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anythingdrabbleTitle: Care
Fandom: Charmed
Characters/Pairings: Leo/Piper
Word Count: 500
Rating: G/K
Summary: It's not time for her to leave this world. At least not yet.
She had always been a caregiver. Middle children often were, if the oldest failed to be the caregiver and Prue had always been too busy chasing boys when they'd been younger. Her sister had grown into her own and had served well during her time as the matriarch of their family, but she had been taken from them far too soon.
At least, Piper would always believe that, although the Powers That Be had claimed otherwise. She also recognized that they never would have found Paige if they had not lost Prue. Having to choose between two sisters had never been fair, but Piper had found herself in that position many times throughout her life. She had never expected to outlive all three of them, but somehow, she had.
And now she was leaving her family divided, brother against brother, sister against sister, cousin against cousin, even parent against parent. She had not seen Leo in so very long. She knew he had to have moved on... until she closed her eyes and there, suddenly, he was. "L-Leo?"
"Hush," he whispered, cradling her in his arms. His embrace had not lost its comfort, reassurance, passion, or strength. A part of her wanted to pull away, to not reveal her pain to the Angel who had not been there to heal her in so very long, to the husband who had cared so little for her that he had turned away from not just herself but their children as well. Yet she seemed to have no strength left in her.
He placed a hand on her forehead, then her cheeks. "You've aged gracefully," he whispered.
"Ha! I'm old and haggard, Leo. What pretty little Witch are you seeing these days?" Her words were slurred with what sounded like hatred, but even despite all the pain he'd caused her, she couldn't hate him. She'd always been much better at caring for people than hating them and had very rarely, in her perhaps too long life, ever turned against anyone permanently, at least anyone who hadn't been Demonic.
"I see you," he whispered, stroking her face. "Every time I close my eyes, I see you. I see you right now, as you were then, when we first met," he traced the fine, gray hairs that had once swung merrily and habitually in a ponytail, "not as you are now. That woman is still within you. She will always be within you." He touched her face again.
"Then why'd you leave her? Why'd you leave me?"
He kissed her forehead. "To protect you." His lips were still on hers when Piper woke, suddenly feeling a resurgence of strength and health. Her boys jumped to alert around her.
"It's time," she told them firmly, "to get your act together, and to get this family together once and for all."
"Yes, Mom," Chris and Wyatt chirped in unison. They'd do anything they could to still be with her while she yet held to health and life.
The End
Fandom: Charmed
Characters/Pairings: Leo/Piper
Word Count: 500
Rating: G/K
Summary: It's not time for her to leave this world. At least not yet.
She had always been a caregiver. Middle children often were, if the oldest failed to be the caregiver and Prue had always been too busy chasing boys when they'd been younger. Her sister had grown into her own and had served well during her time as the matriarch of their family, but she had been taken from them far too soon.
At least, Piper would always believe that, although the Powers That Be had claimed otherwise. She also recognized that they never would have found Paige if they had not lost Prue. Having to choose between two sisters had never been fair, but Piper had found herself in that position many times throughout her life. She had never expected to outlive all three of them, but somehow, she had.
And now she was leaving her family divided, brother against brother, sister against sister, cousin against cousin, even parent against parent. She had not seen Leo in so very long. She knew he had to have moved on... until she closed her eyes and there, suddenly, he was. "L-Leo?"
"Hush," he whispered, cradling her in his arms. His embrace had not lost its comfort, reassurance, passion, or strength. A part of her wanted to pull away, to not reveal her pain to the Angel who had not been there to heal her in so very long, to the husband who had cared so little for her that he had turned away from not just herself but their children as well. Yet she seemed to have no strength left in her.
He placed a hand on her forehead, then her cheeks. "You've aged gracefully," he whispered.
"Ha! I'm old and haggard, Leo. What pretty little Witch are you seeing these days?" Her words were slurred with what sounded like hatred, but even despite all the pain he'd caused her, she couldn't hate him. She'd always been much better at caring for people than hating them and had very rarely, in her perhaps too long life, ever turned against anyone permanently, at least anyone who hadn't been Demonic.
"I see you," he whispered, stroking her face. "Every time I close my eyes, I see you. I see you right now, as you were then, when we first met," he traced the fine, gray hairs that had once swung merrily and habitually in a ponytail, "not as you are now. That woman is still within you. She will always be within you." He touched her face again.
"Then why'd you leave her? Why'd you leave me?"
He kissed her forehead. "To protect you." His lips were still on hers when Piper woke, suddenly feeling a resurgence of strength and health. Her boys jumped to alert around her.
"It's time," she told them firmly, "to get your act together, and to get this family together once and for all."
"Yes, Mom," Chris and Wyatt chirped in unison. They'd do anything they could to still be with her while she yet held to health and life.
The End
