Title: All he can do...

Pairing: LeoxPiper

Spoilers for Season 2 episode 20.

Disclaimer: Charmed and all it's characters do not belong to me. The song 'Save You' is by The Moxy and I don't own that either.

All He can do...:

He had known it was coming. Had felt the shift in emotion when the reality had set in. He had wanted to say something, to take her aside for a moment and offer her a kind word that would make it easier. He knew he couldn't. He knew that as her guide there were some lessons that had to be experienced first hand without warning. It was something all three sisters had to face and work through on their own.

Still it hit him sharply when he felt her pain in the front of his mind. She may not have verbally called him but her heart was screaming for him.

He orbed, sensing her in her bedroom. He saw her curled up on the foot of the bed even before he finished appearing and his heart went out to her when he saw her shoulders shaking with sobs. Not saying a word, knowing from experience that nothing could fix what had been broken. Instead he calmly walked to the edge of the bedspread. As she miserably rocked herself he reached out and she offered no resistance as he pulled her to his chest, silently offering comfort and understanding.

Leo sat there and listened to the broken sobbing of the woman he loved. A woman with a heart so big that she couldn't stop herself from mourning the doctor who had made the decision to take in the magic of the Charmed ones. He had been human. A human doctor. He had done everything to try and save Piper when she had contracted Oroya fever. Now she felt as if she had failed him. She felt responsible despite knowing that when she had been under his care there had been no way for her to predict such an outcome.

Leo held Piper until her throat was cracked, her eyes swollen, and her nose flushed brilliant red. She finally pulled away with a particularly unattractive sniffle and Leo knew she wouldn't appreciate the sudden warm thought he had. He loved her so much in that moment.

Gently Leo raised a hand to hover over her head. "What are you...?" She mumbled thickly, swatting half-heartedly at his hand.

"Just trying to relieve some of that pain in your sinuses." He quietly told her as he worked. "It'll hopefully keep you from getting a migraine in the morning."

Going uncharacteristically quiet Piper threw her hair over her shoulder, wiping at her eyes. For a long time she didn't say anything and Leo didn't press for more. Eventually she snuggled back into his side, her breathing slowly evening out. Leo wrapped his arm around her back and placed a kiss to her head.

"Let's get to bed." He suggested and she silently agreed.

Leo wasn't entirely sure if she would want him close as she tugged the blankets up over her shoulders. When she settled on her side of the bed with her back to him he wondered if he should orb somewhere, give her privacy. The question was answered for him when her arm slid across his chest and she pulled herself flush into his side.

"Will you stay tonight?" She asked, her face pressed into his shoulder.

His arms instinctively went around her, one hand settling on her lower back while the other grasped the fingers that she rested over his heart. "Of course."

She didn't sleep easily. She was restless, her brow furrowed as she battled demons in her sleep. At one point he heard her mutter, "I'm sorry." and he felt the spike of pain from it as if it were a fresh wound. As a whitelighter he was sensitive to the feelings of his charges but he had always been especially tuned to Piper. Her pain always hit him the hardest.

Leo decided that the best thing he could do for her was to just be by her side. When he felt the call from another of his charges he was torn. He closed his eyes and scanned for the caller. It had been one of his oldest, a charming old woman on the other side of the world. From what he sensed her call was not dire. She usually just liked to check in now and then so Leo made the choice to stay with Piper while making a mental note to visit in the morning.

When Piper woke the next day her face was puffy, her nose stuffy, but in her eyes there was gratitude and Leo knew he had made the right decision.

"Hi." She shyly greeted.

He couldn't help the grin that crossed his face. "Hi."

She smiled slightly in response and it reminded Leo of their early relationship, when Piper saw him as just a simple handyman. She used to smile so easily then. The longer she lived as a Charmed One the less innocence he saw in her smile everyday.

What happened the day before would leave it's mark on her, just as so many experiences had since she learned she was a witch. Leo hugged her close and she responded, her grip on him tight. He relished the feel of her, enjoying every second of the embrace.

When she leaned back he was happy to see that she didn't look quite so troubled, her expression one of vulnerability that Leo knew she allowed very few to see. She took a breath. "I'm okay."

Leo studied her face. "Yeah?"

He was impressed that she took a moment to really think before she answered. "Yeah."

Leo placed a hand on her cheek, coaxing her chin up with his fingers to kiss her. She melted into his touch, her lips pleasantly warm against his. He could feel the waves of happiness, love, and lust rolling off her. There was pain as well but tempered by the strength of her more positive emotions. Piper smiled through the kiss before pulling away to look at him. She gave him a quirky look.

"Do you think we can just pretend that we don't live in a house with two other witches, one who is dating a newly mortal former demon, and just stay in bed all day without wondering what demon decides it needs to be vanquished today?"

Leo chuckled and didn't answer immediately, cocking his head to give her a brow-raised look. "Do you really think you could handle that?"

Piper made a face. "Mmn. Probably not."

They laughed together before Leo tugged her close to envelop her in another smothering kiss. She wrapped her arms around his neck, allowing him to love her and remind her that she was alive to be with him and her sisters. For now that was enough.

-OWARI-

Because this scene broke my heart and I think it was beautiful how Leo showed up, didn't say a word, and just held Piper. (Might be a slight error in my timeline as far as Cole is concerned but I don't really care.) I also think I'm in the minority because I actually liked the song they replaced this scene with as opposed to the original. This might be the only time I can say that though.