Disclaimer You know the drill. I don't own Charmed or any of the characters so don't sue me. I'm broke. ; )
Piper slowly opened her eyes drowsily. His arms were wrapped around her. She loved being spooned by him. The feeling of being safe and enveloped. She could feel his soft breath against her ear and she sighed contentedly. She slowly trailed her fingers up and down his muscular, tan arms. He had his hand protectively cupping her belly. She smiled as she thought of how he loved to touch her stomach and lay his ear on her tummy trying to hear the baby. He'd talk to it and sing … he tried to crack jokes too, which really just made her laugh. She loved being with him. A wave of guilt washed over her and her smile quickly faded. She glanced up at the dresser and noticed it was a quarter to one. She gasped and sat up quickly.
"Shit." God, she was late. How could she have slept so long? Cole groaned as he stirred from his slumber.
"Baby? What's going on?" She slid out of bed as he struggled to wake up fully. His dark hair was rumpled and the drowsy confusion in his blue eyes was precious but she couldn't focus on him at the moment. Where were her clothes?
"I'm late." She said a little too forcefully.
"What?" he asked drowsily.
"It's nearly one!" She cried. Panic began to build up in her stomach. How was she going to explain this one away?
"What?" Now he was awake. He rubbed his eyes as to make sure he was seeing properly. It was almost one! Damn. They had slept for hours. Her sisters must be worried sick. He stared at Piper, soaking in her rushed panic and also her beauty. She was rummaging on the floor trying to find her clothes. Her breathing was rapid and her tousled hair had fallen over her eyes. She slipped on her panties in a hurry and Cole couldn't help but smile. She was stunning. Her profile showed her slightly distended belly and her perfect swollen breasts. She scrambled to put on her bra and her eyes caught his. He could see the panic. The fear. He moved across the bed to her and took her hands. They were shaking slightly.
He stared deep into her golden eyes and whispered as if to a baby "Shhh. It'll be okay." She shook her head ever so slightly. "Take a deep breath." He said to her. "We'll handle this." He could see her relax a tiny bit and he leaned forward and laid a soft kiss on her lips. She closed her eyes and sighed deeply. With his hand on the small of her back, he gently turned her so she was facing away from him. He carefully snapped her bra into place and laid a gentle kiss on her shoulder. He reached down and picked up her blouse. She raised her arms and he slipped both of her hands into the sleeves. Then he turned her around. He could see a small glisten in her eyes. Without losing eye contact he began buttoning her top. His large hands were surprisingly nimble. As he got lower his hands brushed against her belly and they lingered there for a moment before he finished. She smiled at him sadly. She looked down, scanning the floor for a sign of her jeans. He swung his legs off the bed and strode across the room. He picked up her jeans, which had been flung at the foot of his bed and handed them to her with a slight grin. He stood in front of her completely naked as if it was the most natural thing in the world … and it was. He was beautiful. His body was tall and toned, sculpted. She raised her eyebrows slightly and slid into her jeans. They hugged her snuggly and still fit her pregnant frame only because they were such low riders that they buttoned right underneath her belly. Piper strode across the room to the dresser and picked up her brush. She noticed Cole's shirt rumpled on the floor and tossed it to him. He was quickly putting on his slacks. As Piper attempted to fix her mussed up hair Cole finished dressing. She caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror and sighed softly. What did he see in her? Her long hair spilled across her shoulders. Her eyes looked tired and sad. She laid a hand on her belly and grimaced. She felt fat and hideous. Suddenly, Cole was behind her. He wrapped his arms around her and leaned down.
"You are so beautiful." He whispered in her ear. She smiled softly and sank into his arms for a few more moments before she stiffened once more.
"I have to go." She muttered as she walked over and put her shoes on.
"Do you want me to shimmer you?" He asked concerned. "Uh, no, you can't. The car." She was panicking again. She put her hand through her hair and stood up. She swayed slightly and Cole quickly took her arm to steady her.
"Come on." He mumbled and shimmered her into the parking garage underneath his penthouse building. He opened the passenger side door for her and got into the car and started the engine. He shimmered the entire car into the Manor's driveway and shut off the motor. He took her hand in his and squeezed it softly.
"It'll be okay" He told her. "I'll be there in an instant if you need me." Piper nodded gratefully and reluctantly got out of the car. She wished she could stay with him all night for once. Actually, she wished she hadn't overslept. She wished none of this had ever happened. No, that wasn't true. She loved being with Cole. She loved him. They talked. He understood her. Appreciated her. He loved her, and she loved him. She made her way up the steps to the manor and shivered slightly. Partly because of the cold and partly because she didn't know what to expect. It's not that she didn't love Leo. She loved Leo so much. It's just that she loved Cole as well. Each relationship was different. She couldn't imagine her life without Leo but at the same time she couldn't live without Cole. She used to think that infidelity was awful and yet here she was, happily married, four months pregnant and cheating on her husband. Her Angel husband with her sister's demonic ex-husband no less. Just thinking about how complicated it all was made her cringe. She stood in front of the double doors to her home trying to find the courage to walk inside. She glanced over to where her car was parked and she saw that he was still there. Her lover. Knowing he was there gave her the strength to put the key in the lock. Slowly she opened the door and let herself in.
The light was on in the kitchen and a reading light was on in the living room but other than that, the house was dark … and silent. She didn't know whether to be relieved or worried. She slowly hung up her coat and walked quietly across the hardwood floor. She peeked into the kitchen and saw that there were potion ingredients all over the counter. She furled her brow. Had there been a demon attack? What was going on? She started to make her way up the stairs. The silence was rather eerie. She made it to the landing and looked up. The hall light was on. One step at a time. She was very deliberate. The atmosphere of the house felt strange and she didn't like it. One hand on the rail, one hand protectively on her belly she made her way to the top of the stairs. It was still completely silent. She continued to walk. Phoebe's bedroom door was ajar and she looked inside. She saw nothing. There was nobody in her bed. She reached in and turned on the light to be sure. Nothing. The room was completely empty. Now she was really worried. Worried about her family, not about them discovering her secret.
"Hello?" She spoke softly. She walked further down the hall and poked her head into Paige's empty room. A little louder this time. "Hello?" No answer. Now she was getting scared. Her heart was beating fast and she felt a little nauseous. What if they had been attacked? What if they were out somewhere dead or dying? What if they had needed the power of three and she wasn't there so they were captured by demons or worse and it was all her fault? She sped up her pace calling louder. "Hello! Anybody here?" How could this be happening? Where were they? "Leo?" She breathed. A lump caught in her throat. The guilt enveloped her. Her breathing was shallow. She was so scared. Her stomach clenched and she felt like she was going to be sick. Suddenly she heard footsteps and voices. She felt dizzy. She'd go down fighting. She could hear running and somebody shouted. Oh god, she thought to herself. What had she done? Everything was getting darker. She saw somebody run down from the attic screaming. Running towards her. She tried to freeze. Two people were approaching her. Two figures. Her head was spinning. Where was Leo? Where were her sisters? She flung out her hands. Freeze. Freeze! They kept running. Suddenly she felt somebody behind her. She spun around quickly getting ready to blow them up. She moved too quickly. She swayed, dizzy. The figure grabbed her arms. She screamed. Eyes. Blue eyes. Familiar, blue eyes. The room was spinning. She had to escape. She had to get to Cole. The walls were swirling around her. She heard her name. She struggled against the firm grip. She had to fight. The ground was moving underneath her. Everything was churning. She collapsed.
