AN: This story is a birthday gift for young at heart21. I hope she enjoys it. It is called, Personal Interest. I like to give a shout out to my totally awesome beta Scarlet haired slytherin! I could not have finished this without her help, as well as everyone else who helped me out and let me bend their ear and pick their brain over this idea, thank you! This is a charmed/ PR crossover. Set after the final season of charmed and in PR long after the two involved had finished service...with that said on with the show...
DISCLAIMER: I own nothing, so don't bug me!
It was a normal Wednesday afternoon. It was after lunch and Phoebe was sifting through emailed letters for future columns, having finished off the day's column ahead of deadline and already submitting it. If she could get ahead Elise would be thrilled.
Ever since the paper started an online publication in addition to its main paper edition, the volume of responses to her column looking for advice increased by at the very least ten fold, if not drastically more so. It seemed that people from all over were all universally the same when it came to needing help with matters of the heart. For it seemed that love was something that confused the heck out of everyone.
As she scrolled down the page of her inbox one subject line jumped out at her. It read: Is there such a thing as too late, when it comes to past regrets?
That simple question had her hooked and she needed to know more. She clicked on the message to open it. What she read as she scanned the email broke her heart. , and left her crying in front of her computer screen.
The email spoke of a passionate first love that stretched on for over three years. Then went on to describe how it shifted into a long distant relationship, when she had to move across the country. Then what lead to her eventual confusion and the biggest mistake of her life, as she now saw it to be. And how regardless of whatever happened in the years to come she never again was able to grab on to love. That it consistently slipped thru her hands like sand thru her fingers. Detailing years of countless number of failed relationships, till finally the painful truth dawned on her. All boiling down to that one simple question is and when is it ever too late to rectify past mistakes, when it comes to broken hearts? A few other questions came after that but revolving around that center theme. It was signed only regretful heart.
Phoebe quickly printed out the email. She knew she had to show this to her family, but her sisters especially. Almost as if her powers were influencing her intuition and instincts, but she knew this was somehow majorly important, even if she didn't know how or why, and she needed their input on it. The sooner she did so the better she would feel about this.
With only three more hours to the day she gathered her things and informed her secretary to tell Elise that she was going to work from home for the rest of the day and that she had come upon sudden inspiration. With that being said, she was out of the office in a flash.
Thirty minutes later Phoebe raced in through the front door of the manor, for though she no longer lived there, they were always drawn back to where they were strongest when they were in need. Even with the nexus gone there was still a connection to this place for them, on that was both magical and familial, besides Piper was expecting them all for dinner tonight away.
"Phoebe you're early," stated Leo.
"Shouldn't you still be at work?" called Piper from the kitchen.
Phoebe closed her eyes for a moment and thought of her husband, and when she opened them again her husband Coop had materialized in front of her like he always did when she really needed him. It was just a part of their bond and his being a cupid that came in handy.
"Yeah, I should, but I got this one email today at work for my cyber column and it feels very important. I have to help her, like something is driving me to do so. More so than any letter I even received," responded Phoebe as she reached into her briefcase and drew it out.
"It is possible you're slowly regaining your empath power, and that is why you feel driven to help," Leo remarked calmly.
"Are you sure? It feels like more than that," said Phoebe. "I need all of your feedback and possibly your help on this, so I know the best way to respond to this. Where is Paige?" Phoebe continued on to ask.
"She is not here yet. She was going to pick Wyatt up from school on the way over," answered Piper as she walked in from the kitchen carrying little Chris on her right hip.
"Well I can get her opinion when she gets here with Wyatt," commented Phoebe.
Phoebe passed around her printout of the email, and after everyone got the chance to read it, Piper having a reaction similar to Phoebe's, they started to talk about it.
"I need to help, and I know that a big part of this for her is that fear is holding her back. Fear of rejection and of causing both of them more pain. But how do I tell her what course of action to take? I don't want to blindly set her headlong into heartbreak by telling her the wrong thing," commented Phoebe.
"Sounds like you need to find out what is going on, on his side of things, just to see if it is mutual or not," Says Leo.
"Well in that case, she is going to have to find out whom and where she is then isn't she?" asked Piper.
"Not necessarily," said Coop. "The email said that she moved across the country, so he must be on this coast, while she is on the other. If I can get a general location to work with, I can try to find him through my ring and then read his heart. It will give you the answer you need without either knowing."' Coop went on to say.
"Can we do that? Write some sort of reverse scrying spell?" asked Phoebe.
"With magic anything is possible, but it would be tricky without something connected to what you're searching for," answers Piper.
""Why not try a more technical approach first? Do a reverse directory search on the email address. Find out who wrote it and then work backwards from there," Leo suggests.
"That could actually work, good idea Leo," said Phoebe.
"What is the address?" asked Piper
Looking at the email itself Phoebe scanned the page till she found it.
"It's PinkyC at light as a feather . org ," Phoebe read off the page.
"That shouldn't be too hard to find," commented Piper.
Phoebe Quickly got up and went out to her car to grab her laptop. Once she got back in the house she started it up and began her search for the person behind the email address. After about 20 minutes of searching the internet the only thing was able to turn up was one link on a search engine for a gymnastics school named Light As a Feather in Miami, Florida. Clicking on the link and checking thru the webpage, Phoebe notices her husband's posture stiffen when they came upon the photo of the owner and operator of the school.
