D/C: I don't own Charmed thank you very much.
A/N: Wyatt is five, Leo is still an elder, and Paige is dating around.
What could have been
Chapter 1
"You don't ever wonder?" Penny asked, standing in her glow of ghostly light. Phoebe sat Indian style on the floor at her grandmother's feet, holding a cup of coffee between her two hands. She looked down at the floor, and looked back up again.
"Grams, what are you doing here? What are you up too?" Phoebe asked, staying calm in her tone. Grams smiled and shook her head.
"Can't a beautiful woman check on her gorgeous granddaughter once in a while?" Grams asked plainly. Phoebe smiled, and let out a chuckle.
"Well, including that you're a ghost, well, being just you, you're up to something." Phoebe stated, looking up at Penny scolding. Penny shook her head, her eyes wondered around the room.
"No, no it's nothing really, I, just-" Phoebe cut in, knowing Penny rarely told her the truth.
"Grams, I know you tell as many lies as you have husbands, spill." Phoebe ordered, keeping a playful tone in her voice. Penny signed, tilting her head and focusing on Phoebe.
"Honey, something's wrong." Grams stated. Phoebe stood, recognizing Penny finally told the truth.
"What? Is it Leo?" Phoebe asked worriedly. "Should I call Piper?" She asked again. Grams shook her head.
"No, No Phoebe it's not about Piper. Or Leo, or Paige or Wyatt even. It's about you, and well, the past." Grams answered. A quiet hush fell over the room, as Phoebe thought. It didn't take her long to realize what this little reunion was about. Cole.
"Grams, tell me now. What the hell is going on?" Phoebe asked. "Did he come back? That son of a bitch I can't believe he came back!" Phoebe assumed, now pacing at a nervous step. Penny shook her head.
"No, Phoebe, it's not that." Grams corrected. Phoebe stopped. Her brown hair hung at her shoulders, and her eyes stared at Penny.
"What is it?" She asked curiously, more anxious than anything else. Grams looked down.
"There was a mistake, Phoebe. A mistake." Grams paused there, trying to prepare for Phoebe's reaction.
"What?" Phoebe asked, now almost completely clueless. Grams took in a breath.
"You and Cole. It wasn't meant to end. There's a force missing on the side of good." Grams elaborated. Phoebe paused. She didn't know what to think. But she knew, Cole wasn't good.
"Cole's not good Grams. Maybe he tried to be, but he wasn't. Things worked out for the best, Cole would have betrayed us again-" Grams cut her off, shaking her head.
"Phoebe, it's not Cole. The force isn't Cole." Penny stated. Phoebe tilted her head, her eyebrows extended higher than their natural arch.
"Grams, What are you talking about?" She asked. Penny stared at Phoebe, taking a second to recollect herself.
"You and Cole, you were supposed to have a child." She started. Phoebe shook her head.
"We almost did, and it's sure a damn good thing because the baby wasn't even part of me. Or him for the matter. That thing was pretty far from good." Phoebe exclaimed. Grams shook her head.
"That was a mistake as well. Phoebe, you and him were supposed to have a child, a real child. It was supposed, it was supposed to play a huge part in the outcome of the world. It doesn't exist now." Penny elaborated. Phoebe still had a blank stare on her face.
"What? We have Wyatt, now grams its fine." Phoebe rushed. Grams shook her head.
"No, Phoebe it's not fine. Wyatt will have his battles of his own. But he doesn't have the kind of power that your child should have." Grams said, still remaining calm. Phoebe shook her head and looked down.
"Is that what all that, Oh Phoebe don't you ever wonder what if bullshit was about? Gram's, Cole and I are OVER. In fact, we are so far over that he's dead and vanquished thank you. And he is not, I repeat, not coming back." Phoebe said, her temper starting to come into context. Grams shook her head.
"It's not Cole." Grams stated. Phoebe put her face in her hands.
"Just get to the point, grams please." Phoebe pleaded. He head still skipped over the message Grams was trying to deliver.
"The elders and a couple of us up here could cast a spell so you'd have enough time to go into what could have been the future, and get your child and come back into present day. It's up to you though. You're right, Piper did have Wyatt, and he could be strong enough, and might acquire the type of power he needs too. But, I'm not completely sure that's what's going to happen." Grams explained. Phoebe looked up, and rubbed her temples. Stress immediately formulated its way into her body.
