CHAPTER 32
Love of a Lifetime
One week later. . .
Flowers? Check. Speech? Check. Breath? He cupped a hand over his mouth and exhaled. Check. Well dressed? Leather coat, green t-shirt and blue jeans...okay nice enough. He did his hair. That should count for something.Chris Halliwell closed his eyes, took a deep breath and rang the buzzer by the side of the apartment door. After a moment or two with no sound of movement from inside, the young man pushed it again. When the time started to tick by, he began shifting his weight from one foot to the other, almost bouncing from nerves.
An elderly woman next door came out into the hall with her flowery purse slung over her shoulder. As she started locking up her door she noticed the jittery young man and gave him a good once over. "You wouldn't happen to be a Chris Halliwell, would you?"
"That's me. How did you know my name?"
The silver haired woman smiled softly. "Oh, this is not going to be pleasant. I had been hoping for some sinister looking fella with a lot of tattoos. Or a creeper with binoculars around his neck. It'd make the whole thing easier."
"What thing easier?"
The woman's doe brown eyes locked on his, pouring sympathy out. "You sure are a cute young thing. It's a shame really. Her leaving me with having to hurt such a nice looking boy."
Chris swallowed, instantly developing a horrible knot in his stomach. "She's not here is she?"
"Bianca McCall left the rest of her rent, the keys and a note for a Chris Halliwell under my door this morning. I'm Angela Hammon, her landlady, by the way. Well, anyway, I know a dear john letter when I see one. It's in my apartment if you'll wait just a minute."
The witchlighter found he couldn't answer verbally, so he merely nodded, staring off into nothing.
Disappearing back into her apartment, Ms. Hammon reappeared moments later toting a sealed envelope in her weathered hand. She held it out for Chris. With a soft voice she asked, "Are you really sure you want to read that? After all, if you don't read it you can make up whatever story in your head you'd like about what happened."
"You really think it's going to be that bad?"
"A woman knows."
Chris turned his focus onto the envelope. In neat cursive was his name. He noticed a small circle of discoloration on the envelope near the 's' in his name. A water spot. She'd been crying as she sealed it. It really was going to be bad.
Ripping open the envelope, the young man read the contents.
Chris,
As you probably know by now, I've left town. I decided to follow my Aunt's wishes and go to Salem, take my place in the coven. Something tells me it was the right thing to do after everything that's happened. I think it might just be what I need to sort out who I am after getting my past self stuck in my head as you put it. Long story short, I just had to leave. I have to figure out who I am and what my destiny is now. I hope you can forgive me for not even giving you a proper goodbye. I couldn't. If I saw you again, any hope I had for leaving would have been thrown out the window. This really is for the best, Chris. We both need to figure out who we really are, and then maybe. . .I'd like to think we'll see each other again someday. Until then, Bianca
Chris shoved the letter into his jacket pocket.He looked up at Ms. Hammon and offered her a small smile. "Thanks. I'll just go now."
As he walked past her down the hall, the witchlighter could feel her eyes watching him, the pity in her gaze was stifling. He quickened his pace until he was out of her line of vision. He only stopped once he reached the elevators. The little button in the middle became a target. He hit it five or six times just out of frustration. When the doors didn't immediately open, Chris turned his eyes away and spotted a trash can. Glancing down at the light pink roses he had in a death grip, he moved over to the can and threw them in with as much force as he could muster. He stared at them for a moment, lying in a heap amongst the rubbish.
The elevator beeped.
Chris got on and never looked back.
000
The ball went up. The ball came down into the awaiting hands. Up. Down. Up. Down. A baseball moving as though on a string. Up. Down. Up. . .okay, where was the down?Chris whipped his head around as the ball he'd tossed up into the air suddenly vanished. Rising to a sitting position on his bed, he glanced around the room, not seeing anything. His brows furrowed in confusion and slight concern. Until he felt a familiar presence nearby that is. His lips turned into a happy grin. "You came back."
Ripples formed in the air momentarily before revealing a sharply dressed Cole Turner, the baseball in hand. He glanced down at the ball, smiling fondly at the symbol of boyhood. He raised his sapphire eyes toward Chris' face. He shrugged nonchalantly. "Was there ever really any doubt I would?"
"Well," the teen mimicked the blase gesture while leaning back on his hands, "you did just take off. Figured that once you got what you wanted I'd never see you again."
