DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT own the “Charmed” ones. They belong to the WB. I also don’t own the song “All At Once”. It belongs to Whitney Houston. I’m just borrowing it.



. Enjoy!!!

AUTHOR’S NOTE: I want to thank LaCorra and Alexandra for giving me the inspiration I needed to write for the board again. Thanks guys!! You both are really
GREAT friends!!!




“All At Once”

All at once
I finally took
A moment and
I realized that
You’re not
Coming back
And it finally hit me
All at once

Piper Halliwell sat in the kitchen of the Manor, sipping at her tea and trying not to cry for the umpteenth time. It had been nearly a month. A month since
she had seen him last. A month since he had held her so tenderly in his arms, telling her that he loved her and promising to never leave her. A month since
she had felt safe in his embrace, listening to his heartbeat and knowing nothing else but how safe and happy he made her feel. A month since she had found
out that her husband, the father of her two sons and little girl was going to be an elder. Now he was gone. It hadn’t sunken in until Melinda at the tender
age of three, had come into her room crying and wanting her Daddy. As Piper sat there, hugging her little girl, she realized with a pang of sadness and
longing, that Leo wasn’t coming back. All at once, she realized that he wouldn’t be there to see Melinda’s first day of school, or see Wyatt’s first soccer
game or see Chris say his first word. He wouldn’t be there for any of it.
As Piper sat there, thinking of that night, the tears fell for the umpteenth time. About a few minutes later, she felt a pair of arms wrap around her from
behind. She glanced up to see Paige, standing behind her. She pulled Piper into a hug and encouraged her to cry as well as telling her that it was going
to be okay.
“It’s not going to be okay, squirt,” Piper sobbed, using her nickname for Paige. “It’s never going to be okay again!! Leo’s never going to be able to see
his children again. he’s never going to be able to see me again. He’s not coming back! I’ve lost my husband!” She sobbed on Paige’s shoulder for about
an hour before she got the strength to go to sleep. Paige tucked her in and gave her a kiss.
“I love you, Piper Jane Halliwell,” she said before giving her a hug and leaving the room.
“I love you to, Missy Paige.” Piper said, using Paige’s family nickname. “I love you too. And thanks.”
“No problem,” Paige said, smiling fondly at her sister. “It’s my pleasure.”
As Piper lay there, the tears began to fall again. she sighed as she tried to get some sleep.

All at once
I started counting
Tear drops and
At least a million fell
My eyes began to swell
And all my dreams were
Shattered, all at once

Around two o’ clock in the morning, Piper got the sudden urge to go check on Melinda. She knew that both Chris and Wyatt, who was now six years old, slept
just fine, so she didn’t have to worry about them.
As she crept into Melinda’s room, she found her baby girl tossing and turning. She was having a nightmare and she was crying out for the one person that
couldn’t be there. The one person that was never going to be there for her physically again.
“Daddy!” She cried as Piper went over and gently nudged her awake. “Daddy!! Daddy!!! Daddy!!! Mommy!! Mommy!!”
“Shh,” Piper said as she rocked a now crying Melinda in her arms. “Shh, hush now, my angel, it’s okay, sweetie. Mommy’s here now. Mommy has you now. You’re
okay, honey. Everything’s okay. I promise. You’re all right.”
“Where’s Daddy?” Melinda asked tearfully. “I want Daddy! Why did he leave us? Was I a bad girl? Did I make Daddy leave?”
Piper’s heart broke and the tears came again.
“No, no, my sweet angel girl. No, sweetie. Daddy didn’t leave because of you or your brothers. He left because he had to. He’s working up in heaven now.”
“But I want him here!” Melinda whimpered against Piper’s breast as Piper hugged her close and gave her a kiss on her cheek. “I want Daddy here with us!”
“I know you do, angel,” Piper said. “I do too. Believe me. I do too.” Piper sighed as she hugged Melinda close, trying so hard to take away her pain and
help her sleep.

Ever since I
Met you, you’re
The only love I’ve
Known
And I can’t forget you
Though I have to
Face this alone

All at once
I’m drifting on a
Lonely sea, wishing
You’d come back
To me

All at once
I’m drifting on
A lonely sea
Holding onto
Memories
Though it hurts more
Than I know
Though it hurts more
Than it shows
All my dreams
Are shattered
All at once

Piper sat down in the living room as she flipped through some photo albums. She was trying to get her mind off Leo, but it wasn’t working. It was just too
much. Everything she did, everything she thought, was of Leo. When was it going to stop. She got her answer as the tears came again. it was never going
to stop. She was never going to stop loving him or missing him. Neither were her children. It was a fact of life. She would always miss him and her children
would always miss him. The important thing was that Leo would always be watching over them and he would be in calling distance if there was ever an emergency
that the sisters couldn’t handle. It was just really hard for Piper to let go. It had just hit her all at once. As she sighed and tried to fight back the
tears, she whispered, “I love you Leo. I’ll always love you. Please come back to us soon. Please.” With that, she drifted off to sleep, hoping and praying
that she would see Leo in her dreams.

Ever since I met you
You’re the only love
I’ve known
I never can forget you
Though I face this all
Alone

All at once
I’m drifting on a
Lonely sea, wishing
You’d come back to me

All at once
I’m drifting on a
Lonely sea,
Holding onto memories
Though it hurts more
Than you know
It hurts more than
It shows
All at once

All at once
I started counting
Teardrops and
At least a million
Fell
My eyes began
To swell
And all my dreams
Were shattered
All at once

All at once
I’m drifting on a
Lonely sea
Wishing you’d
Come back to me

All at once
I’m drifting on
A lonely sea
Holding onto memories
It hurts more than I know
It hurts more than it shows
All at once

Up in heaven, Leo looked down at his sleeping wife and playing children and sighed. “I love you too.” He said, hoping they could hear him. “I love you so
much. I wish I could be there now, but I can’t. I’ll always be there for you and Melinda and Wyatt and Chris. Always. I just can’t be there physically
right now. I love all of you so much. Sweet dreams Piper and remember, you can do this. I have faith in you. You’re going to make it. I know you will.”
With that, he went back to helping a charge in need, all the while, hoping and praying that his message got to Piper.

THE END