You Still Have All of Me

Part 8

By: Silverstar

Yay! He's Back! tee hee... I hope everyone is as happy as I am. Here it comes: The Last Chapter!

I'm sorry it's a little short, but you know the saying "short and sweet"

Also, I'm soooooooo sorry for the wait. First there was a virus on my computer that kept me from writing, and then my Internet was down...sigh But it's finished now! '

Disclaimer: I don't own Charmed BUT I do own this story! Yay!

There's an old saying that goes something like "with time, comes healing." At least, that's what I've been told all my life. The first time was when Mom died, and then there was when Dad left...then with Grams, and then...then when Prue left us. I kept that saying in mind when Leo left me for the Heavens...but it didn't comfort or reassure me this time around. Maybe I had already been through so much, that I had no strength left in my heart to heal anymore. All I knew was that when Leo left me, no amount of time would be able to heal the hole left in my heart, because no one would be able to replace Leo. Not my sisters...not my son...and not any new guy I might meet along my life's path. Without him I was drowning, and I almost didn't make it back to the surface...but then he came back to me. I saw him like a beacon of hope...and once he returned everything seemed to be all right again...but it wasn't.

I opened my eyes to a bright sun-filled room and the scent of fresh air. Looking over, I saw that the window was open and that it was almost eleven o'clock. It was the third day since I had woken from that dreadful nightmare, and I was alone in my room. I could tell my sisters wanted to talk to me...they wanted me to get out of bed and face the world again...they wanted me to put the past behind me...But my feelings still confused me and the unknown frightened me. I liked my room and my bed...and for the past three days Leo had been there beside me, holding me and talking to me softly, telling me that everything would be all right. Today, he wasn't there, and fear swept back into my heart as I wondered if the Elders had taken him from me again.

Taking a deep breath, I got out of bed and put on my robe. Yawning as I shuffled over to the mirror, I took a good look at myself. I really did look terrible. Is this what my husband came back for? He put his life on the line...and I'm just going to stay in bed and waste away? No...I don't know what will come next...and I am afraid...but we will face it together. Nodding at myself, I turned towards the door and made my way downstairs.

As I rounded the stairs I heard noises coming from the kitchen. Smiling, I turned the corner and saw my baby Wyatt sitting on Leo's lap. Leo was bouncing him gently as Wyatt laughed and threw his hands in the air. I stood there for a moment, memorized by the sweetness and gentleness of my husband. A second later Wyatt looked over and saw me standing there. It didn't seem possible, but his mouth opened even wider in a smile.

"Ma Ma!" I shouted, holding his arms out towards me, and with that, Leo looked over and saw me. I noticed that he was just as exhausted as I was, but just as happy too. Smiling, I walked over and picked my baby boy up into my arms. He wrapped his little arms around my neck and I held him as tightly as I could.

"Oh, I missed you big boy," I said to him. "I missed you Wyatt, did you miss me?" Wyatt just giggled in reply as Leo wrapped his arms around the both of us and I leant into his embrace. A few minutes later Wyatt started to fuss, and I reluctantly broke away from Leo to put him down in his playpen. Once there, he sat down in contentment, and stared up at us as he sucked on one of his toy animals. "He's really missed you," I told Leo as I took the baby monitor and we walked back into the kitchen.

"He's missed you too," Leo said, making me stop and think about all the times I was too busy with myself and my feelings to care for Wyatt.

"Yeah..." I said softly as Leo poured us tea. "But...things will be different from now on." Leo smiled over at me, making me melt where I stood, and I smiled, wondering how he could still do that to me.

"Well, Phoebe went into work today and Paige is down at the club helping to set up for tonight's band," Leo said as he handed me my tea and we walked into the living room to sit down on the couch and drink it.

"Oh no, the club!" I said, looking up in panic, but Leo calmed me with a look and a squeeze of my free hand.

"Don't worry, Paige is taking care of it, and she's doing a fine job."

"Oh...well, that's good," I said, sitting back into the couch as he spoke and letting him wrap his arm around my shoulder. "So...I guess we have to talk," I finally said, and Leo nodded.

"Piper...I do want to stay with you...if you'll have me."

"Of course!" I said immediately. "You're what I have wanted all along. But..."

"You're afraid of what the Elders will do," Leo said, and I nodded. "Well then, fear not, because They summoned me to Them last night." I looked up at him with surprise, and he nodded. "Because of my actions...because I care for you more than my job, and because my family will always come first to me, I will no longer be an Elder."

"Are you glad?" I asked timidly, and he smiled.

"At first, I thought I'd be able to do a lot of good as an Elder. It really was an honor to become one...but over time, I found that all I could think of was you and Wyatt. I missed you two and your sisters, and I wasn't able to concentrate on my work as much as I should have. I then realized that I had more power when I was in this house...when the five of us were a family. I had something close to my heart to protect. It was hard trying to feel that way about all of the people in the world, when I had already experienced it in this house." I nodded in understanding and snuggled closer into Leo's arm as I took a sip of tea. "Anyway, I agreed that stepping down from the position was for the best. Still, the other Elders couldn't look past all the good I've done and my part in saving Them from the Titans. They know that I might be valuable in the future, so I will be going back to being a Whitelighter." I smiled at his announcement, and jumped up to my feet.

