It's been so long, way too long. I'm working through this, trying to make a clearer plan. I think I've got it, but there are still some bumps to smooth out in this story, like Leo's attitude. I'm gonna make him egotistical and...yeah...in a few chapters. He'll like...totally be the reverse of himself!


piper+leo4eva: I knew you knew who it was, because you said something about it in Always. There's more explanation of Leo's life with her in this chapter. BTW, I think I've dammed up the river...for now. (nervous laugh) I was on a roll writing the other night, but the roll of ideas pouring out of my head started at 9pm and continued well into 11pm. I would've kept going if my mom hadn't made me go to bed (school night). I was mad at my mom for breaking my idea...waterfall. I swear, my mind was the Niagara Falls of Ideas that night!

patricia: o0o0o But you did wait for the update, didn't you?

scullymulder: Dum dum dum what? Did I say that? Huh? I'm confused!

Piper xox Leo: HER wife? What?

Chub: Don't worry about them. I've got it all covered...


After a few more moments of silence, painfully silent moments, Piper took another swig of whiskey and sighed. Okay, her curiosity was peaked now.

How did a dead wife send her husband on a mission?

"So, uh…What kind of mission?"

Leo shrugged. He wasn't thinking about that, he was still regretting saying what he'd said.

"This is gonna sound harsh…" Piper said. She shrugged slightly, feeling the affects of the alcohol now. "How did your dead wife send you here?"

Leo shrugged again. He looked over at Piper and they started chuckling, then laughing.

"I'm serious," Piper said suddenly.

Leo was quiet as he thought for a moment. He sighed before saying, "I'm not sure, really. She's been…haunting me…ever since she died."

Piper nodded a little. "Oh…How long?"

"A while. Less than a year, but…"

"What happened?" Piper asked unexpectedly.

Leo looked up, startled by her question. Normally, he wouldn't have said anything. He would've gotten his horse and left. And he would've taken the whiskey with him. But they drank most of it that night, and thanks to that damn alcohol, he found himself spilling the whole tragic story to her, this woman he'd never met but was "supposed" to love.

Desperado

Why don't you come to your senses?
You been out ridin' fences for so long now
Oh, you're a hard one
But I know that you got your reasons
These things that are pleasin' you
Can hurt you somehow

He sighed and ran a hand down his face, collecting his thoughts. "'Bout…five years ago…I met this girl at a saloon in Tennessee. We were both drunk, and I followed her back to her home…" He laughed quietly to himself. "Followed her right up to the door then she shut it in my face."

Piper laughed, then covered her mouth with her hand to shut herself up.

Leo continued. "I saw her the next day and got her to come with me to this little clearing in this valley, really beautiful spot…She loved it, thought it was beautiful. This…creek and a pond running through the valley…"

"It sounds perfect."

Leo nodded. "It was."

Don't you draw the Queen of Diamonds, boy
She'll beat you if she's able
You know the Queen of Hearts

Is always your best bet

"I followed her home again and she didn't let me in again…I went back to the clearing the next day and found her there. I, uh…won't go into detail, but…she let me in that night, and we got closer since then…Half a year later we got married and traveled around the country, went back to Tennessee, then back around the West…She always wanted to see New York City, so we had to go. I followed her south from there back to Tennessee and she followed me West.

"We were camping in Indian Territory, close to some Sioux Indians…We weren't worried about then, they were friendly, but we'd seen a few bodies off the trail and just decided to be careful. We made it to a town where I found my family—my father, brother, and cousin, really—"

"I knew you had family."

Now it seems to me some fine things
Have been laid upon your table
But you only want the ones

That you can't get

Leo shrugged. "They offered us a place to stay for the night but we'd gotten accustomed to sleeping in a camp and declined…Middle of the night, heard shots…" He shook his head, tears lining his eyes. "Don't remember much…I remember I killed three people that night."

Piper said she could understand that.

Leo said she couldn't.

Piper was silent.

Desperado

Oh, you ain't gettin' no younger
Your pain and your hunger

They're drivin' you home
And freedom? Oh, freedom

Well, that's just some people talkin'
Your prison is walking through this world all alone

"The, uh…townspeople…wanted to bury her in their cemetery, but I wrapped her body up and took her back to Tennessee. She'd told me that she wanted to be buried in that clearing, and I promised her I would bury her there. I haven't been back there in a long while…"

Piper watched Leo fight tears and found herself struggling as well. She gulped. "And she's been…haunting you?"

Leo nodded. "Appearing…Disappearing…I never believed in…spirits or ghosts until now."

"She sent you here?"

"Yep."

"How?"

"She…appeared one night…and told me I needed to come back here."

"Back? I've lived here all my life and I've never seen you before."

"I was here for supplies."

"So you're…roaming."

"Yeah."

"Desperado," she accused.

Don't your feet get cold in the winter time?
The sky won't snow and the sun won't shine
It's hard to tell the nighttime from the day
You're losin' all your highs and lows
Ain't it funny how the feeling goes away?

Leo looked at Piper. "What?"

"Desperado. You're almost like a desperado."

Leo blinked. "How?"

Piper smiled. "Never mind." She shook her head lightly.

"How?" Leo repeated.

"Never mind, I'll explain later."

"No, no, no, explain now. I'm not an…outlaw or a criminal."

"Aren't you?"

Leo blinked. "No."

Piper sighed. She sat up better on the ground. "Who said you had to be a criminal to be a desperado? I never accused you of any crime but living."

Desperado

Why don't you come to your senses?
Come down from your fences, open the gate
It may be rainin', but there's a rainbow above you
You better let somebody love you

You better let somebody love you…

Before it's too late

"Maybe that's my crime then, huh?"

Piper felt tears threatening her again. She sighed deeply. He was in no better state than her. Why was she fighting tears about his dead wife?

"Maybe we…should go back."

Leo laid back in the grass and stretched out, resting his hands under his head. "No…"

"No?"

"I can just camp here."

"With what?"

Leo didn't answer.

Piper almost laughed. "You know…since you're staying in town…we should build you a house."

Leo chuckled.

Piper crawled over to him. "What?"

Her face was hovering above his, her hair falling over one side of her head onto his chest.

"Nothing…It's just a funny idea."

"How is that a funny idea?" Piper questioned, sitting back. She took another swig of whiskey.

"I haven't had a house since…" Leo trailed off. "…In a while," he recovered.

Piper nodded. "Oh. Well, then we'll get you one."

"No."

"No?"

"No."

Piper shrugged. "What do I care, I'm drunk."

"I'll just camp."

"Camp, why?"

"Because I'm good at that."

"Fine. Be difficult."


The song was "Desperado" (was is obvious?), by The Eagles. It's one of my favorite songs by one of my favorite bands!

I was originally going to make Piper force Leo into building a house, but that didn't seem to fit into his...style. lol. He's gonna camp out for a while, get to know the town. And Piper's going to break him down, don't worry...Actually, ya know what? Worry! lol. He's got some fears to face then Piper's got some to face, too.

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