Chapter 31: Hope

Disclaimer: I've missed the last three episodes of Charmed and I'm seriously about a second away from killing someone. That kind of devotion would never come from someone who actually owned the show.

A/N: Okay, here's a new chapter. I kind of want to get a headcount on readers—like just as a general estimate before I end this. So if you're reading and not reviewing right now, that's fine—it'd just be terribly helpful for me if you review just this once so that I can just get a widespread of the people out there reading the fic. I'll say this again at the end of the chapter to remind you guys. Right now the count's at about 2 or 3—or 1—but hey; it's a hard 'nuff life, right? By the way—has anyone gotten the motif yet? Like, yeah, the story's called Things of the Past—but has anyone realized that everything and everyone introduced newly in this story has, in fact, been a 'thing of the past?' That'll give you a bit of insight on who David is if you're wondering about him. But he'll be mostly explained in this chapter anyway. Like I said before, I strongly recommend reading chapters 3 and 4 of Her Destiny if you haven't yet—you might be like, really lost if you don't.

"Wow," Piper breathed, "Pam—you do realize you just met this guy like, 12 hours ago, right?"

"I know, I know," Pam spoke as she made her way up the Manor steps, "It's quick—but you don't understand—he's just so wonderful in that weird quirky way."

"Pam," Piper started with a serious face, "Are you sure you're not mixing some other feeling up with love because of…"

"My lack of experience?" Pam finished, "Maybe…but is that so bad?"

"I just don't want you to get hurt," Piper clarified, "Just let me meet this guy before you get the wedding invitations engraved."

"Promise," Pam laughed, "You know what? I haven't seen the rest of the family all day."

"That's probably because Cole was sulking in his room all day," Piper began, "Phoebe made Andy take him out to a ball game or something…Prue and Phoebe went shopping I think."

"And you stayed in?" Pam questioned.

"Well, yeah," Piper concluded, "Leo's up talking to the Elders about getting Andy's death erased and I'm not really in a shopping mood."

"And why not?" Pam inquired with a smirk.

"I've just been thinking…" Piper trailed off.

"About…"Pam leaded

"The baby, alright!" Piper said, defeated.

"There's a baby?" Pam solicited as her tone of voice dropped a few levels.

"Well…baby to be," Piper said a bit sheepishly.

"Aww," Pam cooed taking a hold of Piper's stomach, "Don't worry…it's coming."

"I hope," Piper said with a hint of anxiety.

"Yeah, well—that's the best we can do," Pam concluded.

"So—earlier," Piper began, "What did Bane want?"

"He just—he went on about how I needed to give the supposed 'us' another chance. Then after I got tired of asking him to leave I decided to ask him if he would've wanted me if Andy never came back—if Prue were just his to have."

"Oh honey," Piper sympathized, guessing what Bane's answer was, "Him and Prue have a history—that doesn't mean what he felt or feels for that matter is somehow cheapened."

"Yeah—that's what he said," Pam laughed, "So you're on his team now?"

"No," Piper huffed, "I bat for team Halliwell. I'm just throwing some ideas out there."

"Yeah, well—I don't see much a future with me and him. And I can't say that I'm sorry about that."

"You sure?" Piper inquired in a motherly tone.

"I'm tired of psychoanalyzing me—let's try Cole," Pam sniped.

"What's there to say about him?" Piper questioned, "He feels guilty about what happened with his mother, so he's sulking. What's so bad about that?"

"Fine," Pam huffed, "Let's talk about the club opening."

"Pam," Piper began, "Throwing out random topics isn't gonna make Bane go away."

"Do you think he might be there?" Pam questioned.

"Where? The club opening?" Piper questioned back.

"Yeah…do you think he might show up?"

"As much as I hate to say it," Piper answered, "There's a good chance he might."

"That's just great," Pam jeered, "That one awkward moment with him and David was just dandy…why not have another one?"

"It won't be that bad," Piper consoled, "We'll be there to back you up."

"I hope," Pam repeated her younger sister's earlier words.

"Come on Cole," Andy prodded, "It wasn't that bad."

"Please," Cole spat, "Watching a bunch of overgrown boys throw around a leather-bound ball for the purpose of hundreds of beer-guzzling yokels to have something to do with their pathetic lives. Why do Americans like this again?"

"Americans happen to like fun things," Andy stated.

"Fun?" Cole laughed, "Maybe if the balls were made out of fire...that'd at least be close to fun."

