Winds of Change

By: Piper Chris Melinda Halliwell

Chapter 2: Leo's Deceit

Leo watched her walk out the door with a slight lift in her step, but he didn't know what it was for. He knew Piper was hiding something from him, but he trusted her to tell him when she was ready.

He walked into the living room and sat on the couch. "Phoebe," he whispered.

He knew he shouldn't feel this way when he was married to Piper, but he couldn't help it. Piper was cautious. Piper was safe and caring. Her love was limitless, and she would do anything for those in need. But cross her and there would be real hell to pay. Demons knew that for sure now more than ever after she, Phoebe, and Cole went on a killing spree after Prue died.

Phoebe was outgoing and reckless but still gentle and caring when her family was involved. He expected that. With all they had gone through after Prue died, the two were bound to be almost conjoined. Yet Phoebe was…just something else. Like a treasure or a rare jewel from a forbidden dream that he could look at but never truly touch.

He longed to feel her supple skin underneath his touch without craft magic being involved, to hear her speak his name in need and pure desire. The mere thought was enough to drive him insane, not to mention exciting him as he felt his clothing tighten around a certain appendage. And she, being the reformed, rebellious sister, had to be just as rebellious behind closed doors. He grinned widely.

In all honestly, though, Piper was the woman he was supposed to be with, to watch out for, and raise children with. They'd fought everything and prevailed as they were now married in the Elders' eyes with even Their blessing. He was happy, but it wasn't enough.

It wasn't Piper. She was wonderful, everything he'd hoped for. Phoebe was just…that and more. Much more.

Though the world would probably have to go the hell before anything of his dreams would ever exist. And he knew he couldn't let that happen. He couldn't jeopardize millions of innocent lives—not to mention break Piper's heart—just so he could have the guts to confess his feelings to Phoebe and hope beyond reason that she felt the same way.

If there became a colossal rift between them, even then Leo would try to repair it and make his wife happy and her life whole again. That was how it should be. They couldn't have fought and won for nothing.

He sighed. He hadn't realized how much he loved Phoebe until Cole had married her and whisked her away from him to live in the company of killers. He didn't hate Cole as much as he hated himself for not saying anything when he had the chance.

Her wedding to Cole was when he should've said something or before then. As Phoebe had walked down the aisle up to Cole, her eyes had been fixed on Leo, saying something silently and, until after their kiss, he had had no idea what that was. Jealousy had bubbled up inside when their lips had met and Piper had asked him what was bothering him, but he'd just said he didn't like the fact that she was marrying a demon and she'd accepted that. No other questions had been asked.

Desperately, he wished she would walk through the door, confessing the thing he wished most.

The door opening jarred him from his thoughts. "Phoebe?" he called hopefully with a lift to his voice.

Piper walked over, grabbing some papers from the coffee table, and then to him. "No, Leo, it's just me. Why were you calling for Phoebe? Is she going to stop by? She never said anything to me." She sighed. "Though she hardly ever does these days."

His mind was far away from his wife at the moment. Phoebe's beautiful curves, the smirk she would get when it was only the two of them going over the Book of Shadows, how her hand would always find his, her low-cut tops and tighter than tight jeans that he knew she wore to tease him. Which she knew made him hard and filled him with an aching longing for her.

Everything about her was very, very alluring.

"Leo?" Piper asked, waving her hand in his face.

He snapped out of his daze. "Huh? What?"

"Is Phoebe going to stop by?" she asked while rearranging the papers in her lap.

"I don't know. It's just… You hardly ever forget anything and Paige usually Orbs in and out, so I just assumed tha—" Piper cut him off when she moved the papers back onto the table and, nonchalantly, sat in his lap and kissed him.

It was different this time, Leo noticed. It had been for the past few months. It was love, but not passion.

There had to be a reason for that. She didn't usually kiss without any passion, that much he knew. Whatever she was hiding, though, he'd know when the time was right . . .

Author's Note: What do you think?

Review thanks to: That70sshowlova, HalliwellMB, LeftWriter224 & scorpion22

This was inspired by my friend Will's stories. He likes these pairings better than the actual ones. He's Beta-ing these too!

Piper Chris Melinda Halliwell