Author's note: I'm really, really sorry that its taken me so long to update! I have a good excuse: my computer broke and we had to get a new tower. I did have this chapter typed up, but all my files got wiped, along with word, so I couldn't type upanything!
Anyway…. SnOzbOz and -0-charmed-freak-0-: Thank you for reviewing.
Heather1021: Damn you broke my code- as elaborate as it was! Lol. Thanks.
Piper luva 4eva: Yeah I did thanks. I agree trivium are great!
Chapter three.
A father's love.
She hadn't seen him in years. Walking down the small grey over guarded little corridor, Piper almost felt nervous. But only almost. She'd never let her guard down long enough for anyone to notice. She was the only one who would ever know about the icy feeling creeping into her stomach as she and Leo approached the door.
"Try to stick to topics that are relevant." Leo told her, running through a few last minute things.
She wasn't listening to him. The flight had really taken it out of her, and to be honest, it was practically impossible to get a decent nights sleep on the bed Leo had made up for her.
"Don't say anything that might upset him," Leo continued. "Or cause any arguments. Its probably best to avoid discussing any negative feedback about the case, or anything you may have heard in Italy."
Piper nodded, running an impatient hand through her hair. She was wearing it down in attempt to draw attention away from how tired she was. Following Leo's advice, she had dressed smart in a low cut, button up black blouse and a pair of figure hugging black trousers that settled on her hips. The high heeled black boots she was wearing hurt like hell, but they looked great.
Someone else obviously thought so, as one of the guards assigned to make sure that her dad didn't escape from the interview room, let out an appreciative wolf whistle. Piper glanced up.
"'Alright sweetheart?" He swooned, just about managing to leer at her over his huge stomach.
"Fuck off."
"Oooh, feisty!" he said, puckering his lips to make kissy-kissy faces at her.
Leo glared at him.
"Do you mind?" he demanded.
"Sorry."
"I'm over here." Leo snapped.
The guy straightened up, and hesitantly dragged his gaze from Piper's chest.
"No offence, but your really not as pretty to look at."
Leo took a menacing step forward.
"'You wanna carry on, or realize when it's a good idea to back off?"
"Sorry."
"I should fucking hope so."
He turned around and indicated for her to keep walking. The hurried click of Piper's heels sounded on the uncarpeted floor as she caught up with him.
She gave him a quick sideward glance. Leo's green eyes were darkened with annoyance. His brow was furrowed. His teeth were gritted. Piper didn't like it. He had no reason to be so annoyed. Why should he? He didn't even know here. If he did, he would know that she was perfectly capable of taking care of herself. She'd been doing it for long enough.
He caught her gaze as they stopped at the door.
"'You ready?" he asked gently.
Piper looked at the door. The grey paint was peeling off it. The well used handle was tarnished. It was just a door. Just an average run of the mill door. So why was she so terrified of what was behind it? Just a room. Just a person.
"Yeah."
"'You sure?"
Piper's eyes darted up to meet his.
"Why wouldn't I be?"
"Just making sure you're alright."
"I'm fine."
Leo shrugged, and reached out for the door handle. Piper held her breath. It was the slowest moment of her life. Waiting for that door to swing open. Waiting for it to reveal a man she hadn't laid eyes on in years. Waiting for her life to change.
"About time." A self assured male voice chided. "Just because I have nothing better to do doesn't mean I enjoy sitting in a room by myself."
Piper knew that voice.
"Sorry." Leo apologized. "I should have called and aid we were going to be late."
The first thing Piper saw was the glint of hope in her dads eyes when he heard the word 'we'.
He looked different. Older. The distinguished grey in his receding dark hair had grown, and he'd put on weight. He looked tired, but his piercing brown eyes held a casual defiance. She knew that look.
He was slumped boredly over the table, wearing a very unflattering orange jump suit. A far cry from his usual slick designer threads. Piper had never seen him looking so rough.
"Hi, dad." She croaked.
He looked genuinely disappointed.
"Piper? I-I wasn't expecting to see you."
He turned to Leo.
"You do know that I have two others daughters that live in this country?"
Leo blinked, obviously not expecting that less than impressed reaction.