Andy gave Cole a warning glance—he still didn't trust Cole after the incident with his mother and the fact that the idea of humans having to catch fireballs seemed a joke to him wasn't helping. Cole saw Andy's look and tried to catch himself.

"It was a joke!" Cole exclaimed, "I guess your sense of humor didn't come back from the dead along with you."

Andy gave a small chuckle at the comment as the two got into Piper's car.

"Let's get back home," Andy spoke, "The girls are probably already there."

"Sure," Cole complied, "Just no more baseball games…ever."

"Deal," Andy obliged, started the ignition and driving out of the stadium parking lot.

"Do you think he'll get over it?" Phoebe asked as her and Prue approached the store register.

"Get over what?" Prue questioned.

"His guilt," Phoebe clarified.

"Oh…" Prue trailed off.

"Look Prue," Phoebe began, "I know you've never liked Cole but you can't blame him for what his mother—"

"I don't," Prue cut Phoebe off, "I just don't think it's gonna go away that easily. I'm sure he feels really vulnerable right now. If his mother could make him hurt you that easily I bet he's wondering what any other demon could do to him. He just needs some time."

"Yeah I guess," Phoebe concluded as she loaded her things onto the counter to be checked out.

"Let's get out of here," Prue stated, "The boys are probably already there."

"You know what?" Phoebe started as they got into Prue's car, "I haven't seen Pam all day."

"Me neither…" Prue realized as well, "Do you even know where she is?"

"Yeah," Phoebe answered, "She's out on a date."

"What?" Prue almost screamed.

"Well don't act so surprised," Phoebe laughed.

"A date?" Prue questioned more quietly, "So soon after…"

"She moving on," Phoebe said seriously, "We should let her."

Prue held back the urge to inquire further on Pam's date or voice her concerns on Pam's forwardness with men so soon after the Bane fiasco.

"Do not ask again," An Elder spoke in a fierce tone.

"But please," Leo tried to convince them to change the terms of Andy's second existence.

"The mortal Andrew Trudeau will remain as he is until we see fit," another Elder spoke, "If you request further on the matter we'll use our power to make measures very hard for you and your family Leo."

"But exposure," Leo tried once more.

"Exposure," the first Elder interrupted, "Will be no fault of ours. This is in your hands and your hands only. You will be held responsible for any and all infractions caused by this mortal's continuation in your world."

"Leave us now," the Elder continued.

"Please," Leo spoke once more.

"One word further and Mr. Trudeau will not be the only one to suffer," the Elder concluded.

Leo stopped talking abruptly, knowing what the Elder meant through his not-so-subtle threat. With one more pleading look at the Council of Elders Leo orbed back down to the Manor to deliver the bad news to Prue at his own expense.

"Leo," Prue called softly from the same place she had earlier, "Leo—have they given you an answer yet?"

Leo orbed down into Prue's room with a surly yet sympathetic look on his face.

"Prue," Leo began, "I can't—I'm sorry. They won't erase Andy's death—they won't do a thing."

"But Leo," Prue tried, "Can't you do anything?"

"Prue," Leo repeated wearily, "I've already done too much. They've not only threatened to clip my wings—they threatened the whole family."

For a long moment Prue just stared at Leo a bit dumbstruck. After recovering from the shock of his words Prue pieced together enough words to make a sentence.

"They…they what?" Prue questioned, "How can they…they can't just do that Leo! Please tell me they can't."

"Prue you know as well as I do they can do whatever the hell the please…and they will."

"But just for you asking—that's not fair!" Prue yelled indignantly.

"What don't you understand about this Prue!" Leo yelled back, "He's messing with life and death, alright? Life and death Prue! Did you really think they were just gonna let him get away with it!"

"No…" Prue began sheepishly, "Leo I know Andy's not supposed to be here—but he is. And I don't know about you but I want him to stay here. But I don't want magic to suffer for it either. You don't have to tell me that that's having my cake and eating it too—but after all the crap they've put us through don't you think that maybe—just maybe I can be allowed this little shred of happiness?"

"You can't even hear yourself speak, can you?" Leo snorted, "Prue of course I want you to be happy. You're my family—what else would I want for you? But this is the entire magical world we're talking about. And that goes way beyond family."

"I understand the ramifications of the situation, Leo," Prue spoke snottily, taking high offense at Leo's comment and demeanor, "And I'm sorry they're so ticked off—but what do you want me to do? Send him away? Kill him? I don't even think you know what you want me to do. I don't know what I can do. So until the Elders decide to make their move I guess we'll just have to watch our backs."

