A/N: Thanks to Telekinetic Darkness, Piperleo4eva, Melissa, BRASH, Onion400, MollyBall, P3charmed4eva, Stony Angel (I'll try, in future chapters, to include Piper's 2 sons but for now, please don't stop reading), Charmedmel32 and Magical Princess for reviewing the last chapter, you guys all totally rock, sorry if I confused anyone but things should hopefully start to become a bit clearer now, so enjoy!
Chapter 2
She knew that this day would come. She'd always known that she'd comeback to San Francisco sooner or later, but that thought didn't comfort her as she stepped of the airplane.
She'd left the city to go to college on the East Coast and had lived there up until three years ago when she'd gone to London. And now she was back. The city didn't hold any particularly good memories for her. Her mother had drowned when she was only five years old and her father had left-never to be seen again-not long after. She'd spent her childhood growing up between headstrong and confident Prue and Phoebe, who always managed to demand a lot of their grandmother's attention. She'd felt herself become increasingly invisible, something that had been confirmed by a virtually friendless adolescence.
She'd teetered on the brink of depression and self destruction before realising she needed to save herself and make a fresh start. So she left for college. But she didn't want to think about that time either.
She adjusted a sleeping nearly three year old Melinda in her arms and took a deep breath.
"You'll be fine" Her best friend, Paige Mathews, told her as she came up behind Piper. Piper had persuaded Paige to come with her for 'Moral support, and someone I don't have to worry about screwing up around'. The two of them had met at college and hit it of straight away. They were there for each other through everything; both good and bad, like sisters.
Speaking of sisters, Piper swept her eyes across the busy arrivals room at the airport and soon saw her two actual sisters. Piper loved her sisters, but being around them was hard for her; it brought up a lot of issues that she wasn't sure if she was ready to deal with yet. They'd seen each other over the seven years since she'd left San Francisco, but they'd talked more on the phone and, in Piper's opinion, had a better relationship that way. But when their Grams had died 3 months earlier, they realised the importance of family and Piper decided that she needed to come back; no matter how hard that was going to be.
-x-
Leo woke up and rolled over in his large bed. Empty. He knew it would be but it still extinguished the tiny amount of hope inside of him. He'd done this every morning for the past three years, ever since she left. Every morning he held a nanosecond of hope that it had all been some sick excuse for a dream and then...then his hand felt cold sheets and his heart fell. He pushed himself out of the bed and walked down the hallway to the bathroom. He flicked on the small portable radio, filling every corner of the small room with songs that barley registered with him. He just needed it on for the noise. He striped and climbed into the shower as running water combined with the music and Leo was almost relaxing. But relaxation came too soon and as the song changed on the radio he was caught of guard. It was the song, their song; when they first met. How could he ignore that? His mind leapt out of his control and dragged him painfully into a memory he'd tried so long to suppress.
Flashback 6 years
Leo didn't want to go. He knew he had to, but he didn't want to. It was his best friend Darryl's birthday today and he was having a party at the house they shared, along with two other people. As it was his house and he was the best friend Leo had to be there, and he wanted to be there for his friend. But he couldn't be bothered with another college party. He knew that the house, not to mention the small back garden, would be packed full with people, most of whom they wouldn't even know. He finished his coffee, threw away the disposable cup and turned the corner onto his street. The music was getting louder now; he'd first heard it two and a half blocks away. 'Get a grip Leo, it'll be good. You'll have fun. And even if you don't, just get drunk and at least you'll think you did' he coached himself mentally as he neared the house. The door was already open so he walked in, grabbed a beer of a nearby table, opened it and went to find Darryl.
For Piper this was just another night, another party and another excuse to feel...free. Since she'd left San Francisco she'd worked hard, but partied harder. She was hurling towards total exhaustion and burn out but she couldn't see that, so she didn't see why she should stop. Her friends had warned her but she didn't care; she was having too much fun. As far as she could see it, she had the best of both worlds: she was getting good grades but she also had friends and she wasn't too afraid to go to parties anymore. She supposed it was true that she was overcompensating for her high school days; having as much of a 'rebellion' as she could now. But she had no past here; she could be anyone she wanted to be, and she'd never had that kind of freedom before.
She was the first thing Leo noticed, the first thing that differentiated itself from everyone else. She danced in the middle of a group of people, she wasn't flaunting herself; she didn't even know that half the people in the room were looking at her, admiring her.
"Hey" Darryl walked over to Leo
"Hi, great party."