"I'm not sure Grams. It's, so, not right." Phoebe answered. Penny smiled and nodded.
"To you, but then again, you haven't seen your child. Call me when you decide. Try to hurry." Grams said before disappearing. Phoebe stood, staring at the now empty space that Penny was now not in. She immediately went downstairs to consult her sisters.
"I, I have no idea what to tell you." Piper stammered. Phoebe held her head with her hands, staring down at the floor.
"This is ridicules! What do the elder's think we are? First, first of all they take our sister away, well that was actually after a number of things on the list. They kept mom and grams from letting us know about Paige anyway. Then, then they take away almost every form of love we could get. Now, they want me to go into some twisted version of now, just to get my kid so it can help THEM prosper?" Phoebe yelled. Her voice was intense. Paige nodded.
"I know it's hard, Phoebe. But you need to think about this, and I don't think me and Piper have the answer." Paige suggested. Phoebe stared at her for a second, then looked to Piper. Piper rolled her lips, and nodded. She gave Phoebe a hug, and watched Phoebe grab her coat silently and walk out the door.
Phoebe knelt at Prue's grave. Tear's streamed down her face.
"Prue, why can't you be here?" Phoebe asked in a soft whisper through the overcast day. She got no reply. She looked down, hoping for maybe some sort of sign. Nothing. She stood up, and walked through the site. She passed the Ks, the Rs, and fount herself in the Ts. To Cole's grave site. She stopped and stared for some time. She looked at the ground, and whispered.
"I'm sorry." The words were the only thing thing she had to say.
"We, had so many chances. And finally, the last time, I messed up." Phoebe exclaimed. She looked at the ground, and began to head back to her car. She unlocked it and sat in the driver's seat. She saw her reflection in the mirror. Her tear stricken face had so many feelings pressed into it. She heard a whisper.
"It's not your fault." It was soft, soothing. Maybe it was her, maybe not. But she knew one thing. Suddenly, she knew the answer.
A/N: Wyatt is five, Leo is still an elder, and Paige is dating around.
What could have been
Chapter 1
"You don't ever wonder?" Penny asked, standing in her glow of ghostly light. Phoebe sat Indian style on the floor at her grandmother's feet, holding a cup of coffee between her two hands. She looked down at the floor, and looked back up again.
"Grams, what are you doing here? What are you up too?" Phoebe asked, staying calm in her tone. Grams smiled and shook her head.
"Can't a beautiful woman check on her gorgeous granddaughter once in a while?" Grams asked plainly. Phoebe smiled, and let out a chuckle.
"Well, including that you're a ghost, well, being just you, you're up to something." Phoebe stated, looking up at Penny scolding. Penny shook her head, her eyes wondered around the room.
"No, no it's nothing really, I, just-" Phoebe cut in, knowing Penny rarely told her the truth.
"Grams, I know you tell as many lies as you have husbands, spill." Phoebe ordered, keeping a playful tone in her voice. Penny signed, tilting her head and focusing on Phoebe.
"Honey, something's wrong." Grams stated. Phoebe stood, recognizing Penny finally told the truth.
"What? Is it Leo?" Phoebe asked worriedly. "Should I call Piper?" She asked again. Grams shook her head.
"No, No Phoebe it's not about Piper. Or Leo, or Paige or Wyatt even. It's about you, and well, the past." Grams answered. A quiet hush fell over the room, as Phoebe thought. It didn't take her long to realize what this little reunion was about. Cole.
"Grams, tell me now. What the hell is going on?" Phoebe asked. "Did he come back? That son of a bitch I can't believe he came back!" Phoebe assumed, now pacing at a nervous step. Penny shook her head.
"No, Phoebe, it's not that." Grams corrected. Phoebe stopped. Her brown hair hung at her shoulders, and her eyes stared at Penny.
"What is it?" She asked curiously, more anxious than anything else. Grams looked down.
"There was a mistake, Phoebe. A mistake." Grams paused there, trying to prepare for Phoebe's reaction.
