Disclaimer: I don't own charmed, or any of its characters.
Author's note: Sorry I took so long to update! I'm gonna try really hard to get the next chapter up by tomorrow, coz school starts again on Wednesday. AAAAHHHHH!
Thank you, to all thirteen of you who reviewed chapter 12, (Its unlucky for some, but not for me, coz I got 13 reviews! oh! I could have a hundred by the end of this chapter! Yay!)
RENEEXOXTYLER15: Yep, she jumped. Thank you.
FANMANIA: Thank you!
HALLI-HALLIWELL: I know I'm evil. I'm very proud of it! Lol! And what is it with you guys and fluff! Next chapter I promise.
HEATHER1021: Thank you!
PSYCHOKITTY3: Thanks. I'm glad you like it.
PAIGE HALLIWELL-MATHEWS: I love your suggestion, I really do. But I don't think that she could without slicing herself in half or something... Thank you!
PARVATTI: Thank you!
MOONFIREFAIRY: Thank you. (Sorry about the wait, blame writers block!)
NICOLE812US: thank you!
KATIE-ER: Yep, I love cliffhangers. Lol! And I'm completely terrified by your threat, but think that you should definitely go through with it. (I love puppies!)
MIDDNIGHTBLOSSOM: Intense? Cool! Thank you!
RANGERS1021: I'm glad you liked that bit. Lol! And nope, I definitely said Jeremy. Thank you!
KAIDA-MEDEA: Thank you.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Alive.
Piper's whole body ached, as it finally collided with dry land.
She spluttered, gulping down much needed air, and gagging on the disgusting taste of the water that had so determinedly tried to drown her.
She stood up shakily, wary that her legs didn't really want to cooperate. She didn't care. She was alive, Jeremy was nowhere to be seen, and she would make them cooperate with the one thought, buzzing around her head: To run home as fast as she could…
Leo collapsed, exhaustedly on the couch.
His tired eyes fell on the clock, and he smiled. It was only quarter to eleven. What would Jack say if he could see him now, curled up contentedly on the sofa, watching repeats of 'Buffy the vampire slayer'?
Well he expected that Jack wouldn't have been able to say anything comprehendible, since ten o clock, having probably drunk himself halfway to a coma at Missy Campbell's party.
Leo hadn't gone, of course. He would rather do the full monty in the middle of the school cafeteria than go. He would rather sit here and … listen to the frantic banging on the front door?
"Hang on!" He called, regretfully turning his attention away from Sarah Michelle Gellar's enthusiastic karate kicks, and switching off the TV.
Apparently whoever it was didn't want to wait.
"I said hang on." He muttered, heaving it open impatiently.
He was fully ready to shout at whoever thought it was a good idea to kick the crap out of his front door, when he saw who was standing there.
"Piper…"
The sight of her melted the harsh words forming in his mouth. She was dripping wet. Her long hair hung in saturated tendrils around her terrified face, that was tarnished by a blossoming purple bruise.
"I'm sorry." She whispered in a trembling voice.
"I-I just…my key, in-in the, in the water. I… And Prue, and-and Phoebe, I don't…don't know. And I don't know where he is! I don't know where he is!"
She broke off in tears, and Leo instinctively wrapped his arms around her shivering shoulders, and directed her inside.
"Its okay. Its okay. You're alright. Everything's okay." He promised.
Of course, he had no idea if everything was okay. In fact, he was pretty sure that it wasn't. Why would Piper turn up on his doorstep, soaking wet, and in hysterics if it was?
And his certainty that everything wasn't alright, was only confirmed when he realised that he was the only thing holding her up.
He tightened his comforting hug, and carefully lowered her to the floor, where her uncooperative legs seemed so determined to drag her, and let her sob into his chest.
He just rocked her soothingly, whispering:
"Its okay. Its okay." Over and over again...
Piper just let him hold her, enjoying the warmth of his body, and the solidarity of his arms around her. She couldn't believe how safe he made her feel. How him just being there, lessened the horror of what had happened.
She couldn't stop the tears. Stop herself from crying. But somehow he could. Somehow his gentle, soothing voice was starting to calm her down.
Everything was going to be okay…
The water below the golden gate bridge was contentedly, smugly, still. As if satisfied with its accomplishment tonight. Satisfied with the life it thought it had smothered…
It was wrong.
The calm was disrupted, in true demonic style, as a determined hand broke the surface. It was followed by an arm. A second hand. A glowering face, eyes set with a steely resolve, burning for just one thing: Revenge.
Jeremy was alive…
(There you go. I promise you'll get your fluff next chapter! (I'll make it longer too!) I know that it's practically impossible for Piper to jump of the golden gate bridge, manage to get out, and run home, but please ignore it! I did some research, and you can survive falling from it, and the fall takes five seconds. But as living is not a guarantee, I would suggest that nobody tries it okay? PLEASE review! Come on people, get me to a hundred!)