DISCLAMIER: I do not own the Charmed characters. This story is for entertainment purposes only, unless you don't like Piper with anyone other than Leo.
SET: Season Four. Piper & Leo are married, Phoebe & Cole are married. Cole's not evil (just sexy)
Piper was setting the dinning room table with Gram's best dishes. It was Thanksgiving. Darryl and Shelia, and Victor were coming to dinner.
She went in the kitchen to check the turkey again. Things would be ready shortly, and dinner would began. Piper hoped things went smooth. Lately, every thing around the manor had seemed odd.
The Halloween party had been almost a month ago, and it seemed like her whole family had changed since that night.
Paige had broke up with Shane. That really surprised Piper, who thought they were a strong couple. Paige wouldn't even tell Piper why. Of course, Paige didn't talk to Piper much anymore. Piper was wondering if she had done something to offend Paige, but she couldn't think of anything.
Paige wasn't home a lot. She stayed out over night at least two or three nights a week. She claimed it was with a new guy, but she never had brought him home to meet everyone.
Phoebe was never home either. Piper was beginning to think Phoebe was messing around on Cole. Why would Phoebe hang out with her friends overnight all the time? It didn't make much since.
Leo had been avoiding Piper for the most part. She knew it was because he was hurting. He had asked her if she wanted him, and she couldn't just say yes. That had broke his heart. He didn't come home at night a lot to. Piper figured he was staying 'up there' just to avoid her. The few nights he did stay the night with her, they didn't touch or kiss or make love. They hadn't made love since the night of the party, and the weird thing was that Leo didn't try anymore.
"At least things with Cole have calmed down." Piper said to herself as she stirred the green beans again. Her and Cole were the only ones home a lot of nights. They would eat dinner together and then if Piper was working at P3, Cole would come in and work the bar, or just hang out to keep her company.
If she wasn't working, they would watch movies or old reruns of TV shows. They had become good friends, and Piper had put the feelings she had for him aside, trying to forget them. She was doing a good job. When they were together, Piper buried the feelings of desire she felt for him.
But the feelings of desire came out at night. Especially the nights when Leo didn't come home. When she was laying alone in her bed, knowing Cole was laying alone in his just down the hall. Knowing nobody else was home in the manor.
Piper had to fight herself more than once, stopping herself from getting out of her lonely bed, and making her way down the dark hall to invite herself in his.
What would he think? Would he scream at her? Yell? Tell Phoebe and Leo what she had done? Would he throw an energy ball at her? Would he think she had lost her mind? Or would he welcome her? Respond to her kisses, and tell her he wanted her?
Piper shook her head, she had to get the turkey out of the oven, not continue to daydream about Cole. She sighed as she slipped on her oven mitts.
"DINNER" Piper called a few minutes later, rounding up the family. Victor sat at one end of the table, Piper at the other. Darryl, Shelia and Leo sat on Victor's right side, and Phoebe, Paige, and Cole sat on Victor's left side.
As the dinner went on, Piper relaxed. Everyone seemed to be in good moods. Leo even reached over once and grabbed her hand. Phoebe was pleasant to Cole, and Victor was getting to know Paige. Things were looking good.
Cole was quiet, listening to the rest of the family talking back and forth. He had been quiet since he saw Leo grab Piper's hand. Cole wondered what was up with Leo anyways. He had the most incredible woman in the world as his wife, and yet he stayed away all night most nights. What was he doing? Leo said it was some secret Whitelighter mission, but Cole wasn't sure anymore.
Leo should be fighting to stay home and near Piper all the time. Cole knew he would if he was her husband.
Phoebe kept smiling at him, and she had even reached up and kissed his cheek a couple of times. Cole wanted to push her off of him. He didn't love her anymore. He didn't even like her. She was cheating on him, like it was perfect normal to have affairs. Cole looked over and saw Piper smiling at him. It lifted his heart to a new high. Her smile lit his day up.
'If only she could love me.' Cole thought to himself. But that would never happen, she would always love Leo.
After dinner, Piper brought out the coffee and pies. Everyone ate a little bit of the apple and pumpkin pies. Darryl and Victor were discussing football, and Leo was talking to Paige about orbing tricks. Shelia and Piper were talking about a new line of perfume Shelia had just bought.
Phoebe stood up suddenly, "I have to go guys. I forgot I promised to go with Mindy to her mom's for dinner."
"Phoebe, it's Thanksgiving." Victor said to his youngest, surprised she would leave her father, sisters, and husband to hang out with a friend.
" I know daddy. Mindy and her mom don't get along, and she was nervous about going to dinner, I thought I would go with her and make it easier. I won't be home tonight, it's a long drive. Love you daddy." she stopped and kissed her father's head.
