive and hope my writing style has improved.
Did you like that even for a brief moment, the lives of Piper & Leo crossed. Was it also a nice comparison to have Grams' funeral the same time as Kerry's? Would that be fate's doing or just a coincidence? Also, I added in a storyline which had Cole's former friend who died in the previous chapters, Aaron. He tried giving Cole drugs then and also to Leo in this chapter. Proves that old habits die hard, but also proves that Leo was still connected to Piper; Aaron knew Cole, who dated Phoebe who was a sister to Piper...Please submit your thoughts and suggestions as I'd love to hear from you all. So please remember also, If you are my 200th reviewer, make it special, i.e., make it longer. Thank you, and I'll see ya'll until next chapter