Part X

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"Optimist: a cheerful frame of mind that enables a teakettle to sing though in hot water up to its nose." -- Anonymous 

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"What do you mean son?" Piper asked. She racked her brain trying to come up with a memory, something, anything that would allow her to remember having a son. Bianca's face softened, "I don't know what you must be going through, but once we get back to the office I'll explain everything." she said softly. Piper just nodded. A phone started ringing and everyone looked around, but Piper noticed the sound was coming from Leo's jacket that they had brought with them from the wreck. She picked it up, "Hello?" "Who is this?" a man's voice demanded. "This is Heather Price who is this?" she shot back, forgetting for a moment who she truly was. "Oh, Hi, this is Cole Turner, can I speak to Leo?" he asked. "Um... He's not here...let me give you over to Haley... I mean Bianca." she stammered and gave the cell phone over to Bianca.

"Hello?" Bianca asked. "Lawson, this is Turner, what's going on? I'm at Leo's apartment, but no one is answering, and no one picked me up at the airport." he told her. "That's because we intercepted a call and had to extract them out of there. We were in an accident and Leo was taken. We're headed to the office now, so catch a cab and meet us there." Bianca directed. "Okay." he told her and hung up. Bianca handed the phone back to Piper. Baby Wyatt looked on with fascination at the new woman sitting next to him. In one day he would be nineteen months old, and the only time he had met the woman next to him was on the day of his birth. He had seen her in pictures before, had smelled her perfume on his favorite blanket, but had never actually touched her. Wyatt played with his toys through the ride, mostly leaving the woman next to him alone.

Piper was struck with a sadness she hadn't felt in a long time. She was staring at her son. Her baby boy, whom she had never seen and couldn't remember being pregnant with. Leo was going to be surprised when he found out. She had decided when she was walking up and down the side walk that she would assume Leo was alive until she was proven wrong. She also had the strange sensation that she would know if he were dead. Her little boy was almost the spitting image of his daddy. He had blonde curled hair and big blue eyes. She wondered if he would take her coloring later on. 

They soon arrived at the "office". It was located in the center of a many other buildings located near the docks. Matthew got out first followed by Chris and then Bianca. Chris opened Piper's door and Bianca opened Wyatt's side. "Banca!" Wyatt cried happily. Bianca smiled at him, "You're smart. Did you know that kid?" she asked him. He gave her a toothy grin and patted her cheek. Piper had made it to the side in time to see the love pat. She felt a surge of jealousy. "I'm sorry Piper, I wasn't thinking." Bianca apologized and gave the little boy over to his mother. Piper shook her head that Bianca had nothing to be sorry for, but gladly took her son into her arms. Although Wyatt tensed at the fact he was in a stranger's embrace, Piper's movements and soothing sounds soon found him relaxing. Bianca looked on and kept the tears from her eyes. She had been waiting for the moment that she could reunite Piper with her son, but actually seeing it was more emotional than she had planned. Although with Leo missing the piece of the picture in her mind's eye was missing a big piece. With new resolution Bianca Lawson would make damn sure that the Halliwell-Wyatt family would be reunited.

Bianca motioned for Piper to follow her. Piper continued to soothe her son and felt as he relaxed against her and start to fall asleep on her shoulder. She followed Bianca into the building, but it was unlike anything Piper would have expected It was like walking into a home. They were in what would be the parlor. It was painted a sunny yellow and had blue/gold Louis XIV chairs sitting to the side. There was a tall desk made out of a dark cherry wood finish and a mirror hanging above it. They walked further into a living room that was painted a soothing blue with warm beige sofa and love seat. There was a coffee table in the middle that resembled the desk from the parlor. The carpet was a soft blue it had an area rug with beautiful colors interwoven into it. The florescent lighting one would expect was no where to be found. In fact it looked as there was natural light floating into the air. There were also toys scattered on the sofa. 

Bianca let Piper look for a moment before taking her past into another room that was the kitchen. It too was painted the same bright yellow as the parlor had been. It had big white cabinets with a smooth marble counter top. It had a massive custom built-in island made of the same marble top. Past that was an ornate wood carved door. As they went through that door they entered a hallway that had several doors on either side of it. Bianca then led her into an actual office, her office. There was a large dark desk with pictures on it and a computer. A door was standing opposite of them, "Wyatt's room is through there." Bianca pointed. Piper had a sense of deja vu, but knew it was a memory trying to come out.

Bianca went to her desk and opened a drawer and pulled out some bound books. She walked to the door leading to Wyatt's room. "Follow me." she instructed. Piper walked through and stood still. When she would have conversations with Bianca, who she thought was Haley, about what kind of nursery she would have this was exactly what she imagined. Bianca had a small smile on her face, "You and I decorated this before Wyatt was born. I always thought it interesting that your vision of the nursery never changed." Wyatt was starting to get heavy and so Piper went to the dark mahogany crib and laid him down and covered him with a blanket. When she faced Bianca she had tears in her eyes. 