"Thanks for dinner Piper, it was great. See you guys later." Phoebe stopped and kissed Cole's cheek before leaping out the door.
As soon as she was in her car, Phoebe pulled her cell phone out. She waited until Jason answered. "I'm just now leaving, are you ready?" she asked, as she pulled away.
Piper sighed as she cleaned up the dinning room. Darryl and Shelia had left not long after Phoebe had took off. Leo was upstairs, and Paige was in the kitchen doing dishes. Cole had walked Victor out to his car.
Leo came downstairs and met Piper in the kitchen. "I got to go Piper, they are calling. I won't be home tonight." he said, kissing her cheek. "Dinner was great."
"Leo, why tonight? Don't they know what a holiday is?" she asked him. Piper was a little tired of Leo leaving all the time.
"Sorry, I got to." he orbed out of the dinning room, before she could say anything else. Paige walked in almost immediately after Leo orbed out.
"Thanks for dinner Piper. It was great. I'm going out now. I'll see you tomorrow." Paige started to grab her keys.
"Paige, when do we get to meet this mystery guy? We don't even know his name." Piper said, wishing at least her little sister would stay home.
"Oh, um, I'll bring him over sometime. His name is, um, Jimmy." Paige said. "Look I gotta go." Paige ran out before Piper could ask anything else.
Paige was feeling so much guilt, she thought her head would blow up. Yet, she couldn't stop sneaking away with Leo all the time.
It was wrong, it was hurting Piper. Paige couldn't even talk to her anymore. She felt sick whenever she was near her. But, Paige had fallen in love with Leo. She knew he still loved Piper, but she was hoping that would change.
Paige sighed as she pulled her car into the hotel parking lot. She would have to take Leo anyway she could get him, and right now this was all she got.
Piper stood in the living room. She had just finished all the clean up, and she was trying to decide what to do next.
As she looked around the living room, a picture on the mantel got her attention. She walked over and picked it up. Piper hadn't looked at the picture in along time, and as she did, tears welled up in her eyes.
The picture was about ten years old. It was taken on Thanksgiving. Phoebe was sitting on the couch. Piper was standing behind the couch, and Prue was standing beside her, with her arm slung around Piper's shoulders. Prue had a goofy grin on her face.
Grams had taken that picture before the turkey was done. They were all in good moods. That Thanksgiving had been one of the best Piper could ever remember.
Prue had tried her hand in the kitchen, and had made an apple pie. It was the most awful thing Piper had ever ate, but she ate every bite just so Prue would be happy.
She could hear herself speaking to Prue, as if it was yesterday. "You did a great job with the Pie. I love it. You should be proud Prue." she had said.
Prue had given her a hug. "Thanks Piper. From now on, every Thanksgiving, I will make the apple pie." Prue had said, smiling.
Piper felt tears spill down her cheeks as she held the picture. Prue would never get to make another Thanksgiving apple pie.
"Piper?" Cole said, walking in the living room to find her holding a picture and weeping. "Are you okay?"
"Cole. Um, yeah, I'm fine. I was just thinking about Prue. Sometimes it's still so hard. Especially holidays." Piper said, setting the picture back in its spot, and wiping at her eyes.
"I know how much you guys miss her." Cole said. He walked up to Piper and put his arms around her. She didn't push him away. Instead she leaned on him and started to cry harder.
"She was our big sister. She protected us. Nothing has been the same since she died. Prue was my best friend too. I lost someone to talk to when I was upset, or to share things with. Phoebe doesn't have time, and Paige is still trying to get used to being a sister." Piper said, as she cried.
Cole's arms around her made her feel warm. It made her feel like someone else cared that Piper still missed Prue, and still cried about her.
Cole continued to hold her, standing in front of the fireplace. As she cried, he rubbed his hand over her hair, taking in her smell.
Finally Piper pulled away from him. She smiled up. "Thanks Cole. You have no idea how much I needed to do that." she said.
"Do what? Cry?" Cole said, a little confused.
"Yes. Cry about Prue. Cry about all the things that are going on in my life with Leo and stuff. Cry because Prue isn't hear to talk to about these things. Thank you for caring enough to let me cry with out being alone." Piper said. She stood on her toes and kissed his cheek, careful to stay away from his lips. She was afraid if she got to close, she wouldn't be able to stop.
Cole smiled down at her, his cheek burned where her lips had brushed it. "It's okay Piper. That's what I'm here for. Don't ever think you are alone. You have your sisters, and your husband." Cole stopped for a moment. "You have me to Piper, I'll be here, even when no one else is." he said.
Piper nodded. "Thanks." she said. "I'm going to go upstairs, this has been an exhausting day." Piper smiled at Cole one more time, before making her way up to her lonely bed.