A/N: To everyone who kindly took the time to leave comments on the last chapter, my heartfelt thanks! I usually like to thank you all personally but I am heading out of town for the weekend and want to get this chapter out before I leave. But know that I really appreciate your thoughts. As always I will be curious to hear what you think of this next chapter. Hoping to really build up the drama here.

Chapter 7

Prue and Piper had left their motel room after checking in and getting cleaned up. They had gotten directions to the bed and breakfast from the front clerk. It had taken them less than ten minutes to arrive at their destination. During the short drive, Piper sat ram- rod straight and said nothing. Her excitement and nervousness warring within her, and was threatening to explode out of her. Prue pulled her Cherokee up in front of the building and waited for Piper's lead.

Now that the moment was here, Piper was hesitant. 'What would she say when she saw him? 'How would he react to seeing her?'

"You ready?" Prue's voice broke through her questions.

"I think so. Come with me?" She pleaded.

"Of course honey. Let's go."

With her older sister's support, Piper got out of the vehicle. They walked up the wooden stairs side by side to the front door. A welcome sign hung from a window along with instructions to walk in. Prue pushed the door open and a jingle sounded from a tiny bell attached. Piper took in the tidy entrance area in a glance, then heard,

"Leo, stop it. I think we have guests."

Piper watched as Leo entered the room; a slim dark hair woman was cradled in his arms. He was affectionately nuzzling her neck. The woman noticed them first. "Oh, excuse us. Leo put me down."

After setting her on her feet, Leo took his first look at who had entered. Everything stopped in his mind. His body became still as it registered shock. At first all he could do was stare, stunned at the figure standing before him. "Piper?" He questioned in disbelief.

"Hello Leo." She wanted to say more, there were a million things she wanted to say, but seeing him with the other woman had taken all the wind out of her sails. It was the last thing she was expecting and it threw her well- rehearsed speech out the window, along with just the sight of him. It had been so long and he looked so good.

Ellen took in the two while a tight knot started to form in her stomach. She instantly knew who this beautiful woman was. Even if she hadn't known the woman's name, just the look in Leo's eyes was enough. This was the woman he had left behind. The one who was to marry another.

It was if they were the only two in the room and time stood still. Each drinking in the sight of the other. Piper finally managed to get her brain functioning again and sent him a wan smile. "It's been a while huh?"

Blinking his eyes a few times just too make sure she was real and not a figment of his imagination he said, "Piper, what are you doing here?"

Well this sure was not the rushing into his arms the moment she saw him kind of scene she had been dreaming of, but then what had she really expected.

Prue sensing her sister's state rushed to assist. "Hey Leo, good to see you again."

Leo swung his head to Prue not even realizing she had been standing there. "You too Prue." His words were followed by a genuine smile.

"Ummm, is there maybe a place Piper and you could talk. You know like in private?"

As if coming out of a daze, Leo nodded his head. "Yeah, of course." He stepped back and motioned Piper to follow him. "This way."

Ellen watched them go, a cold hand closing over her heart. She attempted a smile when Leo's eyes met hers briefly before he exited the room.

Prue could feel the woman's obvious distress. "So this is your place. It's really beautiful. I'm a photographer, and I would love a tour."

Thankful for the woman's offer of distraction, Ellen gave a tiny smile. "Of course."

Leo led Piper outside and to a small outer building. When they entered, she noted it was fixed up like a small apartment. A twin bed sat on one wall. There was a tiny kitchen table, two chairs and a small couch. She could make out a bathroom at the far end of the room. Obviously this was where Leo had been living.

"Can I get you something?" He asked softly.

"No, I'm good." She replied, followed by a long awkward silence. She didn't know where to start; it was if they were strangers.

"Would you like to sit down?"

While she opted for a seat on the couch he leaned against the kitchen counter across from her. Leo still couldn't believe she was sitting in front of him. He never thought he'd ever see her again. Knowing he should say something, but his mind was still busy processing it all. Finally he managed to re ask the burning question. "Piper, why are you here?"

Piper had been looking everywhere but where she most wanted to, at him. His question brought her eyes to his. The moment had arrived. She had dreamed of it so often, however now that it was upon her she was scared. "I'm here because I wanted to see you, talk to you."

Leo shook his head in confusion. "Why? I don't imagine Dan is too thrilled about you coming to see me? Speaking of which. How did you find me?"

"It wasn't easy. I've been searching for you since the day you left. First with Darryl's help and then with a private detective."

A frown creased his forehead. "The day I left? I don't understand. Why? I left so you could go on with your life. Marry Dan, have that nice, normal life you wanted. A life you made perfectly clear would not be with me."

Piper sent him a sad smile. "The morning I found your letter, I was coming to tell you I had broken up with Dan. I was coming to tell you that I loved you."

At her confession, his eyes widened. How often in the past had he wished to hear those words. He closed his eyes against the varied emotions washing over him. At first joy, which quickly turned to pain, loss, anger and finally regret.

