A/N- Thank you so much for your reviews. It really helped a lot. I'm sorry I didn't update lately, because I went out of town and I haven't had the time to type. Well, I hoped you guys had a great Christmas. This chapter is sort of long, but I hope you guys enjoy it as much as I did typing it.

Chapter 5

Through the whole night, Piper hadn't slept at all. It was 5 in the morning and her pillow was still soaked with tears. The thought that Tony may come back at any moment seemed to make her paranoid.

She was angry for not leaving when she had the chance, but most of all she was angry with herself. Only if she weren't so convinced that he would change then things would have been different. He blinded her with his 'I love you' and sweet kisses. How could she have been so blind?

Leo had been always right from the beginning. Tony didn't love her, he didn't even care. Piper blamed herself for not listening to him. Tears threaten to fall from her eyes again. No, I have to be strong, Piper thought sitting up in bed.

The beating, which lasted only a few minutes, gave Piper a bruised back. Her whole left side had took more then a severe beating. It was covered with black and purple bruises.

The time was now, 9 in the morning. Piper decided to go take a quick shower. She used her nightstand for support as she got up. Her legs felt weak and tattered, like an octopus trying to walk on land. Somehow she manage to get up and walk to the bathroom.

The hot water pounded down from above. Her muscles were sore and aching, she could barely even hold her own balance. Everything was a daze to her. Piper leaned against the shower wall for support and thought, 'Why me? God, why me?!'

It seemed like hours before Piper turned the water off, and dried herself off.

When she got out of the restroom the answering machine was blinking non-stop. Piper thought 'oh, god, what now?' She reluctantly pressed play and sat down to hear the message play itself over.

"Hi, sis! Paige here. Phoebe told me to call and remind you that we have that barbecue today outside in the backyard. You do remember don't you? Well, Phoebe expects you to be there, so you have to come. Or she'll freak. Anyways, how are you doing? Where have you been? I haven't seen you in years. Okay, I exaggerated, but that's what it seems like. Well, I'll see you soon. Bye! I love you."

Piper smiled at Paige's message. It was good to hear her sister's voice again. It seemed comforting to know that someone's always there. Paige had been right, Piper forgot all about the barbecue that their suppose to have. It totally slipped her mind lately. She had said she'll be there no matter what. But how was she going to go looking like that? How was she going to get out of going?

Picking up the phone, Piper dialed the manor.

"Hello?," Phoebe picked up. Piper could hear her little nephew crying faintly on the other line. "Hello?," Phoebe asked again this time more aggravated. "Oh! Phoebe! Sorry, it's me Piper," Piper said into the phone. She barely even recognize her own voice.

Phoebe said, "Oh, Piper. Why didn't you say something? I was just about to hang up on you. So, how you been?" Piper wanted to tell Phoebe everything, but to keep things from getting too complicated she didn't say a thing about Tony or what happened the other night.

"About the barbecue today, I don't think I can go," Piper said avoiding Phoebe's question. "Oh, why not?," Phoebe asked concerned. "I don't feel so good," Piper stated simply. Phoebe was quiet on the other line for awhile. Piper started to panic. 'Oh, my god. What does she know?' Piper thought anxiously.

Phoebe stated, "Piper, I'm worried about you. Is everything all right?" Piper replied, "Yeah, I'm fine. Why do you ask?" Phoebe answered, "Well, because a package arrived at the manor the other day from the hospital. I didn't open it. No one did. Would you care to tell me what's going on?" Piper said, "Nothing. It's probably just some test results. Don't worry about it. It's fine, really." Phoebe said, "Well, if everything is fine then I want you here for the barbecue. Got it?" Piper answered, "Right. I'll be there."

They exchanged some words and said their good-byes. 'Damn' Piper thought hanging up. There seemed to be no way of getting out of going, so there was no use of wasting her breath on explaining why she's not going.

An hour later, Piper woke Angie up from her bed and got her ready to go to the manor.

Before she left, Piper pulled out a document and placed it on the kitchen table, where Tony was sure to find it when he sees that she wasn't home. It was something she should have gave him a long time ago. Now, it was really going to end this time.

~3~3~3~3~

"Hey!," Phoebe and Paige exclaimed opening the door. They were smiling and Phoebe was holding her baby in her arms. Cole had came from the backyard with Leo; both dressed in cargo shorts and muscle shirts.

"Hi," Angie greeted kissing her aunts cheek. Paige carried Angie in her arms and Phoebe pulled Piper inside the door. She held Leo's stare at her and felt very awkward.

