Well, I got a lot of reviews on that last chapter ... can't think why. Hope this one doesn't disappoint anyone ...

Chapter 5 – My Angel

I stared at the bread knife in Dan's hand, and the grin on his face.

He was in control again, and he knew it. I tried to fight back, to stand up for myself, and it might just get me killed.

"Dan – please -" I said weakly.

He grabbed my arm, pressed the blade to it. It could feel the cold metal digging into my arm. I knew that if he applied a little more pressure to it, I would start bleeding.

"Get back in there." He said quietly.

I looked him in the eye, wondering how far my new-found defiance would let him go.

He pressed the blade harder, and I felt the skin tear. Crimson liquid appeared, and began to run down my arm.

I nodded, terrified. But I couldn't just give up. For Patty. He released me, shoved me towards the door. And I saw the phone, sitting on a little table. Without even thinking, I stumbled into the table, grabbed the phone, and staggered into Patty's bedroom. I held my breath, but he hadn't seen.

I put Patty in her crib, with the phone, checked my arm - it didn't look too deep, but it hurt like hell - and turned back to him. He was just behind me now.

In all these years, I've been scared of him, but this is the first time I've feared for my life. This is the only time I've truly understood the difference.

He stood, right behind me, twirling the knife and grinning. "Maybe I'll kill you." He said flatly. I faced him. For the first time in a long time, I just faced him.

"Maybe I'll just kill her." He said, grinning – how can he grin when he threatens a child?

I don't know where I got the strength from. Maybe I was just so determined to protect Patty. But somehow I pushed him out of the room, and slammed the door. The element of surprise was on my side, and I began pushing the draws up against the door. If only it locked from this side. If only there was a way to get out of the window. But the drop is too far for Patty, probably for me, too.

As Dan pounded on the door, screaming threats, I fumbled in my bag for the card Leo had given me days before.

Quickly punching in the number my breath became more ragged as Dan banged on the door.

"Hello, Leo Wyatt?" Leo's voice said brightly down the phone.

"Leo, please, help me!" I cried. I wasn't even really thinking, just acting. He was the only one I could think of.

"Piper? Piper, what's wrong?" He said quickly.

"Leo, he's got a knife, he's got a knife!"

The line went dead. I stared at the phone, then threw it down. Was he coming to help me, or had he just decided this was too much for him to get involved in?

I tossed the phone down, cringed as the drawers in front of the door shook, and looked at the window. Too high, I told myself again. Too high, but it was the only way out.

And then I heard pounding on the front door.

"Piper!" Leo's voice rang out, and I threw froze. How could he have possibly got here so fast?

I heard the front door crash to the floor, and Dan scream something at him. My arm began throbbing, and I looked down, the scarlet blood reminding me of something I'd somehow forgotten. Frantically I pushed the drawers away.

Dan still had a knife. I'd been so scared I hadn't realised the danger I'd put Leo in.

That's why I'd called him, rather than calling home. Without even realising it, I'd avoided calling my sisters to protect them, and dragged an innocent man into this.

What if he got hurt? What if he died because of me?

I opened the bedroom door in time to see Leo punch Dan, knocking him to the floor. For a moment, I only stared, and then Leo sat on Dan, continued punching him, again, and again. I ran back, grabbed Patty.

We were leaving. Nothing could make me stay, now, nothing at all. I stood in the doorway, holding Patty while she sobbed, watching with horror and fascination as Leo hit Dan, over and over.

It was only when Dan's head lolled to the side, blood spurting from his nose and lip, that I realised he was unconscious.

"Leo, stop!" I screamed. He looked up at me. "Just take me home." I said softly. That's all I wanted. To be home, to have Patty safe.

Leo nodded, struggled to his feet, then grabbed my hand, pulled me towards the door.

I hugged Patty to me. "We're OK, baby, we're OK." I whispered against her head. We're not, of course we're not. We're not safe, not while Dan's alive.

But I can't think about that right now. I don't have the strength.

He pulled out of the building, and I looked around for his car.

"Leo, where's your car?"

He didn't answer, but pulled me towards my own car, the one I'd owned before Dan, and was allowed to drive sometimes. The one he'd once slashed the tires on to stop me leaving, the one he'd once emptied of petrol, just to mess with me.

"How did you get here?" I asked, realising his car wasn't here.

"Taxi." He said. "Give me your car keys, I'll drive."

I handed them over and climbed into the passenger seat.

"You got a taxi that fast?" I asked.

"Yeah, there was one right outside." He muttered.

"But – you got here really quick -" I said confused.

He looked at me. "Piper, just trust me, OK? I knew I had to get to you fast, and I would risk everything to save you."

I nodded. That scared me a little more. He was still a stranger, and surely it wasn't normal to risk your life for a stranger?

"Here." He passed me a cell phone. "Call the police."

"What? Leo I can't -"

"What? You're going to let him get away with that? Piper he could have killed you. Both of you."

"I – I know, and I will call them. I have to." Odd, that I should be so scared of calling the police after what just happened. But we're not safe with Dan out there, so I need to call the police and hope that, this time, they can lock him away. "But...tomorrow, OK? I can't face it now."

