CHARMED

"Halli New Year"

by shel

© february 2012

disclaimer: the charmed ones, cole, and leo, and the rest of the cast of characters we've come to know and love, belong to spelling television, inc. and possible other copyright holders. i intended no true infringement on their copyrights; i only wanted to borrow these marvelous characters for a short time in my own scenarios and hopefully return them no worse for wear; the only things i've gained from this story are the satisfaction and pleasure of having written it and in knowing that others may have enjoyed it too…

rating: pg-13

summary: phoebe experiences dangerous consequences to the post-holiday blues…

timeline: new year's eve 2006…

archive: please don't without expressed permission…

notes: this isn't the tale the muse has been taking more than a year to put down in words but what she came up with rather spur of the moment as 2011 came to a close (even if it's still taken a couple of months to complete)… i've taken minor liberties with astral projection and the timeline concerning phoebe & coop as it's been presented in the official 'charmed' comics…there is minor specific reference to season 1's "that 70's episode," season 3's "all halliwell's eve" and "primrose empath," season 4's "enter the demon," "muse to my ears," "lost and bound," and "marry-go-round," season 5's "the importance of being phoebe," "centennial charmed," and "house call," season 6's "love's a witch" and "crimes and witch demeanors," season 7's "witchness protection" and "the seven year witch," and season 8's "rewitched," "engaged and confused," "generation hex," and "forever charmed"… let me know if you enjoyed my tale and why and, if not, why not…and, please, don't bother wasting your time or mine by sending any flames…


December 31, 2006 – 2:30 p.m.

"Don't you have an office?"

Startled, Phoebe jumped in her seat and pressed a hand to her heart. "Give me a heart attack, why don't you?" She quickly minimized the screen she'd been focused on and took a deep breath.

"Sorry," Paige chuckled, "thought you heard me call out. What're you doing here instead of the office?"

As Phoebe's breathing steadied, she nodded towards the big pot simmering on the range. "I put in half a day there. Not much work gets done the second half when it's New Year's Eve. Besides, Piper had to run to the doctor with the boys and asked me to keep an eye on her soup. I figured if I worked on a column, it technically isn't personal time."

Paige peered over her shoulder. "Blue Humbug?"

Phoebe sighed, "Twenty-two year old who quit her job in order to move to Miami with her boyfriend who was being relocated for work. But he broke up with her two weeks before Christmas, she can't get her job back, and she's done nothing but eat ice cream and donuts for the past week. She has no savings so she's having trouble making ends meet. She doesn't know how much longer she'll be able to keep her apartment and wants to know if she should chase after the ex or move back with her parents or switch to cupcakes and cookies and hope it all goes away like a bad dream."

"Sad," Paige commented as Phoebe saved her column and put her laptop to sleep.

"The other letters aren't much better," Phoebe sighed. "So many people reaching out at this time of year, as the holidays wind down…their emotions have gone through such a roller coaster, they have a hard time re-adjusting to the everyday."

"I can relate," Paige admitted. "After my parents died, holidays were a tough time for me, even when I was with my aunt and uncle. Holidays are a time for fun, not for being sad, but when the holidays are over, fun is over and reality can be such a slap in the face."

"Exactly. You were in social work so," Phoebe recalled, "I'm sure you saw plenty of post-holiday blues cases."

"I did," Paige told her, "always a tough time at work." She closed her eyes and whiffed the air appreciatively. "Smells great in here," she said, switching to a less depressing topic, "maybe Piper should consider going back into catering."

Phoebe nodded, "I've talked to her a bit about it, switching P3 from a nightclub to something more like a café. It would mean better hours, less noise, cozier atmosphere, not to mention she could put her cooking skills to better use."

Paige stared at her a moment and leaned back against the island, her elbows propped on the counter. "That's actually a great idea. But isn't the area a bit too industrial for a café? I'm not sure the switch would work in that location."

"If P3's not a club, it wouldn't have to be there," Phoebe agreed. "I've talked to one of our real estate columnists and he thinks there could be a market for a P3 café in a couple of more suburban locations."

