"Leo, are you sure about this?" Piper asked turning to face him. Leo
nodded, and pulled her closer.

"Piper, I missed so much of Melinda's life already. I loved being a
Whitelighter when I was single, but when you become a father it changes
everything. It's something, I have been thinking about since she was born. I
just haven't had the courage to do it."

Piper turned the water to let some warm water mix the water that had turned
cold. It made the memories come crashing back, like waves on an ocean shore.

Piper always had Prue or Phoebe's do the transportation, so she wouldn't have
to see him. She couldn't believe she spent five years not talking to him.
They would see each other on special occasions, but she always had given him
the silent treatment. Frankly, Piper sometimes acted like a five year old.
Well, it wasn't like Leo had really made the effort to get her to talk to
him.

Flashback

Piper was cleaning up after her daughters' dinner. She made a
mental note not let her selffeed again for a while. It seemed like more of was
on the floor than what had ended up in her mouth. She stood up and saw Leo had
orbed into the kitchen and was making himself a plate.

"Leo, where the hell have you been? I was supposed to be at the club over
an hour ago." She stormed over grabbing the plate out of his hands.

"Piper, I was with a charge," he said, taking back the plate.

"Leo, you are always with a charge. Its like you don't even know your
own family anymore. Melinda said her first word today and you missed it."

"Piper, you know, I don't want to always be away. I am trying to protect
our family from the Underworld." Leo took a seat at the table trying to
remain calm. Piper sighed and put her hands up, but he grabbed them.

"Piper, don't even think about blowing me up or freezing me" he said,
his temper flaring as he glared into Piper's amberbrown eyes.

"Leo, just get out!" Piper demanded coldly, masking her own pain.

"Gladly" he said, grabbing his coat and giving Melinda kiss on the head,
and he left. Piper took Melinda in her arms and held her close as the tears
fell off her checks and onto the cold kitchen floor.
End Flashback

Leo saw a tear fall from Piper's cheek and into the tub – tears into the
water that seemed to be her ocean of tears over the five years that she and
Leo were apart.

"Piper, what's wrong?"

Piper got out the tub and wrapped a towel around her body, "I need to go
talk to my sisters. I'll be back in a hour or so."

Leo nodded, it hurt that she didn't trust him enough to confide in him. He
also got out he tub. And after he got dressed, he went to see if his daughter
needed anything. Piper was back about an hour later. She found Melinda reading
to Leo from one of her library books. Leo would read any word she couldn't
make out herself. Piper stood in the doorway and just watched them for a few
minutes. Melinda put the book aside and Leo turned off her bedside lamp. He
kissed her head and walked out of her room.

"I know I don't say this enough, but you are a great father to her."

Leo looked at her sideways. It was nice to hear but such an incredibly
random thing to say.

"Leo, can we slow things down a bit? I don't want to get hurt
again…" Piper asked – more like silently pleading with Leo to allow her
this wish.

"Sure" Leo was completely puzzled. Piper seemed to make a complete turn
around in the matter of hours.

"I'm going to stay at the manor for a while."

Piper said and started to gather the clothes she had left at his apartment
and left, Leo went to his bedroom and sat down on the bed. His once happy life
was fading away. Piper nodded to be healed but not in a physical way. Her
heart needed to be healed, and he wasn't sure if couldhat. It was like
saying goes, "You can't be the one to wipe my tears, if you are the one
who made my cry." Leo yawned. He soon fell into a light sleep.

Thanks Back-in-Black-Almeida for editing )