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Chapter 16: Two Dead Innocents

Piper was groggy with sleep when she heard the crying. Warm and comfortable underneath the covers and Leo's arms, she didn't want to get up. This was the first time Leo had actually slept at the manor since coming back into Piper's life. Leo spent all the other nights 'up there', doing his elderly duty. She didn't want to leave the comfort of her arms.

But the crying persisted, and Piper knew she had to get up. Leaving Leo's warmth, she hopped out of bed and all Leo did was roll over and take all the covers.

Figures, Piper thought, and headed towards the crying. It wasn't coming from Wyatt, so Piper figured it had to be Melanie. Hell, if she had been through what this girl had, she'd be crying in her sleep too.

Piper quietly opened the door to Phoebe's room, where Melanie was staying until her aunt came for her in the morning. Phoebe had willingly (though it seemed more like eager to Piper) to spend the night at Jason's, leaving Phoebe's bed open for Melanie.

Piper crept quietly to the bed to see if Melanie was still asleep, but was surprised to find her tear-filled brown eyes staring up at her.

"Sorry if I woke you," Melanie apologized.

"Don't worry about it," Piper said, crouching down next to the side of the bed. "I'm used to hearing cries in the middle of the night. It's part of being a parent."

Melanie tried to smile, but failed, and burst into more tears. Piper tried to sooth the young girl, but ended up crawling in the so she could comfort Melanie.

"I just feel so guilty," she cried in between sobs.

"I know, but you have to understand it wasn't your fault."

"But wasn't it? If I would have moved or something..."

"You think he would be alive right now?" Melanie nodded her head. "It's not your fault, but no matter what I say, you're going to feel guilty. But after a while, the guilt begins to go away. The hurt is always there, but you learn to bear it and move on with your life. It gets easier, I promise."

"But how can you be sure? Did someone die to protect you from a demon?"

"Yes, my older sister, Prue. She gave her life to save mine, and I felt incredibly guilty for the longest time. But it got easier to deal with. I'll always hurt, but I want it that way. I'd rather remember her and hurt, than forget her and not hurt."

Her words seemed to be comforting Melanie, who laid in Piper's arms and listened to her talk until she fell asleep.

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Leo awoke in the morning to find Piper gone out of the bed. He went and checked on Wyatt, who was still sound asleep. He figured he would check on Melanie, since her aunt would be here in a little more than an hour.

Leo remembered the conversation Piper had with Melanie's Aunt Lydia. She had been relieved that Melanie was safe, heartbroken that Steve was dead, and fascinated that her niece was staying with the legendary Charmed Ones.

Leo cracked open the door and a slow smile spread across his face. There was Piper, asleep, holding a sleeping Melanie in her arms. He wondered if he should wake them, knowing Melanie's aunt would be here in less than an hour. As Piper shifted position in bed and laid a protective arm over Melanie, he decided to wait.

He went down stairs and began making breakfast, but was interrupted by the sound of the doorbell. He figured it was Melanie's aunt.

So, he wasn't surprised when he answered the door to find a tall woman, who vaguely looked like Melanie, standing outside of the door.

Leo held out his hand, and she shook it. "Hi. I take it you are Melanie's aunt?"

"Yes. Please call me Lydia." Leo let her inside and she immediately asked, "Where's Melanie? Are you sure she's okay?"

"She's fine," he assured her. "As a matter of fact, she's upstairs sleeping." Leo showed her the room where Melanie and Piper slept, and Lydia immediately rushed to Melanie's side.

Piper, startled awake by the arrival of this stranger hopped out of bed, and walked to Leo, who hugged her from behind.

Melanie awoke to find her aunt's arms around her, and she let out tears her thought she had already shed. Her aunt just held her and let her cry it out.

Leo held Piper, watching the scene unfold before them.

"What happened to Steve," Lydia turned to them and asked, her eyes not filled with anger, but full of resentment.

But before Leo or Piper could muster a response, Melanie quietly said, "He protected me the only way he knew how. By giving up his life." She burst into a fresh round of tears and was again comforted by her aunt.

"Let's go downstairs," Leo whispered into Piper's ear, and she agreed. He took her hand and led her downstairs. Piper sat at the kitchen table, and Leo poured her a cup of tea.

"Thanks," she replied, taking a sip.

Leo looked at his wife, wondering how he managed to spend the last seven months as an Elder away from her. Leo was happy to make the decision to give up his elder powers, but he would miss being an Elder. As an Elder, he had powers that enabled him to help more people than he could as just a Whitelighter. But Piper, Wyatt, and his unborn son were more important to him than being an Elder.

Leo had been meaning to ask Piper something, but things kept coming up. He was going to ask her if he could move back in. He had spent the night here last night for the first time in a long while, but it was out of convenience. At least some level it was, but Leo truly loved waking up in the middle of the night to find Piper sleeping in his arms.

Leo opened his mouth to ask Piper, but was interrupted by the sound of the front door opening and closing. Phoebe and Jason walked into the kitchen, ruining Leo's chance to ask Piper.

Phoebe grabbed a cup of coffee and offered one to Jason, who accepted. "Is it just me, or do we seem to be losing our innocents lately? First Madison, then Steve..."

"Yeah, I got the picture, Phoebe. Let's just get through the funeral, alright?"

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People gathered into the small chapel, where the memorial service for Steve was being held. Melanie sat in between her aunt and Piper, tightly clasping their hands as the priest said a eulogy over his casket. He did not have a Wiccan service as Prue and Melanie's mother did, because he was not Wiccan.

Melanie no longer sobbed aloud; instead, she let the tears run silently down her face.

It was time to make a final passing past the coffin. Melanie and Lydia were the first to go, and the congregation slowly followed their lead.

Piper felt her body go cold as she noticed who one of the last people to file past the coffin was. Officer Vermillion.

He smiled and waved at them. He held his hand up to his ear as if it were a phone, and mouthed the words 'I'll talk to you later'.

Piper felt cold fear wash over her as he did that. She knew he was determined to find out what they knew, and that he would stop at nothing to find out what secret the Halliwells hid.

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Two days after the funeral, and one day after a tearful good-bye from Melanie and her aunt (who promised to come back and visit soon), Leo found Piper in her room, doing some serious cleaning. There were boxes, hangers, and clothes strewn all over the place.

"What are you doing?" Leo asked, eyeing the mess.

"What does it look like I'm doing?"

"Moving out?" he guessed.

"No, I'm moving your stuff back in."

Leo had the biggest smile on his face. "Really?"

"If you want to," she said.

"Of course I do! I was planning on asking you if I could move back in."

"Well, I'm okay with it." She went back to folding and rearranging clothes.

"Let me help you," Leo said, and began helping her fold shirts. He was elated to helping Piper, just to be near her again.

Suddenly, Leo gathered Piper in his arms and passionately kissed her, and both of them knew that everything was going to work out.

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Author's Note: Sorry if this chapter was a little boring; I promise the next to will be really interesting. I plan on having them up by next weekend, at the latest.