Chapter 11 – Whitelighter's Love

"Piper, can you hear me?" Leo whispered. "Piper, I know you can hear me." He added, confidently.

Prue stirred, and he froze, but she remained asleep.

"Remember, Piper, what you said earlier on?" He said, quickly and urgently. "About me being able to make you feel better? Well, that's what I'm here to do now. You can do this Piper. You can pull out of this, I know you can."

Nothing.

"I wish I could heal you Piper, I really do ... but the Elders are worried about exposure."

Still, nothing. It killed him to see her like this, but he was powerless. If her wound just disappeared, people would be very suspisious.

"You have to, Piper, for Patty. I checked in on her, she's crying, she doesn't know where you are. She needs you. Your – your sisters, they need you to wake up, they love you. And ..."

She had to hear him, had to hear what he was about to say.

"And I love you."

She stirred, her head moving, groaning a little.

"Leo ..."

He reached up, pulled off her breathing mask.

"I'm here."

"Leo ... I ... heard you. I heard them all." She murmured, her eyes fluttering open, then closed again.

"I mean it, I love you." He said, realising there were tears on his face. "I love you Piper."

"I love you too." Eyes open, eyes closed. "But ..."

He felt as though she'd crushed him.

"B-but?"

Eyes open. "I can't ..." Eyes closed.

"Cant what?"

Eyes open. "The last time I loved someone ..." She waved her hand weakly at the machines around her.

"Piper I'm different, I'm not Dan. I wont hurt you, I'll take care of you and love you. And Patty."

"I can't ... Get involved with anyone right now." She told him, her eyes closed. "I need to ... find myself. And I can't do that in a relationship."

He didn't answer, didn't know what to say.

"I'm sorry." She whispered.

"Don't be." He said gently, but she heard the hurt in his voice. "I understand."

"Someday ... I want to be with you." She said, opening her eyes, and looking into his. "But right now, I can't ..."

"Shh. It's OK."

"Leo, I love you with all my heart." She told him, suddenly realising it was true. "Wait for me ..."

Her eyes closed again.

"Always." He whispered. He replaced her mask, kissed her head and left.

A single tear slid down her face.

"P-Prue ... Ph-eobe, Pa-aige." She whispered, half an hour later. "Guys ..." It hurt to talk, but she wanted to see them, hear their voices.

Paige stirred first.

"Piper?"

"Paige." Piper breathed. Paige flung her arms around her neck.

"I'm so glad your awake. We didn't know if you'd ..."

"I know."

"Piper? Are you crying?"

"Leo was here." Piper confessed. "He brought me back." It seemed important Paige knew Leo had saved her. "He told me he loved me."

"I knew it!" She whispered, half-laughing, half-crying. "And ...?"

"I told him I wasn't ready. I need to find myself. I hurt so much, Paige. I love him so much, I never knew it possible."

"You did the right thing." Paige nodded. She wasn't sure if she believed this, but Piper needed her support right now. "Until you've sorted yourself out ... And he'll wait for you."

"He said he would." Piper murmured.

Next to her, Phoebe stirred.

"Shh. I don't want to go over it again." Piper said quickly. Paige nodded. Piper would tell the others eventually, but she was tired, weak.

"Prue! Paige!" Phoebe said sleepily. "She's awake, she's awake!"

"Piper!" Prue and Phoebe fell upon her.

"OK, your all really glad I'm awake but can you give me some air?" She said eventually.

"I'll get a nurse." Paige smiled, walking towards the door.

"Leo!" She hissed, nearly bumping into him. "What are you – oh. Right."

"How is she?"

"Upset. She told me ... what you did. Thank you."

He nodded.

"I mean it, Paige, I love her, I really do."

"I know. And she loves you too. She just isn't ready ... You wanna go in?"

"No. You ... family and all that."

"OK. She loves you Leo."

He nodded.

"I'll be back." He turned, walked away.

Paige wiped a tear away.

Someday, Piper would get her happy ending. She was sure of it.