The next morning, Paige enters Cole's office, and finds him in his chair behind his desk, his legs propped up on his desk, asleep. "Cole." Paige calls out. "Cole!" she says again, this time smacking him with a file she's carrying. Cole awakens with such a start that he falls out of the chair, onto the floor.

"Ow! What the hell!" Cole shouts at her, standing up. He looks down at his hand, which scraped against the desk when he fell and has a small cut on it. "Look what you did! You're a whitelighter, heal this!" he insists. Paige rolls her eyes at him.

"Oh give me a break, I've seen bigger paper cuts. Get a bandaid, you big baby." Paige says. "What the hell is wrong with you -- you didn't come home last night, do you know how upset Phoebe is? She cried herself to sleep and she's been crying all morning."

"Well, good." Cole says.

"Excuse me? This is my SISTER we're talking about!" Paige yells at him.

"Your SISTER is an immature brat who is so damn focused on her own self-gratification that she can't even be bothered to have the slightest bit of concern for an innocent KID who's done nothing wrong except disrupt the balance of HER life! Which, frankly, wasn't all that balanced to begin with, given the fact that I've been waiting two months for an answer from her regarding our marriage, and she does everything she can to avoid the subject." Cole says angrily, standing up. "Do you have the number of that real estate agent? As far as I'm concerned, the sooner I get out of that house, the better -- for Caroline AND for me."

"So what? You're dumping my sister?" Paige asks.

"I don't know that she's giving me much of a choice. It's almost as if she wants me to choose between her and Caroline. I didn't ask for this, Paige -- I didn't ask to fall in love with another witch, I didn't ask to become human, and I certainly didn't ask for 'instant fatherhood'." Cole says.

"But your life is so much BETTER for it." Paige says. "You know that."

"Sometimes I wonder." Cole says. "Listen -- I'm gonna run home, shower and change, and start looking for a new place. Tell the boss I'm taking a personal day off. Do you have that number?"

"Here." Paige says, handing him the business card she came in to give him.

"I'd like to see Caroline again tonight. Would that be okay?" Cole asks.

"I'm sure it'll be fine. I'm working on your case today -- I'm trying to expedite your case so that we can transfer custody of Caroline to you as soon as you have your new home set up." Paige says.

"Thank you." Cole replies.

"And Cole -- if Phoebe is home -- PLEASE talk to her." Paige suggests.

"What's the point? I already know what she's going to say. And it's nothing I want to hear. Literally." Cole says, and he leaves.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Cole steps into the bedroom, his hair wet, nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist, having just stepped out of the shower. He goes to the closet to find a change of clothes when Phoebe enters the room. "You're home." Phoebe says quietly.

"Not for long." Cole replies, trying to ignore her.

"Cole -- I'm sorry. I -- I know I was being selfish and insensitive and -- I really am sorry." Phoebe says. "Are you still planning on hunting for a new place today? I'd like to help." Cole turns and looks at Phoebe.

"Phoebe, I don't want your help. I only wanted one thing from you -- and you won't give it to me." Cole says.

"Cole -- I've spent the past two months struggling over whether I want to actually be someone's WIFE. And now, there's an addition to the proposal that wasn't there the first time. Now I'd be someone's wife AND stepmother. I don't think I'm ready for that." Phoebe says.

"Phoebe -- don't ask me to choose between you and my daughter. Because you won't like my answer." Cole tells her.

"I'm not asking you to choose, Cole. I just -- can we just -- table the proposal for awhile. Work on our relationship, let me get to know Caroline. I'm just not ready, Cole -- I'm sorry." Phoebe tells him. Cole sighs.

"Well -- I do need to form a stronger relationship with Caroline before I -- solidify any other relationships in my life. Maybe you're right." Cole says.

"You mean that?" Phoebe asks.

"Yeah. Come here." Cole says, pulling her into his arms and giving her a kiss on the cheek. "I'm sorry, too -- for walking out last night."

"Apology accepted." Phoebe says, kissing him on the lips. She then playfully removes his towel.

"Phoebe -- what are you doing?" Cole asks.

"Oops -- how clumsy of me." Phoebe says, giggling, and they kiss again.

"Phoebe -- I have to -- be at the agents -- office -- at eleven." Cole says, interrupting their kisses with his words.

