A/N: Thank you to PiperandLeoFan101, Coginom, Piper xox Leo, and charmedangel429 for reviewing the last chapter. I apologise that this one might not be that good, but I was very tired when I wrote it. Oh and if some tings appear spelt wrong it's probably because I'm English and so I use English spelling, or it may just be a typo!

Chapter 10

Continuation of previous Flashback

The next day came too soon for both of them. Piper had brought Paige with her to help clear out her stuff. She said that it would be easier to carry things with two of them; they both knew it was because she did not want to be left alone with Leo.

"Are these your magazines?" Paige asked as she passed the kitchen counter. Piper grabbed them in response, quickly stuffed them into her final bag and, trying not to think too much about what it meant, turned to leave.

"What about all these pictures?" Piper hovered at the door and stared at the walls. There were photos of her and Leo, single portraits, groups of friends and other favourite shots. A thousand memories. She turned the door handle, leaving it all behind. She felt too old; far older than her 22 years. How did she age so much in so few years?

Leo had gone out when she arrived. He stood on the street corner nursing a takeaway cup of coffee. He was determined to stay outside until it – or she – had gone. Whichever came first. His chest hurt. His stomach twisted. And the cup in his hand was still full. She was leaving him too soon -why didn't she realise that she had been there for too short a time to be gone?

He saw her emerge from the building, a suitcase in her hand. She looked to any passer by as though she was going on holiday. Despite himself he gave a small laugh at the irony of it; they'd always said it would be good to go away.

He was having so much trouble understanding her reasons. He'd spent a sleepless night thinking them over but he just couldn't understand. She must have them though- he knew that much. But he loved her so much- he thought that would be enough to save them and he couldn't believe that she didn't feel the same. He knew they had been having problems-he had tried so hard to solve them. But he never thought that they would end like this. His life for the past three years had ended and he still didn't truly see why it had to. But maybe it had been too short, and maybe they were too young to handle it any other way.

In the end, he saw that they had not done enough to keep it together. She had not let him and soon he had given up trying. They had turned into themselves, and away from each other. They had left a void where their lives had once been.

-x-

She had driven 2 miles before she managed to start to calm down. It was 4 miles before she began to question what she had just done.

She had grown up so much in the past 3 years- she was a mother now and a business owner. She had come back to the manor and her sisters. By doing that she had proven to herself that she could face her problems instead of running away from them. More importantly she knew she should face them. She had always known that Leo should know about Melinda. After all it was never her intention to keep his daughter from him – that was just the way things had turned out.

At 6 miles she turned the car round and drove back. Whatever her feelings towards him, Piper knew that Leo had a right to be a father to Melinda, and Melinda had a right to a father. She owed both of them that.

A/N: Special mention to 'Hang' by Matchbox Twenty.

Please Review!