Piper was still young enough to play tea-party when Bobby met her, and it was always her favorite game. Given the dream she had later to own a restaurant one day, it wasn't surprising.
He would just be passing through, maybe not even there for a whole day sometimes, when he would wander into the kitchen and there she was, standing in her tiny checkered apron, and talking to some imaginary friend while she cracked eggs into the bowl. The sight was adorable, even to a gruff hunter. It was also a bit reminiscent of what he could have had with Karen, and for a few minutes, he just had to stand there and watch in amusement as she stumbled around getting ingredients she would only pretend to add to the bowl.
And then, she turned around and her face lit up when she saw him. "Bobby!" she exclaimed, nearly dropping the bowl. "You wanna help me make cookies?"
Bobby had smiled even wider, but laughed. "You don't seem to need any help from where I'm standing," he commented. "What're you baking for?"
Piper turned to him, still stirring the mix. "I'm havin' a tea party," she explained. "Sam and Phoebe like cookies best, so I'm makin' some. You should come too! It's gonna be fun, and there's gonna be…tea and cookies and…"
Bobby tried not to laugh at how she was bumbling over her words, but at the same time felt the need to save face. As adorable as she was, no-way no-how was he going to be playing tea-party at the tiny coffee table in the living room. Even if no one else found out, Penny would never let the incident go.
"Sorry, darlin'," he said gently. "I don't drink tea…"
"Well then you could have coffee," Piper explained, as if that fixed it. "Or water or juice. There isn't gonna just be tea."
She was going to be a great hostess when she got older.
"Please, Bobby?"
He shook his head, and started to say no again, but then he saw how her brown eyes had gotten all big and sad. She was clutching the mixing bowl close like it was a teddy bear, like she couldn't bear to hear the word no again.
Oh god, abort! Abort!
"Err, I've actually-"
"Pleeeeaaaasssssssssssse?"
He just knew Penny had taught her how to do those eyes, too. He fought with his masculinity for a moment, before sighing a little. "You sure you want someone with oily jeans at your fancy party?"
She made a face. "You can clean up just like the rest of us, mister!" she exclaimed, sounding just like her grandmother. Piper went back to mixing. "But it's not fancy dress or anything. Be in the living room in half an hour."
And he'd be damned if he wasn't in there, sitting on the floor with Sam and Phoebe when Piper brought in her plate of invisible cookies.