DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the characters or the places. No profits intended.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: The lyrics in this story are from N'Sync's, "This I Promise You" on the album "No Strings Attached". I'd like to thank my sister Karine for providing me the lyrics. Also, this is a short little story that has nothing to do with my previous two stories. I hope you like it. I might do a series with it if I have enough positive feedback.
Sitting at her jeep's wheel, Piper Halliwell grumbles. The car hasn't moved in fifteen minutes. And seeing the length of cars stopped in front of her, she'll be waiting for a lot longer. In the passenger seat, Prue is talking to Phoebe on her cell phone, explaining to her that they'll come home late. Piper is only distractedly listening, being to occupied by her cursing the traffic. When Prue hangs up, Piper notices she has a weird look on her face.
"What is it?" she asks her sister. "It looks like you've got bad news."
"Uh, yeah." Prue answers. "Darryl won't be able to come tonight because he's gotta work."
Piper does a deep sigh then shrugs.
"Bah, it's not that bad." she says. "With the way things are going…"
"Piper, I'm really sorry." Prue starts.
"No, Prue, it absolutely isn't your fault Darryl can't make it." Piper cuts in. "Besides, at this rate, I'm not even sure we're gonna be there tonight."
Prue laughs while Piper concentrates back on the road in front of her or, rather, on the few feet between her car and the next. "Nice birthday!" she thinks, telling herself she'll remember her twenty-eighth birthday for a long time.
Actually, the day had started of pretty well. When she woke up this morning, Leo was laying next to her and was waiting for her to wake up to wish her a happy birthday. Which he did with a long kiss. Then he told her he'd spend the day with her since he didn't have to work.
"So, what do you wanna do?" he asked her.
"Hmm… I don't know." Piper answered.
"I may have a suggestion." Leo said, smiling.
"Oh yeah? What is it?"
"Wait, I'll show you." Leo said as he leaned down over her while Piper smiled, suspecting her boyfriend's intentions.
An hour later, Piper and Leo finally emerged out of Piper's bedroom, all smiles and holding hands. At that moment, the day seemed perfect to Piper. It wasn't going to last.
After a more or less quick breakfast, Piper decided to take a shower. She tried to convince Leo to take it with her. As she was about to succeed, Prue came in the kitchen saying "Piper, can I borrow Leo a minute? I need him for a thing in the attic."
"What kind of thing?" Leo asked.
"Oh, nothing big. I just need your help with something I'm pre-I mean repairing." Prue answered.
"Oh, sure, no problem." Leo accepted.
So Piper went alone in the bathroom. When she got in the shower, she quickly discovered there wasn't any hot water left. Mumbling to herself, she took a very quick shower then got out of the bathroom and… collided with Phoebe.
"Oh, Piper." Phoebe said. "I was just coming to tell you there's no hot water left."
"Too late, I already noticed." Piper replied.
"I'm really sorry, Piper." Phoebe apologized.
"It's okay, forget it." Piper did.
"Happy Birthday anyway." Phoebe said.
"Thanks."
The two sisters went down to the kitchen where they found Prue and Leo.
"So, your thing?" Piper asked them.
"Uh…" Prue hesitated a second. "I'll have to borrow Leo a little longer than I planned."
"Why's that?" Piper asked.
"I have to go buy what I need to repair it but I'm not sure what it is I need."
"So I offered her to go with her to show her." Leo continued.
"You're… going to the store with Prue…" Piper said to make sure she understood well.
"Does it bother you?" Leo asked her. "Because I can stay here…"
Piper wanted to tell him "Yes, it bothers me. It's my birthday and I'd like it if you could spend the day with me and not with my sister at the hardware shop."
"No, no, it's alright." she replied, trying to seem detached. "Besides, it's not gonna take you the whole day, is it?"
"Of course not." Leo answered.
"Well, let's go." Prue said, picking up her keys.
"Uh, Prue, aren't you forgetting something?" Phoebe asked.
"Oh, right!" Prue exclaimed herself. "I'm supposed to lend you my car this morning."
"Why? You're not going to your classes?" Piper asked.
"Yes, I am." Phoebe answered. "But after my class, I've got… uh… stuff to do and I need a car."
Prue gave her keys to her younger sister, telling her to take her car and that Leo and her will take Piper's. Without giving time to Piper to say a word, Prue took her keys, grabbed Leo by the arm and got out of the house. A few seconds later, Phoebe also left. Stopping on the doorstep, she said "Could you do the laundry, Piper? I didn't have time yesterday and it'd be neat if it was finished before the guests for your birthday dinner arrived."
"Why not…" Piper sighed.
"Maybe you could also vacuum. And dust. That would be great."
"Anything else on that order?" Piper mumbled.
"What?"
"Nothing. Go, you're gonna be late."
"Okay, bye." Phoebe said, leaving.
