AN: Right, so my internet was down for a little while but apart from that the only thing that has stopped me from updating was my laziness and WRITER'S BLOCK! So here it is finally, hope you all haven't got bored of this story now…

Thanks to halli-halliwell, heather1021, Alyssa Warren, Alyssa Warren, chyp, psychokitty3, CharmedLilAngel, versatilecutie, Notanothernonamer, Parvatti, nicole812us, Paige Halliwell-Matthews, lughnasadhfirecat, charmedangel429, Samantha, PiperLeoforever72 and Piperlover348 for reviewing! You guys ROCK!

Leo stared down at the piece of paper in his hands. What was scrawled over it didn't mean anything to him, but it obviously did to Piper, as she was sat in the far corner of the room with her knees pulled up to her chin. He met her eyes for a brief second and she looked away. He could see the look of pure undiluted fear in them and he could feel his blood boiling. He glanced down at the page.

2.12.02

"He knows where I am Leo!" Piper screamed at him, almost hysterically. "He fucking knows!"

Leo made his way over to her, and as he got closer he could see the look of pure undiluted fear in her perfect brown eyes.

"It's going to be ok" he soothed, but she knew better.

"How Leo? He KNOWS where I am!"

He tried to pull her towards him but she flinched away from his touch and that broke his heart. So he tried again, "Look, you're not on your own Piper. You have me, and you have your sisters. We can get through this."

Tears welled up in her eyes, "I'm scared Leo." Her voice sounded shaky and hollow.

"I know baby." And this time she let him her hold her as she cried.

-oxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxo-

Leo held Pipers trembling hand as they sat across the desk from the straight-faced lawyer as he read through the statement.

"Mrs Halliwell-Burns," Leo and Piper both flinched slightly at the sound of the last name but it went un noticed by the lawyer," it says right here that Jeremy Burns beat you on a regular basis," Piper nodded, "How often would you class as "Regular"?"

Piper took a deep breath in as the memories of her past hit her full on "Most nights." The lawyer nodded and jotted some notes down.

"Can you remember any of these times in particular? One that sticks out n your mind or was just particularly bad? " He asked and Piper thought again for a second and gripped Leo's hand tighter.

"On the night of my 27th birthday. He accused me of flirting with my sister's Husband Cole. I told him I didn't but he wouldn't believe me. He had been drinking. And his anger hit a point when he threw me down the stairs." Tears began to fall and Leo pulled her into him. His own anger boiling at these words. I should've killed Jeremy when I had the chance to…

-oxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxo-

Leo watched from the doorway as Piper leant over the table in Paige's kitchen. She looked deep in thought as she brushed a stray strand of perfect brown hair from her eyes. God I love her.

There was one thing bothering him though. The letter. What was it about that date that shook her up so much? It was tomorrow's date. He had thought about it all week and he couldn't think about one single thing. She hadn't mentioned it before. But he knew it must be important. And he had to know.

Leo made his way into the kitchen and wrapped his arms around Piper's small form from behind and nuzzled her neck affectionately.

"Hey baby." He breathed and smiled against her soft, warm skin.

"Hey." She answered, but her voiced sounded different. Like it did at the lawyers.

"What's wrong Piper?" he asked, spinning her around to face him.

"Nothing."

"Piper…"

"Nothings wrong!" She shouted at him, tears clouding her eyes again.

Leo just stood and looked at her for a while, not quite sure what to say to her. He just wished she'd stop hiding her feelings from everyone, and realise that she wasn't on her own. She had people to fall back on. He brushed his hand across her cheek and she looked up at him, a forced smile on her face.

"What wrong?" Leo asked again, in a softer tone.

Piper took a breath in and hesitated for a second, "It was our wedding anniversary. Jeremy's and mine. Three years ago today." And she watched as a feeling of realisation flashed across Leo's face.

"Oh." He said, not sure of what else he could say.

"I always thought we'd be happy, you know, doing things that normal married couples would do on their anniversaries. But I guess not."

"Bad things happen Piper, but good things happen to. You don't have to live through that anymore."

"All the way through school, I wasn't the cool one. I got picked on a lot. And the only thing that got me through those years was the hope that one day I'd meet the one that would save me. Love me. And we'd get married, have kids and live happily ever after." She paused for breath, "I met Jeremy, and I thought that day had finally come. We got married. Best day of my life. When I felt bad, that was thing to carry me through. But now that memory is tainted, and I have nothing to carry me through. I've got nothing to hold on to. That's why the date hurt me so much." She breathed a sigh of relief at getting that off her chest.

Leo felt the weight of her world as the realisation of just how much she had been through hit him full on.

"Marry me?" he said quickly and Piper looked up at him confused.

"What!"

AN: Muhahahahahaha! Sorry again for the wait guys! Please review!