A/N: Jumps POV a bit. I'm trying to go off on what Joleca was saying (thanks Joleca!), but it may take some time to explain anf figure it out myself since I forgot about Paige's powers. Anyway, any suggestions are welcome...plus reviews!!
Cole looked about his new home; similar to the one he used to live in save for the size and quality. It was barely furnished, and various take-out food boxes littered the small coffee table conveniently placed in front of the large couch that took up most of the small apartment room.
Cole let out a prolonged sigh and ventured into the closet sized bathroom, placing his strong hands on the sides of the counter and hanging his head as if in shame, before he took a deep breath and dared himself to look at his reflection. His handsome profile was the same, however a few visible scars littered his jaw line and brow. Cole shook his head and hung it once more, bone tired and confused at the emotions raging within him.
Cole eventually released his death grip on the counter and wandered out of the small space, finding himself once more in the middle of his living quarters. Cole stood in the center of the undersized room, shoulders slouched and head low before he found himself staring out of the double windows on the opposite wall. He watched as the lights of the city sparkled and glittered in the night, unsurprised when he found it was once again raining.
Cole felt his breath catch in his throat as unwanted memories flooded his entire mind; his blue eyes glistening with unshed tears as his right hand flattened against the cool pane, steadying his swaying body. Cole took a deep breath and willed the memories away, slowly pounding the window with his fist.
"Oh, Phoebe…" he murmured, looking askance out the window once more.
Phoebe lay in her bead, tears staining her cheeks as she struggled to regain her careless expression. She couldn't care about him, he was bad…evil. The man betrayed her and her family, it didn't matter that he caused her heart to flutter whenever he looked at her…caused her mind to go blank when all she could see was his whitening smile…the man was a demon and she did not love him.
"Whom am I kidding!" she howled into her pillow, tears spilling out once more.
Phoebe finally fell silent after a few moments, a hiccup or two popping up once in a while as she found her self strangely calm and tired. She glanced at her alarm clock and sighed, what was she going to do?
Phoebe felt her mind wander to all the times she felt the happiest in her life, and of course she found herself once more in tears as she remembered that he was there, he was the one who made those moments the happiest. Phoebe swiped the tears off of her cheek as she thought of the events of this night, what happened to Cole? Why did he come here of all places?
"Oh, Cole…" she murmured, looking askance at the alarm clock once more.
Cole whirled away from the window with a small growl, he was confused, he was tired and he was in love. That love saved and ruined his life. The minute he laid eyes on the witch he was reborn into a new man…and the minute he laid eyes on the witch he gave up the Underworld for her…he was screwed both ways.
"Everyone knows that there is no true love," he muttered to himself.
After a moments thought, Cole shook his head and corrected himself, "No, there is true love…it just doesn't last forever…"
Cole flopped onto the couch with a renowned sigh, running one of his strong hands through his mussed up hair. He shook his head roughly, as if to fend off flies, before he cocked his head to the side and glared at the floorboards as he sat deep in thought.
"All Halliwell women are not meant to find true love…" Phoebe muttered to herself, before shaking her head and sitting up in the mass collection of throw pillows upon her bed, "No, they can find true love if it's right…but it doesn't last forever…"
Phoebe sighed and ran both of her slender hands through her hair, tugging at the ponytail to free the thick brown tresses and allow more access for her hands to roam through them. She lay back on her back, staring at the ceiling as her mind roamed, trying to focus on one thought against her will: Cole.
Phoebe blew air out the side of her mouth in an irritated manner, shaking her head roughly so that the brown mane covered her face.
"What am I going to do?" she asked the air.
"Why was I there?" Cole asked himself, now pacing the limited space he had in his minute apartment, "What's wrong with my powers?"
Cole stopped short and slammed his fist into the palm of his hand, "Damn it!"
Cole took a deep breath to calm himself before he resumed his incensed pacing, muttering obscene words as he racked his brain for an answer. He finally decided he knew part of the answer, but felt he didn't like it.
Cole flopped onto the couch once more, rubbing his rough cheek with the palm of his hand. He was hurt, so he went to her. Cole looked up at the ceiling and asked aloud, "What am I going to do?"
Phoebe sat up and smiled, she was going to scribe for him and hunt him down in order to talk. She grinned as she hopped off the bed and flung her door open, nearly running down the steps of the quiet manor.
She found herself looking at the dried up blood-stained, puddle of water that Piper had refused to clean without buying some special supplies, so she and her husband went out to buy the "mystery soap," while Paige resumed her reading in the attic.
Phoebe leaned down and hesitantly touched the carpet, "Cole's blood," she murmured before running off towards the kitchen for a white, wet rag. She returned and gently dabbed at the dried up spot until some of the bloodstained water rubbed off and onto the once white rag. Phoebe applauded herself on a job well done before rushing upstairs into the attic, only to run into Paige heading out.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Paige yelled, scared out of her mind as she held up her hands, the right one clutching a novel.