From that moment on, things just kept getting worse. Piper spent the morning doing house chores while waiting for Prue and Leo, who only came back at lunch time. When she asked them why it took so long, Prue answered "It wouldn't have been that long if there weren't so many people in the store and so much traffic on the way back."
"Traffic? At this hour?"
"There was an accident." Leo explained.
After lunch, things hardly got better. Every time Piper wanted to be alone with Leo, Prue found her something to do or borrowed Leo again. When it wasn't that, it was the phone ringing. And generally, it was one of the dinner guests who cancelled.
At 3:30, the only guest who hadn't cancelled was Darryl. It goes without saying that Piper's mood wasn't very high. To top all that, Prue realized that the groceries hadn't been done. So she enlisted Piper and her jeep to do them, leaving Leo home alone to tell Phoebe, who wasn't back yet.
Which brings us to the present moment and Piper who is fulminating behind the wheel.
When the girls finally get home, Piper has only one thing in mind : undo the groceries and spend the rest of the evening celebrating her birthday with Leo and her sisters. Her hopes are quickly dashed when only Phoebe greets them.
"Where's Leo?" Piper asks her.
"Uh… you know, it's funny you should ask that…" Phoebe reacts.
"What? What happened?"
"Nothing." Phoebe answers. "Just that… he just got called."
"What?!" Piper exclaims.
"He had to go. He told me to tell you he was sorry and that he loved you and wished you a happy birthday."
Piper stands in the doorway a few minutes, shocked by what Phoebe just told her. Then she slowly walks to the couch and let herself fall on it. Now her day was really spoiled. Until now, she had kept going telling herself that it wasn't that bad, that at least Leo would be there with her. But it wasn't the case anymore.
Prue and Phoebe leave her alone as they put the groceries away, then join her in the living room, sitting on each side of her.
"Are you okay, Piper?" Phoebe asks.
Piper shrugs.
"I'm sorry, Piper." Prue tells her. "I know it's at all the way you pictured your birthday."
"Not really, no." Piper answers. "But it's not your fault, guys."
Prue and Phoebe exchange a look and Prue nods.
"You know, Piper." Phoebe says. "Prue and I had an idea to make your birthday evening more special."
"What?" Piper asks.
"Well, Phoebe and I are taking you for dinner in a chic restaurant." Prue explains.
"And we're paying." Phoebe adds.
"Guys…" Piper begins.
"No, it's not open to debate." Prue cuts her. "You're gonna put on one of your best dresses and then you're letting us buy you the dinner of your dreams."
Knowing it's no use to protest, Piper heads to her room to get dressed. In the living room, Prue and Phoebe look at each other and smile.
An hour later, the three sisters are ready to go. Prue and Phoebe forced Piper to put on one of her most beautiful dresses : a pretty blue dress with a top with fine straps and a beautiful flowing skirt. When both her sisters decide that Piper's dressed properly, all three of them get in the car, Prue taking the wheel.
After a while, Piper notices something's wrong.
"Prue, you're going to P3." she says.
"I know." Prue replies.
"Why?" Piper wants to know.
"That's where we hid your gift." Phoebe answers.
Piper looks at her sisters a moment but since she has no reason to think they're lying, she doesn't insist.
When they arrive at P3, the sisters get out of the car and head to the entrance. Prue and Phoebe insist Piper goes in first. Wondering what's awaiting her on the other side of the door, Piper enters. She stops in the entrance, on top of the stairs, breathless.
The inside of the club is lighten up by dozens of candles that someone arranged all over the place. Soft music is playing in the background. And at the end of the stairs, there's Leo, waiting for her with a smile, wearing his best suit, a rosebud in his hand.
"Happy birthday, Piper." Phoebe whispers to her ear.
"What are you waiting for?" Prue asks. "Go meet him."
Piper turns around and hugs her sisters.
"You guys are the best."
"Thank you." Prue says. "But we don't deserve all the credit: it was Leo's idea."
Piper turns back to Leo, still waiting, and smiles, remembering one more time why she fell in love with this man. Slowly, she climbs down the stairs to meet him. When she gets to the last step, Leo gallantly holds out his hand, which Piper takes, smiling.
"Happy birthday, Piper." he tells her as he gives her the rose.
"Thank you, Leo." Piper says, taking it. "I don't know what to say."
"You don't have to say anything, Piper." he answers. "Seeing the look on your face when you came in was well worth all the efforts."
They share a long kiss. Then Leo brings Piper to the bar.
"Come, I've got one more surprise for you." he tells her.
"Another? What is it?" Piper asks.
"If I told you, it wouldn't be a surprise." Leo smiles. "Now close your eyes."
Smiling, Piper does what her lover asks. Leo checks if her eyes are really closed and goes behind the bar to pick up the little box he hid there.
