Chapter five: Overcoming unseen obstacles.  (For lack of being able to come up with better name.)

A/N: If anyone has lost the track of time on this here is the time scale: It's exactly two weeks since Cyonique showed up, 13 days since Ann showed up and 10 days since she left. And about five seconds since Piper said, "I want a divorce."

Disclaimer: I own none of the charmed characters.

Back at the Manor, Cole and Phoebe are convincing Prue that she should go on a date with this guy who she met a few days ago who has just called and asked her out.

Phoebe: Come on Prue, I know you like him and we all know you really need to get back into the dating game.

Prue: I don't know I mean so much is going on right now.

Phoebe: We are the charmed ones there is always so much going on.

Cole: Yeah Prue with that attitude you're going to die lonely.

Prue: But there is a lot going on, we have a demon after us, one powerful enough to destroy the course of the future, not to mention the one after Cyonique and we know nothing about either of the demons. Then there are all the problems Leo and Piper are going through.

Phoebe: Piper can look after herself and if we haven't found anything on the demons so far we aren't going to find anything yet. Just go and have fun.

Prue: You aren't going to take no for an answer here are you?

Phoebe: No so you might as well give up.

Prue: I'll go call him back and tell him I'll meet him then.

(Phoebe watches her dial.)

Prue: Okay I'm not letting you listen.

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Leo: What did you just say?

Piper: You heard me.

Leo: But Piper we have to try to work through this, I'm sure we can.

Piper: I think it would be best if we stopped fooling ourselves and just ended our marriage.

Leo: Are you telling me after we were so determined not to let the elders stop us from being together you are willing to give up because of a few marital spats?

Piper: This isn't about just a few marital spats everything is just wrong.

Leo: Piper…

Piper: Leo, just let things be and accept that this is the end.

Leo: (At a loss) Okay fine. (He orbs out.)

Piper just sits there thinking and staring blankly.

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Evening, Prue is at P3 waiting for her date who's name is Marc. She sees him approaching.

Prue: Hi, so where are we going for dinner?

Marc: That's a surprise.

Prue: Well why don't you tell me, I won't mind about ruining the surprise.

Marc: But it wont be the same if it's not.

Prue: Don't take this the wrong way but I really don't like surprises.

Marc: I promise you'll love it.

Prue: Well okay then. (She gets into his car.) 

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At the manor, Cole and Phoebe are getting ready for a quiet night in watching videos.

Cole: So what do you want to watch first, and don't say "Kill it before it dies" because I'm not watching that again.

(Silence.)

Cole: Phoebe, what do you want to see?

Phoebe: What?

Cole: Movies.

Phoebe: Oh, I'm sorry honey I'm not really in the mood. I'm worried about where Piper is.

Cole: I thought Prue was supposed to be the obsessive worrier, Piper will be fine she probably sorted things out with Leo and they probably went off somewhere together.

Phoebe: But usually Piper would have told us where she was going, maybe I should call Leo.

Cole: (Sighing.) All that will do is get Piper mad at you for interrupting them.

Phoebe: But I can't just sit here and do nothing, I feel like I need to be doing something to find her.

Cole: Well then you might as well call Leo even if it's only to calm your nerves.

Phoebe: Yeah I will, sorry about ruining our plans.

Cole: That's okay we can watch movies any time.

Phoebe calls Leo and he orbs in she can tell by the look on his face that something is very wrong.

Phoebe: Where's Piper is she okay?

Leo mumbles something incoherent.

Cole: What's: um blub la bur

Leo: She says our marriage is over.

Phoebe: Oh my god, what happened?

Leo: I don't know.

Cole: Well are you just going to stay here and wait for something to happen?

Leo: I'm hoping she is going to change her mind, I mean she did this at our wedding I'm hoping she is just flipping out again.

Cole: See this is the problem with marrying paranoid people.

Phoebe: You must have done something Leo.

Cole: He hadn't done anything when she left him at the altar. 

Phoebe: What are you going to do Leo?

Leo: Wait until she is ready to talk.

Cole: So she wants to get a divorce for no apparent reason and you're not the slightest bit angry?

Leo: I'm upset but there is no point in getting angry.

Phoebe: I guess waiting is all we can do, I'm sure you guys will work this out.

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Marc: Okay you can open your eyes.

Prue: (They are in a secluded beautiful wooded area, with flowers and a stream and a few rocks that would be good for sitting on.) Oh, wow, this place is amazing.

Marc: Well I come here so often and have to wait so long I just found this place one day.

Prue: What do you mean?

(Marc got a picnic basket out of his car and then some candles.)

Marc: Why don't you set this up and I will go and find out if everything is all right.

Prue was curious and followed him down a path they approached a sign that said Customer service desk and a few yards ahead she saw a small building. As Marc entered the building Prue caught up to him.

Prue: What is this place?

Marc: I knew you would follow me. (Prue then spots something.)

