AN: Well, everyone, this has been the favorite fic by far, but I'm sad to say, this is the last of "The Cardinal Rule". I know, I know, I hate to see it go myself, but it had to end sometime. Anywho, I wanted to say thank you all for reading and loving this fic the way you do.

Five Months Later

December

The wedding was being held on the beach. It seemed as if all of Bolepick was there to support and celebrate the union of Piper Halliwell and Leo Wyatt. Haley was there with Robert Jr., Bobby for short, Katie, Madeline, Cynthia, Greg, Morgan, Hank, Markus and the new twins, Andrew and Aaron and her husband, Robert Sr. Kerry was there with little Baby Joey who wasn't too little anymore and Ross was there. Phoebe was a bridesmaid, along with Prue. Bret was Leo's best man and Prue's husband, Charlie sat with their kids, Jill and Sam. Mrs. Shultz showed in an awful pastel suit, but that was okay. Leo's parents were there and Piper's father had shown. Leo's mother was even maid of honor. Even Marc Linden had gotten an invite and shown, looking rather nice in a black suit, and drawing the attention of Haley's eldest daughter, 15-year-old Cynthia. Oh boy. Oh well.

Leo stood at the end of the alter, his shoes pinching his feet. He hadn't worn these shoes in years, not since that night, years ago when he and Piper had gone to the old treehouse. They didn't fit anymore, but he only wore them on special occasions, so he would survive. But they really were pinching his feet. He waited patiently for Piper to come out. Actually, not so patiently, he wanted to see his fiancée. Light, pretty music began playing as Emma skipped down the aisle, throwing rose petals everywhere. That was the flower they'd decided on, by the code. Roses meant love and that's all they needed. Emma hopped up to the front of the aisle and stepped to the side. Phoebe and Prue, trailed after her smiling brightly for their sister.

All of a sudden, "Here Comes The Bride" began to play. Leo looked up in anticipation of the only woman he'd really loved in ten years and then some. And now she'd be his wife. A shiver of love, longing and excitement ran through his back. Piper appeared at the head of the alter. She looked wonderfully ethereal, glowing and happy. She was round with pregnancy, and he really liked the look of it. Knowing his child was growing inside her. Their child. They knew it was a girl, the doctor had told them, and Emma simply ecstatic about the whole thing. Piper's dress had been tailor-made for her, flattering her larger figure. But she didn't seem to mind, as a matter of fact, she rather liked it herself. She looked wonderful in white, as it flowed and cascaded around her body. She smiled at him as she reached him, as he took her hands in his.

"Dearly Beloved." The priest began, "We are gathered here to witness the holy union of Piper Halliwell and Leo Wyatt. As it is, they've decided to write and read their own vows. Leo?"

Leo sighed deeply. "Piper, through all the tears and struggles, I always knew in my heart that we'd make it here. I promise to love and respect you from this point forward as your husband, as my wife, my lover, my friend and my soulmate. All I am is yours."

He could see tears glistening on her cheeks as she began her vows. "Leo, you are the best thing that's ever happened to me. I was afraid you were too good to be true, that maybe I didn't deserve someone as pure and beautiful and loving as you are. But here we are surrounded by the people I love the most, and I feel so proud and so blessed to be your wife. Leo, I was born to love you and always will."

888888888

Piper and Leo Wyatt stood in front of a rather large group of women who had morphed from the weepy group of supporters to a group of savage bouquet-hungry animals. Piper was getting ready to throw the bouquet. Leo raised a nervous brow as Piper turned around backwards to throw the aforementioned bouquet. He tugged a little on the bodice of his wife's dress. "Piper, this looks dangerous, are you want to do this?"

Piper laughed. "I won't be fighting for the thing. They will." And she quickly tossed it in the air.

The married couple looked onto see who would win. And the bouquet of roses flew straight into the hands of her sister, Phoebe, who smiled shyly at Bret. Piper and Leo smiled at each other before Leo leaned over to whisper in her ear. "Do you wanna cut out?" He asked, looking dangerously mischievous. Piper smiled at him and took his hand.

As they started to walk away, Phoebe and Bret were still smiling at one another, but evidently, the rest of the women didn't think that just because the bouquet was caught that the competition was over. Prue's eyes got big as she noticed the crowd of glowering women getting closer and closer to her oblivious sister. "Phoebe!" she cried, ditching her glass of champagne, "Watch out!" Phoebe turned and raised her bouquet in defense as Prue dashed over the sand to her aid.

Piper and Leo giggled as they made their way through the woods, Leo tugging her along behind him. "Leo!" she said, "Slow down! I can't move around the way I used to!"

He laughed, mostly at himself. "Sorry."

"Shh! This is a secret rendezvous, remember?"

"There's nobody around for a good mile at least. You make it sound so…special."

"It is, you're special."