Cole's brows lifted. He nodded, a little more than slightly offended at the accusation. "I see. Though, you're clearly wrong. After all, I am here, aren't I?"
"Why?"
The former Source was honestly hurt by the harsh tone, his face looking stricken as he shot back, "What do you mean why?"
Chris relented once he noticed the look on the man's face. It seemed Cole did care after all. He let out a breath and smiled weakly. "It's been a week. That's all. What have you been doing this whole time?"
"Getting a person's entire life back in order takes time, work. I had a job to get, an apartment to rent, among other things."
"So, what brings you here today, then? Dangers over. Me and my split personalities are starting to get along better every day, so. . .what is it?"
Cole put his hands in the pockets of his dress slacks, looking nervous as he spoke. "Well, just because Ryak is dead. . .I mean I figured you might need. . ." Cole gestured vaguely, unable to articulate what he really wanted to tell the youth.
Chris, for his part, just smiled. "I missed you too, Cole."
For the first time in a century, Cole really didn't know what to say. He hadn't felt this emotionally attached to another living being since he had been with Phoebe. So, instead of answering he just nodded.
"So, are you going to get moving on Aunt Phoebe or what?" Chris abruptly questioned.
Cole, taking the the bait, responded, "She's made it more than clear a few hundred times that she wants nothing to do with me. For once, I'm going to do what she asks and leave her alone."
"That's crap," the boy argued. "I've known Phoebe in two different lifetimes, which basically means I know her better than anyone, and I'm telling you, she's still got a thing for you big time. Hell, I can tell you step by step how to get her back."
"Oh really? When did you have a change of heart? I thought you warned me against going anywhere near your Aunt?"
The witchlighter shrugged. "That was before."
"Before what?"
Chris grinned, "Before I decided you'd make a really cool Uncle."
The big bad former Source of All Evil felt his chest swell. Looking down on this teenager, this mere boy, made him feel like. . .well, he wasn't sure what it felt like. He'd never experienced this kind of attachment before. The Chris he had met in limbo had been broken. Strong, but broken. He respected the man, but hadn't been affected this way. Looking on this Chris, his green eyes so trusting, made Cole feel responsible for the kid. He thought he might just know what it felt like to look on a son in that moment.
He cleared his throat, highly uncomfortable with so much emotion. "So, where do I start?"
0000
Phoebe Halliwell heard her children laughing. Their little voices were excited as they chattered away to one another before another bout of laughter filled the air. She frowned, wondering almost worriedly what they had gotten themselves up to this time.
Setting down her Cosmo, she rose from her bed, moving out into the hall and heading a door down to her girls' room. She poked her head in, and nearly stopped breathing at the sight.
Sitting snuggled up under a makeshift tent of sheets with her two daughters was her former husband. The three were sitting on pillows; the two girls leaning against the former Source as he regaled them with a captivating and apparently highly amusing story.
"So then, the demon explodes into this horrible green goo that covers both of us, and we go flying back, landing on a huge pile of clothes."
Phoebe frowned, realizing exactly what story he was in the middle of telling her children.
Melinda laughed, interrupting his story. "I can't get the picture of mom covered in demon goo out of my head now."
"Bet she was still pretty," the younger girl responded.
Cole nodded, a soft smile gracing his lips. "Yeah. Your mom was always the most beautiful woman I've ever met. It didn't matter if she was covered in demon goo or dressed for a ball. You two look a lot like her, you know."
The middle Charmed One's mouth turned up, her eyes getting teary. She swallowed as she realized what she was doing then forced herself to stop. She wasn't going down this path again. She was resolved. No going back there. Really.
"Reeeally?" Prue excitedly asked. "You think we're as beautiful as mom?"
"Of course."
"She's such a dork," Melinda put in. "She totally has a crush on you."
"Do not," the other girl argued, blushing.
Cole raised his hands, halting the argument in its tracks. "Hey, you two want to hear the rest of this story or not?"
"Go on," Mel urged.
Prue nodded her head, "Please?"
"Okay, then. Well, your mom and I were covered in this slimy, awful demon goo, but we're both laughing about it, and your mom, she says to me, 'we've got to stop meeting like this.'" He paused, picturing the moment so clearly in his mind that he could have picked out even the most remote of details. He let out a breath, "That's when I knew. Looking at her, covered in this hideous slime, but seeing her eyes so full of light, her laughter filling the air. . .she was radiant. I knew I had to spend the rest of my life with her. That's when I asked her to marry me."
