30 minutes and a change of clothes later, Piper stepped out of the casino and started down the street. She'd take a taxi home, because her Jeep broke down. Again. At the corner, she spotted a guy she knew. "Hey you!" she shouted, waving her hands in the air and pointing an accusing finger, "You owe me money! Where's my money cheap ass?!" They guy took off down the street. She chased after him, angry at her shoes for making her feet ache as she ran down the strip. No, he didn't owe her money from turning tricks, that wasn't her thing. She'd earned it fair, square and legally. And she'd given it to him out of the kindness of her heart.

Leo strolled down the strip at an ambling pace, whistling a song. Come to think of it, it was the theme to "Walker, Texas Ranger". He chuckled. He'd looked for the pretty showgirl, but to know avail. Oddly, he couldn't get her out of his mind. Maybe it wasn't so odd. Suddenly, as he thought about her, there she was in front of him, fighting with a man. "Hey Keith!! Give me my goddamn money!" she put a finger in his face, whereupon he grabbed her wrist and started to shake her. "Let go of me, you ass!!" she insisted.

"I don't have your motherfking money! I lost it all watching you dance!" Piper let out a scream.

"You asshole!" Despite her frantic attempts, he started to shake her.

"Hey what are you doing?!" Leo demanded, wrenching Piper free as Keith ran down the street. Piper was so wrought up in anger and frustration that she kicked him in the shin. Leo hopped up and down, clutching his leg. "Aww, fk! What the hell was that for?!"

"I could've handled it!" she snapped, voice scaling up.

"Hey, you're the mean looking showgirl!"

"And you're the horny blonde!"

"I am not!" he said indignantly, "And besides, I think you could at least cut your savior a little slack. I'm Leo Wyatt, hey what happened your mole?"

"Oh!" she gestured to her face. "I'm Piper Halliwell and it's make-up." He stuck his hand out. She eyed him warily. He seemed friendly enough, even if he did have a bit of a hero complex. She shook his hand. They were both silent, unable to walk away.

"So..." Leo said, sticking his hands in his pockets, "what was that about—"

"I AM NOT A HOOKER!" she insisted, a little too loudly. He leaned away from her, eyebrows raised in surprise.

"I never thought that." He said quietly. Piper's face instantly softened.

"I'm sorry." She said, hugging herself, looking at the ground, "It's just you know, a girl on the street, demanding money from a guy...most people just jump to that conclusion..." They started to walk down the street.

"Are you up for a nightcap?" he asked, glancing at his watch.

"I would say yes," she began as his face fell, "but I doubt any bar is going to have a triple cheeseburger and a super-size fry, God, I'm starved." He smiled.

"I'll hail us a cab to the nearest McDonald's."

Piper slept late the morning after. She'd stayed out until 4 with "Mr. Wyatt" who she was sure at one point in the evening, she'd started calling "Bill". But he'd laughed it of, saying that she'd look damn sexy with no clothes on. Anyone would, she'd told him. He said his mother wouldn't. They'd laughed hysterically, but looking back on the whole thing, it seemed stupid as hell.

Piper put a hand to her head as she knock various items to the floor in search of the loudly ringing phone. "Hello?" she asked a moment later.

"Hi, Piper!" Piper sighed audibly.

"Hi, Prue." Prue was doing well for herself, a rich New York lawyer, a great husband, two cute kids. Prue could live in her candy-ass fairy tale if she wanted to. Piper envied her.

"So, Piper, how are you?"

"Same ole." Piper replied, peeking out the window to the trash ridden street below.

"No new love interests, really Piper it's not healthy." Piper gritted her teeth. It was just Prue's blatant and pointed of saying "I love and I'm worried" she reminded herself. She could tell her about Leo, but was he really a love interest.

"No, Prue, nobody on the horizon." Prue clicked her tongue.

"That's too bad. Well, I just called to check in, but I'm incredibly busy so maybe we'll talk tomorrow, love you bye!" Before Piper had the chance to say the same, Prue hung up. Piper sighed and put the phone on the charger. On her way to the kitchen, Piper passes a picture of the 3 sisters at 15, 17, and 19. They'd been so young...and stupid, naive. Piper shook her head as she picked it up and ran an idle finger along the frame. Things were different then, better. Then they could hardly go an hour without talking to the others. Phoebe, about a boy usually, Prue about her dreams and strangely, Piper couldn't remember what now trivial things that had occupied her time. That was just as well, it didn't matter now.

With a gentle hand, she placed the picture back on the table. She turned to the kitchen when she heard the glass break behind her. She sighed and put her fingertips to her eyes before turning to pick up the mess.

With careful hands, Piper dumped the large shards of glass into the garbage can. With preoccupied interest, she watched as the message light flashed on the kitchen wall phone. She pressed play. Suddenly the somewhat familiar voice of a certain horny blonde Then floated to her. "Wow. That was some bender last night. I was wondering if maybe you weren't busy tonight..." Out of the blue, a scratchy female voice came out.

"Who are you talking to?" Then it was Leo's voice again.

"Nobody Beth." Then it dropped to a whisper. "Bye, I've got to go." Piper pursed her lips. What a phone message, she thought, checking her hands for glass. When she was satisfied that there was no more glass, Piper took a shower and set out for the day. Though she hid it well, Piper loved Vegas and. There was something about the crowds, the money and there was something delightfully deceitful and conniving about the atmosphere and all of that got the blood in her veins running. But of course, she hid it well. On the outside, she was mean, nasty, beautiful and cruel. She didn't want anyone and didn't need anyone. Piper walked half a mile to the auto repair shop.