Title: Waiting on the Rain
Author: Dylan Shelby
Rating: PG
Keywords: V, A
Summary: Piper is stuck in the rain.
Author's Notes:  This is to help with Season Six.  

When it started to rain Piper ran to find shelter. It was the perfect thing to happen on this "perfect" day.  First she was feeding Wyatt when she got his food on her blouse, but with no time to change decided to go on her lunch date as it.  Then her jeep wouldn't start.  Then she noticed that it had no gas.  Which ticked her off.  So she wasn't very happy when she got to the restaurant (after borrowing Phoebe's Mini-cooper) only to find the guy had stood her up.  Then it started raining and she couldn't remember where she parked so she took shelter in a tiny alcove where a store had once been.

She wasn't in the tiny alcove but two minutes when a man joined her.

"Hi." he said. "Hi." she replied. Both turned to look out at the rain. "Unexpected... the rain." She rolled her eyes. The man was going to attempt
small talk. Piper really wasn't in the mood for small talk, but with everything that had happened what would it hurt? "To some I suppose, but I bet that someone knew it was going to rain today." she speculated.

He smiled at the answer, "You're right. I bet someone did know." That seemed to end the small talk until he opened his mouth a few seconds later.
"Enjoying lunch?" She looked down on the stain of her blouse, "No my son, Wyatt was. I haven't had the chance to have lunch yet." she explained.
"I'm sorry. I would offer you something, but as you can see...." She laughed, "It's okay. I appreciate the sentiment all the same." 

"Being a single mom must be hard." he observed. She didn't say anything for a moment, he just pointed out the place on her finger where a ring 
use to be. She nodded, "It can be." was all she could concede. 

"I'm sorry." he said. "There's no reason for you to be sorry Leo." her voice thick. "So what were you doing near here?" she asked him. "Do you 
really want to know?" he questioned. She tilted her head and gave him an annoyed look, "I still care about you." Leo just bowed his head, "I forgot 
what rain felt like. As an Elder you don't have to get wet unless you want to or happen to be on Earth. I missed it. I wanted to know what it felt  like."

"So you weren't checking up on me?" she inquired. It was his turn to give her a look, "No. I wasn't. I happened to see you running to find shelter 
and I thought I would come and say hi. Sometimes I just miss talking to you in an un-magical conversation." Piper blushed, "I'm sorry my nerves 
are just on high. I got stood up for my lunch date and then it started raining and it's just been a bad day." she explained.

They were quiet for a few minutes, "So you missed the rain?" she asked. Leo left out a little laugh, "Sounds silly I know, but adjusting to being an 
Elder is hard. I don't eat food anymore. I can't remember what a strawberry tastes like much less anything else. Then I was watching Wyatt the other day when it was raining and I noticed that I hadn't felt the rain in a very long time."  He wouldn't tell her that he couldn't remember how she tasted either.  He remembered their kisses yes, but the texture of her lips were lost on him.  Her skin which he had loved to kiss were fading from his memory as well.  "Do you ever regret it?"

He looked at her for a moment.  They shouldn't be discussing it, but the lure of talking to Piper if even for a few minutes was too appealing, "Sometimes, most of the time I know that I'm doing the right thing. Other moments like when I really miss you and Wyatt I wonder. Then of course when you started dating. That was really hard." He didn't look at her then not sure to what she would think of that admission.

"It's hard on me to." she softly whispered. He turned and gave her a questioning look. "I still love you Leo. The intensity of it has receded a little since we've been separated, but I still love you." "Thanks." he told her.

"Why?" she asked trying to keep the tears from her eyes. "Sometimes I wonder.  I know my son loves me, but I guess even as an Elder I need affirmation. I know we're separated, but I still love you too and with you dating it's hard on me."

Piper grabbed his hand, "I'll always love you Leo. Don't doubt that. In some way I will ALWAYS love you, but this is what life has given us and 
we have to live with it." They looked at one another letting the tears form behind their eyes. Then Leo looked up, "They're calling. Do you want me 
to orb you somewhere?" Piper shook her head, "No. Actually I think I want to feel the rain." He gave her a genuine smile and orbed out. 

She smiled at the rain and walked out into it, "I Love you." she said into  the rain. In the back of her mind she heard his answer, "I love you too."

The End.