Something misted over in Cole's dark eyes as Leo orbed out, holding and still kissing Phoebe. He knew they were going to a place of perfect happiness and love, a place where Leo had taken Piper often but he could never go. His eyes lowered as Piper stepped closer to him, wrapped her hand gently around the side of his face, and traveled his skin with her fingers.
"What's wrong?" she asked. She thought things had finally been going so well between them. She hadn't lost her sisters and the Charmed Ones hadn't lost their White Lighter when she had finally openly proclaimed her forbidden love for Cole and his for her. They had actually been overjoyed to discover that Phoebe and Leo had been sneaking around behind their backs for months. The fact that Cole and Piper had been together, despite their marriages to the other two, for years had not needed to be said.
Yet, as happy as they had been throughout the last few weeks, her true love now looked achingly despondent. "Cole?" she urged, lifting his chin in both hands and forcing him to meet her eyes. "What's wrong, baby?"
"I can never take you to Heaven," he told her.
Piper released a breath; then, she smiled. She wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tightly. Then she looked back up into his gentle eyes that seemed so sad and full of questions as to why she loved him as much as she did. "Darling, their Heaven is overrated. You take me to real Heaven every time you touch me."
His surprise was obvious. "Do you mean it?"
"Of course. I love you, Cole Turner, and if that meant living in Hell with you, that would even make Hell my Heaven." She kissed him long and deep.
The End
