This is a short chapter. I know, that's wrong since I made you wait so long, but I think that where I stopped was a good place to stop. It's kinda a filler chapter, but the story actually needs this chapter. It's a shortie but an...importantie...Right...

scullymulder: Poor Piper and Leo, w/e! lol, j/k

AbbeyT: He is in denial, isn't he? Um...I'm glad you're glad Dan is dead! Yay! And your questions about Leo saying it back...You'll see.

halli-halliwell: Thanks!

winter blaze: Yeah, I knew you guys were confused about the roses. It makes sense now? Good, because I'm not done with them in this story, not yet.

Jenna Sabina: Huh?

Chub: Thanks, there were lots of feelings in that chapter, and they've gotta confront each other in the next...which would be this chapter!

piperfairy: I liked that part, too, when they threw the pictures.

piperleo4eva: Potential? Really? Wow, thanks! AND WHERE THE HELL IS MILAN? It in kk241289's fic, Bound By Law, and I have no freakin' clue where it is! Hmm...I should look it up...Is it in Italy? Oh, and my phone falls under my bed, too. And so does my remote, and my pillow, and movies, and pens...

PunkRokPixie: lol, I left ya hangin'! Glad you love the fact that Dan's dead, that seems to be the mutual reaction around here...

OTHCharmedHPFreak: cooleo! review again! lol

GeminiPiper : I'm glad you lo-ho-loved that chappy! I thought of the black roses in one of those sudden idea bursts that you hear about. I thought they were myths until then. It was two in the morning and I shot up in bed and yelled, "BLACK ROSES!" lol, j/k. The idea kinda came to me partly from the song "Black Velvet". I don't know who sings it. And I know you would never steal my idea, and I would never steal yours! Let's share!
"Come on, people, now! Smile on your brother! Everybody get together, try to love one another right now..." Another song, but that's all I know.

piperandleoeva: Thanks!

kk241289: Yeah, I noticed that, too. I kinda wrote her a little out of character, but she should be confused. Her finance's dead and she loves her ex.

neim: (from chapter 3) I love the name Emma, and I was going to get a golden retriever named Emma, but that plan fell through. It's just one of my favorite names. If I have little children in any of my fics, I usually name them Melinda, Emma, or Brooke, if they're girls, that is. BTW, there's no connection to anyone in the show. I'm sure there's been an Emma as like an innocent or something, and I know they used the name Brooke, but that's all. Well, and Melinda is from the show, too.

neim: (from chapter 4) I'm glad you loved it!

neim: (from chapter 5) I tried to keep Jake's personality the same as I have him in Payback, where he also plays Leo's younger brother, but he's not married or anything. I'm glad you loved the chapter, I loved it too. The rose idea just...came to me.

The doorbell rang, paused, and rang again. Piper, who was upstairs blow-drying her hair, didn't hear it, but Prue ran from her room downstairs to get it. She opened the door and smiled when she saw Leo. He looked dressed for work, but he was holding a single black rose between two fingers in his right hand.

"I'm assuming that's not for me…" Prue said, smiling.

He barely returned the smile. "Piper and I…had an…altercation…"

Prue's smile grew and she nodded. "I know."

"She home? Her car is here."

"Yeah, she's upstairs."

Prue opened the door wider and stepped aside for Leo to come in. She closed the door behind him. Leo made his way up the stairs and down the hall. As soon as he was out of sight, Prue smiled knowingly, shook her head, and went into the living room, where she saw Phoebe.

"Hey, was that Leo?"

"Yeah."

"Came to work things out with Piper, I'm guessing…" Phoebe turned back around to the television.

Prue sat beside her sister on the couch. "I dunno…Maybe."

Leo knocked quietly on Piper's bedroom door, but he didn't hear an answer. He did hear a blow-dryer that was on, so he assumed she didn't hear. He opened the door slowly and peered inside her room. Her bathroom door was open slightly, and the light was on, but the light in her bedroom was off.

As Leo walked inside Piper's bedroom, memories flooded his mind. He closed the door behind him and turned to glance at her bed, dresser, desk…Everything brought memories back. She'd moved the dresser, and there was a new wreath above her desk. There was no bouquet of black roses that she normally had on her bedstand, however, and the picture of the roses was in a broken frame.

He turned his attention back to the bathroom door. The blow-dryer was still on. He walked up to the door and pushed it open slowly. Piper's back was to him, and she was humming something as she dried her hair.

She turned the blow-dryer off, turned around, and jumped when she saw Leo. She set the blow-dryer on the sink counter and held one hand over her heart.

"God, you scared me…"

She noticed the rose. Her eyes met his. He hadn't said a word, and he didn't need to. She nodded toward the flower with a look that said, "For me?"

He handed the rose to her. She took the thorn-free stem in both hands and held it to her nose for a seconds, breathing in the scent. Then she lowered the flower and looked up at Leo.

"This doesn't fix it."

He nodded slightly and finally spoke. "I know. I just hope it'll help."

There was a stretch of uncomfortable silence. They moved into the middle of her bedroom.

"Look, Piper…A couple days ago…When you came into my office…"

Her cheeks flushed.

"I know you were…confused…and…lost…So…Should I just…forget it?"

She looked up. "What?"

"What you said, in my office. When I…kissed you…"

She shook her head slightly. "No."

"…No?"

"No, I don't want you to forget any of it. I won't." She turned to set the rose on her dresser. "And I'll say it again…" She moved closer to him.

"Piper…You don't know what you're doing…"

"I know what I'm doing."

"Piper…"

She pulled him down and kissed him. He couldn't pull away, he didn't want to. All he could do was return the kiss. When they finally pulled apart, he didn't step back.

"I love you," Piper breathed.

He knew that was his cue. He knew he should say it…He should just say the words…Say the damn words! He moved his head down slightly to rest his forehead on hers. They both closed their eyes, but Piper opened hers to watch him. "I can't," he whispered. He finally opened his eyes and stepped back.

"What?"

He shook his head. "I can't…I…I thought I could. I thought I could just say it to you, but I can't. You're too vulnerable right now…These things…Everything you're feeling…You're in shock, from Dan's murder."

Piper shook her head. "No. No, it's not that!"

"No, Piper, trust me. This—People go through this when they lose someone. I see this everyday at work—"

"Screw your work, I love you!"

"No."

"No?"

"Just forget it, I should never have come here…"

Leo turned to leave. Piper grabbed his arm and pulled him back to her. She kissed him deeply. He didn't even try to pull away. The emotions ripping through him were almost unbearable. He loved her, God knows he did. She knew it, too. She just wanted to hear it.

But he didn't want to hurt her. He didn't want to go back to a failing relationship, not again.

But he didn't break the kiss. And when she reached up to take his shirt off he helped. He knew it was wrong, it was so wrong.

But it was just right. It was exactly what they both needed.

His hand slid down her shoulder, taking the camisole strap with it. She pulled it over her head, exposing herself to him.

He wanted to pull away, make her realize that it was wrong. But he couldn't. He wanted and needed this as much as she did. So he didn't pull away when she took off her shirt.

And he didn't pull away when they fell on her bed.