"Well," Leo said curtly, "Until then. For the sake of you, Andy and the rest of this family, I hope we all make it 'until then.' And I hope you know what you're risking."

Leo turned to leave and gave a gruff laugh much unlike his normal attitude. He turned back to Prue for a second as he said his last words.

"Hope," Leo laughed before orbing out of sight.

Prue turned back to her bed with a burden larger than she thought she could carry on her heart. A few tears fell as she sat down, trying to think up a way to make things right again.

In all her thoughts, she didn't see Andy, who had been outside her bedroom door—having heard every word she and Leo had spoken.

The next night at the club re-opening Prue decided to stay home with Andy to avoid not only exposure but the awkward situations that may have occurred between Andy and Leo. She also knew how important the club opening was to Pam and Piper and didn't want a strike from the Elders to ruin it.

"Look at that crowd," Piper beamed to Leo, Cole, Phoebe, and Pam from behind the stage curtain, "Can you believe we really did this?"

"I just handled the financial stuff Piper," Pam replied, patting her sister on the back, "This is all you."

"Don't say that," Piper said abruptly, "You'll make me nervous—and when I get nervous I hyperventilate and when I hyperventilate I faint—and if I faint—"

"Sssh," Leo solaced, wrapping an arm around his wife, "Just be calm—everything will be fine. Just stand back and look at the masterpiece you've created."

Piper smiled warmly before a thought crossed her mind.

"I wish Prue could've been here with us," Piper said thoughtfully, "Why did her and Andy stay home again?"

"She said something about wanting to spend a night alone," Phoebe answered, "She was kind of cryptic about it."

"It's for the better," Leo said before he could stop himself. With odd looks from everyone around him he jumped to correct his words, "That is to say," Leo altered, "It's good for them to have a night to themselves—you know—while they still can."

"That's the same mysterious mumbo-jumbo Prue fed me earlier," Phoebe spoke, "Now either you two know something we don't or you just took the same crazy pills with breakfast this morning. I'm willing to bet its door number one. Fess up Mister," Phoebe finished, pointing an accusatory finger at Leo.

"I don't know anything you don't," Leo lied calmly, "I just think it's important for them to be alone when they can—you know; with out hectic lives and all."

Even though Phoebe held a lingering look of suspicion Leo turned away from her and continued talking to Piper.

"The band will be coming on stage soon," he reminded, "Let's step aside and let them work their magic."

"Yeah I have to go meet David at the door anyway," Pam spoke up, "I don't wanna keep him waiting."

"You vixen you," Piper joked, "I'll come with you—I want to meet this guy."

The whole of them walked off the stage, Phoebe keeping a chary eye on Leo the entire time.

"Hey David," Pam beamed as she handed David his pass, "This is my sister—"

"Piper," David finished, "The unconscious one."

"Nice to know I made an impression," Piper laughed, although she had that same foreboding feeling about David that Pam had had so often when she was with him. Pam could tell Piper felt this way behind her smile and jumped to end the coming awkward moment before it started.

"So," Pam began, steering David in the opposite direction, "I have a booth for you and me over here."

"Yeah…" Piper trailed off uneasily, "I need to go check to see if the band's all ready."

She walked away rather quickly after directing a look at Pam as if to say 'watch yourself.'

Pam and David went over to their booth and David put on a large and seemingly genuine smile.

"So, happy to see me?" David solicited.

"Of course I am…"Pam began, but trailed off as she saw the one thing she wasn't looking forward to about the night.

"Bane," Pam finished as she saw the man in question make his way down the club steps.

"Not exactly the response I was looking for," David said a bit sternly, even though he had meant to be humorous.

"No," Pam tried to correct herself, "It's just…"

David turned his head to the direction in which Pam was looking and saw the same man that had almost ruined his date with Pam the night before.

"Oh," David said bluntly, "Look Pam—if you and that guy—you and Bane—if you're together or—"

"We're not," Pam said quickly, her eye still on Bane, who had just spotted her and David and was coming over in increasing speed.

"Pam," David started a bit sadly, "I think I should leave."

"No," Pam said as she rose from her seat and took David's arm to rise with her, "Follow me."

Pam led David—rather quickly—to the back room of the club. She weaved through the crowd in such haste that she ensured that Bane would have a hard time finding them if he ever did.