"Piper? What's wrong with your leg? Why are you limping?," Phoebe questioned noticing how awkward Piper was really walking.

Eyes stared at her for an explanation. Piper replied slowly, "I had a little accident. You know I'm clumsy and all." Phoebe asked, "What happened exactly?" Piper answered, "I have tripped down the stairs and tumbled down a couple of steps. Really, I'm fine." Phoebe asked, "Are you sure?" Piper nodded convincingly to her sisters.

One thing that she hadn't realized was that Leo had his eyes on her since forever. Every move she made he knew about it and what she gave them was crap. He wasn't going to let this get away again. Leo kept quiet in the first place because he thought that Piper would tell her sisters what Tony's been doing or has done in the past, but he was so wrong. He wasn't going to stay quiet any longer. Even if Piper hated his guts afterwards.

When Piper was in the kitchen looking for something for Angie to drink, Leo orbed in behind her. Looking particularly at her back where her shirt had lifted a little when she bend down. What he saw seemed to make him want to kill Tony. That bastard, Leo thought to himself. How could he do something so heartless and what the hell was Piper doing staying with him?

"Gee, Piper. I don't know how you could get bruises like that just from falling down the stairs. It's very peculiar, wouldn't you think?" Leo asked her simply. Piper turned around and said, "It was a hard fall, okay? Leave me alone."

Angie came bouncing through the kitchen and asked, "Mommy? Do you have my drink?" Piper handed the drink to Angie who looked at Leo smiling.

"Hey, sweetie. How have you been?" Leo asked beckoning Angie to come to him. Angie placed an arm around Leo's neck and he lifted her up on the counter. "I'm fine," Angie replied once she was settled on the counter top.

Leo looked at Piper curiously and Piper seemed to have read his mind clearly. "No, Leo don't do it," Piper pleaded.

"Hey, Angie, there's something that Leo has to know. Can you tell me?," Leo asked. Angie asked, "What is it?" Leo answered, "what happened to mommy? Did she really fall down the stairs? Did you see?"

Angie looked at Piper innocently. She had to choose whether or not she wants to tell Leo the truth or not.

Leo lifted her chin to face him and stated, "Mommy's not here right now. It's just you and me. Tell Leo what happened." Angie explained, "No, mommy didn't fall down the stairs. She never fell. It was daddy who did it." Leo asked, "Angie, what did daddy do?" Angie answered, "It was late at night. I heard mommy crying and yelling. Daddy hit her again. Leo? Won't you make him stop?" Leo insisted, "It's going to be all right, Angie. You run along now, okay?"

With Leo's help, Angie manage to hop down from the counter and run outside into the backyard.

Walking up to Piper who was staring deep into space as tears threaten to fall from her eyes. She looked at Leo in the eye for the first time in years. Slowly, he wiped the tears that threaten to fall from her eyes. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to put Angie in that spotlight," Leo stated. Piper shook her head and said, "Well, now that you got what you wanted to know. Leave me alone."

Piper tried to make a break for the backyard, but Leo pulled her back against him hard. He was holding her by the waist and beckoned her to look at him.

"I don't want to make a big scene. God, Piper, how can you let him do something to you like this? Can you imagine how I feel right now? Yeah, I know you don't love me anymore, but I'm still madly in love with you. So, please do yourself and Angie a grand favor. Give the jerk the divorce papers already. You deserve someone who treats you like his queen," Leo told her. Piper said softly, "I placed the divorce papers on the kitchen table when I left this morning. Now, would you care to let me go?"

"Piper?," Phoebe called making her way to the kitchen.

When Phoebe came in she saw Leo holding Piper in his arms in the most comforting way. She raised an eyebrow and they dropped their hands quickly separating from each other.

"What in the world," Phoebe started to say. Piper said quickly, "It's not what it seems. I can explain." Phoebe said smiling, "You don't have to. Your package from the hospital. Thought you'd like to see it now. But obviously it wasn't a very good time. I'll let you guys get back to whatever you were doing." Piper protested, "We weren't doing anything." Leo nodded and added, "Were just talking." Phoebe nodded and said, "Right..."

Phoebe handed the package to Piper and left the room in silence.

"What's that?," Leo asked. "Nothing. It's kind of personal," Piper stated simply. "If you'll excuse me, I have to.." Piper's voice trailed off as she walked into the living room and ripped opened the envelope.

TBC