AN: Oh my God, I love you guys so much!! You guys care, you really do (I think). 28 people have me on their favs and 40 people have me on author alert!! Ahh!! Think I'm going to pass out!! Thank you so much. I have plans for this, "Profiling Love" and "The Reunion", and I'm just getting around to them!!! Okay, enough chatter, here's the chapter.

Piper wrapped her silk kimono around herself and walked down the stairs. Dan was sitting at the table, cereal of choice: Count Chocula. She just gave it a glance before wandering over to the coffee pot and grabbing a mug.

Much to her surprise, Dan spoke from behind the paper. "How did the whole thing with the—"

"Babysitter?" Piper said, her voice slightly edgy. "I'm a big girl, Dan."

"He said the same thing." He replied, scooping up a mouthful of cereal. "How did it work out?"

"Dan, I'm going to fire him." Piper said, adding milk and sugar to her coffee. As charming, funny, kind, courteous and handsome Leo was, not to mention how good he smelled, she couldn't have him in her house. "I can't see him, Dan. I can't have him in the house. It's for personal reasons."

Dan slapped his paper to the countertop and glared at her, eyes narrowed. Uh, oh. "Piper, has much as you hate to admit it, you need someone to watch you, to take care of you, I don't give a damn about whether or not you like him, get over!" Dan growled, picking up the paper as though that settled the matter.

Then Piper did something she hadn't expected herself to do. She snatched his paper out of his hands and threw it to the floor, stock market pages and all. "Dan, this is not over!" she shouted, her anger escalating. "This is not about you! I can't do this! I'm not strong enough. I can't deal with him here, everyday, I can't do it!!" Piper put her hand to her head, a migraine striking her.

Without a word, she walked to the medicine cabinet, picking up a bottle of aspirin. She looked briefly at the label, making sure it wouldn't counteract or upset her other medication. "What?" came Dan's voice from over her shoulder, "are you afraid you're going to screw with the babysitter?"

Piper's back stiffened and whirled around to face him, jaw set, resentment in every inch of her being. "What? You think I would cheat on you?" Piper slammed the bottle on the table making him jump. "Dan, I am completely loyal to you. Always have been, always will be. But if you think for one moment I will be underappreciated for it you tell me right now. I will pack my bags and walk right out that door." The silence throbbed between them, bouncing off her anger and his fear. He'd never seen her like that. "I'm going to take a nap." Piper said, turning towards the entryway.

"You just woke up." Dan said, stating the obvious.

"I'm tired again." Piper snapped from the doorway. She walked back upstairs, her bare feet hitting the polished wooden steps with an indignant slap, up all 14. She walked back into the bedroom where the bed had already been remade, obviously by Lucille. As soon as her head hit the pillow, Piper drifted off to sleep where her nightmares again haunted her.

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When Piper awoke again, she found a note on Dan's pillow, saying that he'd gone into the office. On a Saturday? Well, he had said something about a batch of new clients. Piper looked down at it and found that she was debating between ripping it into little bit and crying her eyes out. She decided to leave it alone all together. She walked downstairs, this time not making a sound, almost gliding into the kitchen where she found her coffee mug, still sitting with the coffee inside ice-cold. That wasn't like Lucille.

It was then that Piper walked over to the fridge, noticing a note from Lucille about errands. Piper smiled to herself. "We really have to give that woman a raise." She picked up the mug and was carrying it to the sink.

"Oh, you're awake."

Piper was so shocked, she dropped the mug, watching it hit the tile with a crash, sending coffee and ceramic pieces everywhere. "Fuck!" she exclaimed, jumping away from the disaster.

"Damn, I'm sorry." Leo crossed the room, bending down to help her pick up the mess. Piper accidentally looked up into his blue-green eyes, sparkling with mischief and dancing with fun, she immediately lost herself in the piercing depths, sending her into flashback.

"Adam, be quiet! We wouldn't want your parents to hear!" Piper giggled as she climbed into the Volvo. Adam slid in next to her, laughing as well.

"That wouldn't be so bad except…" he chuckled, making her laugh again.

"Shut up, they'll kill us if they find out."

"Not to mention how Grams'll tear you up." Adam countered jokingly, looking out onto the peeking sun, rising fresh for a new day. They pulled off down the street, somewhere near the college campus.

They sang loudly along to the radio, doing air guitar and drums.

Piper forced herself not to remember more. Her hands released the broken pieces she held, and they clattered to the floor again. "I'm—so—sorry." She stammered, standing up, Leo rising with her, wary of her sudden state. "I'm sorry." She repeated, trying to push her way past him.

But before she could escape, Leo grabbed her arm, whirling her around. "Hey, what's wrong?" He asked, voice full of concern.

"What's wrong?" Piper asked, realizing that he was here because of her husband, even though she said he was going to fire him. "What's wrong?" she repeated, angrily. Leo realized he may have hit a nerve. "What's wrong is, you could be a rapist or a murderer or a kidnapper, or just plain crazy and my husband thinks it's okay to give you a key to my house!! My husband thinks I can't take care of myself, and I can't help but wonder if my marriage is getting ready to fall apart!" Piper let out a frustrated grunt before yelling again. "And could you let go of me!!"

Leo released her, then smiled, sticking his hands in his pockets. "I'm not a murderer, I promise." He said, raising his right hand in the air as if taking an oath. "And if I was a kidnapper, wouldn't I have done it by now?" He chuckled; it was a rich sound, deep and warm. "And, trust me, I wouldn't think of raping a strong woman like you. Can't afford getting hit again. My sister always comes to me with her math problems, how can I keep the upper hand if I forget all that stuff."

Piper didn't laugh. "I'm sorry, Leo. You came over here, only to be fired. I no longer need a babysitter." Piper turned on her heel, also saying that he could see himself out.

"La belle dame sans merci."

Piper stopped dead in her tracks and walked over to him. "What'd you say?" She asked suspiciously.

Leo chuckled again, apparently thinking her bewilderment was funny. "The beautiful lady without mercy."

Piper blushed, but quickly went back to business. "Yes, well, thank you, but I'm afraid you're still out of a job."

"Oh well." Leo said. "I just came here because you husband said you needed somebody to watch after you. He worries you know."

Piper rolled her eyes, but he could tell she was caving. "Alright you can stay. But unbeknownst to my husband I have hidden a revolver upstairs." He watched her walk upstairs, unable to tell if she was kidding or not.

AN: So…Could this be a budding friendship…Maybe more!!! -----hints with eyebrows-----Tune in next time to find out!! Please review, makes my day!! BTW, not that you guys care, but I'm halfway looking for someone to write a story with and if you are interested, please contact me by email. But I'm only halfway, if somebody has a good idea or something, you know, I promise I won't steal it!!