An AU: Cole gives Phoebe a Christmas present…one that she will never forget. But to give it to her, he must reveal a secret that he has kept for over a century.
A/N: I've had this idea in my head for quite some time now, but I just never got around to posting the story. So, I figured I would change it a little to fit in with the upcoming Christmas season. Plus, it makes it that much more romantic. J Plus, if it does snow in San Francisco, don't flame me, I just needed to make it not snow there for my story to have meaning.
Phoebe sat in the kitchen of the Halliwell manor on the first Saturday morning of December drinking her hot tea. Putting down the newspaper she was reading, she looked out the window toward the street in front of the house. How much she wanted to see snow…just once in her life, one tiny flake of snow. But living in San Francisco, winter would never truly be winter. You could never have winter without snow.
She finished her tea and walked into the living room to finish decorating the tree she had started on earlier that morning. Her sisters and herself always celebrated Christmas, exchanging presents on the morning of, and giving presents to all of their friends. And Phoebe was always in charge of the tree. Not that she cared. She always had a theme for it. And this year, the entire tree was going to be in white and gold. It made it seem much more like winter.
She had just finished wrapping the white ribbon trimmed in gold glitter about the tree when the doorbell rang. She put down the rest of the roll of ribbon and answered the door. She opened it to find a girl who looked to be about fifteen years old standing on the doorstep, and with her were about five suitcases from what Phoebe could see.
"Um, hi, can I help you?" Phoebe asked, uncertain of what to do.
"Yes, I'm looking for Cole Turner, please."
"May I ask what business you have with Cole?"
"Oh, believe me, it's not business. I'm his niece."
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"Um, Cole's not here right now," Phoebe said, surprised. Was this girl really Cole's niece? Does Cole have a sister? "Why don't you come in and I can get you something to drink while you wait."
"Thank you very much. I'm Emily."
"I'm Phoebe. Why don't I help you with your stuff?"
"Thanks." Emily took in two of the five suitcases and as Phoebe grabbed two more went back for the last one. "So how long have you known my uncle Cole?"
Phoebe walked into the kitchen as she answered, "About a year and a half now." She thought it was weird hearing Cole being called 'uncle'. "So who in your family is related to Cole?"
"Oh, my mother is his sister." Phoebe walked back in with a glass of iced tea and handed it to Emily.
"That's nice. Um, Cole should be back soon, but you can help me finish decorating the tree while you wait, if you want."
"Sure, I'd love to. My parents never put up a Christmas tree."
"Oh, why's that?"
"I don't know," Emily said. "They just never did." She picked up one of the glass ornaments from the box and placed it on a branch around the center of the tree.
As Phoebe picked up another ornament, she held it up to look at it. "Oh, no," she said. "This one's broken."
"Let me see." Emily took the ornament from Phoebe and waved her hand over the missing piece of glass. Immediately, the piece was replaced and no one could tell that it had never been broken. "It wasn't broken, there was just a piece of black paper stuck to it," she said as she handed it back.
"Oh, thank you." Phoebe placed the ornament on the tree and thought to herself, 'I could have sworn it was broken.'
As Phoebe picked up another ornament, she heard the front door open. Immediately, she knew it was Cole. "That's probably Cole," she said to Emily. "I'll let him know you're here."
Phoebe walked up to Cole in the front hallway leading to the door. He bent down to kiss her, but Phoebe pulled her head away. "There's someone here to see you," she said. "She's waiting in the living room. You can explain it to me later." She left him and walked up to her room.
Cole walked toward the living room wondering what could have made Phoebe so upset. Once he crossed the threshold separating the living room and the hallway, he knew right away what it was. The shriek of delight from his niece didn't slow his process of realization either.
A/N: I've had this idea in my head for quite some time now, but I just never got around to posting the story. So, I figured I would change it a little to fit in with the upcoming Christmas season. Plus, it makes it that much more romantic. J Plus, if it does snow in San Francisco, don't flame me, I just needed to make it not snow there for my story to have meaning.
Phoebe sat in the kitchen of the Halliwell manor on the first Saturday morning of December drinking her hot tea. Putting down the newspaper she was reading, she looked out the window toward the street in front of the house. How much she wanted to see snow…just once in her life, one tiny flake of snow. But living in San Francisco, winter would never truly be winter. You could never have winter without snow.
She finished her tea and walked into the living room to finish decorating the tree she had started on earlier that morning. Her sisters and herself always celebrated Christmas, exchanging presents on the morning of, and giving presents to all of their friends. And Phoebe was always in charge of the tree. Not that she cared. She always had a theme for it. And this year, the entire tree was going to be in white and gold. It made it seem much more like winter.
She had just finished wrapping the white ribbon trimmed in gold glitter about the tree when the doorbell rang. She put down the rest of the roll of ribbon and answered the door. She opened it to find a girl who looked to be about fifteen years old standing on the doorstep, and with her were about five suitcases from what Phoebe could see.
"Um, hi, can I help you?" Phoebe asked, uncertain of what to do.
"Yes, I'm looking for Cole Turner, please."
"May I ask what business you have with Cole?"
"Oh, believe me, it's not business. I'm his niece."
******************************************************************************************
"Um, Cole's not here right now," Phoebe said, surprised. Was this girl really Cole's niece? Does Cole have a sister? "Why don't you come in and I can get you something to drink while you wait."
"Thank you very much. I'm Emily."
"I'm Phoebe. Why don't I help you with your stuff?"
"Thanks." Emily took in two of the five suitcases and as Phoebe grabbed two more went back for the last one. "So how long have you known my uncle Cole?"
Phoebe walked into the kitchen as she answered, "About a year and a half now." She thought it was weird hearing Cole being called 'uncle'. "So who in your family is related to Cole?"
"Oh, my mother is his sister." Phoebe walked back in with a glass of iced tea and handed it to Emily.
"That's nice. Um, Cole should be back soon, but you can help me finish decorating the tree while you wait, if you want."
"Sure, I'd love to. My parents never put up a Christmas tree."
"Oh, why's that?"
"I don't know," Emily said. "They just never did." She picked up one of the glass ornaments from the box and placed it on a branch around the center of the tree.
As Phoebe picked up another ornament, she held it up to look at it. "Oh, no," she said. "This one's broken."
"Let me see." Emily took the ornament from Phoebe and waved her hand over the missing piece of glass. Immediately, the piece was replaced and no one could tell that it had never been broken. "It wasn't broken, there was just a piece of black paper stuck to it," she said as she handed it back.
"Oh, thank you." Phoebe placed the ornament on the tree and thought to herself, 'I could have sworn it was broken.'
As Phoebe picked up another ornament, she heard the front door open. Immediately, she knew it was Cole. "That's probably Cole," she said to Emily. "I'll let him know you're here."
Phoebe walked up to Cole in the front hallway leading to the door. He bent down to kiss her, but Phoebe pulled her head away. "There's someone here to see you," she said. "She's waiting in the living room. You can explain it to me later." She left him and walked up to her room.
Cole walked toward the living room wondering what could have made Phoebe so upset. Once he crossed the threshold separating the living room and the hallway, he knew right away what it was. The shriek of delight from his niece didn't slow his process of realization either.
