AN: Hi everybody! NO, I DIDN'T FORGET ABOUT YOU GUYS! I swear. This chappy wasn't meant to win any awards and gave me major writer's block. Anyway, it's just a chapter to help segue into the chapters involving the custody hearing. I would love to do personal responses, but I think getting the chapter up is more important. Right? Right. Anyway, you guys have given me some of the most positive praise ever, and it means the absolute world to me. Seriously. I love it. In the next few chapters, "The Cardinal Rule" will be coming to a close and I'll try to come back with something equally… real and good, if you guys want me to. I hope so. Anyway, I have a few ideas in the works. I'm actually thinking a period piece, centered around the Burning of Troy. What do you guys think of that? I really need to know because I would hate to see you guys disappointed.
With a sense of finality, Leo dropped a small box of clothing onto the living room floor of Piper and Phoebe's house. Piper came and stood beside him, dropping an equally small box of children's books. Emma looking slightly dazed and excited, ran past them around the house. "We're gonna live here!" She said with a happy giggle. Then, she took off up the stairs.
Leo smiled lightly. "Yeah." He was talking mostly to himself.
Piper wiped a smudge of dust off her face. "Look, Leo, the judge won't take Emma away from you. I believe that's what they call crazy." She kicked the box of books out of the path and sauntered over to the kitchen. "You want some water?" Her tone was firm yet understanding.
He jogged over next to her. "Sure." He took the big glass she offered him and downed half of it in one gulp. He wiped his wet mouth on his white t-shirt before planting a kiss on her lips. "What would I do without you?"
"Go insane." She said dryly, taking a much smaller sip from her glass. After a pause she spoke. "Leo, I've been thinking about this for a long time." She paused to take another busying sip of water. "Well, I think it's time we tell Emma that she may have to go with her…Amy."
Leo didn't say anything for a moment, just finished his water. "I think you're right. I mean, we've told her about the decision to have a baby, the moving here… Well, she has a right to know everything. I've never shut her out before." Piper nodded and Leo trotted to the stairs, calling Emma's name up the stairs. She came trotting down the stairs, a grin across her face and her big blue eyes shining.
"Yes, Daddy?" She ran down the stairs and straight into his arms. He picked her up with a playful grunt and sat her on the couch. He knelt before her and suddenly, Piper was sitting Indian style beside him, biting a toothpick. Pepper always had chewed toothpicks when she was really worried.
Leo sighed. "Well, Emma, Piper and I have something to tell you." He sighed again. "Well, sometimes mommies and daddies fight over their kids and they have to go to court to see who gets them."
"Oh, kinda like on TV, you know, the judge shows." Emma said, curiosity blatant.
"Okay, like that." Leo tented his fingertips against his lips. "Emma, I have to go to court against your mom, and if I lose, you may have to go live with her."
Emma's eyes grew big. "Are you still gonna have a baby?"
Piper and Leo exchanged a quick glance. "Yes, Emma, we think so."
And then, much to their surprise, Emma started crying. "So, you're gonna have a baby to replace me?"
"Oh, baby, no." Leo wrapped his daughter in his arms. "Oh, no. We could never replace you."
Sniffling, Emma pulled away from him. "Really?"
"Really."
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Later that night, Leo stepped out of the shower into his and Piper's bedroom. One hand holding the towel at his waist, he sought out a t-shirt in cardboard box marked LEO'S CLOTHES. "You know, I'm really going to have to unpack soon."
"Yeah." Piper was flipping leisurely through a Glamour magazine.
Leo pulled on a pair of boxers and tossed his towel elsewhere. "You know, I've been thinking… Maybe we should wait to have a baby."
That got her attention. She put her head in her hand and her elbow on the pillow beside her. "Why? After all this convincing me you did, you want to wait?"
Leo, now in a gray t-shirt, flopped on the bed beside her and clapped a hand over her thigh. "Well, if it's going to make Emma feel bad…Or unloved, or unwanted, then maybe we should just wait."
Piper gave him an odd look. "Well, Leo, if you really think that this is the best way."
"No, don't get me wrong. I want a baby as much as I need to breathe, but I don't—"
"I don't think that Emma will feel unloved. We explained it to her. She understands." Piper sighed. "And frankly, I'm tired of going back and forth on the issue. I know part of the initial indecision is on me, but, I'd like to make a decision and stick with it."
Leo gazed at her long and hard. "You really think we should go ahead?"
"Yes, I do."
Leo kissed her softly. "That's why you're the smart one."
"I try." She flipped the next page in her magazine. "Hey… Look. Ten Tricks That'll Drive Him Wild." She gave him a funny smile.
"Let me see." Leo snatched the magazine from her. "Number 1." He read it with a thoughtful look on his face and handed it back to her with a playful scowl. "Here. Duh, we coulda figured that one out without a magazine."
Piper's grin broadened. "Look at number 7." She said, pointing to the page.
He read it and his eyes got big. "That's a good one." He grinned at her. "Let's try it." With that he pounced on her.
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The next night—Sunday—Piper was cooking dinner, watching Emma, and talking on the phone with Phoebe. The cordless was tucked against her ear and shoulder, Emma was coloring at the table and the chicken was frying in the skillet.
"So anyway," Phoebe was saying, "Bret and I were playing Parcheesi last night and—"
"You wild animals, you." Piper joked, moving the chicken into a pan and putting more on the skillet.
"Funny. So, we were playing that stupid game, when the phone rings, and it's Haley Baton."
"That popular girl that moved away a few years ago?"
"One in the same. She married a doctor."
"Oh. She had a thing for Leo."
"Yeah. Anyway, you know that she's got eight kids now."
"Eight?" Piper asked, incredulous. "Oh my God."
"And two more on the way, I found out, while we were talking."
"She's gonna have ten kids?" Piper moved the mashed potatoes to a back burner. "Wow. Why was she calling Bret's house?"
"Well, she's coming back in town for vacation—"
"And bringing all those kids with her?" Piper asked, moving the green beans as well.
"Yep, so—"
"Piper?" Emma looked up from her drawing, blue crayon poised above her paper.
"Hold on." Piper told her sister. Then: "What, sweetheart?"
"Daddy's home. And he looks happy." Then, she began scribbling furiously.
Piper looked up to see Leo standing in the doorway, holding a large bouquet of roses and a smaller one as well. He had a huge smile on his face. "Oh hey, honey." Piper said, licking some gravy off of her fingertips. "Pheebes, can I call you back? Leo just got in." After exchanging goodbyes, Phoebe and Piper hung up. "Hey." She told Leo, giving him a wary glance.
He just grinned. "Hel-lo, beautiful." He kissed Emma on the forehead and then kissed Piper on the lips.
"What's got you in such a good mood—i.e., bass-ackwards?"
He just kept smiling. "I got a new job!" He exclaimed and both Emma and Piper rushed him with hugs.
"Oh my God!" Piper exclaimed. "What kind of job is it?"
"Well, actually, it's construction advisory. Instead of doing the actually construction I…Oversee. In a way." He was too excited to explain fully, but it was okay. He kissed each of them on the cheek. "Anyway," he waved the roses, "I brought these home to celebrate. Well, in a miniscule way." He grinned. "Is dinner ready?"
"Yep." Piper went to the stove and checked the food. "Lucky you mister, you're right on time." Together, the family sat down to a celebration dinner. Things were looking a lot better.
AN: Okay, next chapter, we'll address Ross and the kiss, the custody hearing and well, I'll say this. Piper and Leo's future… As I said above, I really want to hear your opinions. I have a lot of ideas, but why don't you guys tell me what you would like to see me write. Not a plot, but like, something you would like to see me write. If you can. Please review!