Chapter 5 - Sunset

The demon started to shimmer out, but ended up sprawled out on the floor.

"It's no use." He said, and Zander sighed.

While Carkan angrily shot a fireball at the nearest demon - and missed - Zander stayed calm. He'd always been the calmest demon he had ever met, and he knew that staying calm allowed you to think. And when you thought things through, you succeeded.

"Can you shimmer into the garden?" He asked, thinking the maybe if one of the doors were left open...

The same thing happened. "No." The demon replied, standing up and dusting himself down.

"OK, new plan." Zander replied. "The direct approach wont work, we can't get in. So here's what I think..."

----

Piper smiled as she listened to Parker talking to Gracie.

"So by the time you start school, I'll be in higher grades. But don't worry, 'cause I'll look after you, and my friend Joe has a little sister, so you can be friends with her. You haven't got a big brother, but I'll still look after you..."

"He's so sweet." Paige grinned, and Piper nodded.

"Yeah, he is. I hope Prue and Andy have more kids." Piper said. "Parker will make such a great big brother."

"Gracie would love a little brother or sister too." Paige added slyly.

"I'm sure she would." Piper replied stiffly. "But, see Paige, the thing is, it's about time we explained this to you."

"Explained what?" Paige asked in confusion.

"Where babies come from. See, you need a mummy and a daddy -"

"Ha ha, funny." Paige replied, hitting Piper's arm with a tea-towel. "I know that. I'm just saying -"

"I know. And I'm just saying that you can't really have kids without a man. So I'm pretty certain Gracie will have to live with being an only child."

"Why?"

"Paige... most guys find it hard enough to be in a relationship, without a baby involved. Plus... I don't know if I could ever trust a guy again." Actually, she did know, and she couldn't. But she wouldn't admit that to Paige, not unless she wanted a well-meant "Move on, get over it" lecture.

"What about Leo?" Paige asked, the sly voice back on.

"My whitelighter? What about him?"

"Our whitelighter, yes. You can trust him. He's a real-life angle."

"And your point is?"

"My point is, live a little. What happened was horrible, Piper it really was, but don't let it screw up your life. You deserve some fun. Need some."

"Fun is the last thing on my mind." Piper muttered. "Grams just died."

"I know. And if you ever needed something to take your mind off of it, now is the best time."

Piper didn't reply, just walked out of the room and up the stairs. "Watch Gracie." She added quickly, even though she knew Paige would have done anyway. She walked into her room, and Leo orbed in right in front of her.

"Don't you knock?" She complained, and he shook his head with a faint grin. She found herself smiling back, without even realising. She caught herself, and forced her mouth back into a straight line. "Next lesson?" She said.

"Yep." He nodded. "Sit down." She sat on her bed, and he sat next to her. "OK... I need you to remember what happened next, where we left off. Can you do that?"

"Yes." She murmured.

"We'll be done remembering soon, Piper." He said softly. "OK, come on."

"I started shaking then. I remember because he laughed and asked me if I was cold in this really patronising way. Then he said that it had been easy to fool me, but not to get through it, for him. Trying to make you fall for me, trying to stop myself from just ending your pitiful life. Listening to you, day after day after day. You used to go on and on. "My sisters never listen to me, they expect me to just do what they say, Grams is always so preoccupied by them and their stuff that she barely notices I exist, and mum, I miss her so much, and why doesn't dad ever get in touch, is it so hard to pick up a phone?" Well get over it, and stop moaning! No one cares about your pointless little woes..."

She blinked to stop the tears that threatened her. "I felt so stupid. How could I know have realised it? All those times he said he loved me, why hadn't I seen he was lying?"

"You had no reason to. You didn't know about demons, or magic." Leo soothed. "Then what?"

"Uh, a few of the other demons lifted me up, carried me to the corner. It was a cage, a big cage." She gave a little laugh. "So cliché. The next three days are just a blur. I didn't sleep much, I daren't. I knew he wouldn't kill me, but... I was just scared." She finished. "It was three days before they came, but I thought it was longer. It felt longer, and I had no sense of time, or day and night, down there."

"What happened when your family got there?"

"Uh... The demons started panicking. I didn't know why, but then I saw them. I felt saved, relieved, and also... a little resentful. I thought it had been at least a week, and I didn't think they were going to come. I'd given up by then. The demons started flying all over the place, and there were all these explosions. I had all these emotions rushing around me, and I wanted to get out of the cage. I just kept thinking, I need to get out, and then it just exploded."

"You blew it up?"

"Yes. I saw Zander shimmer out, then the rest of the demons were vanquished. Grams hugged me, and I - I told her I was going to have a demon baby. Then Prue through down a potion, and we were home..."

"How did you feel when you used your power?" He asked her gently.

"Amazing." She replied truthfully. "I felt... powerful. Exhilarated. Just... amazing. But I can't do that, I can't risk her getting hurt." She whispered. He already knew about Zander threatening her, he already knew her reasons. "What if he gets to her?" She mumbled. It was a question she often asked herself, a question she had only ever said aloud to him, and a question that she still had no answers to.

"We'll get her back." He promised. He pulled her into a hug, and she found herself relaxing, rather than tensing. After a few seconds, he spoke. "Would you mind if I orbed us somewhere?" He asked softly. "I want to show you something..." She hesitated, tensed in his arms. "We can leave as soon as you want. Just say the word."

"O-OK." She stammered, and clung tighter as the white lights surrounded them...

The first thing she felt was the change in temperature. It was cooler than her room had been. She opened her eyes, and gasped. The half thought in the back of her mind, that Leo may be taking her where Zander had, was gone. She was stood near to the edge of a cliff, but she hadn't noticed the drop. She noticed the view...

A vast ocean stretched before her, and on the horizon the sun was setting. It was breathtakingly beautiful, and she was memorized. She stared at it for a long time, clinging to him still, then was finally able to speak. "Where are we?" She whispered, still looking at the reddish-orange semi-circle.

"It doesn't matter." He replied. "Do you feel better?"

She nodded, and didn't resist as he gently guided her into a sitting position. Leaning against him, watching the sky deepen in colour, she had never been more happy, more relaxed.

She turned her head to look up at him, smiling like she never had before, other than to Gracie. Genuine, the smile only her daughter had seen since that day in the underworld.

Suddenly, he couldn't take his eyes off of her. And somehow, he leaned forward, without thinking it through, he kissed her lightly.

No one had kissed her since Zander. And somehow, Leo allowed her to forget about him, to trust again. To... love again?

As he broke the kiss, the realisation hit. She loved him. Leo. She loved him.

How could this have happened? How could she have let it happen? Love was dangerous, love hurt. Love didn't last, it wasn't healthy. It was bad...

And yet it felt good. It felt like the best thing that had ever happened to her. It had crept up on her without her knowing, and it had taken hold. It was stronger than it had been with Alex, more intense.

"I... Sorry." Leo mumbled. "I shouldn't have..."

"Don't be." She replied. "Don't be sorry."

"Piper..." He breathed. "I... I think I love you..."