Piper knew he'd look at her, with apologetic sympathy in his eyes. Knew he'd play the mediator. Knew he'd feel sorry for her.
"Sorry Leo." She snorted, in an attempt to dissuade this. "I forgot to tell you that my fathers a vindictive bastard."
"Hey. Attitude." Victor scolded, almost sounding like a father. "I was just expecting Prue or Phoebe. But I suppose my lawyer wouldn't have gotten such a nice tan, getting them. What are you doing here?"
"What-what am I-? Oh you know! 'Just thought I'd hop on a twenty three hour flight, to check out the scenery. Prison cell chic. Get hit on by a couple of overweight greasy cops –all in a day's fun! What the hell do you think I'm here for?"
"I just thought that Prue or Phoebe would come."
"And the daughter who did bother to turn up doesn't even get a hug? I haven't seen you in three years!"
"I haven't seen them in longer! You could have tried Piper. You could have persuaded them."
"Have you ever tried getting blood out of a stone?"
Leo cleared his throat.
"Simmer down." He said carefully.
Piper ignored him.
"They are not here, because the don't want to be here. You wanna know why that is?"
"I'm warning you." Victor said through gritted teeth. His eyes were blazing.
"Because they don't give a damn."
Victor slowly stood up.
"They hate you. Why the hell should they be here? They're happy without you in their lives. Do you think they'd actually notice if you got put away? Face it dad, you're already dead to them."
That's when he gave her a swift backhander, hard across the face. Piper went sprawling very ungracefully onto the floor.
Leo quickly knelt down next to her.
"That is not alright!" he yelled at Victor, looking so angry that the annoyance Piper had seen in his eyes earlier held absolutely no comparison.
"Are you okay?"
Piper nodded. She brought a hand up to her mouth. She felt warm blood. A split lip.
"'Guess that's what you call a father's a love huh?" she said sarcastically, letting Leo help her up. "As you can see, my father's a very loving person."
Victor closed his eyes and sighed loudly.
"I'm sorry."
He actually sounded sincere. The concern on the face looked genuine. Someone meeting Victor for the first time might believe it, but Piper knew better.
"Piper I'm sorry."
She kept her eyes down and refused to look at him.
"Piper… Guardilo. Ho bisogno del vostro aiuto. Bambino per favore."
Piper hated it when he spoke to her in Italian. She knew he was doing it to make her feel guilty. It reminded her of her childhood. He had hardly ever spoken in anything but Italian to her and her sisters when they were growing up. He used to be different then. Especially with her, he actually used to care. She missed that.
Piper took a deep breath.
"Lo avete." She said quietly. "I'll help you."
It was completely against her better judgement, but from the very second Leo had appeared on her doorstep, she knew she'd do it.
The rest of the meeting was spent on small talk. Leo went through the alibi that they both supposedly shared, to make sure there were no holes in their story, and her dad asked a few questions about Italy and her sisters. To be honest, Piper was glad when it was over. Glad, when she was out of the room and able to breath properly.
"Are you sure you're okay?" Leo asked, somehow noticing this.
She had no idea how. Piper was very good at hiding her feelings, and it annoyed the hell out of her that he could see right through it.
Piper smiled, and raised a belittling eyebrow at him.
"No, I just said I was for the fun of it."
"'You wanna get some ice on that." Leo said, gently lifting her chin. He ran his thumb softly over her lip.
"I'll bear that in mind." Piper whispered, trying very hard to resist the urge to kiss him.
He looked really good today. Not that he hadn't in Italy, but he'd been understandably dishevelled after the stress of the flight over. Today he had an air of confidence that she suspected his job gave him, and this was definitely captured by his sharp black suit, and deliberately messed up hair.
Piper took a slow step back, and shrugged her face out of the cradle his hand held it in.
Leo sighed.
"Look, are you-"
"I'm fine." She interrupted. "Honestly, I'm alright."
She knew he didn't believe her. Before he decided to argue, she turned around and started making her way back down the corridor. Piper walked away, knowing his eyes were on her.
Hope you liked it. Please review! –Oh, I forgot to mention that I changed Victor's surname from Bennet to Luciano because it sounds more Italian, just in case anyone was wondering.
