Chapter 3

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I believe in love
I believe in love
Yes I believe in love

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Saturday had finally come and Piper was grateful.  Yesterday had been a killer.  Dan had called again and accused her of cheating.  She lied and said she wasn't, but he didn't need to know that she had been emotionally cheating on him since they had left for Paris.  And the final shout had come from him telling her he was leaving.  And Piper was relieved.  And that made her feel guilty.

It had NOT been a good day yesterday.  However after today she should be fine.  However her resolve and courage were quickly leaving her with each minute passing.  She hadn't seen him in fifteen months and they way they had left it she wondered if he ever wanted to see her again.

~*~

"Leo Wyatt"

And Piper watched with pride as Leo walked across the stage to receive his diploma.  She always knew that he was going to make it.  Even though they were broken up she was still very proud of him.  She knew he was going to make an incredible doctor.  He had a gift of empathy that made his patients trust him and he was so honest that their trust was never misplaced.

She watched him as he walked off.  They had called Lily's name awhile back.  The woman after Leo was the last one and that was when the clapping started in full.  The graduates all congratulated one another and then walked off to find their families.

Piper who had lost the courage the moment she saw him made a quick exit for the door.  She didn't stop when she heard her name being called and quickly jumped into her jeep and left for her home.  And when she was a safe distance away she started to cry.  Not the heart breaking sobs that she was feeling because then she couldn't drive, but tears were streaming down her face.  

When she drove up to her home she parked the jeep back in the garage where it would sit for another three months, and realized that she had no recollection of how she had gotten back home.  She started to cry in earnest and went straight to her room.

~*~

It was nearly 8:30 by the time she came back out having fallen asleep.  She looked at herself in the mirror and started laughing.  She looked horrible, but she felt a little better.  She still wished her sister's were there though.  As she walked down the stairs she wished that she had turned on some lights before she had gone upstairs.

Slowly she turned on the entry way light and then the living room and then into the kitchen.  She was hungry and soon her stomach would be growling if she didn't get something into it.  She wanted something simple and noticed that Prue had peanut butter, jelly, and bread all in the fridge.  And Piper smiled.  There was nothing as simple as a PB and J sandwich.

As she started to cut the sandwich into triangles the doorbell rang.  She went and opened the door and stood there shocked by who she saw.  "Leo?" she asked.  The last question to leave her mouth for the next three minutes.

Leo stood there just as shocked.  He thought he had seen her leave the ceremony, had even called out, but figured that it wasn't her.  That would be too good to be true.  "Piper?  Can I come in?"  Piper nodded her head and stepped back to let him in.  She closed the door and continued to stand there waiting for the dream to fade away or nightmare depending on how all of this played out.

"What are you doing here?" he asked.  "I live here?" she ventured.  He rolled his eyes, "I know you live here, but you still have three months left in Paris or are you back for good?"  Always had to get straight to the point.  "No I'm just here visiting.  I'm leaving tomorrow." she admitted.  He nodded his head confused as to why she was back at all.  "Were you at my graduation?"  She nodded her head.  "What are you doing here?" she asked.  "I knew Prue was gone for the weekend.  And I saw the lights turned on so I thought I might check to make sure it wasn't you."

Now they both stood there not talking.  It use to be so different between them.  They were inseparable and then with two little mix-ups and they were in different countries and miles apart.  She missed him.  It was killing her to look at him now and not touch him, but she had done this so she was going to have to live with it.

"I guess I'll go." he finally said.  "Wait!  Don't go.  I was just about to eat dinner, would you like to join me?"  Her eyes begging him to join her.  He could never refuse her.  "Sure, what are you having?"  It was then she started to laugh, "Fifteen months in Paris learning to cook with the best chefs and I'm making Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwiches."  Leo laughed at that too.  "Really?"  he asked following her into the kitchen.  "Mmhm.  Didn't really feel like cooking for just myself."

He didn't say anything and just watched her as she moved around the kitchen getting another plate and making his sandwich.  And as he watched her he realized that no matter what happened between them he would always love her.  And that terrified him.  "So how is Paris?" he asked when she set the plate in front of him.

She shrugged her shoulders.  "Boring." she answered.  "Boring?  How can Paris be boring?"  She didn't say anything.  It was boring because she had been sharing it with Dan.  "How is the hospital working out?" she asked changing the subject.  "It is fine.  I like the staff and it isn't too bad." he told her.  Then silence prevailed once again.

By the time they were finished Piper couldn't handle it anymore.  "We have to talk!" she blurted out.  Leo had just shrugged into his coat.  "We need to talk Leo.  I can't stand this and everything is eating me up."  "I agree." he got out of his coat and hung it back up.  "Let's go into the living room." he followed her in.  This was the moment both had feared and dreamed about for fifteen months and now it was here.

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End of Chapter 3