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Chapter 4: Keeping Her Away

Mark and Piper's relationship grew over the next few weeks. Piper tried to work the morning shift whenever she could, and if she couldn't, Mark would come for dinner at quake. Piper loved spending all the time she could with Mark. He made her feel special, made her feel like no other man had before. And Mark felt the same about Piper. If there was a day he didn't talk to her, it didn't seem complete. If he was unable to make it to dinner with her, he would call her, and they would spend hours on the phone.

Piper was finishing locking up the restaurant. She just said goodbye to Mark and was on her way to her car. She turned off the lights and locked the back door behind her. She was digging her car keys out of her purse when someone grabbed her from behind and put a hand over her mouth.

"Don't scream or make a move," the voice whispered. Piper nodded and tried not to panic. If it's a mugger, she thought, just take my money and leave me alone.

But it wasn't a mugger. "Where is she?" he demanded.

Piper, unable to answer due to the hand over her mouth, didn't know how to respond. She who?

He held the knife to her throat. "Where is she?! Where is Sky?" he demanded, getting angrier.

Piper was confused. Sky, her waitress? Piper tried to answer, but his hand still muffled her voice.

He seemed to notice this time. "I'm going to take my hand away. If you scream, I'll kill you."

Piper nodded and he took his hand away. "She left."

The man pressed her against the wall and covered her mouth once again. "Bitch, don't lie to me! You've been keeping her way from me, haven't you? Haven't you?!"

Piper shook her head, tears springing to her eyes. He began to shake her, and her head hit the wall behind her. Mustering her strength, Piper pushed him away.

She screamed at the top of her lungs and tried to run. But the man had quickly regained his balance and came after her again.

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Mark, who had stopped at a newspaper stand to grab a paper, heard the scream. Not knowing who it was, he ran in the direction of the scream. He heard two more screams and he felt a chill run down his spine.

It was coming from Quake.

His only thoughts were on Piper. He sprinted towards the back of the building where he heard a scream being chocked off. When he reached the back of the building, he saw a man choking Piper.

Unsure of what to do, Mark called out, "Hey!"

The man turned to face him, and Piper used those few seconds to crawl away.

But the man noticed, and swung the knife at her. Mark, who saw the knife coming down in an arc, jumped on the back of the man. The man rolled to the right as Piper rolled to the left, and the knife only grazed her hand.

The man shook Mark off of him, took one last look at Piper, and ran in the opposite direction.

Piper, shaking heavily, leaned against the wall and held her bleeding hand close to her. Mark stood up and went to her, kneeling next to her. He put his jacket around her shaking shoulders and kissed her forehead. "Are you okay?" he asked, holding her face in his hands.

"I think so," she replied, and looked down at her hand. As she did, a good amount of blood fell onto her lap.

"No, you're not," Mark said. "I'm taking you to the hospital for stitches, and then we will call the police."

Piper just nodded in response and Mark helped her to her feet. He then gathered her purse and car keys and led her to the car. After she was situated in the passenger seat, he hopped in the driver's seat and raced to the hospital.

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Three hours later, Piper was in the suture room, with Mark holding her hand. Andy was outside her room, waiting for Prue and Phoebe to arrive. After questioning Piper, he had called Prue. That was a conversation to be remembered:

"Prue? It's Andy. Now I don't want you to panic, everything is fine."

"Andy, the only time people say that is if everything is not fine."

"Piper was attacked and it getting stitches…"

Andy was replied by the dial tone in his ear.

In the suture room, Piper was being stitched up by a surgeon. Mark held her other hand and Piper looked at him.

"Thanks for coming to the rescue."

Mark smiled. "No problem. I'm just glad you're okay."

Piper smiled back. "Me too."

"Alrighty then," the surgeon said, taking off his latex gloves. "It's done. Just keep it dry for the next four to five days and don't use it for any excessive work. Okay?"

"Thanks."

"No problem. I'm going to go fill out some paperwork and then you can leave." He walked out of the room, leaving Piper and Mark alone.

Piper scooted over in the bed and allowed Mark to sit next to her. He put her arms around her and she laid her head on his chest. Hearing his heartbeat through his shirt was a comfort to her.

Mark had his arms around her, grateful to feel her breathing. Mark was about to say something important to Piper, but her sister, Prue, came bursting into the room.

"Oh my God, Piper! Are you alright?" Prue was at her sister's bedside, smoothing back her hair.

Mark began to get off the bed to give the sisters some privacy, but Piper kept holding his hand, not letting him go. He laid back down next to her.

"I'm fine, Prue."

Prue spent the next ten minutes doing the concerned big sister act, demanding Andy to tell her what happened, and if they caught the guy yet.

"No, we haven't caught him yet." Looking at Piper's desperate face, Andy asked Prue, "How about you sign Piper out and take her home. I'm sure she's exhausted." Andy led Prue to the front desk to sign Piper out.

"That was easier than I thought," Piper said.

"Easy? I think your sister is capable of murder right now."

"I know, but that's just the way she is. She's very protective of her family."

"I can see."

Both laid on the bed, holding each other, until Prue came back in, telling them all the papers were signed and it was time to take Piper home.

Prue and Piper drove to the manor in Prue's SUV, while Mark followed them in Piper's car. On the ride home, Piper realized how unsafe she felt with out Mark near her. He wasn't the strongest person, but his presence made her feel safe.

Prue soon pulled into the driveway, followed closely by Mark. Piper was barely out of the car before Phoebe came flying out of the house and had her in a huge hug. She made a fuss over Piper before letting her walk into the house.

For the first time since being attacked, Piper looked at the sky. It was dark, but it was beginning to get light. "Prue, what time is it?"

"Almost four in the morning. Why?"

"Just wondering."

Everybody was soon in the house. Phoebe, after giving Piper one last hug, headed back upstairs to sleep. Prue, who had to be to work at six, headed to the kitchen to make coffee. "I'm going to need it," she said with a yawn.

Mark stood at the doorway, watching the sisters. When Prue and Phoebe were gone, Piper turned to Mark. "I don't know how to thank you…" Mark kissed her, stopping her in mid-sentence.

When they finally broke apart, mark leaned his forehead on hers and whispered goodbye. But before they could break physical contact, Piper pleaded, "Mark, don't leave. Please."

He kissed her again, and she led him up to her bedroom. Once there, Piper rummaged around in her drawers until she found an old pair of flannel pants of Mark to wear. Mark turned around and began to change, so Piper faced the other way and began to change into her pajamas, careful to avoid hurting her hand any further.

Once both were dressed, they hopped into Piper's bed. Mark laid on his back with Piper's head on his chest and her arms circled around his waist.

They maintained a comfortable silence, holding each other, until Mark asked, "Were you scared?"

The question came out of nowhere, but Piper knew what he was talking about. "Terrified. When he attacked me, all I could hear was the blood rushing to my head. My heart was beating fast. I really thought he would kill me. And the only thought going through my head at the time was the thought I may never see my sisters, or my friends again. Or you," she said, and hugged him closer.

Mark and Piper lay there, holding each other under the warm covers, until they began to drift off to sleep. Before he fell asleep, Mark called Piper's name.

"Yeah?" she answered, her voice thick with sleep.

"I love you," he said.

Piper's eyes shot wide open in surprise and she sat up to look at him better. "Mark, what did you say?" she asked, but received no answer. "Are you awake?"

The only response Piper received was the steady rise and fall of his chest, indicating sleep.

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Author's Note: A little hint: the mugger comes back. Next chapter will have a little zeal between Piper and Mark. Please read and review, I appreciate all comments.