"Thanks"
"Do you know who she is?" he pointed at Piper
"Nope. She turned up about half an hour ago. No one knows who she is. Why?"
"No reason"
"Oh yeah..." Darryl nodded knowingly with a big grin spread across his face. Leo liked this girl, it was blatantly obvious.
Leo sttod and watched her and her friends as they danced and had fun for asbout the next forty-five minutes. Then the song changed and about half of the people around Piper drifted away. Leo didn't even think about it, he just handed Darryl his drink and walked over to her as she danced.
"Hey" he spoke directly onto her ear. She looked up at him, noticing him for the first time. The feeling was like non she'd had before, and she was a little scared of it. But it was definitely a good thing.
She was staring right into his eyes and he back into hers, deep brown pouring into green. And he felt himself falling, deeper and deeper. He tore his eyes away before he was lost; as they danced he took in every part of her. Her hair tumbled over her shoulders and down her back in rippling, brown, loose curls. She wore a black strap top and hipster jeans. But wherever he looked didn't matter, he was always drawn back to her eyes. He could spend an eternity lost in them and he wouldn't mind. They showed him a beauty and a purity he'd never seen before, in anyone. But there was also a vulnerability that he hadn't expected, but endeared him to her even more.
All too soon the song ended and Piper turned to walk away, it was late, or should that be early, and she had a class in a few hours. She didn't want to leave though, she could have stayed there dancing with him forever and she wouldn't have cared.
He took a hold of her arm as soon as he saw her turn to leave.
"Don't go."
"I have too."
It was the first thing he'd heard her say and it killed him. He leaned down and captured her lips in his. She responded and the kiss deepened. She didn't want to, but she had to- she broke of their kiss.
"I have too." She repeated it, her voice was low and she hated herself for saying it.
He watched her walk away and he knew he had to get to know her; he'd already fallen for her. And that was when he realised that he didn't even know her name.
By now the water had run icily cold and the song had finished long ago. He switched off the water, wrapped a towel around his waste and climbed out of the shower. He walked out of the bathroom hitting off the radio on his way and went into his bedroom. He hadn't wanted that to happen, he hadn't wanted to think about that. He hadn't in so long, he used to have those sort of 'walks down memory lane' all the time after she left but he hadn't in a while and the intensity had taken him totally off guard. He couldn't let it happen anymore, he couldn't let himself live in the past anymore. He got changed quickly and headed out to work; he needed the distraction.
A/N: Hope you liked and please review.
Chapter 2
She knew that this day would come. She'd always known that she'd comeback to San Francisco sooner or later, but that thought didn't comfort her as she stepped of the airplane.
She'd left the city to go to college on the East Coast and had lived there up until three years ago when she'd gone to London. And now she was back. The city didn't hold any particularly good memories for her. Her mother had drowned when she was only five years old and her father had left-never to be seen again-not long after. She'd spent her childhood growing up between headstrong and confident Prue and Phoebe, who always managed to demand a lot of their grandmother's attention. She'd felt herself become increasingly invisible, something that had been confirmed by a virtually friendless adolescence.
She'd teetered on the brink of depression and self destruction before realising she needed to save herself and make a fresh start. So she left for college. But she didn't want to think about that time either.
She adjusted a sleeping nearly three year old Melinda in her arms and took a deep breath.
"You'll be fine" Her best friend, Paige Mathews, told her as she came up behind Piper. Piper had persuaded Paige to come with her for 'Moral support, and someone I don't have to worry about screwing up around'. The two of them had met at college and hit it of straight away. They were there for each other through everything; both good and bad, like sisters.
Speaking of sisters, Piper swept her eyes across the busy arrivals room at the airport and soon saw her two actual sisters. Piper loved her sisters, but being around them was hard for her; it brought up a lot of issues that she wasn't sure if she was ready to deal with yet. They'd seen each other over the seven years since she'd left San Francisco, but they'd talked more on the phone and, in Piper's opinion, had a better relationship that way. But when their Grams had died 3 months earlier, they realised the importance of family and Piper decided that she needed to come back; no matter how hard that was going to be.
-x-
Leo woke up and rolled over in his large bed. Empty. He knew it would be but it still extinguished the tiny amount of hope inside of him. He'd done this every morning for the past three years, ever since she left. Every morning he held a nanosecond of hope that it had all been some sick excuse for a dream and then...then his hand felt cold sheets and his heart fell. He pushed himself out of the bed and walked down the hallway to the bathroom. He flicked on the small portable radio, filling every corner of the small room with songs that barley registered with him. He just needed it on for the noise. He striped and climbed into the shower as running water combined with the music and Leo was almost relaxing. But relaxation came too soon and as the song changed on the radio he was caught of guard. It was the song, their song; when they first met. How could he ignore that? His mind leapt out of his control and dragged him painfully into a memory he'd tried so long to suppress.
