~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
All of this sight
I can't believe I couldn't see
Kept in the dark
But you were there in front of me
I've been sleeping a thousand years it seems
I've got to open my eyes to everything
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Piper had left her sister's hospital room intending to get sodas, and a small carton of milk for Prue, from the cafeteria. Instead, she found herself tracking down Leo. Now, they were in an empty conference room at the top floor of the hospital, sitting at the table with their arms around each other.
They held each other for a while, just enjoying the moment. Suddenly, Piper's eyes started to mist.
"What's wrong?" Leo asked.
Piper shook her head. "I just... I know I should be happy that Prue's alive, and believe me, I am, but..."
"But you can't stop thinking, what if?" Leo finished.
She nodded. "I've never been that scared in my life. I just never imagined losing a sister, you know?"
"It's hard, going through what you just did." he said. "It's hard for anyone to imagine losing someone, especially as young as Prue is."
Piper pulled away. "It shouldn't have been hard for me. I should have seen this coming, I should have known something like this could happen. But I didn't."
Leo looked at her strangely. "Why should you have known?"
"Because it's happened before!" Piper cried. "Women in my family tend to die young. Really young. My mom did, and Grams, a few months ago, and I should have known it would happen to her."
Leo tried to pull her to him, tried to comfort her, but she pulled away. The expression on her face, the look of sheer pain and fear and helplessness, it terrified him.
"Talk to me." he said pleadingly. "Please, talk to me. I want to make you feel better, Piper, but I can't if you shut me out."
Piper looked at him and nodded. She felt something with him, a kind of safety she couldn't explain. And so she talked.
"It's just been.. really hard." she started. "My dad left when I was little, and my mom died a little while after. Grams raised us, she isn't with us anymore, either. Through all of that, losing everyone we cared about, Prue was always there for me and Phoebe. She was always the one protecting us, the first one make us feel better even when she was hurting. After all of that, I just never thought I could lose her, too. Even after everything, it still never occured to me that things could possibly get that bad. Until they almost did."
Leo reached out his hand, smoothing her hair in a comforting gesture. Piper looked down, a sort of half-smile on her face.
"I don't think I've ever told that much to a guy I just met." she said, a bit embarrassed.
"It's allright," Leo said, "I wanted to know. I'm glad you told me."
"You are?" Piper asked. "You don't think I'm just another messed-up freak with a bad childhood?"
Leo shook his head. "Not at all. And I still think you're as strong as Prue."
She looked up at him, and he leaned in. He kissed her, lightly at first, but then it deepened, becoming more and more intense. When it ended, they were both gasping.
Leo put his arms around her waist, pulling her into his lap. "You know," he said a bit sheepishly, "I've been wanting to do that since I first saw you in the waiting room."
Piper smiled flirtatiously. "Oh, did you now?"
He nodded. "Will you go out with me?" he asked.
"I'd love to," Piper said. Secretly, she was amazed that, after seeing her during the worst week she could remember, he was still interested.
Leo smiled. "Great. How about tomorrow night? We both need to get away from the hospital for a while."
Piper laughed. "Okay, tomorrow night. I know of this great club..."
Leo cut her off with a kiss. "Sounds perfect."
They held each other for a little while longer, then his pager went off. Sighing, they decided they'd been up there long enough anyway.
When Piper reached the door to Prue's room, she was still smiling. She heard Andy, Phoebe, and Prue laughing, and went in to join them. For the first time in days, she didn't flinch when she saw all the wires and tubes her sister was hooked up to. Nothing could spoil her mood now.
****************
A/N: Well, what did you think of the long-anticipated Piper/Leo chapter? Did you like it, or was it a big disappointment? I'm not quite sure about this chapter, so please, let me know what you think.
~from the song "Bring Me To Life" by Evanescence~
All of this sight
I can't believe I couldn't see
Kept in the dark
But you were there in front of me
I've been sleeping a thousand years it seems
I've got to open my eyes to everything
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Piper had left her sister's hospital room intending to get sodas, and a small carton of milk for Prue, from the cafeteria. Instead, she found herself tracking down Leo. Now, they were in an empty conference room at the top floor of the hospital, sitting at the table with their arms around each other.
They held each other for a while, just enjoying the moment. Suddenly, Piper's eyes started to mist.
"What's wrong?" Leo asked.
Piper shook her head. "I just... I know I should be happy that Prue's alive, and believe me, I am, but..."
"But you can't stop thinking, what if?" Leo finished.
She nodded. "I've never been that scared in my life. I just never imagined losing a sister, you know?"
"It's hard, going through what you just did." he said. "It's hard for anyone to imagine losing someone, especially as young as Prue is."
Piper pulled away. "It shouldn't have been hard for me. I should have seen this coming, I should have known something like this could happen. But I didn't."
Leo looked at her strangely. "Why should you have known?"
"Because it's happened before!" Piper cried. "Women in my family tend to die young. Really young. My mom did, and Grams, a few months ago, and I should have known it would happen to her."
Leo tried to pull her to him, tried to comfort her, but she pulled away. The expression on her face, the look of sheer pain and fear and helplessness, it terrified him.
"Talk to me." he said pleadingly. "Please, talk to me. I want to make you feel better, Piper, but I can't if you shut me out."
Piper looked at him and nodded. She felt something with him, a kind of safety she couldn't explain. And so she talked.
"It's just been.. really hard." she started. "My dad left when I was little, and my mom died a little while after. Grams raised us, she isn't with us anymore, either. Through all of that, losing everyone we cared about, Prue was always there for me and Phoebe. She was always the one protecting us, the first one make us feel better even when she was hurting. After all of that, I just never thought I could lose her, too. Even after everything, it still never occured to me that things could possibly get that bad. Until they almost did."
Leo reached out his hand, smoothing her hair in a comforting gesture. Piper looked down, a sort of half-smile on her face.
"I don't think I've ever told that much to a guy I just met." she said, a bit embarrassed.
"It's allright," Leo said, "I wanted to know. I'm glad you told me."
"You are?" Piper asked. "You don't think I'm just another messed-up freak with a bad childhood?"
Leo shook his head. "Not at all. And I still think you're as strong as Prue."
She looked up at him, and he leaned in. He kissed her, lightly at first, but then it deepened, becoming more and more intense. When it ended, they were both gasping.
Leo put his arms around her waist, pulling her into his lap. "You know," he said a bit sheepishly, "I've been wanting to do that since I first saw you in the waiting room."
Piper smiled flirtatiously. "Oh, did you now?"
He nodded. "Will you go out with me?" he asked.
"I'd love to," Piper said. Secretly, she was amazed that, after seeing her during the worst week she could remember, he was still interested.
Leo smiled. "Great. How about tomorrow night? We both need to get away from the hospital for a while."
Piper laughed. "Okay, tomorrow night. I know of this great club..."
Leo cut her off with a kiss. "Sounds perfect."
They held each other for a little while longer, then his pager went off. Sighing, they decided they'd been up there long enough anyway.
When Piper reached the door to Prue's room, she was still smiling. She heard Andy, Phoebe, and Prue laughing, and went in to join them. For the first time in days, she didn't flinch when she saw all the wires and tubes her sister was hooked up to. Nothing could spoil her mood now.
****************
A/N: Well, what did you think of the long-anticipated Piper/Leo chapter? Did you like it, or was it a big disappointment? I'm not quite sure about this chapter, so please, let me know what you think.
~from the song "Bring Me To Life" by Evanescence~