Bianca wanted to give her a hug, but wasn't sure if Piper would be receptive to the idea. When Piper's shoulder's started to shake Bianca went over to where she was standing and took her into her arms. "I'm so sorry Piper." Bianca whispered. Piper shook her head, "I'm sorry I shouldn't be crying like this..." but she trailed off at Bianca's interruption. "Piper you have every right. Your life has been turned upside down and not for the first time." Bianca told her and then pulled away. She took the bound volumes she had set on the rocker. "You started writing in these a few days after you were taken. No one has read them and I've kept them locked in my desk. I have to go to talk with Cade and Bennett, but I'll be back." she said handing the books to Piper.

Bianca hesitated for a moment and then left Piper to herself and walked back into her office and then into the conference room where her group was waiting for her. In the conference room was a large mahogany desk that seated twelve people. There were two white boards and a peg board with papers and pictures stuck to it. Matthew and Chris were already seated and arguing when Bianca walked into the room.

"If we call Washington they are going to think we can't handle this and we can." Matthew stressed. Chris shook his head, "I don't want Washington here anymore than you do, but the fact remains that we might need their help. A rogue Agent is big news. If there is anyway we can catch crap for this I don't want to do it. I'm in enough trouble." Chris argued back. Matthew looked to Bianca to help him. "I'm sorry Cade, but Chris is right on this one. If Seer really is behind this then Washington is going to need to know. This is already out of control. Besides, Turner, is already here, so maybe we won't need anyone else." Matthew let out a breath. He was outnumbered. "Fine. But we have to figure this out quick. In a perfect world I would like it wrapped up before Washington can get anyone else out here." Bianca and Chris exchanged looks knowing that it wasn't going to be that easy.

"Fine, then let us get all the information we can on Seer. See if we can figure out why she has a money clip with 'BJ' on it and if he is missing as well." Bianca directed. "Alright. Are you going to brief Piper?" Cade directed to Bianca. "Yes, but I'm going to give her some time." Bianca answered. Cade nodded and looked to Chris, "Alright Bennett you come with me to see if we can find a trail and Bianca you do the back work and that way you can be here when Turner gets here and watch after Piper." Cade commanded. Everyone shook their head and Bianca went back into her office while Cade and Bennett left hoping to find the trail to the rogue agent, Trudeau, and Mr. Wyatt.

Piper had heard Bianca shut her office door. She took the leather bound journals and sat in the rocking chair that matched the crib. She looked over to Wyatt to make sure he was still sleeping and then took the first journal and sat the other two down on an end table next to the chair. She flipped through the pages and saw her cursive writing on the paper. She settled on the first page and noticed a page taped to the inside cover. She pulled it off and opened it up:

Dear Leo,

I don't know when or how you will read this, but I pray that if you ever do I am the one that hands this to you. I decided to start writing these about a month after I left. The day I found out I was pregnant. Our last night together created a life. I want to share all of this with you Leo and I hate the fact that we can't. You don't get to see my expanded tummy or feel our baby kick. It hurts that you aren't with me right now, but I have to protect my family. I can't let you, Prue, or Phoebe get hurt. I won't allow that. I won't allow our child to live in fear either.

Bianca gave me a baby book, so these will be the end of my journals, which is why I write this letter now. My thoughts and fears are in these books. I want them read by you and our child. To know what I was going through, to know how much I love you both. 

Leo, I love you. And there is nothing on this earth that will change that. 

Always,
Piper

Piper swiped the loan tear that traveled down her cheek and turned the page to embrace her past.

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Leo tried to open his eyes, but groaned with effort of it. It felt as if the seven dwarfs and a few of their buddies were mining for diamonds in his skull. He tried a few more times and on his fifth try he finally opened his eyes. Most of his vision was blurred and he couldn't make actual shapes out yet. He blinked again and things started to come into focus.

He was in some type of metal storage shed. There was a row of shelves in the middle of the cramped space and rows up above him and around him. He wasn't quite sure of where to start when he heard a noise to his right and noticed a man looking nearly as bad as he felt. "Hello?" he greeted the man. The man had brown spiky hair and was wearing a gray suit slacks and a white dress shirt. His left eye was swollen with black and blue surrounding it. The man turned to look at Leo and Leo saw the cut that crossed both lips and several mismatched cuts along the man's cheeks.

The man gave him a nod but didn't say anything further as his head hit his chest and the man was out. Leo knew that the man was probably suffering from a concussion, but with no help to relieve his own problems Leo wasn't sure how to help him. He felt sleep pulling him back into haze and with no other means of stopping it he plunged into the darkness.

Leo wasn't sure how long he had been out when he came to again, but the man was no longer sitting next to him and there was a banging sound coming from the back of the tiny shed. Leo looked to where the noise was coming from and saw the man trying to hit his way of the shed. Something must have alerted the man to Leo's presence because he turned around and walked toward him. "Leo Wyatt?" he asked. Leo nodded. The man gave him his hand and Leo took and got to his feet, "I'm Special Agent Andrew Trudeau." he introduced himself. He didn't look like a special agent to Leo, but that could be because he still looked he had been in a bad fight and lost.

