CHAPTER FOUR .
Piper left the P3 office, adjusting her handbag on her shoulder. She smiled, knowing she and Leo would be alone that night. She stopped short, however as she recognised the black-clad figure standing before her.
'What do you want?' she asked steely.
'I want to help you.'
Piper scoffed.
'I didn't think the Angel of Death was capable of help. You bring about loss and pain and you want to help me?'
'I know, it's strange. No doubt a reflection of me knowing you.' Death said, furrowing his brow as he thought it over.
'What makes you think I need help anyway?' Piper asked, losing patience with him.
'It's Leo'
'What did you do to him?' Piper almost shouted, panic coursing through her.
'I'm here to help you move on.'
'What did you do to him?' Piper repeated, gutturally.
'He's safe,' Death looked Piper in the eye, 'but you aren't.'
'I'm not dead or dying. I'm not leaving with you'
'Piper, I'm not here to take you. I want to help you to live.'
'What?' Piper took a step back, confused.
'By keeping Leo alive in your mind, you're keeping yourself from moving on, from living.'
'What do you mean, keeping him alive? He is alive.'
Death shook his head. 'You don't see the reality because you don't want to see it. You're keeping yourself from feeling because it is too hard to feel.'
'Get out'
The Angel of Death scowled and gave Piper a searching look, before disappearing.
'Screw you' Piper shouted to the fading mist.
--
Piper stormed into the kitchen, past her sisters and into the foyer where she began pacing back and forth.
'That grim-reaping son of a bitch.'
Paige and Phoebe rushed from the kitchen and looked on in shock, as Piper continued to rage, flailing her arms in the air.
'Trying to comfort me? He's trying to comfort me?' she asked no one in particular, 'what does he know about comfort? The way he was talking about Leo, as if he was dead or something.'
Phoebe grabbed her waving hands.
'Piper, sweetie. Leo .. is dead. He was killed in a car crash a month ago. Remember?'
Piper's hands began to shake.
'He .. he's what?'
Piper couldn't believe it. She wouldn't believe it.
Then, she understood.
She knew why the Angel of Death had come to see her, she knew where the empty feelings had come from, suddenly she knew why she had felt so lost.
She pulled away from Phoebe's grasp, bringing her hands to her chest. Piper turned and took the stairs two at a time, ignoring the calls of her sisters below her.
Piper ran to her wardrobe and began pulling boxes and bags from the shelves, until she found what she was looking for. Her 'Leo' box. She began to pull each item out, tears filling her eyes. A flannel shirt she claimed as her own, a bottle of cologne he had thrown out when she was pregnant, his toolbox from his handyman days. As each came out one by one, she was overcome with emotion and sank to the ground.
Leo came from behind her and sat down next to his wife.
'Are you okay?' she asked, almost laughing at her own words. She had just found out she would be facing the world alone and she had asked him if he were alright.
'I will never be okay with hurting you.'
Tears streaming down her face, Piper leant in and kissed him. Twisting his shirt in her fist, Piper reluctantly broke away.
'I know I'm dreaming, but can't we make this dream last forever?' she paused, her breath ragged and shallow, 'How do I live without you?'
'You're the one who told me not to give up, to fight.' Leo placed a hand on her thigh, looking at his grief-stricken wife, tears threatening to fall from his own eyes.
'Fortune favours the brave.' Piper whispered, shaking her head.
'How come it won't stop hurting? I can't stand feeling this way.' Piper pulled Leo close and rested her head on his shoulder, 'I just want it to be over.'
'It will, I promise. But it's gonna take time.' Leo said softly, holding Piper as close as he could.
'Why can't you stay?'
'I don't belong here. Not anymore.'
Leo kissed his wife one last time. It was a soft, sweet kiss, one that captured the feelings of the two - the pain, the loss and the indescribable love that they shared. When Piper opened her eyes, Leo was gone and she was alone.
--
Piper sat under a tree, the wind gently sweeping the blossoms down from the branches. She looked out at her sons running through the grass and smiled. The sun shone on her face and her thoughts turned to Leo.
It had been two years since his passing and she remembered the day so clearly, the day he slipped away.
For a long time she had sat alone in her room, with his picture in her hand. She sat thinking about the things they had been through, trying desperately to understand. She knew he would be with her always, but it wasn't the same. However, time had passed and the days had become easier. She no longer felt guilty for laughing.
She stood and the wind blew her hair from her face.
'I love you' she whispered aloud and the words echoed in her heart. Piper smiled. She knew he had heard her.
Authors Note : Congratulations to badgideon and heavennoseven who figured it out! You receive a medal and certificate claiming that I under all circumstances bow down to you, which you can pull out at any moment and go 'So, there !'. :)
I thought to myself: 'what if Leo had died in the car crash in 'Vaya Con Leos', and there came this idea. However, I took a certain amount of artistic license. Piper doesn't see the Angel of Death before the event and the Ultimate Battle isn't mentioned. You'll noticed neither was Billie (It was mainly because it wasn't relevant, but also partly because I don't like her.)
I wanted this to go longer, but I really couldn't think of any more situations to put her in and still make it new and interesting. I hope I conveyed the love and sadness of Piper. I've never lost anyone so I can't imagine the pain and sadness of it all.
Hope you liked it anyway and weren't too disappointed with the ending!
KiRSTYx