"Sounds like you've put a lot of thought into this. What's Piper say about it?" While she knew her older sisters shared a tight bond, she couldn't help but feel out of the loop if such a major change was taking place.

"It's not the restaurant she once dreamed of opening but I think she's interested. Her eyes lit up in a way I haven't seen them do in a long time." She then caught her younger sister's eyes. "We weren't keeping you out of this, honest." She shrugged, "It was just an idea that flitted through my head after that big Thanksgiving concert we had at P3. I wasn't sure I'd even say anything to Piper but she's the one who mentioned that she was worried she didn't have the energy to deal with a New Year's Eve event."

Paige accepted the apology with a shrug of her own. "We've all had a bit of a rough year what with losing Leo for months while we dealt with Billie and Christy and the Triad. And with the new baby coming in a little more than three months, the club's been the last thing on her -"

"She texted me," Phoebe suddenly informed her sister, "Billie, I mean. Just a couple of words wishing us a happy new year; I know it's not much but at least it's not silence."

Paige smiled slightly and pushed herself off the island. She headed to the counter where the cookie jars sat. "Billie's life was turned upside-down this year and seven months isn't all that long, really. She knows we're here and that we love her. All we can do is keep letting her know. Anyway, maybe starting over with P3 will be just the thing that Piper needs to start the new year."

"Maybe," Phoebe considered. "Maybe it's just the thing we all need, well, maybe not you, Ms. Newlywed." Phoebe grinned, "Henry seemed a little worn out the other day. Haven't you warned him yet about a Whitelighter's stamina?"

Paige rolled her eyes. "He's been working double-shifts, covering for cops taking time off for the holidays." Phoebe had given her the perfect segue to discuss the issue at hand, but she only sighed, "So, Wyatt and Chris…"

"Their coughs are worse, Chris has a fever and his nose won't stop running, and Wyatt's started complaining about his ear. Piper thinks he might have an infection."

"Poor little guys." Paige fished two chocolate chip cookies from one of the jars and nibbled on one.

Phoebe watched Paige and momentarily wondered about her sister's middle-of-the-day appearance. Piper hadn't said anything about Paige stopping by. "Everything okay? If you came to talk to Piper, I could -"

"Needed a break from the school," Paige quickly mumbled, crumbs spilling from her lips, "and some home-made cookies."

"When I need a break like that, I skip the cookies, go find my man, and see if we can break together," Phoebe teased.

"Henry doesn't have an office," Paige mumbled into another bite, "and their break-room's smaller than my closet."

"Hello…power to orb to a bed?"

Paige stopped munching and stared at her sister causing Phoebe to laugh at her expression.

"And that, ladies and gentlemen, is why I'm the paid advice columnist," Phoebe laughed.

Paige glared at her and looked around. "So, then, why isn't your man here breaking with you while Piper's out?"

Still amused, Phoebe said, "Because I'm not on break, I'm working. And so's he, for that matter. He's been in Kansas since yesterday morning, or maybe it was Kentucky."

Paige offered her sister two cookies and decided to bite the bullet. "So," she began as Phoebe accepted them and bit into one, "seeing as how we're on break together, I've been meaning to ask how Coop -"

"How's recovery going at Magic School?" Phoebe interrupted. "We haven't talked about it in a while."

Paige recognized her sister's evasion tactic but shrugged as she sat at the table next to Phoebe, "Slow. I'm far from an expert but from what Leo's said not as much was lost as everyone feared but setting it right is very slow going."

"Can't you just perform a clean-up spell or something?"

"What, like twitching my nose?"

Phoebe rolled her eyes at her sister's tease. "Lay off Bewitched. Samantha was pretty powerful, you know."

This time it was Paige who rolled her eyes. "As it happens, I did ask Leo about using a spell. I thought about the purification spell you used when you tried to cleanse the house after…" She paused when she saw Phoebe stiffen. "Well, you did have good intentions, it's not our fault the witch doctor…" With a dismissive hand, she waved away negative memories, "Anyway, Leo said it wouldn't work and when I asked why, he used the Whitelighter non-answer technique."