"Can I open them now?" Piper asks when she senses he's near her again.
"No." Leo says. "Just wait a second, Piper."
Making sure his girlfriend's eyes are still closed, Leo opens the little box and gazes at the jewel inside. He knows Piper isn't expecting what will follow at all. He can hardly believe it himself. Still gazing at the jewel, he feels his heart fill with joy at the idea of what this jewel represents for the two of them and of the long wait that finally ends tonight.
Without a word he takes the jewel out of its case. Slowly, he takes Piper's hand and slips the jewel on it. As soon as she feels the metal touching her ring finger, Piper opens her eyes, surprised, and looks at her hand. It is now adorned by a beautiful engagement ring.
"Leo?" Piper breathes out, unable to say anything else. "It's… It's a… a…"
"An engagement ring, I know." Leo finishes for her.
"But how did you -- ?"
"They gave it to me, Piper. As a wedding gift."
At these words, Piper stops staring at the ring and looks at Leo, wondering if she heard right.
"You mean that…?" she asks.
"They finally gave us permission to get married, Piper. If you're still willing, of course."
Piper's eyes are now filled with water.
"Leo…" she begins as tears of joy roll down her cheek.
Unable to put words on the joy she's feeling, Piper gets closer to Leo and gives him a long kiss. When they finish, all music stops in the club. A light turns on onstage and the couple sees Phoebe, who had slipped away sooner with Prue, a mike in her hand.
"Since Leo was the one who had the idea of surprising you with this to redeem himself for proposing in the bathroom, Prue and I decided to give you another surprise to go with this one." Phoebe says. "We'll give you your first official dance with your fiance."
She nods at Prue who's standing at the sound system and, suddenly, the first notes of the song This I Promise You of N'Sync are heard.
When the visions around you
Bring tears to your eyes
And all that surrounds you
Are secrets and lies"We thought that it represented well the two of you today. Enjoy."
And Prue and Phoebe discreetly exit the club, leaving the future husband and wife alone.
I'll be your strength
I'll give you hope
Keeping your faith when it's gone
The one you should call
Was standing here all alongSmiling, Leo holds out his hand for Piper and invites her to dance, an invitation the young woman readily accepts. During the whole song, they dance together, never letting the other go.
And I will take you in my arms
And hold you right where you belong
'Till the day my life is through
This I promise you
This I promise youUntil today, Piper never was a big N'Sync fan. But she now feels that this song will have a special meaning for Leo and her from now on. As she listens to the lyrics, the young woman feels as if those words were written for Leo and her. When the song finally ends, Leo and Piper almost reluctantly let each other go.
"Pinch me, Leo." Piper says.
"Why?" Leo asks, surprised.
"I want to know if I'm dreaming."
Leo smiles at those words.
"If you're dreaming, Piper, then I'm dreaming too."
"They really accepted?"
"Yes. And now, nothing will keep us from getting married."
"Promise?"
"Promise."
Then they kiss again, their hearts overfilled with happiness and joy.
Later in the night, after having spent a wonderful evening, Leo and Piper are laying in Piper's bed, spooning each other. Piper is gazing at her ring with a smile. Leo looks over her shoulder and smiled as he sees what she's doing. He tenderly kisses her on the cheek and whispers "You're gonna wear it out just by looking at it."
"It's beautiful, Leo."
"And it's even more beautiful on your hand." Leo smiles, caressing Piper's arm.
Piper softly laughs and intertwines her right hand's fingers with his. Then she whispers :
"I've loved you forever
In lifetimes before
And I promise you never
Will you hurt anymore"Recognizing the lyrics of the song, Leo whispers in turn :
"I give you my word
I give you my heart
This is a battle we've won
And with this vow
Forever has now begun""We'll be together forever, Leo." Piper says. "I promise you."
"I promise you too."
Smiling at each other, the bride and groom to be kiss. Tonight, their dreams are becoming reality.
When the visions around you
Bring tears to your eyes
And all that surrounds you
Are secrets and liesI'll be your strength
I'll give you hope
Keeping your faith when it's gone
The one you should call
Was standing here all alongAnd I will take you in my arms
And hold you where you belong
'Till the day my life is through
This I promise you
This I promise youI've loved you forever
In lifetimes before
And I promise you never
Will you hurt anymoreI give you my word
I give you my heart
This is a battle we've won
And with this vow
Forever has now begunJust close your eyes
Each lovin' day
And know this feeling won't go away
'Till the day my life is through
This I promise you
This I promise youOver and over I fall
When I hear you call
Without you in my life, baby
I just wouldn't be living at allAnd I will take you in my arms
And hold you where you belong
'Till the day my life is through
This I promise you, babyJust close your eyes
Each lovin' day
And know this feeling won't go away
Every word I say is true
This I promise you
Every word I say is true
This I promise you
I promise you
