AN: I'm so sorry for not posting, but in my defense, the website was acting really weird and stupid and wouldn't let me post anything for like…2 days! I hated that! It was torture! Well, here you are, don't be mad and continue to review!
Piper knocked on Leo's door as each of the children pulled on one of her hands, wanting to explore the large space that was Leo's property. The door opened. "Hey." Leo said, "You sprouted kids." Piper looked at him.
"Just help." Leo smiled and picked Emily up and lifted her up towards the ceiling.
"You must be Emily." The little girl didn't reply, but giggled and squealed. Leo put her down and crouched to be eye level with Derek. "And you must be Derek." Leo ruffled his hair which made the little boy smile. Piper looked on with quiet amazement. He was unexpectedly good with kids. Leo looked up at Piper.
"Comes naturally." He admitted, standing. "And I'm Leo." He said to the children. "I'm not really equipped for kids." He continued. Piper laughed.
"Don't worry, they come prepared." She handed the kids a bag that contained crayons, coloring books, dolls and toy cars, typical kid stuff. Leo set them up in his sitting room and he and Piper retreated to the den. Piper settled against him comfortably, and flicked the TV on. After a moment, he spoke.
"Do you ever think about the future?" Piper shrugged.
"Sometimes, why?" It was Leo's turn to shrug.
"I don't know, where do you see yourself in…10 years?"
"I don't know. Leo, why all the questions?" He shrugged again.
But he did know. But he couldn't tell her. He planned to propose to her at the opening. Sure, the whole thing may have been a little premature and to tell the truth, with Piper, he wasn't sure if he would get a 'yes' back. She made him wish he could read minds. But she was so damn loveable! He kissed the top of her head affectionately.
"What was that for?"
"For being you."
-----
"Too much?" Piper questioned. Leo looked up at his girlfriend in awe.
"Oh no. Not too much." Piper had on a full-length skirt. It had a split that went high above the knee and the fabric fell away from it wavy layers. It looked sort of like crushed velvet, but it wasn't. The black tank top was like a bodice and was low-cut. It was held in place by a wide sparkly belt, the same color as the skirt. She wore her hair up in a high ponytail, a few choice strands around her face. The look was finished with black heels.
"It's really not too much?" Leo shook his head as he stood, checking his pockets for what had to be the millionth time to be sure he still had the ring.
"Oh no, you're the hostess. If it weren't for a little bit, I'd take you back to the bedroom."
Piper smiled coyly. "Is that so? You don't look to bad yourself, Mr. Blazer. Leo had—on Piper's orders— opted for black jeans, a button down shirt to match her skirt and a black blazer pinstriped with shiny black. They kissed.
-----
After leaving the kids with Jeanie, (Remember her, the waitress Piper would take shifts over for? Okay, just so you remember.) and picking up her last showgirl check, Piper and Leo arrived at P3. She'd decided against being there before everyone arrived, and she decided against a grand entrance but upon seeing the long line outside of the establishment, did decide to go in he back way.
"Oh my gosh!" she exclaimed after entering, "There were so many people out there." Leo nodded.
"Told you." He said smugly. Piper immediately went to work, occasionally getting hit on, or a wolf whistle about her outfit, but most of the men were quickly shunned after learning of her boyfriend. Another thing, was that her sisters were talking. It would take a while, she knew, but at least they were breaking through 5 years of hurt and anger.
At a lull in the evening where Piper had the chance to relax with her sisters, she noticed Jeff in the doorway. "Oh my God!" she exclaimed, nearly spitting out her Bloody Mary.
"What's wrong?" Phoebe asked following her sister's eyes. "Oh my." She echoed, mentally undressing him.
"Down, Pheebes." Piper said, standing as she cleared her throat of the spicy drink, "That's Jeff."
"You know that deliciousness?" Phoebe asked hotly.
"It's uh, complicated, excuse me." Piper went to meet Jeff. "Jeff, what are you doing here?" Jeff smiled.
"I feel really bad about the way we kind of stopped talking." Because you wouldn't take my calls, Piper thought sadly. "And," Jeff continued, "I really didn't want to miss your big night. So here I am. These are for you." He pulled a dozen red roses from behind his back. Piper grudgingly smiled.
"Thank you." She reached up and pulled him down for a hug, then kissed him on the cheek. Leo watched the whole thing from across the bar with a touch of jealousy. It wasn't that he didn't trust Piper, because he did, but he knew what happened between Piper and Jeff and it kind of made him…uneasy. He felt for the ring again, just to be sure he had it.
Okay. This was it. It was time. He would ask her right— Leo's cell phone rang. Oh no, Leo thought with a groan, it was probably the office. "Hello?"
"Hey, it's Beth, we've got work to do, meet me at the office." Leo knew the correct response to keeping his job was "okay", but his tongue was in rebellion.
"No." Leo said simply, but in his heart of hearts he knew that he would go because Piper wouldn't marry him if he lost his job.
"Fine!" Beth snapped, "I need the promotion more than you do." There was a bald-faced lie if there ever was one, Leo thought angrily, you're a trust fund baby.
"Alright." He agreed in a sad sigh, "I'll be right there." He hung up without waiting for an response.
Piper, who'd long ago gone back to her sisters, watched Leo approach with a solemn face.
"What's wrong?" Piper asked when he was at her side.
"I…I have to go." He admitted hesitantly.
"Oh, Leo, no! Not tonight!" Piper said with distress showing in her voice and face.
"Piper, I'm sorry—" Leo began helplessly.
"No, that's okay. You go meet Beth and do whatever it is you need to do. I can't keep doing this." Piper got up from her seat and walked to the back.
-----
"I don't what she has that I don't but I miss him. He always leaves me." Piper leaned close to Jeff and started to whisper, completely changing the subject. "You want to know a secret?" He nodded. "I'm not wearing any underwear." It was a lie, but when she was that liquored up, she didn't know her right from her up or her left from her down.
"But that doesn't mean I'm gonna have sex with you." She said teasingly. "I figured it was information you just needed to know." She laughed, but then made an overly dramatic sad face.
"But Leo doesn't want me, oh, no. He wants Beth." she said, exaggerating the word disgustedly, downing a shot of tequila. "I don't know why he wants some blonde bimbette anyhow." Piper started to whisper again. "She must be good at fking." The whisper dropped even lower. "But I know I'm better. I just know it."
"I'm sure you are." Jeff murmured, moving towards her.
Leo smiled happily as he opened he door to P3. He'd sped through his work and picked up a single red rose for her. She'd just love it. And she'd love the romantic proposal too. He'd been lucky, he knew she was there, closing up. Leo entered the bar and froze.
Piper was kissing Jeff.
Leo looked down at the little velvet box in his hand and squeezed with a look of bitter understanding. He guessed…that it was over.
AN: Very, very, very, very, very, very sad chapter. Well, the end was anyway. I almost cried, and I'm writing it! Anyhow, the next chapter will be posted soon, as always with me, so…Please review!