CHAPTER ONE

"It Was Meant to Be"

by nikstarr

(this fanfic takes place at the end of season eight and features actual scenes from Charmed episodes.I acknowledge that I do not own Charmed, I am simply creating a different storyline in Phoebe's love life. This is a Phoebe/Cole fic so those who do not support these two I advise you to look away.)

"Maybe this was a little premature." Billie and I could deny it all we wanted, but in the end Christy was raised by demons. There was no way she'd be able to jump into human life right away. She needed more time...lots of time.

"Yeah we need to leave now." Billie agreed as I put the money on the table. It was definitely bizzare how little Christy actually knew. It wasn't her fault, but still...it was bizzare. "I've got some errands to do. You're going to get this, I Promise." I tried to reassure the poor girl covered in chicken sauce. The whole trial run had turned into a disaster, but I still had faith that she would prevail eventually. After all she was related to Billie, who had proven exactly how intelligent and talented she really is over the past few months.

I shook the thoughts away as I tried to focus on Errands. Christy's troubles could wait for a few hours. I had bills to attent to. I felt a sharp bump against my shoulder and an apology from the party responsible but I just shrugged them off. I wasn't really in the mood to stop and chat. There were a lot of things I still had to do. Maybe I could squeeze in some time to buy myself a new outfit, or one for Christy.

"Missy, hello?" I heard Billie trying to call me over. Had I forgotten to pay? I could have sworn I had placed the money on the table, actually I know I had. So why was she trying to get my attention. I swirled around to notice Billie with a confused expression on her face. "Are you totally clueless Phoebe, did you see that guy?"

I nodded. "Yeah, so?" I hadn't really looked at his face but really, I had no intention of interrupting my schedule for some guy that I had just happened to bump into.

"He was checking you out! He was totally cute, how could you pass someone like that up?" Billie was trying to play matchmaker? I was definitely not in the mood. "In fact, he looked a little familiar. Like I've seen him somwhere before." Her face scrunched up in thought, which was hilarious, despite how frustrated I was at her interruptions.

I cracked a smile, "I'm sure you have Billie but I don't have time for this. I will meet up with you later." I really had no choice but to ignore her crazy assumptions, even if they had to do with a cute guy. I hadn't really noticed his face, except that it looked somewhat rugged in outline, and like Billie said, very familiar.

But why did he seem so familiar? And how could Billie have thought he was too? I groaned, agitated at myself for changing the subject in my head. I had to think aobut my current agenda, which definitely didn't involve guys. Priorites had to come first.

My cellphone buzzed, and I slipped it out of my pocket to see who it was. I knew the picture and name all too well, cursing at myself for forgetting to drop by the office. I know I had been a little out of it lately since moving out of the Manor and since Billie had found Christy and moved her in, but I had no excuse for neglecting my job. This new power that was coming hadn't come yet, which meant I had no reason to be using a family emergency...which I had to use often in my line of work.

I sighed as I flipped the phone on and answered, "Yeah I know, I'm sorry Elise. I'm coming there now." I listened just long enough to hear her reply before flipping the phone shut and ending the call. As much as I wanted to abandon the impending doom and run off to my other errands, it was necessary to go to this meeting. Elise had planned it for months and supposedly if I made good friends with these popular corporates, our sales could abundantly increase, that is if my bad timing doesn't anger them.

When I arrived at The Bay Mirror, I was already an hour late for the meeting. Despite how much I wanted to beat myself up over this, I knew I had to suck it up and act soon as I had opened the doors, I noticed the restless faces sitting across from me as their eyes shot up instantly, taking in my frazzled appearance. Elise and I shared anxious glances as the head corporate gave the cue for me to sit down in the lone chair. I obeyed and immediately started apologizing for being so late. They only grunted in response and started getting down to business.

Time droned on as the meeting felt like it would never end...I listened and replied as much as I could, but I still felt like I wasn't really there. When the meeting was finally called to end, we said our goodbyes and I headed straight to my car with haste. I still had so many errands to run, this meeting that I had completely forgotten about set me back big time.

"Oh great!" I spat angrily as I noticed it had gotten pretty late in the day. I honestly didn't have time to get everything I wanted done and out of the way. I'd have to cut back on a few things. I thought back to the little encounter I had had at the café and how Billie had mentioned my obliviousness. I honestly didn't know why I was freaking out so much, just because I was a little frazzled didn't mean I was blind to love... but I couldn't just put my life on hold every time a guy bumps into me on his way through town, Billie should know that by now. If it was meant to be, I would notice.

It tokk me awhile to get my errands done as I had predicted, so by the time I had made it back to my apartment, it was already getting dark. I closed the door quietly behind me and headed to the kitchen to get a drink of water. My head was pounding so I took an asprin out as well. The water felt so nice on my parched throat that I decided to poor yet another glass. I was about to head toward my bed when I heard a sound out in the living roomm. Billie told me she was going to stop by, but wouldn't she have knocked first? Maybe Paige was doing her orb out of nowhere and scare the heck out of me act.

In any case, I needed to check it out. If it wasn't anyone I knew, it was obvious the person had come in without an invitation. Knocking or ringing a doorbell should be second nature to anyone, unless of course this person wasn't a person at all.

Putting all negative thoughts aside, I headed towards the living room to discover the intruder when I suddenly stopped dead in my tracks. This couldn't be possivle, it wasn't. It was like I was living in a nightmare and everything that could possibly go wrong would. I was speechless and forzen for so long that I was sure I had broken the record for uncomfortable silences.

"Hi Phoebe."

I gulped, my breath felt shaky and coarse as I forced myself to answer with the one name I thought I would never have to look at face to face again.

"Cole?"

Thanks to all who read and review this chapter and I'm already righting chapter two right now, so it should be up shortly.