Disclaimer: I do not own them. They belong to the WB.


Piper looked down at her son. His head was on the recliner’s arm and his eyes were fighting sleep. She watched with a smile as his head gave a slight bob each time he gave into his overwhelming tiredness. Finally, slipping into sleep Piper to her queue and walked quietly toward her son bring him into her arms.

They had just had his second birthday and her was as beautiful and active as ever. Birthdays were the worst, birthdays were when she was truly reminded what her husb….Leo was missing. Birthdays were what made her fight to remind herself of what she had and not of what she didn’t.

As she brought his head to her shoulder, she felt an overwhelming power of love, of healing. Only lasting a second she shook it off and went up stairs. Setting Wyatt into his "big boy" bed her pulled to comforter up to meet his chin. She sat there stroking his hair from his face.

How was she going to get him to understand? To love Leo without him being here. Promised love is never the same. Feeling another presence in the room, she turned. Seeing who it was she signaled for outside. Looking at Wyatt one last time she closed to door.

"Leo, what are you doing here?"

"I love you, you know that I want to be happy, I know that. I want to be with you, I want to clip my wings."

Piper’s head shot up. She had been wishing for something like this in the back of her mind for ever. She knew there was a solution but the thought had never really crossed her mind. She had been hopping for an answer. She been praying for her happiness. She looked at the man in front of her. A man who thought he knew her response and the woman in front of him who thought she knew the same.

It had been a year since it had happened since he left. Periodical visits had kept her heart yearning and grieving for something that was unreachable. Now she had a solution and answer.

"No, Leo."

He looked at her in shock.

It occurred to her as she sat looking at Wyatt that her happiness with Leo would live forever, though not a fairytale like she had hoped their destiny could have been written, There love was forever. They had gone against the rules, they had fought for everything and they had thought they got nothing. But the realization the came brought her to the conclusion that happiness with Leo was to last forever. It never seemed like enough until she saw her son. She didn’t see him any other way physically but in a realization that only occurs in things right in front of oneself.

Her and Leo’s love was full of sacrifice and love. Though not seeming like enough, Leo wanted to give her a normal life, but Piper never wanted to give him up. She thought she could never had one without the other. It was at that moment in her realization that it had hit her: she had, she will have both. She will always have what was and what will be.

"No, Leo, I love you and you deserve this, I’m strong, we’ll do okay."

She saw the hurt and confusion as he began to orb, she suddenly held him back.

"Stop by every week at least to see you son………..and to see me."

He nodded. There was a slight pause.

"I’m proud of you Piper. But just because you can settle for letting me go. .. . doesn’t mean I’ll let you go. I’ll be an Elder Piper, but I will never stop fighting for my family. I’ll be back, for good, I figure something out."

His orbs filled the room he was gone. Again.


THE END just a shorty