"OK. Do you at least want to call your sisters? Let them know you're on your way home?"

Home. I'm going home.

"OK." I dialled the manor.

"Hello?" Phoebe's voice said brightly.

"Phoebe? It's me." I said, and to my horror tears sprang into my eyes. I'm going home, and I'm going to have to tell them all of this. Admit it all.

They'll judge. Probably they'll judge, and they'll be mad at me for letting this go on so long. But they'll be there, they'll support me and help me.

"Piper? What's wrong? Are you OK?" She said quickly. In the background I could hear Prue and Paige saying something.

"I – I'm coming home." I said, and a tear slipped down my face. I want to curl up on my bed – my old bed, in my old room – with my daughter, and cry and sleep and feel safe.

"Piper? What's happened?" Phoebe demanded. She sounded so worried, it only brought more tears to me. She'll be so upset.

"Dan – he had a knife -" I sobbed.

"What!" Phoebe's voice grew urgent, and I could hear, in the background, Prue and Paige demanding to know what was happening. "Are you OK? Piper? Are you OK – is Patty?"

"Yeah – I – Leo's bringing us home -"

"Leo? Handyman Leo?"

"Yeah – I – I'll see you soon, Phoebe."

"Piper – Piper wait -"

"Bye." I said shortly, then hung up.

"Are you OK?" Leo said softly. I shook my head, then lowered it, as the tears fell.

"Piper, do you trust me?" He asked.

I nodded.

"Whatever happens, I want you to carry on trusting me." He said. I nodded again. "Promise?"

Another nod.

"And one more thing." He said. "Don't ever go back to him. You need to promise me that, too."

"I won't. Ever. I promise." I murmured.

"OK. We're nearly there."

As we pulled into the driveway, Phoebe was sprinting towards us, her face worried, pale.

"Piper!" She pulled me into a hug, and I started crying again. I can't help it, I just can't. And I'm so tired. So, so exhausted.

"Piper!" Prue and Paige were running towards us too.

"Come on, honey, let's get you inside." Paige said, taking my arm. So concerned. She's five years younger than me, but she's so worried, so scared for me. I shouldn't do this to her.

"I'll call you tomorrow." Leo said, turning away.

"Don't leave me!" I said quickly. "I mean – stay – it's late -" I added hastily. I shouldn't depend on him. I don't know him, I shouldn't depend on him. But I'm afraid I already do.

He nodded, followed us inside.

"Tell us what happened." Prue said, once I was seated in the living room with a cup of coffee.

"I – I don't know where to begin." I said quietly.

"From the beginning." Paige said. It might sound sarcastic, but it wasn't.

"Dan.." I need to just say it, just get it out. "Dan's been abusing me, physically, for years. Almost all the time I've lived with him." I said eventually. I can't look at them. I can't see their faces.

"He hits you?" Prue said softly. I heard the pain in her voice. I knew what she was thinking. She'd always thought it was her duty to protect us, and now she'll be thinking she hadn't.

But it wasn't her fault. It was Dan's, and it was mine.

I nodded. Patty had fallen asleep on me, I realised. Just laid her head down and fallen asleep.

"Piper, why didn't you tell us?" Phoebe said tearfully. I shrugged again.

"I was ashamed." I admitted.

"OK, honey, what happened tonight?" Paige asked.

"I – I – a couple days ago, we had an argument. He hit me." That's all the need to know. I won't, ever, give them the details, let them know the extent of it. Because it'll hurt them, and I won't do it. Phoebe looks at me, tears sliding down her face too.

I wipe my own away, and take a deep breath.

"I went out, I was upset, and I bumped into Leo. He took me back to his place and...I told him everything." I didn't mention I'd already told him. I don't really know why. It seems almost disloyal, as though I should've come home, instead.

"Dan had seen me leave with him, and when I went home, he lost it. Locked me and Patty in her room."

I paused. "I tried to fight back, I really did, but he kept us there ..."

"For three days?" Leo asked incredulously. I nodded again.

"I ... told him he was pathetic." I said eventually. "Stupid of me. So he started again. Then one of the neighbours must have called the police. He convinced them it was nothing. I went along with it. The only time I tried to tell them what happened, it made it worse. Then he ... picked up the knife. He said maybe he'd kill me. Maybe he'd...maybe he'd kill Patty.

Everyone gasped. And they were all thinking, how could I have stayed with that monster? They're judging me for it.

That doesn't bother me. That used to be one of the reasons I'd stayed with him, but now their judgement doesn't matter.

"I somehow managed to push him out of the room, and called Leo." I looked up at him. "I'm so sorry, I didn't think about the knife -"

"Don't worry, it doesn't matter." He said.

"Anyway, Leo knocked him out and brought me here." I finished. I tried to make it light. To make it all sound somehow less than it was.

"Right." Prue nodded then reached for the phone.

"What are you doing?" I asked quickly.

"Calling the police." Prue replied.

"No!"

"Piper, he is not getting away with this." Paige told me. I sighed, leaned back against Leo.

It was going to be a long night, but we were safe.

All thanks to Leo.

My angel.

What a guess! OK, next they're going to find the book, and Piper finds out Leo isn't exactly who he says he is ...