Hey, people, sorry about the delay. I only had like half of this chapter, so I added the other half and decided to post it right away. Seriously, I just finished it like ten minutes ago. This isn't my longest chapter ever, but it's not the shortest. I'm working on these three other fics a lot. I'm going to finish them and post them, without too many delays because they'll be finished! Also, I'm going to work the black rose into the story real soon...
charmedmel32: And the winner is...YOU! THE FIRST REVIEWER! You're on a streak!
scullymulder1234: Yay! I updated! Wow, you seemed hyper. Glad I don't bore you, lol.
True Star: I'm like a train. I keep on comin' and I keep on goin'...chugga chugga choo choo! woo woo!
Magical Princess: Thanks for the idea on the chapter's name...I still can't think of anything, though...I wanted to name it Emma, for Jake's daughter, but it wans't like the chapter revolved around her or anything...
kk241289: Yes, I have lots of tricks...Some are good, some are stupid...And let's face it, some are just plain crappy. But most are good. Like the one you mentioned. You've got some good tricks, too, you know...
syadyniar: Did you wait for more? lol
Charmboy4: Emma? Emma is Leo's neice. She probably knows Leo loves Piper, yeah. She remembers Piper.
Leo+Piper-Forever: Poor Leo? Poor Leo why? He's not poor! He's part of the friggin' CIA! He's rich! lol
meenyrocks: Oh, okay, I spelled it right. Oh, yeah, Piper knew Dan shot Leo. Well, she knew Leo got shot. She didn't know it was Dan. I think I put something about it in this chapter. Thanks for the ideas, but I still can't think of a name!
patricia: Yeah, I'm still stuck on that whole "People Like Dan More Than Leo" thing, too.
Nakita: 2What? Lily Street! It's Lily! 'Cause she's not in this story, and I've always kinda liked her, even though we've only seen one picture of her...I've got my own image of her and her personality...And you know, Leo WAS married to her, so I figured it was only right. (That, and I couldn't think of anything else!)
piper+leo4eva: "Update Soon" is on like every single review on this entire site! lol! We need to come up with something better! We're writers! We're supposed to be creative!
Chub: Thanks, I like them having a past, too. Adds for drama...
Piper—"
"No, Leo! Don't 'Piper' me! You say you have a case in L.A.—Okay! You call from the city to tell me you'll be there a couple of weeks—Okay! You don't call for five days—Not okay! I get a call from the Los Angeles Memorial Hospital telling me you were in the Emergency Room after going to the OR at the Trauma Center for being shot by a man I can't even know the name of? Not okay, Leo! That is—I don't know what the hell it is, but—"
"Piper, it's okay. I'm okay."
"No you're not! You just got out of the hospital yesterday!"
"Which obviously means I'm fine if they let me out."
"You shouldn't have been in there in the first place!"
"What do you want me to do, Piper? Rewind time for you? You want me to quit my job, is that it?"
"No, I just don't want to have to worry about your life every time you leave the house!"
"You think you're the only one who worries? It's my life! I worry too!"
"Well it sure as hell doesn't look like you do!"
"Should I be afraid when I go to work, then? Excuse me for having a positive attitude in my job! Maybe I should change to suit you! Maybe I should be afraid of my job, because you obviously want me to!"
"I'm not asking you to do that, Leo!"
"Then what are you asking of me?"
There was silence for a few seconds.
"Just don't—…Don't get killed," Piper whispered. "Please."
Leo's features softened. "…What?"
"Just don't get killed!" Piper cried, falling into Leo's arms. He winced slightly from the bullet wound, but wrapped his arms around her.
Piper woke with a start, flying forward in her bed. She immediately reached beside her for a sleeping body, but only found air. She sobbed aloud.
This was all too confusing.
Why was she crying about her ex-boyfriend and having dreams about her ex-boyfriend when she should be mourning her ex-fiancé?
Prue and Phoebe burst into the room. Piper jumped a mile. "What happened?"
"Huh?"
"We heard you scream."
"…Scream?" Piper asked quietly. She didn't remember screaming.
"Yeah…" Prue and Phoebe walked up to Piper's bed and sat beside her.
"Uh…I, don't…" Piper shook her head. She sniffled.
"Piper, try to get some sleep. This is the third time you've woken up screaming tonight. You're going to be too tired for the funeral."
"…Funeral?"
"Yeah. A few of Dan's friends, about twenty of them. And us…"
Piper shook her head. "I never even thought about—No one told me…"
"We thought it would be too hard, considering the circumstances. So we planned it for you."
Piper nodded. "Thank you."
"Anytime."
"…What time is it at?"
"Noon."
Piper nodded. Her sisters tucked her in and made sure she was asleep before leaving for their own rooms.
Piper stood with her head down as she listened to the priest speak. When she looked up, her eye caught Leo, standing away from the other people. She started to look away but her eyes went back to him.