Phoebe's battle was lost in that moment. Tears slipped down her lashes, her lips pursed as she felt her heart start to fly. There was no stopping herself this time. She was going to be affected by him again, and there was nothing she could do about it. Cole Turner was back in her life, and she wasn't entirely sure it was a bad thing.
A chorus of 'aw' went up from the two girls.
"So what happened?" Melinda asked.
Phoebe's ears perked up.
"I made a terrible mistake," the half-demon answered. "Then, I got stuck in limbo. The rest you know."
The Charmed One's mouth fell open. Had he just really admitted the truth? Had Cole Turner, former Source, really just said that it had been his fault? Was it even possible that he could finally see what had happened between them and take responsibility? If he could accept the horrible things he had done to her and her sisters. . .did that mean he had changed for real this time?
Her head felt dizzy with the implications.
Was there really hope for Cole yet?
Meanwhile, Chris poked his head out of his room, smirking as he saw his aunt observing Cole with the girls. The first part of his plan was clearly working, and the best part was it had little to do with manipulation. Cole did like the girls, was even pretty good with them. The only part the young mastermind had in the situation was putting the idea in his friend's mind and setting up a time he knew Phoebe would be home.
Judging by his Aunt's reaction, his master plan would be fulfilled much sooner than he first thought.
Now on to part two. . .
Chris sat at the kitchen table, giving off a loud groan of frustration as he slammed shut his history book. He leaned his head down on the table, waiting for his Aunt to finally take the bait.
"Chris, what is it?" Phoebe's voice hovered above him. "Need help with anything?"
The teenager raised his head, keeping a despondent look on his face. "I hate history. It's so boring. How am I supposed to write a paper on something that I couldn't care less about? I mean, seriously, it's in the past. I say we just let bygones be bygones and move on."
Cole shimmered into the kitchen then, giving a small nod to Phoebe, "Hi. Sorry. Didn't know you would be here. Chris asked me to come over."
"It's fine, Cole. I know you and Chris are close."
Chris looked between the two of them and had to fight not to grin. The sexual tension between the two of them was tangible. Well, he'd known their chemistry had always been high when they had been together. It wasn't really all that surprising that it still hummed between them.
"So, what do you need, Chris?" Cole turned his attention fully on Chris, almost ignoring the woman he loved completely. It was one of the many tid-bits of advice his former charge had given him. Something about giving Phoebe her space, showing her that he wasn't obsessed anymore. He was just a man; she was just a woman.
Phoebe bristled slightly at the complete lack of attention. Cole had never ignored her before. Not once. She found it bothered her more than it should.
"I have to do a report on World War I, and it's driving me crazy," Chris began. "I mean, seriously, it's the same old story over and over again. Tragic but dull."
"No, no, no," the man argued, "you're looking at it all wrong. Don't just look at the countries and the politics. Study the personal stories, how the war affected the every day people. That's what makes it interesting, gives it power. If you want, I can tell you a few stories. I was there after all."
Chris broke into a smile, "That'd be awesome. Thanks."
Phoebe let her mug slip from her hands, the glass banging onto the counter. She turned around to the two guys and offered a shaky smile, gesturing at the mug, "Slippery. Just– wooo– right out of my hands," she laughed nervously. She swallowed and put her hands on her hips, tilting her head to the side, "So, Cole, you're helping Chris write his paper? I mean, isn't that kind of...I don't know...time consuming?"
"He needs my help," the half-demon simply stated.
"So?"
Chris rolled his eyes, "Gee, thanks, Aunt Pheebs. Love you too."
The woman waved him off, "No, no. That's not– I mean really, Cole? A highschool paper? Don't you have better things to do? Like torturing innocents or something?"
"My being here is obviously upsetting you," Cole replied, rising to his feet. He looked down at Chris, "Why don't you meet me at my new apartment, and we'll work on it there."
Chris gave a nod and watched as his companion made a smooth exit, simply shimmering out. He looked up at Phoebe, relishing her absolutely dumb stricken look. He let out a breath, "Give the guy a break, Aunt Pheebs. He was only trying to help."
Rising from his chair, he left the kitchen, pausing outside the door and holding it open just a crack, watching as his aunt slump against the counter.
"First the girls, now Chris. Cole Turner– paternal? It can't be an act for me. He didn't know I was watching when he was with the girls and this time," she shook her head, "barely a glance my way. He didn't even say goodbye. . ."