Piper didn't reply, to busy noticing her surroundings. It seemed oddly familiar…

"We're here." The couple had reached a small clearing, with an onset of trees beside it. The trees curved around one so that the branches created a bowl like shape. And in that bowl was built a tree house. Piper let out a gasp and went running for the makeshift structure. Leo laughed and went running after her, watching her white dress sway in the wind. She'd always looked good in white. He liked the dress on her, it had sort of a corset like top with crisscrossing straps in the back and it flared down to her knees, where it rested. As she ran, it swirled around her, baiting him.

Piper watched Leo run after her with a laugh. She prayed he didn't mess up his shoes. .She'd never hear the end of it. They were his special shoes, he only pulled them out on really momentous occasions. Just then, he caught up with her. He picked her right up off the ground, twirling her in the air. She laughed again and rested her palms on his shoulders. He'd set the bottle of merlot on the ground, along with the map. Fireflies danced amongst them as they continued to laugh as though they didn't have a care in the world. At the moment, the two teenagers didn't.

Piper looked at him in pleased surprise. "Leo is this—"

"Come on!" he interrupted. Being much more careful of her body's abilities, he pulled her along beside him towards a clearing. In the clearing was a low-to-the-ground tree, and in the tree sat a tree house. Around it, the setting sun shone dimly, casting the place in a magical orange glow. A tire swing hung off of another tree. "I can't race you this time." Leo commented, "but, I can walk with you." Smiling through her tears of happiness, she rested her head against his shoulder and they began towards the tire swing, making their way around the place of old. He sat in it, swinging just a little, his shoes scraping the ground as he rocked from side to side. He patted his lap with a slow smile.

Piper shook her head. "Oh no, if I sit down the thing'll surely collapse. I mean, it's just tire and a rope, which by the way is like, over ten years old."

Leo just smiled. He'd come back a few days ago and tied new rope making sure it would hold both of them. You couldn't be in construction and not know a few things. He patted his lap again. Piper winced and gingerly sat in his lap. After a long moment in which the tire swing held the two of them, and didn't collapse, she smiled and relaxed. They exchanged no words, just simply enjoying one another. After another long moment, they stood and continued to the treehouse.

Finally, Leo spoke again. "Hey, there are more surprises. Come on!" They jumped up and went for the treehouse. The tree house was low to the ground, so all he really did was push her up and in, before bracing himself on the branches and hoisting himself up.

"Leo…" she breathed. "It's beautiful."

As he had before, he helped her into the treehouse, then climbed in behind her. It was just as she remembered it, down to the red and white checked blanket they'd left crumpled in the corner. "It looks as if no one's been here for years. Since we were here." She added.

Leo smiled. "Yeah…" He dropped into a sitting position—kicked off his shoes—ohh, ahh—and, not wanting her to muss or dirty her white dress, pulled her in his lap. He gazed at her for a moment, drinking her in. The smooth contours of her face, the planes and peaks. The fullness of her lips, the glowing of her eyes. The soft silk of her hair. The smell of her skin. The roundness of her belly. His Pepper.

She cocked her head. "What are you looking at?" She seemed to be embarrassed at his study, though he'd looked at her and watched her in much more intimate ways. Leo shook his head and helped her to her feet and from there over to the window. He took her in his arms, delicately. "Emma's gonna be so pissed at us."

Leo laughed. "She'll survive. Hell, when we go on the honeymoon, we'll only be gone a week. You've always wanted to see Greece anyway."

She smiled. "Still…"

He placed his finger over her lips, before removing it. "Wanna know what a wise woman once told me?"

"What's that?" she murmured, closing her eyes.

"She said that it was a cardinal rule to tell someone you love them, when you know you do." He smiled and leaned over to whisper against her lips. "I love you, Piper Wyatt."

The arms around her waist felt her shiver. "I love you too."

Piper took his palms and pressed her lips to them. "You know, before my mom died, she always said that it was a cardinal rule to tell someone you love them, when you know you do." She paused and looked up at him expectedly. "I love you." Piper prayed he would say it back.

She needn't have worried. "I love you too." He responded quickly, almost as if the words were on the tip of his tongue before she'd said them. And they showed it, that night in the moonlight, bodies intertwined. They had given each other something special, something they couldn't take back. And it only gave proof to their words.

And before another word could be uttered he kissed her. The kiss was like something neither of them could imagine. It both blew them to pieces and anchored them to the world. To one another. Forever and Always.

So kiss me…

AN: I know, it was hard to see it go, but hey, we'll all remember it. I'll probably come at you with two fics this time, but one is magical, and the other is AU, so hopefully ya'll won't mind. I don't know which I'll do first, since I have the first chapter or so typed up to both of them, so it's really a toss-up. But, they will be up shortly, and I hope you guys will love those (and the ones that will come after) as much as you loved this. So, on behalf of Piper, Leo, Emma and the baby, and the rest of Bolepick's citizens, THANK YOU!