CHAPTER THREE .

Piper woke in the morning and reached over to find Leo's side empty. She panicked, searching the bed frantically as if looking for some sign he'd been there. Then Piper remembered. She remembered Leo's warm breath tickling her ear, she remembered her annoyance at him for waking her up, she remembered the soft kiss he pressed to her cheek. He had told her he would be gone in the morning; she'd waved him away with her hand, too tired to ask where. Now, she wished she had.
Strangely, she felt scared. She was used to being alone; hell, he'd left her for a year just two years ago, but she always knew where he was.

She hauled herself off the bed, her body dragging with a tiredness that sleep had not abated.

--

Piper had made it through the morning, with a throbbing reverberating through her body. She was glad however, that the anguish in her stomach lay dormant.

Piper pushed the cart down the aisle, its one squeaky wheel echoing shrilly in the brightly lit supermarket. She grabbed boxes off the shelves, not really paying attention to the gaudy messages splashed across their fronts. Wyatt and Chris were both quiet, busily chewing on cookies and rusks respectively. It was not only the food that kept them silent, they could feel something in the air, something .. melancholy emanating from their mother.

Piper rolled the cart around the corner and forced it lengthways down the milk fridge. She grinned briefly at her sons before looking, unseeing at the shelves beside her. Piper chose the carton nearest to her and handed it to Wyatt, so that he could place it in the trolley. As she straightened, Piper caught sight of a sandy-blonde head rounding the corner.

'Leo' she whispered and set off after him.

Her heels clattered on the linoleum and the wheel screeched loudly. Piper chased after him; careening down the aisle, sending displays and sometimes customers flying.

She reached the checkouts, slightly red and puffed. Chris started to fuss and Wyatt, glancing at his mother pulled faces at him in attempt to get him to settle.

'Leo.' Piper repeated, reaching out to touch his shoulder. However, as the man turned to face her, she saw he was paler then her husband, he had a stubbly cheek and his brown eyes didn't sparkle as she knew Leo's green blue ones did.

'Sorry.' Piper apologised, turning a deeper shade of red and pulling her hand away.

The man just grunted and moved forward in the line.

Wyatt turned his small face to his mother,

'Mommy, Daddy isn't here.'

--

Piper arrived home and settled Wyatt and Chris in the conservatory before she put the groceries away. She didn't really take notice of her actions; it was like she was on automatic, just going through the motions. She moved to the conservatory and sat on the wicker couch, watching her sons playing in the fading sunlight.

Paige and Phoebe came through the door, laughing quietly.

'Hey, sweetie'

Piper smiled at them both, thankful that the darkened room hid the film of tears that had blurred her vision. She didn't know why she was crying and she knew it'd be hard to explain that to her concerned sisters.

'We missed you today,' Paige smiled gently, 'We could have used your deciding vote.'

'Yeah,' Phoebe added, giggling, 'Instead we had to buy all of it!'

She held up her arms, half a dozen bags swinging of each.

Piper attempted a laugh.

'Hey, could you guys help me get the boys fed and ready for bed?'

'Sure, honey'

'With Leo gone, it's a bit of a struggle.' she gave a wry smile, forcing a short laugh.

'It's okay.' Paige said, bending down to scoop up Chris.

'Piper, it's okay to ask for help you know' Phoebe added, making her way over to Piper.

'Sure. Yeah, I will' Piper brushed Phoebe off and headed to the kitchen

--

Piper smiled as she watched her husband sleep peacefully. She had fed, bathed and put the children to bed and drudged wearily upstairs, calling a soft goodnight to her sisters. Leo lay so still, almost as if he weren't breathing. Watching him caused her heart to twist in her chest. A lump formed in her throat and she coughed a harsh cough, as if she were choking. She made her way to the bed as Leo sat up. Piper crawled into his lap, pulling on his hands and bringing them around her.

'Are you okay?' he asked

'I dreamt about you again last night,' she murmured, lightly pulling at the skin on the back of his hand. She shuddered as she recalled the persistent nightmare, 'except this time, I was going with you.'

Leo held her tighter, pulling Piper closer to his body.

'I will never let you fall' he whispered in her ear.