Why is he here? she wondered. He has no business here.
? she wondered.Prue rubbed Piper's back soothingly when they lowered Dan's casket into the ground. They stayed a little while longer, after the other people left. It was twenty minutes before Leo even walked up to them.
"Piper…"
Piper looked up, her eyes red from crying. She gazed at Leo and all she wanted to do was crawl into his arms, a place she'd always felt safe in before. But it was too weird now. It was too different. She was actually afraid to hug him.
"What do you want? Why are you here?" she demanded.
"I know this isn't the best time…" Leo sighed. "But we got a lead last night and I need to follow through…"
"Right…Just doing your job, eh?"
Leo didn't answer her question. "The gun Gordon—Dan…" He sighed. "The gun he used to shoot me turned up last—"
"Wait, what?"
Leo groaned. He forgot he'd never told her it was Dan who had shot him.
Piper started shaking. "It—It was…Dan?…who shot you? Dan? Oh my God…Oh…my God…" She held one hand over her heart while she backed up a couple of steps and tried to catch her breath. "Why?" she whispered, trembling.
Leo stepped forward and put his hand on Piper's arm to steady her.
"Why—Why me? Oh my God…" Piper suddenly fell forward into Leo's arms, hugging him tightly as she cried. "God, I wish it would all go back to normal," she sobbed.
Leo was taken aback at first, stunned. He soon regained his composure and wrapped his arms around her. She pulled back slightly to run her hand over his chest, tracing a circle over the spot she knew the bullet wound was.
"I…I had no idea…" Piper whispered. "This is all too much…" she cried, burying her head in his chest again. "I mean…Dan dying…He was…He was involved with the mob? And—And he shot you…I had no idea," she choked out. "I'm sorry."
"You? Why?" Leo asked quietly, pulling away from her to look into her red eyes and gently push some of her tear-dampened hair from her face.
"I—" Piper sniffled. "I'm sorry I got so mad at you then. When…When Dan…" She closed her eyes. "When Dan shot you."
Leo shook his head slightly. "You had every right—"
Piper fell back into Leo's arms and cried. It didn't matter then that there would be awkwardness each time they spoke to each other from then on, she just needed to cry and she needed to be held.
No, it was more than that…
She needed Leo to hold her.
Piper pulled away. This wasn't right. She stumbled back a couple steps. "I—I'm sorry…I shouldn't have…This—I have to go…" She turned and ran off to her sister's car.
Leo sighed deeply. "Okay, fine…I'll ask tomorrow…" he said to himself.
Piper slammed the front door shut. Prue and Phoebe were already inside and hanging up their coats. Piper threw her coat in the closet without bothering to hang it up. She sighed deeply.
"Piper…" Phoebe started, not sure what to say.
"Don't!" Piper snapped. She headed for the staircase. Prue and Phoebe followed her from a few feet behind.
"Piper, it's okay."
She stopped at the top of the stairs and whirled around to stare at her sisters. "No it's not! It's not okay!" she yelled, tears blurring her vision and wetting her cheeks. "It's not okay!"
"You can grieve Piper. It's natural. You need to grieve," Prue tried to soothe her.
"Not with him!"
Prue blinked. She exchanged a worried glance with Phoebe.
"What?"
Piper looked shocked. "You…didn't see?"
Phoebe and Prue shook their heads. "See what?"
Piper covered her face in her hands. "I hugged Leo," she muttered, her voice muffled. She dropped her hands.
"What?"
"I hugged Leo! I hugged him and cried."
Her sisters were the ones looking shocked now.
"That's right, I fell right into his arms and cried!" With that, Piper stomped down the hallway and into her room. She slammed the door.
Phoebe and Prue hadn't moved. They exchanged another glance then ran off after Piper. They knocked on her door.
"Piper?" Phoebe asked quietly.
"Go away!"
"Piper…It's okay. We're here for you, you know."
There was some silence before Piper's next words. "…It was Dan."
Prue looked at Phoebe, who shrugged.
"What was Dan, Honey?" Phoebe asked.
"It was Dan who shot Leo."
"What?"
"All those years ago! I had a dream about it last night, and then Leo accidentally told me that it was Dan! He never told me! It was Dan!"
Prue sighed and leaned against the door. "Piper, please let us in."
There was a long pause before the door handle turned. Prue stood up straight. The door opened slowly, revealing a red-eyed, crying Piper. She sniffled.
Prue and Phoebe's faces softened. "Piper…" Prue reached out.
Piper stepped back, away from her sister's hand. "I still love him," she said quietly.
"Who?"
"Leo. I still love Leo." With that, she closed the door in her sisters' faces.
Ooh...I wonder what will happen next...No, really, I'm curious! lol
Piper's going to have to confront Leo in the next chapter, and I think I can get the black rose into the next chapter, too. Don't forget to drop a review! I know none of you probably have anything to say, but still...Pwease? I do love them!