"That's in two hours." Phoebe says. "What are you gonna do with the rest of the time?"

"You -- are a naughty little witch." Cole says.

"You better believe it." Phoebe says, as they kiss again, falling onto the bed together . . . . .

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"As you can see, the yard is quite sizeable, it's fenced in -- I think this place is exactly what you're looking for, Mr. Turner." the real estate agent says, showing Cole and Phoebe around the condo.

"You're right -- I really like it." Cole says. "What do you think, Phoebe?"

"It's -- nice." Phoebe comments.

"I think Caroline will like it -- her room is pretty big, and I love the yard -- I wonder if she'd like to have a dog." Cole says.

"A dog? You're thinking about getting a dog?" Phoebe asks.

"I've always wanted a dog -- I just -- never got to have one. I think it would be nice for Caroline to have a friend." Cole says. Phoebe just gives him a strange look. "What, you have a problem with that?"

"No, I just -- well, I've always been a 'cat person' myself." Phoebe comments.

"So -- do you need some time to think about it? I do have other people lined up for this place though, just so you know." the agent says.

"You know -- I don't need to think about it. I'll take it." Cole says. "Have the paperwork drawn up, call me when it's ready, and we can get this finalized."

"Great. Well -- if you two want to stay and look around for a bit, that's fine. The door locks automatically, just close it behind you. I'll be in touch Mr. Turner. Thank you." the agent says, and she shakes Cole's hand and leaves. Phoebe and Cole head back up the stairs, into the master bedroom.

"I love this room -- it's perfect. I just hope there's enough closet space." Phoebe says.

"Phoebe, the closet is huge, my clothes will fit in there just fine." Cole says.

"Yeah, but -- I'm not sure about mine." Phoebe says.

"YOURS? Why does it matter if YOUR clothes fit in MY closet?" Cole asks. "Phoebe -- did you think you were moving in here with us?"

"Well -- Cole I just -- I kind of thought that --"

"I haven't even officially gotten custody of Caroline yet. And me moving my girlfriend in with us definitely won't sit well with CPS. They look for any little nit to pick at in these cases -- you're not living with us, Phoebe. Not if we're not married." Cole says.

"Since when did you become Mr. Conservative?" Phoebe asks.

"Since I became a father. Phoebe, I'm sorry -- I'm not doing anything to jeopardize my relationship with Caroline. And if you're not ready to commit to marrying me, then -- you just have to accept that." Cole tells her.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

"You seriously thought that you'd be moving IN with him?" Piper asks, as Phoebe tells her the whole story.

"Well -- I didn't see why not." Phoebe says.

"Phoebe -- I honestly don't know how -- or why -- Cole puts up with you. You string him along for two months, and he LETS you, you stomp and whine and pout because a little girl is interfering with how YOU want things to be, and he STILL takes you back. Either he's incredibly stupid or you're just BEYOND amazing in bed." Piper says. Phoebe just makes a face at her. "Yeah -- I don't even want to go there." Piper says. Paige enters the room.

"Hey guys. Phoebe -- Cole wanted me to tell you that he's gonna be a little later than he thought -- Caroline had a rough night, she's having a really hard time adjusting, and he wants to spend some extra time with her today. He said he didn't think you'd mind." Paige says.

"Oh --- no, of course not. Why would I mind?" Phoebe says unconvincingly, and she leaves the room.

"She minds, doesn't she?" Paige asks.

"Oh yeah -- big time." Piper tells her.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Wait'll you see your room at our new home, Caroline. It's three times bigger than this room. This weekend, I thought we could go shopping -- I'll let you decorate it however you want, and you can pick out all the furniture. Would you like that?" Cole asks, visiting with Caroline at her room in the foster care facility she's in.

"Okay." Caroline says, barely acknowledging Cole as she continues to read her book.

"You really like those Nancy Drew books, don't you Caroline?" Cole asks.

"My mommy gave them to me." Caroline tells him.

"Well, then they must be very special to you. Could I see one?" Cole asks, picking up one that is sitting on an end table.

"NO! They're MINE!" Caroline shouts at him, and she grabs his hand as he touches one of the books. Cole grimaces in pain as he pulls his hand away, then looks down at his hand -- it has a small singe mark on it, as if he had just been burned . . . . . . .