Title: Hoping

Author: tarotgal

Fandom: Charmed

Rating: G

Warnings: het

Pairings: Piper/Dan-implied, past Piper/Leo

Spoilers: This takes place sometime after episode 2-14 "Pardon My Past" and before 2- 16 "Murphy's Luck". It discusses things that happen up to that point. It can be read without understanding the series, but probably would make more sense if you knew what whitelighters were and who the characters in general are :-) It doesn't give away any hints as to what happens after that part in the series, however.

Disclaimer: Charmed is owned by the WB, and I have no affiliations with them or anyone involved. Only the plot is mine.

Summary: Now that Leo is mortal and able to get sick, he does. Is it another obstacle in his attempts at winning Piper back, or an opportunity to get closer to her?

Notes: Fourth in my series of Friday fics

Hoping

     Smiling at the irony, Leo backed out from beneath the bar on his hands and knees. He looked up at the light, his nose twitching. It took but a second, a second looking at the bright light that was a reminder of what he was no longer, before his shoulders raised and head snapped down. "ihhh'Ksh!" He ran a hand through his hair, setting off the natural blond highlights. Shaking his head, he picked up his wrench and crawled back under.

     "Everything going all right there?" asked Phoebe, heading into the bar area with a hand towel and a few empty glasses.

     "Just fine," was Leo's muffled reply as he gave the connection one more turn with the wrench. He crawled back out and stood, rolling his head from one side to the other. It wasn't exactly his place to answer that things were not all right at all. Piper was still seeing Dan, Leo currently had no money and no powers and no choice but to work for the sisters at P3, and on top of it all he was sore and tired. "ihhh'KSh!" And, apparently, sick with something. "Excuse me," he said softly, thinking that saying something to the extent of 'bless me' would be too painful given his situation.

     "Funny, you don't sound fine," Phoebe said, looking over at him. "Not getting sick are you? Too bad you can't have one of your whitelighter buddies come down and heal you." She took a moment to study him more closely. Sallow face, bags under his eyes, his normal white t-shirt and jeans looking more rumpled if possible. "You're not... really sick, are you?" Then, without waiting for an answer, her eyes fell upon the small clock by the register. "Oh my gosh. Is that the time? I'm going to be late to class." She grabbed her bag and slung it over one shoulder. "Ah, tell Piper I had to leave before the shipment got here and..." Phoebe crossed the floor of the club in a hurry, graceful nonetheless in heels. As she bolted up the stairs, she finished, "And I'll cross my fingers that she doesn't kill me."

     Leo called up from the bar, "Oh, uh, I could get the--" The door to the club closed. "--the shipment," Leo finished. "I'm here anyway." He rubbed the back of his hand over his brow. "I'm always here." While that wasn't precisely true, it wasn't far from the truth. He worked there, he slept there, he left for meals and errands but that was about it. "hih'Shhh!" His head snapped forward at the sneeze, and this time he managed to cup a hand over his mouth and bottom of his nose. Of course, if things continued as they had all morning, he'd need to go to a hospital and get checked out. But he couldn't do that because inevitably they'd want his medical records and social security number, neither of which he had. Or at the very least they would want his name and it wouldn't be long until someone did a little research and found that not only had he been born seventy years ago but died in World War II. "heh'Ksh! ihhKSHH!" Leo reached over and found a napkin without even looking for it. He knew his way around P3 pretty well by now. He rubbed his nose, then leaned against the bar with a sigh, resigned to endure whatever this was.

     The shipment arrived not ten minutes later, and Leo signed for it, directed the drop off, and helped move the crates to speed matters up. The last box had been moved into the storage room and the truck had pulled out by the time Piper arrived at the club. She had a glow about her that Leo recognized immediately, and though he did not wish to look away from her beauty and miss one moment of her, he couldn't bring himself to make eye contact as she walked in. Her tight top was a bright orange-red with some sort of ruffle going from the front and down the long sleeves. He tried not to notice that, or the way she walked with such grace and command in a short skirt. She stopped at the bottom of the stairs, looking around. "Where is Phoebe?" she asked, with her usual tone of casual frustration.