"That's great Leo! You won't be losing your wings, and they aren't going to make you leave?"

"Nope," he said, as he stood up and I jumped into his arms.

"Can we try to make things go back to normal...or, at least as normal as possible considering that I'm a witch... and you're already dead...?" He smiled at my remark and kissed the top of my head.

"You can count on it," he whispered.

"Then I want to start right. I'm making everyone dinner tonight, and we're going to have a family meal." Leo just laughed as I ran into the kitchen and started pulling out recipes. Ten minutes later I had sent him out to the store (with Wyatt) for ingredients and I was in the shower, getting ready for tonight.

By the time I got downstairs Leo had been in to drop off the ingredients, and he was gone again. I didn't know where he had gone off to, but the note said that he and Wyatt would be back soon, so I didn't worry. It was already three thirty and I had to get started! I quickly got the chicken ready and in the oven, seasoned and all. Then I started on the sauce for the pasta. Just as it began to simmer I heard the front door open. Seconds later, Phoebe walked into the kitchen. I saw a look of surprise in her eyes upon seeing me, but that lasted only a second before a smile broke out on her face and she came rushing towards me for a hug. Dropping my sauce spoon onto the counter, I stepped forward as Phoebe leapt towards me. We both wrapped our arms around each other at the same moment, and I then realized how much I had been missing her. We stood hugging each other for a long time, and only the sound of my sauce sputtering over broke us apart. I quickly removed it from the stove and turned the heat down to Low. I then looked over at Phoebe and smiled.

"You're back...?" Phoebe said as I saw her eyes misting over with tears.

"Yeah...and I'm really sorry for..." I trailed off, not really knowing how to apologize, but Phoebe stepped forward and put her hand on my shoulder.

"No...it's all right...as long as you're back," she said softly, and I slowly nodded. With that Phoebe smiled, gave me another big hug, and then turned towards the refrigerator to prepare a salad. I then put the sauce on the Low burner and went to set the table. Around five I heard the door open again, and when I returned to the kitchen I saw Paige standing there with Phoebe. She seemed to look me over before smiling, and then walked over to give me a hug.

"Welcome home," Paige whispered in my ear, and I smiled. No words were needed as I got the chicken out of the oven, Paige started the pasta, and Phoebe took salad and rolls out to the table. As the pasta finished cooking and I mixed it together with the sauce, I heard the front door opening again. In walked Leo, little Wyatt being carried in one arm, and a bag being held in another.

"What's that?" Paige asked with curiosity, and Leo smiled. After handing Wyatt to me he set the bag on the table and then pulled out a tub of rocky road ice cream, a container of chocolate covered strawberries, and a small chocolate cake with 'Welcome Home' written on it. I smiled over at Leo as Phoebe entered the kitchen. Upon seeing the strawberries, she pounced towards them, and rushed out of the room with her prize, Paige close at her heels. I laughed along with Leo as Paige chased Phoebe through the house and eventually back into the kitchen. Phoebe was hiding behind Wyatt and me as Paige complained about how Phoebe should share. I looked at both of them and then laughed.

"You know Phoebe's just fooling with you," I told Paige as I handed Wyatt back to Leo and carried the remainder of the food to the table. Phoebe smiled as Paige stuck her tongue out at her and then put the ice cream in the freezer. Seconds later Leo came over to the table with Wyatt and placed him in his highchair. Phoebe and Paige came in with drinks, and I noticed that the strawberries had been placed safely in the fridge.

"Thanks so much Piper," Paige said as we passed our plates around the table and I just smiled.

"No...I should really be thanking you guys," I told her, and she shook her head.

"We're a family. We stick together no matter what. No matter how bad things get, we'll be here for each other. That's what you guys have taught me, and that's what I live by," she replied.

"Yeah...you're right," I said as I looked over at Leo.

"Don't worry about anything Piper," Phoebe said to me as we began to eat. "Things may not be normal at the moment, but with time...we'll get back into the swing of things. I promise you that."

"And I believe you," I replied.

The rest of the night went by so quickly, but so slowly at the same time...like slow motion. I sat back and saw everything. I watched as Wyatt pounded his roll on the table and Leo tried to tell him to stop. I listened to Paige's report of the club and laughed at Phoebe's stories from work. I gladly sat back as Leo offered to do the dishes, and then laughed as Phoebe whispered to me how whipped he was. I smiled as Wyatt ate his cake and ice cream, and rolled my eyes as my sisters fought over the last of the chocolate covered strawberries. Phoebe was right...Everything would go back to normal with time. And until then, I still had my family...and I still had my husband. He not only had all of me...but they had all of me as well. My life belonged to all of them, and I would never forget it.

THE END