Chris let the door swing shut, a satisfied smile on his face.
000
Chris glanced around the corner, saw Phoebe about to enter the kitchen, and closed the swinging door, asking his mother loudly, "So, Cole said he actually helped you and dad get back together is that true?"
"As shocking as it was and still is," Piper answered, checking on the muffins she was baking, "yes. He did."
"That seems kinda out of character for him, wouldn't you say?"
Piper closed the oven and turned to face her son. "I certainly thought so. He said his reason was because he knew that if your father and I couldn't beat the odds and live happily ever after, your aunt Phoebe would give up on love too. He said he couldn't stand the thought of that. He said Phoebe deserved love and that someday she would make a great mother. At the time, I thought it was a load of crap, but these days. . .who knows?"
Her younger sister's mouth fell open as she eavesdropped from outside the kitchen door.
"Guess he never stopped loving her," Chris pointed out.
"Guess not," Piper agreed, frowning at her youngest. "What's all this about anyway?"
Chris shrugged, "Just trying to understand what happened I guess. I mean, the Cole I know is a really good guy underneath it all. I could see him and Aunt Phoebe. It makes sense."
Phoebe was beginning to see it herself these days. It terrified her.
"Did you know he's the one who gave that demon friend of hers the year of life with a soul?"
Piper's brows raised, "Really? He knew Drake?"
"Yeah, he did it in exchange for Drake helping Phoebe to get over her love issues."
A lot of unexplained questions about Drake suddenly were put into place. Phoebe closed her eyes, the truth washing over her. Cole. He wanted her to be happy. Even after everything she and her sisters had done to him– vanquishing him repeatedly– he still did everything in his powers to make her happy.
"Huh," Piper stated. "I always wondered about that."
Chris shrugged, "Just thought that was interesting."
Phoebe had to agree with her nephew. Very interesting indeed.
000
"Hey, little man, is Phoebe here?"
Wyatt raised his head to look up at Coop and frowned. "I'm taller than you."
"Right. Sorry." He swallowed nervously, "So. . .is she? I'm supposed to take the kids this weekend."
The Twice Blessed rolled his eyes, "Demon thing. Back in a minute. Just sit down."
Coop's brows lifted as he awkwardly took a seat on one of the chairs adjacent to the couch, which was currently occupied by one highly hostile nephew of his ex-wife. He bobbed his head, hands clasped between his legs as he tried to come up with small talk.
"Hey, Wyatt, have you seen my– " Chris paused half-way down the last step. "Oh. It's you."
The Cupid gave a little wave, "Hey, Chris. How are you?"
"Worse than I was a minute ago."
"Why's that?"
The witchlighter gave him a pointed look.
Coop practically shriveled in his chair. "Oh."
"Heh, that was a good one," Wyatt murmured, back to flipping through the hot-rod magazine he was reading. "Chris: one. Cheating dick of an ex-uncle: zip."
Chris plopped down on the couch next to his brother, glaring at the cupid. "So, it your weekend?"
"Yeah," the man replied, forcing a smile. "I'm really excited to spend some time with the girls"
"Yeah, well, from what I hear you spend time with plenty of girls as it is."
"Chris: two. Idiot: zero," Wyatt commentated, flipping another page.
Coop, set his jaw, determined not to let them get to him. "I thought we were friends once. When you were little you used to cry out, 'Uncle Coop,' and run into my arms. I used to babysit you guys all the time. Went to all your ball games."
A ripple in the air distracted the three. Cole shimmered into the room a second later, briefcase in hand. He noticed a man sitting in one of Piper's favorite chair. He smelled of Cupid. He raised a brow, taking the guy in within half a minute. Sentimental waste of a man. Not worth Phoebe's fingernail needless to say the whole package.
The lawyer turned to his partner in crime and noticed the boy in full on battle mode. Both brows went up as he caught the boy's attention and saw the purest form of loathing he'd ever seen from the kid. "Chris, I thought you were coming with me to lunch." He gave his competition a once over, "or have our plans changed?"
"Cole?" Coop questioned. He rose to his feet, shocked to his core. "Cole Turner?"
"You seem to know me. I can only assume who you are. . .Phoebe's ex?"
"The one man who might understand where I'm coming from," the cupid attempted to joke, holding out a hand.
Cole stared at it for a moment, his blue eyes regarding it as though it were covered in mucus. He turned back to Chris, "You ready?"