     "Classes," Leo answered. "She apologized profusely before she left, but--"

     "Well that's just great," Piper said with a sigh, walking a lap around her club, inspecting. She began rambling for her own benefit, rather than to speak with Leo. "She was supposed to wait for a shipment of alcohol this morning. I specifically called and asked her to come in because I was sleeping over at Dan's and..."

     "I took care of the shipment," interrupted Leo. Piper turned towards him, blinking. "I helped them unload, checked the order to be sure it was right, and I signed your name to the order since I couldn't very well use my own." She still stared. He gestured towards the bar. "Oh, and I fixed that leaky beer spout that's been giving you trouble. And checked all the light bulbs in the stage sign because one had burned out, and I took a call from the band saying they'd be getting here to set up around five."

     "Goodness," she said, walking over. "You have been busy this morning, haven't you?"

     "I like to stay busy." He shrugged and squatted down to clean up his tools. It was easy to stay busy when it kept his mind off constantly thinking about Piper. "And I like to help. That didn't change when they clipped my... my wings." He stumbled on his words, feeling another sneeze coming on. He turned his face into his shoulder and cupped one hand to his nose and mouth. "hh'Shhh!"

     "Bless y..." she started. "Wait, was that a sneeze?" She leaned on the bar counter from the outside, peering over and down.

     Leo shook his head. "No, ah--"

     "No?" Her exaggerated movements had her scratching a finger against her temple. "That's funny, because I could have sworn I heard you sneeze just a moment ago."

     "I mean, yes, I was a sneeze. But it was nothing." He picked up the packed toolbox and rose, dusting himself off. "It's a little dusty down there is all. I'll get to work on that... next... if... ihh... if..." Though he tried very much to finish the sentence, wishing he hadn't started it in the first place, the need to sneeze overpowered him. He cupped his free hand to his nose and mouth again and turned his head to the side. "hih'Kshhh! Ihhh'Ksh! Emm, oh. Sniff! Excuse me." He scrubbed the tickles in his nose away with the side of his hand.

     She didn't say anything for a while. She simply studied him closely, her eyes moving up and down his body. Slightly self conscious to suddenly be the object of attention after fighting so long to be, he leaned forward so she at least couldn't inspect him below the waist. She didn't need to be reminded of why he was there in the first place. Finally she reached forward and placed her palm on his forehead, then the side of his face by his eye, then his cheek. "Leo, you're burning up. And you're sweating."

     "I'm just working hard," he said, though he had to clear his throat just after saying so. "You know me. Busy, bus..." He suddenly fell forward, slumping, grabbing onto the counter on his side to keep from falling. The tool box, however, slipped from his fingers and fell to the floor with a loud crash, splitting open, spreading tools across the floor. He closed his eyes, wincing. "Sorry," he apologized weakly, then let go of the bar and sank to his knees. "Sorry... I'll clean... those up..."

     "Leo!" Piper laughed, trying not to sound exasperated. "You're clearly sick, and you're not doing anyone any good by pretending not to be."

     Still down on the floor, he turned his head towards his shoulder and coughed. It was a strong, dry cough that shook his entire body. It took him a few moments to start breathing normally again and when he did, he felt a hand on his upper arm. He looked up to see Piper hovering over him. "Let me help you up. You look unsteady."

     "I think I'll be all right," Leo replied softly, not wanting to lie right to her face but not wanting to worry her either.

     "Leo, I know unsteady. I collapsed on the floor right over there a few weeks ago, remember?" Of course he remembered. He'd been watching over her then. And he'd been unable to do anything at the time. But he couldn't let her die, even if it did mean having his wings clipped for bringing her back to life. Smiling slightly, he nodded and let her help him up. He held onto the counter as he straightened, leaning half on it and half against Piper. With a deep breath, he started for the supply room where he'd been staying since becoming a mortal again. "Where do you think you're going?" Piper asked, with her usual no-nonsense tone but with softness to it he hadn't heard from her since right before they broke up.

