A/N: I am sooooooooooo sorry for not updating in a while. I started a new fic to add to my collection, and I hope to get it going. Otherwise I'll send for the reserves and post one of my others... Maybe... I am very shy about this whole thing. Houses was a big leap for me.
I haven't had too much time to write lately. It's not my pc, but my grandma died last week, and I'm trying to keep up with everything and help my mom out. Hard for a kid, ain't it?
***By the way, don't review well out of sympathy if you really don't like it.***
Thank you, Miggs
Over three weeks, Piper and Leo met up in the manor. Each time before leaving, Leo reminded Piper of what they were doing. He also reminded her that he was trying-- and he somewhat was-- to leave the Houses of Evil, but Piper laughed it off every time.
A month after their first meeting, they had a few plans, but none were foolproof. It was too hard to come up with things, but luckily there was eleven months left. And they only had one chance to pull it off. They did a lot of training, a lot of spell writing, and made a lot of potions. But none so far even proved strong enough to vanquish the Source of all Evil, so how could it stop the bosses of the Source and the Elders? There was too much power waiting in all six Houses. Power that had never been tapped into. Power that-- Good and Evil Houses alike-- were going to tap into. No potions either Piper nor Leo could make was strong enough to break that power.
On one day, Leo orbed into the manor-- sensing Piper was the only one there, and knowing that Piper had let off all charms on the house to let Leo through-- and found Piper in the kitchen. She had three potions boiling, and was sitting at the table, writing a spell. She was mumbling to herself and scribbling, crossing out, and rewriting things.
"What're you doin'?" Leo asked.
Piper jumped in her chair, whirling around to face Leo. "Don't do that!"
"Sorry..." Leo replied sarcastically, holding up his hands in fake surrender. He walked over to the table. Piper wasn't writing a spell. She was writing ingredients to a potion. "What's this for?"
"An unbinding potion for the spell..." Piper looked up. "Have they chosen yet?" She wanted to know if the Houses of Evil had chosen their Charmed One. It was a question she asked every day.
"No. I can tell you, though, that they're be some fights now to test you girls' strengths."
"Ugh, haven't we fought you guys enough? Shouldn't they know by now?" Piper turned back to the table, thinking about the potion.
"Well, now it's crucial."
"No duh." She flung her pen at Leo over her head, who threw it back to the table with telekinesis.
Leo sighed. "Piper, could you take a day off?"
"Sorry, no."
"Piper, you've been racking your brain nonstop for over a month now."
"So?"
"So take a break." Piper whirled back around to look at Leo. She didn't smile or frown. Just stared at him. "Well?" Leo asked with a hopeful smile.
His smile pleaded with her. Piper had kept her distance emotionally from Leo, though he knew she was attracted to him. He liked Piper, too, but hid it as well as she did. It was for the best. They were just business partners, and Piper kept telling herself that she would vanquish Leo someday anyway. Still, though, she gave in to Leo's smile, and let him pull her up.
They walked-- though Piper stayed a little over a foot and a half away from Leo at all times-- down the street. Piper knew her family was in the Houses today, and Leo knew his was, too, so it was safe to be in public together. They hadn't connected the fact that Piper and Leo were always gone at the same time. That was good, though. They couldn't connect the two anyway, since Piper was on earth, and no one knew where she was all the time, so they were safer.
"So really, when was it?" Leo asked, continuing their conversation.
"I think I was um..." Piper thought for a few seconds. She smiled at Leo. "I was two."
"Two? Hmm... Sounds like me, too."
"Wait, you vanquished a demon?"
"Piper, you know Decima and Bianca aren't my real parents," Leo asked, looking down at her.
"Yeah, I know." She nodded.
"Then you know I was two when they took me."
"Oh... Right..." Piper smiled feebly, slowing her pace. "Sorry..."
"It's okay," he said quickly.
Piper stopped walking, and Leo did, too. Piper looked at him. She touched his arm lightly. "Is it really?" she asked quietly, knowing he was lying.