"Hey, now," Coop cut in, "you of all people are going to judge me? You tried to kill her for crying out loud. And her sisters. I made one mistake, and everyone hear treats me like I'm the demon."
Chris rose to his feet, his growth spurt putting him almost eye level with the older man. "That's an insult to some of the demons I know."
Wyatt kicked his feet back on the coffee table, forgetting how his mother would have blown him to bits for doing so, too captivated by the battle of wits...even if it was completely one sided. After all, if his little brother had perfected anything in his life, it was verbally thrashing others. He smirked, "Chris scores again. Damn Coop, you're down three-nothing."
Cole regarded the other Halliwell boy, and found that he kinda liked the normally sanctimonious teen for a change. Anyone who hated this guy was a friend of his.
"Chris, you can forgive this...this monster for what he did to your family? To your own mother? But I make one very human mistake, and I'm enemy number one? I'm worried about you. About the company you're choosing to keep. I may have cheated, but it takes two to make those kind of mistakes, and Phoebe is partly to blame."
Cole took a step forward, eyes flashing.
Chris cut him off, holding him back. "He's not worth it."
Little did any of them know that the Charmed Ones had returned from a vanquish, and Phoebe was coming down the stairs just then, having heard her daughters' father. She paused around the corner, peeking at the scene as her first ex-husband looked ready to pummel her latest.
"You are pathetic," Cole growled. "You blame your mistake on anyone but yourself. A woman like Phoebe doesn't come around every century. I would know. She is remarkable, and you threw her away. You squandered her love, a love that is worth waiting a hundred lifetimes for, and which once attained is worth dying to keep. I would know that too. I did die for her. A few times. And I would do it all again to keep her safe and happy. You aren't a man. You're a fool."
"This coming from a demon," Coop countered. "Phoebe would rather rip out her own eyes than even see you again. I would know that. She told me so."
Phoebe clenched her hands into fists, drunk with anger. Marching into the livingroom, she halted in front of her latest ex-husband and stared up into his eyes. "All this time, I bought into what you said. I thought it was my fault. But you know what, Coop? Cole's right. You aren't man enough to admit what you did. And for your information, this demon you're talking to, happens to be twice the man you could ever hope to be." She turned to regard Cole, a small smile forming, "Which is why I've decided to give him another chance."
"You can't be serious," Coop stammered.
"I am, Coop. I really am. Cole has always been there for me when I really needed him. His only crime was loving me too much," Phoebe realized, voicing her epiphany out loud. She raised her eyebrows in wonder, "Wow, I can't believe I just said that."
Wyatt smirked at the cupid. "Better take the girls and get the heck out of here, Sparky."
"Bye, bye," Chris added, giving him a condescending wave.
Looking between his ex-wife and her other ex-husband, Coop realized what he had known all along. Phoebe had never really given him her heart because she didn't have it to give. As a Cupid, he should have known that immediately. As a man, he didn't want to see it, and in the end, it brought him to hurt her. He let out a breath, "You're right. I haven't been honest about this. I'm sorry, Phoebe. I never meant to hurt you, but I did." He cleared his throat, "I'll get the girls back to you after school on Monday."
"Thank you."
Without another word, the man went upstairs to collect his children.
Chris turned to Wyatt, "Hey, help me find my jacket."
"It's in the closet."
"Not that one," his sibling said, nodding his head toward his aunt and her remaining ex. "You know, the other one. Upstairs."
Wyatt pulled a face, "Dude, I've been trying to read this magazine for like– "
Chris hit him in the shoulder.
"Oow. Fine. I'm coming; I'm coming."
As the two boys hurried upstairs, Phoebe turned to Cole a full smile on her face. "Well, that was certainly subtle wasn't it?"
"As elephants in Times Square."
The two laughed.
Phoebe put her hands in her back pockets, looking down nervously. "So, I uh...I've been pretty awful to you since you got back, and I want to apologize for that." Her soft brown eyes finally met his blue. "You didn't deserve that, Cole. You've been nothing short of amazing, and I was so caught up in the past that I couldn't see it. I mean, you saved my nephew– the whole family really. Even after this whole thing with Ryak was over, you stayed around for Chris' sake, even entertain my girls sometimes."
"Just trying to prove that I really have changed this time. I mean, a guy has a lot of time to think when trapped in Limbo after all."
"Sorry about that. . ."
Cole shrugged, "Not your fault...well, it was, but I understood. I always understood. I wanted it in the end. I knew what a monster I had become, knew that I could never hope of being near you again. Life was meaningless."