"Okay—now that I'm back here are you going to have your way with me?" David joked even though he had a stony face in place.

"David," Pam tried.

"Before you say anything," David interrupted, "I just want you to know that I really want this to work—you and me. So if you're going to tell me you want this to be over I'm just going to tell you no. Because I really think that this could be something."

Pam could do nothing but stand there and smile at the man she'd only met the day before.

"Here," he said, reaching into his pocket and pulling out the hairpin Pam had given him and not seeing the small piece of paper that had fallen out of it, "I want this to show you that I'll always be here for you. I won't leave you hurting or keep anything away from you. Whatever I take I'll give back. I want us to be honest with each other. I just hope—"

"Hold on," Pam cut David off, "You dropped something."

"Wait," David said, reaching to stop Pam as his voice took on a terribly alarmed tone.

Pam bent down and retrieved the piece of paper. She stopped in mid rise as she recognized the paper as an article with a picture of her 13 years earlier.

"What the hell is this?" Pam inquired, now leveling with David.

"Pam—I can explain!" David pleaded.

"You want us to be honest with each other?" Pam laughed, "Then tell me why you have this—this…"Pam trailed off in anger as she waited for an answer.

"I—I didn't want you to find out like this. I thought you may have remembered me by now. I knew you when you were younger—I went to school with you."

"Wait," Pam said with her eyebrows scrunched up a bit, "David…David Blake. You were that jock—that guy I hated."

"Yeah," David laughed, "That was me. I never told you—but I had the biggest crush on you. So when you disappeared I started to collect all the articles about you. I tried to solve the mystery—find you. I thought that there had to be more than the newspapers were letting on—with the double murder and all—I just hoped that I'd find you."

"I tried for years—I never gave up. But then one day about a year ago—out of the blue—I forgot about the case. Suddenly a voice in the back of my mind was telling me that I knew you as a sister to the Halliwells and you were never missing. Only I still had all the articles saying your name was Pam Recanter and that you'd been missing for 13 years. I went to all these different police stations, but none of them had record of the case. That's when I knew something—something odd was going on. So after a lot of thought, I moved from Sacramento to San Francisco and came to find you. Yesterday was when I finally plucked up the courage to approach you. I was going to ask you about the case and why your name was changed and what the hell was going on—but I couldn't. I—I just saw you and you looked so beautiful and sad. That's when I remembered why I'd been looking for you in the first place."

"You lying little bastard," Pam said, crying slightly, "You knew who I was and yet you pretended not to? This whole time you asked me questions about where I grew up and my childhood—just so you could solve some little mystery? I can't believe I trusted you! I can't believe I thought I—"

"No," David implored, "It's not like that—not at all. Pam I've been looking for you because I—because I realized I lo—"

"Don't say it," Pam yelled, crying a bit harder, "Don't you dare say it."

"I love you!" David yelled despite Pam's wishes, "I've loved you for as long as I can remember. And I hope—"

"You better hope I don't beat the crap out of you for this," Pam incorrectly finished David's sentence.

"Pam," David tried.

"Get out of my club," Pam said softly but sternly through her tears.

"I—" David tried once more.

"Get out!" Pam repeated, this time yelling louder than a human should be able to.

David opened his mouth to say something but shut it almost as quick. He bowed his head and spoke softly as he exited.

"I hope you can love me too," David finished his earlier sentence as he left the door slightly ajar upon his exit.

As soon as David had left Pam fell to her knees and cried. She cried mostly because she knew David didn't deserve the way she'd treated him. After a moment she jerked her head up at the sound of someone entering the room.

She looked up and saw Bane with a sympathetic look on his face.

"I came in here to find you," Bane stated coming right next to Pam, "I heard crying and I came hoping I could make things better."

"Bane," Pam said quietly as she rose to meet Bane.

"I know you don't want me to be here," Bane began, "But I—"

Bane words were cut off as Pam kissed him—hard. She knew she didn't really want to—and she knew she didn't love Bane. But all she wanted to do was make David feel betrayed the way she did.

Pam kissed Bane—all the while with the hope that she was doing the right thing.

A/N: So like I said earlier, please review just to let me know whose reading. I know that I was a bit late on the update—it's just with Turkey Day and all I didn't have time to write. I'll be better with the next one. Damn that was a long chapter. Anywho, please review and give suggestions and all that good stuff. Until next time, LeoPiperAndyPrue.