"Sorry! Sorry! Just wanted to you know…look at something." Phoebe explained, lying.
"What? Look at what?" Paige asked, steadying her jumping nerves.
"Oh, nothing…" Phoebe said, shifted back and forth with the rag held tightly in her hand.
"Re-ally…what's that?" Paige drawled, pointing to the rag.
"Look Paige, we're sisters so I won't lie to you…but I don't have to share every little moment of my life with you either, sorry." Phoebe snapped, immediately ashamed.
"It's okay, really. You're right, I'll leave you be." Paige stated while she slowly exited the room, leaving Phoebe standing there feeling terrible.
Phoebe sighed but nevertheless took off for a map, placing it on a table haphazardly. She started whirling the rag above it, praying that her idea would work. Suddenly the tip of the damp rag landed on Washington, the state.
"It worked!" she chirped, grinning.
The grin on her face slipped off slowly when she realized she had no idea where in Washington Cole resided. Phoebe snapped her fingers and darted for the phone, dialing for an operator.
"Hello? Hi, my name is Phoebe Halliwell and I was wondering if you could connect me to Washington. I have no idea where in Washington…I understand, but-"
Phoebe looked at the phone in disgust, tossing on the couch with a, "Bitch."
"Alright…energy balls work…fading works…everything seems in order but for my self-healing…why?" Cole rambled on to himself as he tried every power he had, noting that they all worked.
Cole paced about the room once more, becoming angrier with each step he took because he couldn't figure out why he couldn't heal himself. Cole ran a hand through his dark hair with a grumble, and snapped his fingers. He had an idea.
"Phoebe Halliwell, please. She lives in San Francisco, California. I understand that it's long distance, please connect me and charge me anyway. Thank you." Cole bit off icily.
"Hello?" Phoebe Halliwell answered, anger still evident in her voice.
"Phoebe?" shit she answered the phone!
"Cole?" she sounded happier.
He cleared his throat and replied, "Yeah."
"I was trying to reach you, you live in Washington?" she asked.
"I do." He wasn't going to tell her where exactly.
"Well, I wanted to talk. Can we talk, face to face?" she asked, hopeful.
"Phoebe, I was calling because I need help. You saw me, didn't you? I couldn't…I couldn't self heal. Paige healed most of me and I don't even think that's entirely possible given she's-"
"Half white lighter and not even that powerful in that area."
"Exactly." Cole breathed a sigh of relief.
"Why don't you come up-no, why don't I go up there and we can talk?"
"Phoebe. I am not going to tell you where I live! Please, we have a problem."
Phoebe scowled and shook her head, "No, you have a problem Cole, fix it yourself."
Cole looked at the phone, mouth agape and eyebrows furrowed, "She hung up on me!"
Back in San Francisco, Phoebe slapped herself upside the head as she tossed the phone back onto the couch. She stomped her foot on the ground and growled, "Stupid, stupid Phoebe! You were going to call him! You can't hang up on him!"
She started off to leave the attic when she let out a scream of surprise; Cole had faded directly in front of her. She shoved him out of the way and yelled, "You scared the hell out of me!"
"Well at least I didn't add anymore in you." He muttered as he followed out of the attic and towards her bedroom.
"Cole, go back to wherever you came from, forget the talk."
"Phoebe…Phoebe! Listen to me, it's serious!" Cole argued, grabbing Phoebe's arm and whirling her around to face him.
"What, Cole? What's more serious than me wanting to talk with you?" Phoebe demanded, looking up at her ex-husband and trying not to feel anything for the tall, dark and handsome man.
"The fact that my powers are on the fritz, for starters!"
"And as I said, it's your problem not mine!"
"Then what's the talk for?" he demanded, his grip on her arm tightening as he bore his flashing blue eyes into her brown ones.
"To discuss some…stuff- I don't know!"
"Fine." Cole jerked his hand away from her; "I'll be going and figure this out myself."
Before Phoebe could say anything, Cole had faded away with a look of retaliation on his handsome face. Phoebe sighed and turned on her heel, only to be once again stopped by Paige.
"Paige I told you-"
"Yeah well it involves me this time, sis." She interrupted.
"What?"
"That was Cole's voice, I know it. What was he doing here? Why are you talking to him?" she demanded.
"He wanted help and I refused." Phoebe answered.
"Help for what?"
"His self-healing powers aren't working and you healed him, and you're only half white lighter…"
"Phoebe, his problem, not ours."
"That's what I told him but-"
"I have the feeling I won't like this."
"He needs help, Paige! I'm going to help without you or not." Phoebe claimed, pushing past her younger sister.
"Phoebe!" Paige shouted at her sister's retreating back.
"What?" she asked, whirling around once more.
"I'll help, so long as it doesn't happen again."
"Okay."
With that everyone went their separate ways to fume in the solace of their bedrooms.
TBC...
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