"Cole," Phoebe started, "we both made a lot of mistakes. I see that now. I just want to. . .I don't know. Take things slow?"
The half-demon grinned, "I can do that."
Without another word, he captured her lips with his. She returned the favor with equal fervor.
Chris peeked over the banister and let out a breath, "Bought freaking time."
0000
One year later. . . Chris frowned at his image in the mirror. He turned to the other man, "I look stupid."
"Shut up and tie your tie."
The young man rolled his eyes, but returned to the mirror, quickly putting in a double Windsor. He turned around again, regarding his companion. "Happy now?"
"Ecstatic."
Chris let out a breath and moved to plop himself down on the bed, watching his soon to be uncle with mild amusement. He'd never seen Cole nervous about anything before. However, sitting there watching the half-demon go over his vows again, the teenager felt like he was watching a Jr. High kid at his first dance. "Cole, chill. She said yes. Hard part's over."
"I want this to be perfect for her," the demon argued. "Our last wedding was. . .well, a dark ceremony for the purpose of creating an evil spawn."
"Lovely."
"I want this time to be just the way she wanted it before."
"Before you were possessed by the Source of All Evil?"
Cole shot him a look.
After giving himself another once over, the groom looked back over his shoulder to the teenager sitting behind him. He cleared his throat, trying to come up with the best way to ask what he needed to ask. In the end, it came out a little wrong. "You're my best man."
"Did you just order me?"
The older man let out a breath and turned around. "You're the only. . .I mean, I need someone to stand up there with me, and until now, I hadn't really thought of it because I was so worried about making everything right for Phoebe, but the wedding starts in a few minutes and I don't have anyone that even really likes me. You my only," he gestured vaguely.
Chris, deciding to have fun, folded his arms and grinned. "Your only what?"
"Forget it," Cole growled, not going for the bait.
"Okay, okay, I'll do it. No need to get so emotional, Cole." Chris hopped off the bed and took off out the door before his soon to be uncle could respond.
Cole let out a breath, "God he's pain in the ass."
Twenty minutes later, the pain in the ass was standing by his side, smiling encouragingly at him as the most beautiful vision Cole had ever seen began walking toward him, passing by the friends and relatives seated in the pews of the church. Her gown was satin in a soft ivory. It was strapless, showing off her beautiful neck and chest. There was just gorgeous beaded embroidery– small flowers– which were just enough to bring a little sparkle to it. Cole thought she looked like his own angel walking down toward him.
He barely was able to concentrate on the ceremony, his eyes so transfixed on her, so lost in the dream-like euphoria of the moment. His dream was coming true. The one thing he had ever wanted in his life was finally back, her love glowing from her every feature. He could die in this moment and feel his life was completely fulfilled.
"Cole, your vows," Chris prompted, as Cole had obviously missed the first cue from the minister.
The half-demon smiled down at his soon to be wife, relishing the returned smile on her face. "I loved you when I didn't think I was capable of love. You made me see who I was and who I wanted to be. I stumbled a lot on the way, but always, you, Phoebe Halliwell, made me want to be a better man. A man worthy of having you. I still have a lot to learn, but I know that with your love and trust, with the love of your remarkable daughters," he smiled over at the two young girls who were at the their mother's side beaming up at him, "I can do anything. You three will be my everything– my family– and I will do everything in my power to make sure you three are safe, happy and loved for the rest of my life."
"Phoebe," the minister softly said. "Now, your vows to Cole."
Phoebe, tears streaking her eyes, found her smile fixed to her face. "Cole, even in the darkest times, you watched over me. You never let me fall, even if I gave you a hundred reasons to. You have been my best friend, my lover, my sanctuary, and now, you are a wonderful father to my children. I wasted so much time being afraid, but I swear to you, Cole, I'm not afraid anymore. I love you, and nothing will ever come between us again. That's my promise to you."
The couple exchanged rings next, then the minister announced, "You may kiss the bride."
"If you insist," Cole murmured, leaning down, cupping his wife's face gently in his large hands, before landing a solid, passionate kiss on her lips.
The two wasted no time in retreating to their honeymoon once the ceremony was over. They were spending it in Acapulco, but they could have been in Fargo, North Dakota in the middle of a blizzard for as much as they left the confines of their hotel room.
Cole and Phoebe were reunited at long last, and this time, it was for good.
tbc. . .
whew, one more!