Still momentarily distracted by Paige's near reference to her ex-husband, Phoebe murmured, "You're a Whitelighter."

"Half, I still don't speak the language." Paige smiled when Phoebe looked back at her with a genuine grin and she tapped her cookie to Phoebe's in a toast. "Seriously, Leo said that since they don't know what demons touched or affected, every book and object needs to be examined to make sure there's no dark magic tainting them before any good witch can use them. You have any idea just how big the place really is and how much clutter there is? They figure it may be more than a year before some areas can be opened again to everyone."

"Guess even demons needed some sort of reference library," Phoebe considered. She shuddered thinking of the collateral damage she'd witnessed when they'd been there under attack. "If you need an extra set of hands…"

Paige smiled and rubbed her sister's arm, "Thanks, I'll let you know. Leo's doing great taking charge in the project even while dealing with Headmaster duties. I know there are other staff members who are brilliant with all things magical but Leo…forget about his being a medic, I really think his calling is Magic School."

"Piper's hinted to me that, with Leo there full-time, they're seriously considering it as an option for Wyatt," Phoebe informed her younger sister. "Magic School might be the best place for him as he learns to control his powers."

"I'm pretty sure I saw Wyatt's name on next semester's roster," Paige confessed. At her sister's raised eyebrow, she explained, "I've been talking to Henry about teaching a class there next semester while I still try to figure out what I want to do in life and I took a look at the rosters to see who I might have in my class."

"That's great, Paige. I know you loved working there."

"Well, I'm not really a teacher so I'm not sure it's where I want to be or should be. I've also been considering going back into social work, something that Henry can relate to better."

Phoebe patted her sister's hand, "As long as you're happy with your job choice, he'll be happy too."

"And that, ladies and gentlemen, is why she's the paid advice columnist." Phoebe laughed and she sighed happily, "It's just been so nice these past demon-free months, and -"

"We'll never be demon-free," Phoebe interrupted. "You know it doesn't work that way."

"Demon-lite, then," Paige conceded. She eyed her sister, "How long are you going to wait for the other shoe to drop? You're so worried about letting your guard down for a sneak attack, you haven't let yourself enjoy the now."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Paige shook her head. "No more, Phoebe. You keep changing the subject whenever Piper or I start a conversa-"

"Wait a minute," Phoebe interrupted, sliding off her seat to stand, "you're not on a break are you? Did Piper send you here? She did, didn't she? You're taking advantage of me being stuck here alone."

"Two birds, one stone, and all that," Paige shrugged. "So, big sister, talk to me. What's going on with you? For seven months, the rest of us have been enjoying life again, no more than the minor demon intrusion, and it's been good. Why aren't you as happy as the rest of us?"

"I'm plenty happy," Phoebe argued as she stalked over to the range to check the soup.

"Are we pressuring you too much?"

"About what?" Phoebe asked without turning around as she marched to the cookie jar, pulled one out, and stuffed it into her mouth.

"Coop. I, we, well, we all thought you'd be married by now."

Phoebe sputtered crumbs. "Married?"

"Haven't you and Coop talked about it at all?" Paige wondered. "For heaven's sake, future Wyatt and Chris, even the Angel of Destiny, announced you belong together. Or," her eyes narrowed, "are you just going to live in sin the rest of your lives? What about that ladybug you saw? Are you really not going to marry her daddy?"

"That ladybug might not still exist as that future with the Avatars never happened," Phoebe simply said. "And whether or not Coop and I've talked about her or marriage isn't really any of your business or Piper's."

"Ouch."

Phoebe sighed. "Sorry."

"We're just worried about you," Paige muttered.

"Coop's wonderful and I love him," Phoebe declared. "Really. The way he loves me and has integrated himself into my life and in my family's, it's…even Elise thinks we're adorable together. I'm not sure I have the words to express just how much I do love him."