     "To lie down?" He tried, hopefully. She looked confused, and suddenly realized that she hadn't wanted him to leave working altogether, just get off the floor. "But I can put up flyers for tonight if you'd rather I do that," he said quickly, taking a few steps on his own. This was clearly a mistake, as his legs gave out again and he fell against the counter, coughing.

     She went after him, wrapping an arm around his waist to support him. "Of course I don't want you to. I want you to rest. And I want you to come back to the manor with me."

     Hardly believing what he had heard, Leo closed his eyes and forced himself to shake his head. "No, Piper. I shouldn't. That... that would bee too hard for you. And Dan's just next door. It's not right." He held his breath, hoping for a moment that she would protest and say that she wanted him there in order to nurse him back to help because she loved him. Hoping she would say that she'd already broken it off with Dan, realizing that he could never understand her and love her the way Leo did. Hoping that she would not need to answer, and simply catch him in a kiss so strong that it made his powers return and he could orb them home to be together.

     But none of his hopes were realized as she spoke. "What would be right? Letting you sleep on the cold floor of the supply room while you're sick?" She asked, breathing a bit heavily because of his weight against her. And yet, Leo could almost sense her heartbeat and know that it was not only his wait that made her breathe hard. Had she no feelings for him at all, she would almost certainly bring him an extra blanket and insist he sleep in P3. But somewhere, deep down, she really did want him close so she could watch over him, the way he used to watch over her. "No, I'm taking you to the manor to fix you some of Grams' best cold-busting tea and make sure you get some sleep. Besides, Dan took off for a few days to visit Jenny. So I'm taking you home where you can get well properly. And that's the last I want to hear from you on the subject."

     He nodded weakly, then covered his nose and mouth again. "ihhh'Ushhh! hihSHHH!" Wishing he still had the napkin, he sniffled wetly. "Excuse... me..." Clearly there was another sneeze on the way and one he didn't want, judging by his tightly squinting eyes, the furrow of his brow, and his clenched teeth.

     Quickly Piper waved a hand with a quick jerk and the rest of the room froze, including Leo. She seemed glad that her intuitions were correct and she could freeze Leo in human form. Able to let go of him and slip away for a few moments, she dug around in her purse until pulling out a tissue. Then she repositioned herself, with an arm around him tightly, but the tissue pressed to his nose and mouth. Then she gave another quick flick of her hand and everything unfroze.

     Leo's head snapped forward, nose buried in the tissue this time as he sneezed. "hehh'SHhhhhh!" Incredibly glad for the tissue, he took it from her and blew his nose rather badly. She waited for him to recover his breath before nudging him forward, away from the bar, across the large club, and up the stairs.

*

     Home. Piper had said she was taking him home. She'd used that word, whether she'd meant to or not, and Leo had been sure to notice it. And he had to admit, even having visited other charges in their places of residence and even after visiting the places of his childhood that were now strip malls and parking garages, there was no place on Earth that felt more like home to him than the Halliwell Manor did.

     The moment they entered, she had directed him to the living room couch, claiming the parlor was too stuffy even in winter. Then she took off to the kitchen by way of the dining room, and returned along the same route with a steaming mug of tea, not much later. Leo sat on the couch, his arm bent on the arm rest, his head resting on his arm. Piper looked down at him, shaking her head. She reached down and scooped her arm around his legs at the knees, pulling them onto the couch. He turned in his seat to accommodate this, leaning back against the soft padded arm of the couch. Piper took a seat on the other side of the couch, on the edge where his legs weren't. She handed the tea over to him carefully, then pulled the gray knit throw from the back of the couch. She unfolded it by waving it then draped it over his front, tucking it behind his shoulders and beneath his neck matter-of-factly. He remembered watching her knit the blanket years ago as a present for her grandmother, and now she was trusting its warming powers to Leo. "There. Now drink."

     Leo had to admit that the blanket, though thin, made him feel much warmer in mere moments. He sniffed at the tea, then turned his head away. "heh'Kshhh! ihhh'Kshhh!" He sighed deeply and sniffled, looking around, hoping there would be a tissue box or something nearby. Not finding one, he sniffed hard and took a sip of the tea instead. He nodded as he swallowed. "Good."