It took Leo a minute to realize that he had gone back to bang on the building. "Trudeau?" Leo squeaked. He blushed red at the sound of his voice, but Trudeau didn't seem to notice. "Yeah?" he grunted while stopping the banging. "What is going on?" Leo finally asked. Trudeau turned around and faced Leo. "Do you know who I am?" he asked. Leo wasn't sure if he shook his head, but Trudeau understood, "I am the Agent in Charge on your wife's case. Now your next question will probably be what case? What is going on? Well if you will help me try and get out of here I will explain everything." Trudeau offered. Leo felt him nod his head in consent of the deal.

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"Piper?" Bianca called out softly. Piper looked up from the journal that she had been reading for the past hour. "Can you come here for a second?" Bianca asked. Piper nodded and marked her place in the journal and then set it down. She went to Wyatt's crib where she was satisfied that he was still sleeping and then followed Bianca out the door. "Would you like something to drink or eat?" Bianca asked when Piper shut the door. "I'm okay, but thank-you." Piper told her in honesty.

"I wanted to thank-you for your patience in this. It hasn't been easy and now with Trudeau missing and Agent Seer possibly behind some of this..." Bianca trailed off for a moment, "Anyway, I owe you an explanation of what's been going on." Piper perked up a little. Bianca took a big breath and went into the story...

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The metal on the storage shed was finally starting to give into the blows that Trudeau and Leo had been giving it and between blows Trudeau gave out the explanation, "...well Bane Johnson isn't really Bane Johnson, his real name is Bane Jessup, as in the Jessup crime family..." Trudeau paused for a moment and then continued, " his father was dying and going to give the business over to Bane's older brother, Antwon, who did not like Bane's relationship with Prue. Bane, refused to break it off so Antwon took out a hit on Prue. When Bane found out he came to us. So, we faked his death in return for all of the information that Bane could get us..." Trudeau stopped for a moment, he was exhausted, dirty, and the blows he received earlier were really starting to wear on him. 

Leo, feeling the exhaustion as well took a break with the agent waiting for the continuation, "While we were transferring Bane to a safe house our van was attacked. Some how Antwon and the family found out about the deal and tried to get Bane. Luckily he escaped, but the closest place was P3 where he found Piper. He called for help, but just as back up arrived so did the family. Piper saw an agent get shot by Bane's cousin, Stefan..." Although Trudeau wanted desperately to get out his body just wasn't up to the task. So with Leo's help they slid to the floor.

"We had to take your wife in at that point. Stefan wouldn't have let Piper live as she could identify what happened and her life became in as much danger as Bane's. So, we took her in with us. We sent her first to Oklahoma City, and then finally to San Francisco. Meanwhile Bane was helping us to put our case together against the family." Trudeau let that sink for a moment and Leo took it all in, but before he could ask anything Trudeau started talking again, "Now, you might want to know why you weren't told. Simple. We couldn't risk it. You're a powerful and well known man and if you went missing there would be more questions than we would have answers for. And if we told you what happened then it might not look authentic. We couldn't risk your life or Piper's. However, you got demanding and so we assigned an FBI agent that didn't know what was going on to search for you..." "Cole." Leo interrupted. "Cole was new to the force and we were able to monitor all his efforts to keep him from finding the truth. It wasn't until he started looking into the background of Heather Price that we finally told him."

He paused because the need for slumber was pulling at his eyelids, but he knew that he could slip into a coma and Leo needed his help. "So Cole has known for some time that Piper was Heather Price." Leo's voice surrounded in betrayal. If Andy knew him better he might of patted him on the back, but he didn't know how to reassure Leo that Cole had no choice. "He did, but he couldn't tell you or anyone else. IF someone found out then it could damage what progress we had made." Andy said to try and placate Leo. "So why does Piper not remember who she is?" Leo asked.

Andy turned and looked at the wall, "That wasn't planned. A month or so after she was moved to Oklahoma City she found out she was pregnant. Which was partly why we moved her to San Francisco. She had a tough time with it. Not so much physical, but the separation from you and Prue hurt her. We tried to help her as much as possible, but there was only so much we could do. Six weeks before her due date, which we think was caused by stressed she passed out. When she did she hit her head hard enough on the dresser that it caused her to loose her memory." Andy paused for only a moment, "We took her to Dan, Bennett's brother, but she couldn't remember. One of the reasons we had left for San Francisco was because Antwon had found us. Nothing happened, but he knew she was pregnant and they would be looking for a woman with a child. So we decided that we would make up memories, if you will, about who Heather Price was. I took care of your son, whom Piper had already named Wyatt before he was born. Bianca became in charge of Piper because as Heather Price she wouldn't know who her enemies were." Andy finally stopped and let that sink in.

When Leo didn't say anything Andy continued, "We only have two weeks until we go to trial and then it would be over, but now this has happened."  Leo just looked at Andy, he had a son.  He and Piper had made a child.  A child they had always wanted.  Phoebe and Prue were aunts.  They had the potential of being a family.  That was the idea that Leo stayed stuck on like a broken record.

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End of Part X

Author's Notes: I have been battling school, weather, computer viruses, and a massive project at work that has me working harder than when I have both school and work.  Which is why this story hasn't been updated in a long while.  Which I really apologize for.  Now, obviously this isn't the end.  I'm hoping that Part XII will be the end. :)  Thanks for your patience!