Piper watched avidly in silent anticipation. She had waited a year to finally tell him her true feelings. Visualizing this moment a hundred times in her head. After declaring her love, he would take her in his arms, kiss her and tell her he loved her too. They would finally be together as it always should have been. His next words shattered her make believe world into tiny shards of nothing.

"What do you want from me?" His hard tone held just an edge of anger.

Unprepared, Piper's eyes grew bigger and her stomach churned with uncertainty and fear. Fear that this reunion was not going to go as she had envisioned so many times.

"I don't understand Leo. What do I want? I just told you I love you. I want us to be together."

He steeled himself against the vulnerability reflecting in her brown eyes. He had to stay strong, could not chance putting his heart in her hands again. It had taken him a long painful year to finally move on with his life. To heal his heart, his spirit and his soul. No, he was not about to fall backward; he had come too far.

A choked laugh escaped his lips. "Now you want to be with me? Now you realize you love me?" Shaking his head, he turned from her and began pacing the room like a caged animal. "Do you know how many times I wanted so desperately for you to say those words to me Piper? Wanted more than anything for us to be together? It was all I lived for."

When he turned back, she could see his eyes glistening with unshed tears. "God, I had never wanted anything so badly. But you didn't want me Piper, did you? No you wanted Dan and the normal life he supposedly could give you. You were going to marry him. He told me he was going to ask you and then I saw you come in that night, wearing his ring. I knew at that moment we would never be together. Because I wanted you to be happy, because I loved you that much, I left."

By this time her own eyes were swimming in tears and one by one they fell down her cheeks. "Leo, I…"

He wouldn't let her finish, for the hold on his emotions had been broken after all these months and he needed to set them free. "Don't say it Piper. Don't tell me you changed you're mind. It's too late for that now. I've spent many painful nights putting you in the past. Do you know how hard that was for me? To know I'd never be with you, never see you again. Laying awake at night picturing Dan and you together, married." He paused as he cleared the emotion out of his throat. "But I had too. I had to bury you in a part of my heart I swore never to open again."

Piper sat there in stunned disbelief. She couldn't believe where this conversation was going. Never had she considered Leo not wanting to be with her again. They were meant to be together, she truly believed that in her heart of hearts.

"Are you saying you don't want to be with me Leo?"

Struggling to keep his composure, especially in the face of her obvious distress, he blew out a ragged breath. "I'm saying I can't. It's too late Piper. I've started a new life here, one I'm content with. I can't go back."

Swallowing hard, before asking a question she really didn't want to, but needed to. Steadying herself for the answer. "Are you in love with her?"

Each knew of whom she spoke of. He averted his eyes at the question. "Yes."

The one word response was like a dagger to her heart. The pain so unbearable, she couldn't breathe. Concentrating so hard on keeping it together, she almost missed his next words.

"It's not the same love I had for you. I'll never feel about anyone the way I did for you. With Ellen, it is a nice, ordinary kind of feeling. One I'm willing to accept and go with."

Piper honestly didn't think she could listen to anymore. Her whole emotional being felt as if it had been shredded, and she was left torn and bleeding. "I see." She finally managed. Putting on a brave face, she looked at him. "I guess there's nothing more to say then is there?"

"No, there's not."

"Well then, I think it's time for me to go."

"I'm sorry Piper."

She couldn't stand the pity she saw in his eyes and reflecting in his tone. Abruptly she got to her feet. "Don't be. You're obviously happy and that's how it should be. I'm happy for you, really I am." She hesitated for just a second, then looked him right in the eye. "Guess it just wasn't meant to be."

"I guess not."

Nodding her head, she tossed him one last weak smile and quickly exited the room. Leo stood there torn. Part of him, the part where his heart lay, wanted nothing more than to run after her and take her in his arms. To tell her they could try again. However his head told him to remain where he was. This was for the best. He had found a new life, and he was happy with it. It was a life he was pretty sure his heart would not be broken again. The latter reasoning winning over the former, so he stayed put. He did go over to the window and leaned forward, taking in a long breath. Why did he have a sneaky feeling his life would once again never be the same after seeing Piper.

Her vision was completely blurred by the tears gathering and threatening to spill forth yet again. Blindly she made her way through the house and out the front door. Prue's car was only a few yards away and she made for the relative safety it would provide.

Prue and Ellen had been in the kitchen looking through old photos of the town, each trying to keep their minds off what was going on elsewhere. Prue jumped up when she witnessed a distraught Piper rush by. Without a thought she followed, only to find her sister sitting in the front seat of her vehicle staring unseeingly out. Her eyes red and puffy from tears, which even now were making their way down her face.

The drive back to the motel was made in complete silence. Prue sensing Piper needed time before she would confide in her older sister. Obviously the meeting with Leo did not go as all of them had expected it to.