     "That's Grams' best remedy for the common cold," Piper explained. "Drink as much of it as you can."

     Nodding, and sniffling, Leo obeyed. "What's the secret to it? I can't quite place the... the herbs." He sniffed hard to keep the urge to sneeze away.

     "The secret is that it puts you to sleep for such a long time that you feel better when you wake up." Leo laughed and coughed, and continued drinking. He sniffed again and went to rub his nose into his shoulder, but the blanket was there. He coughed from congestion and closed his eyes to the discomfort.

     "Not having a particularly good time now, are you?" Piper asked, watching him pull into himself more.

     Leo had to admit that feeling sick and miserable with Piper tending to him was so much better than feeling sick and miserable any other way. But he couldn't say this much to her. "I haven't been sick in about forty-five years. I'd forgotten how horrible it feels to be sore and congested." He ran his hand through his hair again and coughed, wincing at the sensation. He closed his eyes.

     Piper nodded, looking at him sympathetically. She reached out, her instinct being to caress his cheek, pet him comfortingly. But she retracted her hand, catching a glimpse of Dan's house outside the living room window.

     Even without his whitelighter powers, he could sense her, and waited until she put her hand down before opening his eyes again. She was leaning close, her hand was warm on his leg, her sense of caring was at an all-time high. Now was the time to talk to her, to confess all that he had told her before and hope that somehow, some way, she would take him back. It had to be now. Everything began floating through his head now, as though the fever and congestion had suddenly cleared magically, allowing him to express himself freely. He thought of the way they had fallen in love, both knowing the secrets of magic and yet falling in love as though it were the most normal of relationships. He thought of the necessary deception and distance. He thought of the problems, the complications, but also of the kisses, those special moments on top of the bridge or just sitting together in the club. He remembered how she saved his life, with a confession of true love and emotion, instinctively given just as her hand had raised a moment ago. She was still the same, the same woman he had fallen in love with, the same witch he had always known. And now he was back to being a mortal, just like she had thought he was at the beginning of it all. If this cold didn't prove that, it wasn't good for anything. For now, now was the time to explain and win her back. Now, when she was sympathetic to his feelings and so close that they could kiss. Now was the time to make all he was hoping for come true.

     He opened his mouth, about to speak, the words filling his mind. But instead he snapped forward with another sneeze. "ehh-heh--" This time, she saw it coming, and froze him again while retrieving a box of tissues from the bathroom. She sat and regarded him a moment before unfreezing him, taking in the extent of his helplessness told from that just-about-to-sneeze expression. His eyes were closed, his face both screwed up and slack at the same time, his whole body pulling back in preparation. She sat for a moment, contemplating his need. It was great, perhaps greater than she could help with. When he unfroze, he lurched forward with great force. "Yshhhh!" Welcoming the tissues, he took one and blew his nose. He was much more a handkerchief person, but wasn't going to complain, certainly. "Excuse me," he whispered. Then, gesturing towards the tissues in his hand as he folded them, preparing to blow his nose, "Thanks for these."

     "I like to help people, too, remember?" she said, smiling that soft Piper smile of hers. Leo went weak to see it accompanied by a twinkle in her eyes. But then, a second later, the twinkle was gone, and she was back to business and patted his leg several times instead of leaning in for a kiss. "Finish the tea, and then get some rest, Leo. I'll check in on you in a couple of hours. All right?"

     Reluctantly, he nodded, mouth closed. He watched her walk slowly up the stairs and disappear. Without the strength to walk and stand on his own he could not follow. Without his powers he could not go after her or be with her. Be even if he could, the moment had passed. He would have to leave the task of winning her back to a later moment in time. Hopefully, a moment in which he did not feel so absolutely miserable.

     He snuggled into the back of the couch where the soft cushions were. He curled up with the blanket, to drink the rest of the tea. His head drooped and body relaxed. The cup fell from his fingers, but landed on his lap not the floor. Not caring enough to make the move to pick it up, he let himself fall asleep, dreaming of a time when he might be able to sleep in the manor again, this time as Piper's whitelighter and husband, not just her handyman.