Leo pulled his arm back. Still, Piper didn't drop her gaze. "Yeah, it's fine. I don't remember them, anyway." He started to walk away.
"That's because you've never known a whitelighter." Leo kept walking. Piper ran to catch up with him. He didn't stop to talk to her, so she held him by his arm again. He finally stopped and looked at her. "How do you think your parents-- your real parents-- would feel if they met you again? After so many years of not knowing you," she asked.
Leo didn't look at Piper, but could feel her gaze. They didn't move. Piper's eyes searched for emotion and an answer in Leo's. "They'd be scared," he said quietly after a moment.
Piper stared at Leo, taken aback. "No, they wouldn't. Look at you. You're being an act of good here. Now. How is that so bad?"
"I only did this because you asked me to, because you couldn't do it alone, and because--"
"Because somewhere in there you're good?" Piper finished.
"Whatever."
"Leo, I've been working with you for a month now. I mean, sure, I haven't vanquished a demon with you, and I know the Elders wouldn't really... like you all too much... But I know that you're a good person, evil or not," she said. "Disappointed, maybe, but not scared. I mean, you're their son. How could they be scared of you? How could they not love you?"
Besides, Piper thought, why would he be searching for them if he thought they'd hate him?
Leo didn't say anything. He had been listening, but was just amazed that Piper would say something like that about him. Maybe they were friends, but didn't realize it. Or admit it.
"Piper, I..." he started.
Piper smiled. "I know." She nodded a little. "You're welcome. Now come on..."
They walked in the direction of a park under the Golden Gate Bridge, and saw that there was no one there.
"So, you girls have never had a whitelighter," Leo noted, thinking.
"No, never. I mean, we've gone once or twice when our magic couldn't save each other, but I never have. And no, we've never had a permanent whitelighter. The Elders won't give us one." Piper looked up at he sky thoughtfully, then at Leo. "Strange, huh? They won't give us a whitelighter, but we're the highest power..." she mused.
"They don't sound like the nicest of people..."
Piper laughed a little and smiled. "No, they're really not... But don't tell Them I said that," she added.
"Don't worry, I won't. I've never known Them, and I don't want to." Piper smiled. "...So... you've never orbed...?" Leo asked.
Piper shook her head a little. "No, why?"
Leo wrapped one arm around Piper's waist and orbed her out.
Piper opened her eyes and looked around. "Where are we?" she asked.
"Uh... Somewhere in... Western Europe, I think."
Piper hit Leo lightly in the chest. "What do you mean, 'you think'?"
Leo nodded a little. "It means... I'm not exactly sure which little country... Or which city... Or which... It's beautiful, isn't it?"
Piper looked out from the mountain they were standing on, about halfway up. The valley below the short mountain was beautiful. There were rolling hills and plains, covered in a dark green grass, trees dotting the fields. There were farming fields, in crisscross pattern, to the left. There was a little village not too far on the right from there. Smoke billowed out of a few chimney tops in the cottages. It was a scene from the past, for sure.
"Why here?" Piper asked.
Leo sighed deeply. "From what I've learned... After meeting my sister... I was born right there," Leo pointed toward the village. "In that little village. House farthest to the left."
Piper turned around, "Now way," she said, smiling.
"You're right," Leo said quickly, smiling. Piper returned the smile. "But I have been here a few times. I like the quiet it offers."
"You little liar," Piper said, pushing Leo playfully. "I thought you liked the fighting and the vanquishes..." she added.
Leo nodded. "I do. But this is nice, too." Leo looked down at Piper. "Right?"
Piper pulled a face that seemed to say she was thinking. "Right." She smiled.
Piper's eyes were caught in Leo's and there was a long silence between them as they stared at each other. Finally, Piper turned away, stepping aside. It was then she realized that Leo's arm had been around her waist until then.
A/N: Too short? Too long? Just right? None of the abov-- beside? C'mon, folks. A, B, C, or D. Pick one! Now enter your answer in that beautiful, friendly little box in the left-hand corner and have a wonderful day!
*Thank you for reading at "Miggsamy"*