"Then what's the problem?"

"There is no problem, Paige," Phoebe told her just as Piper called out from the doorway. "Just a minor case of post-holiday blues caught from reading all these letters."

But before Paige could retort that Phoebe had seemed off for weeks before all those letters arrived, Wyatt came flying past his mother and launched himself at her. With a laugh, she lifted him up and nuzzled noses with him.

"Not too close," Piper warned, "or you'll catch his cold."

"Hey, guys," Phoebe greeted as she caught Chris when he toddled into her open arms. "So, how are they?"

"Ear infections for both," Piper glumly replied, looking from Phoebe to Paige. At Paige's shake of the head, she asked Phoebe, "Can you stay a bit longer and watch the boys while I run to the pharmacy to pick up their antibiotics?"

Phoebe glanced at her younger sister, "I suppose."

"Don't worry," Paige assured her, "I've gotta get back to Magic School." She set Wyatt down, blew kisses at both boys, and told Phoebe, "When you're ready, you know where I am."

As Paige started to orb, Phoebe called out, "See you later at the club."

Piper rubbed her belly and frowned. "Everything okay here?"

"Peachy keen," Phoebe replied, barely looking at her older sister. She lowered Chris to the floor and suggested he go play with Wyatt in the solarium. "I'll be right in and we'll build some huge skyscrapers with the blocks," she promised.

Piper watched her boys leave the room, more lethargic than usual. She sighed, "We're worried about you, Pheebs."

"So Paige said." Phoebe puffed out a breath as she turned around, "I'm fine, Piper. Honest. Coop's fine. We're very much in love and you're both worrying for no reason. I'm happy with my life now, truly happy."

"Then why aren't you married? Or even engaged? It's been seven months since we saved the world, again, and you -"

Phoebe threw her hands up in the air, "What is it with you and Paige? I'm not married or engaged because I haven't heard a proposal and I haven't heard a proposal because Coop and I haven't talked about marriage!"

"Why not?"

"Because there's no rush!" Phoebe exclaimed. "We love each other, Piper, and we don't have to prove it or hide it. We're happy enough taking time to enjoy it."

"What about -"

"We're not ready for marriage," Phoebe impatiently interrupted again. "I know I was in this rush before 'cuz of the premonition but now that Coop and I…it's real, Piper. What Coop and I have is real and it will last. Marriage, a family, that can wait. We need this time for us. We need to adjust to this commitment we've made to each other before we…we're not ready for the rest yet. We're not," she insisted when she caught Piper's incredulous expression. "Look, Coop's still fairly new to the mortal world and we need mo-"

"New? It's been almost a year since you met him!" Piper countered. "And he's been living with you for seven months!"

"And he's still adjusting. We're both still adjusting. And we're trying to work out the balance of everyday life and magic. Isn't that what you've always been searching for?"

"Aunt Phoebe…"

"Coming, Wyatt," Phoebe called out. "Go, get to the pharmacy so that I'll have some more time for my column before I have to get ready for the club."

"I could work the party, you know. Leo's perfectly capable of watching his sons."

Phoebe shook her head. "Coop didn't expect to be back before tomorrow at the earliest so there's no sense in you and Leo being apart tonight when the countdown hits one. Besides, you're exhausted and I'll have Paige and Henry there helping me. The party will be great so don't worry."

Piper reached out and hugged her sister who then patted her belly, "I'll be back in a few." But she turned in the doorway and added, "And about what Paige said before, I'm here for you too, whenever you're ready."

"Love you," Phoebe replied with a slight smile.

When Piper left, instead of going to the boys, Phoebe went back to her laptop, opened it, and maximized the screen she'd hidden from Paige. Her eyes welled with tears so she squeezed her eyes shut in an attempt to keep them at bay.

"Aunt Phoebe!"

"Coming Wyatt," Phoebe's voice cracked. And, with a swift click of her mouse, she closed the picture that had filled her screen.

Cole.