I rang the doorbell and waited. I could hear footsteps coming down the hallway, and a moment later, I saw the doorknob turning. As the door swung open, we both stared, eyes wide, any ability to speak had been paralysed.

God, please don't let this be a dream, I think.

This has to be a dream, I heard her mumble quietly. If I wasn't completely shell shocked at the sight of her, I may have laughed at her comment. My eyes traced her face, and then wandered over the rest of her, drinking in the image before me. She looked more beautiful than ever, and despite having lost some weight, she hadn't changed at all.

I need a drink, she said, addressing me directly for the first time. Abruptly, she turned and headed for the kitchen, leaving me standing on the doorstep, unsure if I'd actually been invited in. I hesitated for a moment, and then slowly walked inside, tracing her steps to the kitchen.

I watched her back as she poured a shot of scotch into a glass, and then downed it all at once. Ever so slowly, she turned around to face me. I could see that her eyes were closed, and it seemed like forever before she opened them. She sucked in a deep breath, and I knew she was trying to control her shock.

I don't know what I'm supposed to do here. What do I say? Should I be angry at you for leaving me for so long? Or should I be happy that you're back? Help me here Leo. Because all I am right now is confused. She spoke to me directly, and I was glad that we had at least started a proper conversation.

Piper, you have every right to be feeling all those things at once. I can't tell you what you should tell me though. That has to be your decision.

Where have you been? she asked suddenly.



Boston? Wh- why there? I don't understand, she replied, her eyebrows knit together in confusion and curiosity.

I clipped my wings Piper.

What! When?

A couple months after I left. I watched as her face changed from confusion to anger. I knew why. I knew she thought that I should have come back after I became mortal.

Two months!? Why the HELL didn't you come back? What was stopping you from coming back to me? I needed you Leo! How could you not come back? In spite of her anger, I could see her eyes glistening, filling with tears. I wanted so badly to hold her in my arms, but I knew I couldn't. Not yet.

Piper, there are so many things I should have told you when I left, but if I had, you would have been in more danger than you already were. The Elders were the ones who forced me to leave. They told me that if I stayed, I would be putting yours and your sisters' lives under threat. I couldn't do that. All I wanted was for you to be alive. I couldn't stay with you, simply for my own happiness. I tried to keep working, protecting my other charges, but I couldn't keep going. I hated having the ability to orb in and see you whenever I wanted, but not being allowed to. It got to the point where I was barely able to do my job. Everything I did as a whitelighter reminded me of you. So I clipped my wings, for good. And then I moved as far away from here as I could get.

I could see the tracks of her tears on her cheeks, I knew she was hurting, but all I could do was speak the truth. She deserved to hear it after all this time.

But how could you stay away once you were mortal? You couldn't possibly have been a threat to us then. Why didn't you realise that you were putting me in danger by not being here? I couldn't do my job Leo. Not without you to help me, to protect me. I was about to give up my powers. Phoebe and Prue managed to convince me to keep them, but honestly, I didn't want them if you weren't here.

I would have come back Piper, that's the decision I had made. I was going to clip my wings, and come home, to you. But the Elders told me that even though I would be mortal, I still couldn't go back to you. They said a demon would use me to get to the Charmed Ones, and the only way to stop it from happening was for me to stay away. I was still a threat because I was still me, whitelighter or not. But I'm back now. I made a decision yesterday. I decided that I couldn't go another day without seeing your face, without hearing your voice. I don't care anymore what the Elders or the Founders said. I want to protect you again, not as your guide, but as the man I was before. As the man who loves you.

I watched her carefully, trying to read her reaction. After two years of nothing, I wanted so badly to make contact. She was staring down at her trembling hands, and the tears were coming hard and fast. I started to panic, thinking I had overwhelmed her with first my appearance, and then my onslaught of information. I hesitated a moment, and then slowly took a step towards her. I paused and waited to see if she would reject me, but she didn't. So I bravely proceeded, step by step, until I was only a few feet away. I reached out my hand, palm up, silently telling her that I was giving her control. I closed my eyes, waiting for her to make contact. I was prepared to wait there for as long as it took. After what seemed like minutes, I felt her soft fingers on mine. I opened my eyes and watched as she lifted my hand and placed it palm to palm with hers. She seemed to stare at our hands for a long time, as though she were comparing their size. She glanced up, and our eyes locked. A rush of emotions filled my chest, simply because I was able to see her eyes clearly again. I no longer had to close mine to find her. She was right in front of me, the vision of my future, of my reason for living.

She found something in my eyes, for I found the same thing in hers. The same thing I had seen in her eyes two years ago, and everyday before that. Unconditional love. Passion. I found the piece of me that had been missing for so long. She wove her fingers between mine, and we held on to each other so tightly, scared that if we let go, the other would slip away.

I knew at that moment, that I would never have to spend another day without her.