"What?" Phoebe asked, now almost completely clueless. Grams took in a breath.
"You and Cole. It wasn't meant to end. There's a force missing on the side of good." Grams elaborated. Phoebe paused. She didn't know what to think. But she knew, Cole wasn't good.
"Cole's not good Grams. Maybe he tried to be, but he wasn't. Things worked out for the best, Cole would have betrayed us again-" Grams cut her off, shaking her head.
"Phoebe, it's not Cole. The force isn't Cole." Penny stated. Phoebe tilted her head, her eyebrows extended higher than their natural arch.
"Grams, What are you talking about?" She asked. Penny stared at Phoebe, taking a second to recollect herself.
"You and Cole, you were supposed to have a child." She started. Phoebe shook her head.
"We almost did, and it's sure a damn good thing because the baby wasn't even part of me. Or him for the matter. That thing was pretty far from good." Phoebe exclaimed. Grams shook her head.
"That was a mistake as well. Phoebe, you and him were supposed to have a child, a real child. It was supposed, it was supposed to play a huge part in the outcome of the world. It doesn't exist now." Penny elaborated. Phoebe still had a blank stare on her face.
"What? We have Wyatt, now grams its fine." Phoebe rushed. Grams shook her head.
"No, Phoebe it's not fine. Wyatt will have his battles of his own. But he doesn't have the kind of power that your child should have." Grams said, still remaining calm. Phoebe shook her head and looked down.
"Is that what all that, Oh Phoebe don't you ever wonder what if bullshit was about? Gram's, Cole and I are OVER. In fact, we are so far over that he's dead and vanquished thank you. And he is not, I repeat, not coming back." Phoebe said, her temper starting to come into context. Grams shook her head.
"It's not Cole." Grams stated. Phoebe put her face in her hands.
"Just get to the point, grams please." Phoebe pleaded. He head still skipped over the message Grams was trying to deliver.
"The elders and a couple of us up here could cast a spell so you'd have enough time to go into what could have been the future, and get your child and come back into present day. It's up to you though. You're right, Piper did have Wyatt, and he could be strong enough, and might acquire the type of power he needs too. But, I'm not completely sure that's what's going to happen." Grams explained. Phoebe looked up, and rubbed her temples. Stress immediately formulated its way into her body.
"I'm not sure Grams. It's, so, not right." Phoebe answered. Penny smiled and nodded.
"To you, but then again, you haven't seen your child. Call me when you decide. Try to hurry." Grams said before disappearing. Phoebe stood, staring at the now empty space that Penny was now not in. She immediately went downstairs to consult her sisters.
"I, I have no idea what to tell you." Piper stammered. Phoebe held her head with her hands, staring down at the floor.
"This is ridicules! What do the elder's think we are? First, first of all they take our sister away, well that was actually after a number of things on the list. They kept mom and grams from letting us know about Paige anyway. Then, then they take away almost every form of love we could get. Now, they want me to go into some twisted version of now, just to get my kid so it can help THEM prosper?" Phoebe yelled. Her voice was intense. Paige nodded.
"I know it's hard, Phoebe. But you need to think about this, and I don't think me and Piper have the answer." Paige suggested. Phoebe stared at her for a second, then looked to Piper. Piper rolled her lips, and nodded. She gave Phoebe a hug, and watched Phoebe grab her coat silently and walk out the door.
Phoebe knelt at Prue's grave. Tear's streamed down her face.
"Prue, why can't you be here?" Phoebe asked in a soft whisper through the overcast day. She got no reply. She looked down, hoping for maybe some sort of sign. Nothing. She stood up, and walked through the site. She passed the Ks, the Rs, and fount herself in the Ts. To Cole's grave site. She stopped and stared for some time. She looked at the ground, and whispered.
"I'm sorry." The words were the only thing thing she had to say.
"We, had so many chances. And finally, the last time, I messed up." Phoebe exclaimed. She looked at the ground, and began to head back to her car. She unlocked it and sat in the driver's seat. She saw her reflection in the mirror. Her tear stricken face had so many feelings pressed into it. She heard a whisper.
"It's not your fault." It was soft, soothing. Maybe it was her, maybe not. But she knew one thing. Suddenly, she knew the answer.