CHAPTER TWO .

'And then, as I was leaving P3, Phoebe rang wanting to have lunch, but I thought I better get home.' Piper said, playing with the fingers of Leo's left hand, which was resting on the bench.

'Why?'

'To get home to you, of course'

Leo smiled as Piper wrapped her arms around his neck. Snaking one arm around Piper's waist, Leo leaned down and kissed her gently.

'So,' Piper said her voice muffled by his lips, 'want some lunch?'

'I think I might work on the car' Leo said, removing her arms from around his neck. He placed a kiss on Piper's cheek.

'Okay, don't be too long!' she called to his retreating back.

Piper adjusted her shirt and looked around the kitchen. She had nothing to do. The boys were still with their grandfather and she wasn't really hungry. She felt strange, almost as if she were .. floating. Piper laughed inwardly. Leo always said she was the thing that kept him tied to the world and here she was floating away.

Her thoughts were brought back to the kitchen as Paige slammed the back door.

'Sorry' Paige looked sheepishly at Piper.

'What are you doing home?'

'Oh, well Henry had to go back to work so' Paige pursed her lips and bobbed her head slowly.

'So, things are going well?'

Paige smiled slightly: 'Very, very.'

Piper stared at a water mark that spotted the window. She thought of Leo, of their first kiss, their first date (if you could call it that!). Piper smiled faintly

'Thinking of Leo?' Paige asked quietly, looking down at her fingers as they picked at her cuticles.

Piper nodded her head, almost imperceptibly. The feeling in her stomach returned and a dull ache surfaced in her chest.

'Honey, are you okay?' Paige looked up from her hands and into Piper's eyes.

'I'm fine,' Piper shook her head as if to clear it, 'I think I might just go lie down.'

'Okay' Paige looked at Piper with concern, touching Piper's elbow as she passed.

Piper pushed open the bedroom door and saw the man she'd been dying to see.

'I didn't hear you come up,' she said, pulling on his hand, leading him to the bed, 'lie with me?'

Piper collapsed on the bed with a heavy sigh. She smiled contentedly as she felt Leo's arm encircling her. She rolled over to face the window as Leo moved closer. Piper drifted into a light sleep, feeling safe and calm in Leo's arms.

--

Piper awoke to find the skies darkened and Leo gone. She'd just been dreaming about him too.

He was falling and Piper desperately tried to save him. 'Let go' he kept calling, 'just let go'

'I can't. I won't' she cried back to him.

Hearing clatter downstairs, Piper heaved herself off the bed and made her way downstairs. She reached the kitchen and found Victor had returned with the boys and Phoebe clearing away pizza boxes. They all looked up as Piper entered.

'Hey, honey. How are you feeling?' Paige asked, twisting around in her chair.

'I'm fine,' Piper replied dismissively, 'hey there baby, did you have fun with Grandpa today?'

'Yeah!' Wyatt smiled, his face covered in barbeque sauce. Chris gurgled from his high chair, pizza crusts mushed in his fists.

'Thanks for taking them today, Dad. We appreciate it.'

'It's okay,' Victor said, standing, 'we had a good time, didn't we big guy?' he smiled at his grandsons

'Well, I guess I better be going. You take care of yourselves, won't you?' he said, pulling Piper into a brief hug, 'See you girls.'

'Bye, Daddy' Phoebe said with a small wave.

'Well, buddy, I think it's time we get you into a bath.' Piper held Chris close as Wyatt slipped off his chair.

'Piper, did you want something to eat?'

'It's okay. I'll grab something later.' Piper's voice floated from the dining room.

After bathing Chris and placing him in his cot, Piper returned to the bathroom and ran a bath for Wyatt, who climbed in readily. Piper watched quietly as Wyatt splashed the water, watching his delight in creating ripples across the surface. As she carefully shampooed his hair, she thought of how Leo could so easily coax Wyatt into having a bath. When she tried, he would orb away from her. Piper smiled at her son as she rinsed his hair. But, Leo had no troubles. The boys adored their father. Even after all they'd been through, even as Wyatt struggled to understand, he would always be a daddy's boy. Piper smiled to herself.

--

After Wyatt was dried, dressed and tucked in bed, Piper went to tidy the bathroom. She picked the towels off the floor and collected the various plastic toys from the bathtub. She knelt down to pick up the fallen soap bottles and stopped, almost hypnotised by the wave created by the toys. She sat for a minute or two, her hand trailing in the water. Her mind churned, but it was difficult to pick a thought out of the din. Piper became awash with a wave of fatigue. She remained still for a moment before standing and pulling the plug from the bath. Piper watched the water swirl around the plug. She watched the water as it drained until it was gone.

Authors Note: Have you guessed it yet? Hope you like it anyway ..