Prue: Skydiving! You brought me to a place to do skydiving I can't believe this.

Marc: Oh, come on, you won't know whether you like it if you don't try.

Prue: I'm sorry I'm just not the type of person to do this.

Marc: Well I've got all dinner to convince you.

Prue: You'd have a better chance of bringing Elvis back to life.

(Time lapse two hours.)

Prue: I can't believe I'm doing this, this is something my sister Phoebe would do not me.

Marc: Well there's a first time for everything, and I told you I could convince you.

Prue: Well I still doubt whether I'll be able to jump out of this plane.

Marc: Don't worry you'll be having so much fun as soon as you jump out you won't have time to worry.

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Phoebe: Leo why don't you use your witch radar to find Piper, she might be hurt.

Cole: If she is talking about divorce she probably is hurt.

Phoebe: I meant physically.

Leo: I would sense if she was hurt I know it's late but I'm sure she's okay, she probably just wants time to think things over.

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Prue and Marc have just landed.

Prue: I can't believe I just did that, it was amazing.

Marc: Didn't I say you would enjoy yourself.

Prue: So how many times have you been skydiving?

Marc: I've been going for years.

Piper is walking around.

Piper's thoughts: It's going to be pitch black soon; I should probably go back home. I'm sure they must be worried but Leo will be there I don't think I can face him right now. Anything could happen at this time of night it's too dangerous to be walking around here. But I don't want to have to deal with Leo now I need a night to think about.

(Piper continued to argue with herself for a while and then decided that the chances of something happening to her were low and that she would risk it because at that moment she feared having to talk with Leo more than having anything happen to her. She continued to ponder over what she would do about the situation her and Leo were in.)

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The door to the manor closed and everyone rushed to it.

Phoebe: Piper is that you.

Everyone is disappointed when they see it is Prue.

Prue: Well it's nice to see you too. What's wrong?

Phoebe: Piper hasn't come home yet.

Prue: When did she leave?

Phoebe: This morning.

Prue: You mean when she stormed out, you guys haven't seen her since then. Anything could have happened to her; are you forgetting that we have two very powerful demons after us.

Leo: I would sense if something happened to her.

Prue looks at Leo she can tell there is something else.

Prue: What is it?

Leo: (Sorrowfully.) Piper wants a divorce.

Prue: What! You can't be serious.

Time lapse three hours.

Piper is sitting on some grass watching the sunrise. Piper's thoughts: Everyone will be waking up in a couple of hours. If I go home now I can sneak in get my things and the keys to P3, leave a note and then open up P3 and do some accounts. (She starts on her way home.)

She opens the door to the manor quietly and goes to the solarium (A/N: Is that what it's called?) to write a note. She notices Leo asleep in a chair so she tiptoes quietly and begins to write the note. She pauses thinking maybe she should talk to Leo now, but then dismisses the thought and continues to write.

Leo wakes up and spots the note by his side and reads it becoming increasingly disappointed. Leo: (To himself) I couldn't even stay awake for a few measly hours I can't believe I missed her.

Someone then says: I see you are awake.

Leo: Piper!

Piper: I thought of going but I know we have to talk things through. I was just watching you sleep and I realised I can't give all this up.

Leo: Does that mean you don't want the divorce anymore?

Piper: I'm not sure.

Leo: Well I guess we better start talking things through then.  

Piper: I think these fights we've been having aren't ordinary fights there is this profound feeling of something very bad it's had to describe.  

Leo: I know something is going on but I haven't had any feelings like that.

Piper: I don't think I can talk about it all, firstly I don't know about it all. It is going to take a lot of time.

Leo: I know it is that is why I had an idea.

Piper: What is it?

Leo: I know it is going to take a lot more than a weekend to sort things through, but I think if we went on a weekend away together it would be a good beginning and it would be more helpful as we wouldn't have interruptions all the time from everyone that lives here.

Piper: I think that's a great idea, do you think it's too late to book a place for this weekend.

Leo: Why don't we try and see what we can come up with.

Later that morning everyone is in the kitchen eating breakfast.

Phoebe: So in all the chaos we didn't get to ask Prue how her date was.

Prue: It was so great; you guys will never guess what we did.

Piper: What?   

Prue: We went skydiving.

Phoebe: YOU went skydiving?!

Prue: I know I can hardly believe it myself.

That evening (It's Friday evening.) Piper and Leo are getting ready to go on their weekend away.

Phoebe: Bye guys, have a great time.

Piper: Don't phone unless a …

Phoebe: Don't jinx it, if you say a demon attacks it will.

Leo: I'm sure everything will be fine, and there wont be any demons. Bye. (They leave.)

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(Phone rings.)

Prue: I'll get it. Hello?

Marc: Hi, it's Marc I was wondering if you would like to go on another date.

Prue: I would love too, what time and what day?  (The doorbell rings and she goes to open the door. As she is opening the door he says into the phone)

Marc: How about now?