Flashback 6 years
Leo didn't want to go. He knew he had to, but he didn't want to. It was his best friend Darryl's birthday today and he was having a party at the house they shared, along with two other people. As it was his house and he was the best friend Leo had to be there, and he wanted to be there for his friend. But he couldn't be bothered with another college party. He knew that the house, not to mention the small back garden, would be packed full with people, most of whom they wouldn't even know. He finished his coffee, threw away the disposable cup and turned the corner onto his street. The music was getting louder now; he'd first heard it two and a half blocks away. 'Get a grip Leo, it'll be good. You'll have fun. And even if you don't, just get drunk and at least you'll think you did' he coached himself mentally as he neared the house. The door was already open so he walked in, grabbed a beer of a nearby table, opened it and went to find Darryl.
For Piper this was just another night, another party and another excuse to feel...free. Since she'd left San Francisco she'd worked hard, but partied harder. She was hurling towards total exhaustion and burn out but she couldn't see that, so she didn't see why she should stop. Her friends had warned her but she didn't care; she was having too much fun. As far as she could see it, she had the best of both worlds: she was getting good grades but she also had friends and she wasn't too afraid to go to parties anymore. She supposed it was true that she was overcompensating for her high school days; having as much of a 'rebellion' as she could now. But she had no past here; she could be anyone she wanted to be, and she'd never had that kind of freedom before.
She was the first thing Leo noticed, the first thing that differentiated itself from everyone else. She danced in the middle of a group of people, she wasn't flaunting herself; she didn't even know that half the people in the room were looking at her, admiring her.
"Hey" Darryl walked over to Leo
"Hi, great party."
"Thanks"
"Do you know who she is?" he pointed at Piper
"Nope. She turned up about half an hour ago. No one knows who she is. Why?"
"No reason"
"Oh yeah..." Darryl nodded knowingly with a big grin spread across his face. Leo liked this girl, it was blatantly obvious.
Leo sttod and watched her and her friends as they danced and had fun for asbout the next forty-five minutes. Then the song changed and about half of the people around Piper drifted away. Leo didn't even think about it, he just handed Darryl his drink and walked over to her as she danced.
"Hey" he spoke directly onto her ear. She looked up at him, noticing him for the first time. The feeling was like non she'd had before, and she was a little scared of it. But it was definitely a good thing.
She was staring right into his eyes and he back into hers, deep brown pouring into green. And he felt himself falling, deeper and deeper. He tore his eyes away before he was lost; as they danced he took in every part of her. Her hair tumbled over her shoulders and down her back in rippling, brown, loose curls. She wore a black strap top and hipster jeans. But wherever he looked didn't matter, he was always drawn back to her eyes. He could spend an eternity lost in them and he wouldn't mind. They showed him a beauty and a purity he'd never seen before, in anyone. But there was also a vulnerability that he hadn't expected, but endeared him to her even more.
All too soon the song ended and Piper turned to walk away, it was late, or should that be early, and she had a class in a few hours. She didn't want to leave though, she could have stayed there dancing with him forever and she wouldn't have cared.
He took a hold of her arm as soon as he saw her turn to leave.
"Don't go."
"I have too."
It was the first thing he'd heard her say and it killed him. He leaned down and captured her lips in his. She responded and the kiss deepened. She didn't want to, but she had to- she broke of their kiss.
"I have too." She repeated it, her voice was low and she hated herself for saying it.
He watched her walk away and he knew he had to get to know her; he'd already fallen for her. And that was when he realised that he didn't even know her name.
By now the water had run icily cold and the song had finished long ago. He switched off the water, wrapped a towel around his waste and climbed out of the shower. He walked out of the bathroom hitting off the radio on his way and went into his bedroom. He hadn't wanted that to happen, he hadn't wanted to think about that. He hadn't in so long, he used to have those sort of 'walks down memory lane' all the time after she left but he hadn't in a while and the intensity had taken him totally off guard. He couldn't let it happen anymore, he couldn't let himself live in the past anymore. He got changed quickly and headed out to work; he needed the distraction.
A/N: Hope you liked and please review.