"What is it Coop?" Phoebe asks.
"I know her," he answered.
"What do you mean you know her? How?" asked Piper.
"She was one of my matches. Many years ago I put her together with the guy she is now pinning for and lamenting over," answered Coop
"You remember every match you make? " Leo asked.
"No, but one like this I couldn't forget. There was a connection so strong between them it was hard to forget. A connection that intense, that strong might be seen by a cupid once in a hundred years if he lucky. It is this kind of connection that the story books are based on it is so rare. There is no higher honor for a cupid then to get the chance to make of these matches, so I remember them. I also know who the guy is," answered Coop.
"So you can use your ring to locate him?" asked Phoebe.
"Knowing who it is exactly, yes, piece of cake." Coop answered. "I'll go check it out now. Should be back by dinner," he said then disappeared in a quick flash of heart shaped light.
Three hours later as they are all just sitting down to dinner as Coop reappeared in the room.
"Well, how it go?" asked Paige. Who had been was brought up to speed as soon as she got there.
"He is just as broken up as she is. His heart aches the same way hers does. There is some pain and resentment there as well, but not enough to keep them apart, if they were to ever try. They both share the same fear, and are waiting for the other to make the first move," Coop answered.
"Where did you find him?" Piper asked.
"Right here in California, just a few towns over. No more than 50 miles away I would guess. Poor guy is even lonelier than she is. I checked on her too, and outside their work, their lives are empty, "said Coop.
"The sooner we can help fix this the better, even if it is only for their protection. If what Coop says about the intensity of their connection is accurate, they are highly vulnerable right now," said Leo.
"How so?" asks Paige.
"There are plenty of things on the evil side of magic that love to feed off of pain, fear, resentment, and misery in general. Also things that feed off of unfulfilled desires and unrequited love as well. A connection like that when broken, the way theirs is now, creates a massive amount of pain and heartache. The longer it remains unrepaired, and those feelings left un-dealt with, the stronger they become. Creating an increasingly irresistible lure, until it becomes like a siren's call for such things," answers Leo.
Phoebe asks," So I should try to use my response to get her to fix things before something demonic takes notice of her feelings?"
"Yes," answers Leo simply.
A few hours later Phoebe is at home sitting in front of her laptop, with the discussion from dinner rolling around in her head. While her family's feedback was helpful, it also seemed to add to the pressure of getting this answer right. Taking a deep breath to clear her mind, she starts to type the first thing that comes into her head.
Dear remorseful heart,
Your situation tugged greatly at my heart. While we all have our stories of unrequited love, if you still feel this strongly after all this time there may just be a chance for you to rekindle this relationship. Regardless of the passage of time, what would be more painful for you? To live the rest of your live with this current uncertainty, or to take the chance and find out for certain if there is a possibility that he just may feel the same way.
By letting the fear of a negative reaction stop you from taking this chance, you are only causing yourself more pain. The fact that your current predicament, was caused by what you consider your greatest mistake, it might be up to you to rectify it by making the first move. Otherwise you might waste a lifetime waiting for each other to act.
Love is a gamble we are all faced with in this life, and while it can be a fearful thing sometimes, more often the not the payoff is more than worth it. If fear is the only thing holding you back, then you are allowing yourself to be robbed of something that could truly be worth the effort.
Sincerely,
Dear Phoebe.
Sitting back and looking at her work, Phoebe is pleased with how it all turned out. She quickly hits save then uploads it to the paper's database. Then after looking at the printed email next to her, she decides to contact her personally. Opening her email she beings to type.
Dear remorseful heart,
I want you to know that I have chosen your letter for my next cyber column. You words truly touched me deeply, and I want to know how things work out for you. If you want to talk more about this please feel free to email me. I would like to know if there is anything more I can do to help you.
Sincerely,
Phoebe Halliwell
She quickly hit send and shut the computer down for the night.
The next day at lunch, while checking her personal email, she found a response to her message.
Dear Phoebe,
Thank you for choosing to help me by selecting my email. I have just read both your column and your email, and I felt the gravity of your words. It means a lot that you would take the time to personally respond to me, and I am grateful for your concern. I wish it could be that simple, but with the way I ended it, I know I hurt him. I don't know if he would ever forgive me for it.
Sincerely,
Kim H.
Phoebe read and re-read the short message over a few times astonished by the depth of the woman's pain. Suddenly comprehending Leo's concerns from the night before, and just how truly vulnerable they are.
Hitting reply she wrote:
Dear Kim,
While not knowing the exact details of what went down between the two of you, I can still attest to the human heart's capacity for forgiveness. For it is vaster than most can ever imagine and stretch farther than we could ever expect. If given the chance this guy might surprise you. It sounds to me that the first person you need to forgive is yourself. Once you do that, your whole perspective on the situation might change. At the very least you will feel lighter and more at peace with yourself.
Sincerely,
Phoebe H.
Phoebe hit send and sat back, she was surprised at how quickly the response came. She clicked on the message and read:
Dear Phoebe,
Once again I appreciate and understand the gravity of your words, and the compassion behind them. Forgiveness is tricky thing, how would I even begin to do so?
Sincerely,
Kim H.
Once again Phoebe found herself teary eyed at Kim's words. This is going take a while. Phoebe thought to herself.