Chapter 8…Moving On
Sorry this has taken so long to get posted I've had some unavoidable problems to take care of
Everything seemed to be all right. The trip to the zoo had been carried off without a flaw. As Phoebe tucked Ethan in she doubted her plan to lock Ethan up for his own safety. Piper had taken him to the zoo without her. She'd been ready to leave with them so she could keep an eye on him but Cole had kept her back with a look.
So she had stayed home like everyone wanted her to. She spent the morning pacing in the kitchen until Cole couldn't take it any more, grabbed her, carried her upstairs, and made her take a nap. He didn't have to force her too hard to though. She was exhausted from all her efforts and worrying and with him laying next to her, stroking her hair, holding her, and softly telling her of his past or anything else that came to mind, she found herself being lulled to sleep by his voice.
When she had awakened he was still by her side watching her.
"How long have you-?" he cut her off with a kiss.
"Let's go out tonight. Julie needs some alone time with Ethan." Cole said softly.
"But-." He kissed her again trying to calm her fears.
"Please. I've been a good little boy and I promise to eat all my vegetables." He joked with her.
"Oh well in that case…" Phoebe said pulling him to her for another kiss. So it had been decided that the two of them would go out for dinner and meet up with Piper and Leo at P3 afterwards. When the word had reached Julie she seemed relieved, it had to be hard for her to share Ethan twenty four hours a day.
Now as she stood over Ethan's sleeping form she felt a small tug telling her not to leave him. Cole came up behind her and placed his hands on her shoulders.
"He's only a shimmer away." He said comforting. "We can call home and check up on him when ever you want. He'll be fine. Julie is quite capable of taking care of him."
"Not if Charlie comes." Phoebe interjected, seeing how her words hurt Cole she tried again. "I'm sorry. I worry too much I know." She offered lamely. He kissed her cheek, telling her it was all right.
"Lets go huh?" Cole questioned and pleaded. Phoebe nodded and with one last look at Ethan she followed him out of the room.
"Piper we're leaving we'll meet you guys later." Phoebe called into the kitchen where Piper was having a conversation on some recipe for something with Julie. Phoebe had noticed that Julie and Piper were getting to be good friends and for both of their sakes she was happy. Piper needed someone like Julie as much as Julie needed Piper.
"Ok then see ya at the club." Piper called out not missing a beat of the conversation she was carrying in the kitchen.
Their dinner went smoothly and Phoebe was starting to believe that everything was going to be all right. Maybe she had been a little over protective but what parent wasn't right. Cole had been wonderful and understanding when she had called the manor once every fifteen minutes for the first hour of their date. Julie on the other hand hadn't been so accepting and in polite but firm terms told her to forget about the two of them and enjoy their date. Being in good spirits she actually managed to laugh it off and continue with the date much to Cole's delight. She prided herself in not calling home for a full twenty minutes when the ticket for dinner arrived.
Cole noticed however that she was getting a bit edgy and suggested a call home. Flat out refusing his offer she instead excused herself for a trip to the "little girls room".
Standing now in front of the mirror she waited until the last woman had excited the bathroom and checking over her shoulders she pulled a small toy out of her purse as if she was stealing a cookie from the cookie jar. It was Ethan's toy of course. If she couldn't get a call then she might as well try a premonition right. She knew it was pathetic but she couldn't shake the feeling that tugged at her all night that something was going to happen because she wasn't there. The eerie feeling that all though they had been careful, Charlie had found out.
Come on premonition…she coaxed but to no avail. At times like this she wished she had an active power although what she would do with it might not be so innocent as this incident. She had just about given up when placing it back in her purse the black and white images over took her.
As the premonition ended she chided herself. Ethan was fine sleeping peacefully and Piper Julie Cole and Leo were right. She was just being paranoid. Shrugging the strange feeling off she joined Cole outside.
Cole had really opened up to her in the last few days and she was grateful for it. Now as they drove down the road toward P3 Phoebe realized just how grateful she was for him. As he joked with her his arm around her shoulders his fingers playing with the strap of her dress she couldn't think of any other place she wanted to be. Now if only Ethan… she had to stop thinking about him. Julie had him for almost four years of his life now and so far she had done more then fine so why couldn't Phoebe just drop it. Cuddling closer to Cole she realized that it had gotten colder. Cole strengthened his grip around her knowing what she was thinking. He only wished she could get Ethan out of her head long enough to have a good time. He hoped that the lights and dancing at P3 would do the trick.
"Hello sister." Phoebe greeted sitting down next to Piper and Leo at the bar of P3.
"Hello back. So how was dinner?" Piper prodded. Hoping that the look Cole had in his eyes was from spilled Champaign not constant Ethan watching.
"Good." Phoebe replied looking away as Cole shook his head.
"That's it sister of mine. We are getting your head off of Ethan right now." Piper said standing up. Phoebe tried to interrupt. "ah ah ah ah nope not this time Phoebes you are going to get you little butt out on that floor and you are going to have a good time out there."
"You are not the boss of me." Phoebe protested. Piper remembered saying the exact same thing to her older sister. It didn't bother her now to say what Prue had said. It didn't choke her up like it would have earlier in the week.
"I am too…Now move it." Phoebe complied with her older sisters wishes unhappily what she really wanted to do was to pull out her cell phone and call home. The feeling that something was wrong kept getting stronger and stronger.
Cole pulled her close for a slow song and she tried to concentrate on the feel of his shirt against her cheek and the way his hands were moving across her back. She'd almost lost herself in the song when she saw something that stopped her heart.
Mixed in the crowd a little boy was pushing his way toward her. A little boy that looked exactly like Ethan.
Quickly she pulled away from Cole and gasped.
"What? What is it?" Cole questioned alarmed. Blinking back the confusion she pointed the words barely coming out.
"Ethan?" she questioned.
"Mommy!" he called out and ran the rest of the way to her. Piper and Leo had noticed the commotion and joined Phoebe and Cole forming a circle around the little boy.
"Ethan how did you…Where's Julie?" Piper asked.
"Julie home. Me want mommy." Ethan said pouting. Phoebe went to pick him up but a man bumped into her from behind and pushed her into Cole.
"Hey watch where you going." Cole said angrily.
"Oh I am." The man replied giving Phoebe a cold hard look raking his eyes over her. This only served to irritate Cole more. Leo placed a hand on Cole's shoulder and Cole brought his anger down a notch. The only person who had been watching Phoebe's reaction however was Piper.
Piper knew what Phoebe was obviously to dazed to say: the man who had pushed her was Charlie. Piper looked at her sister to confirm her fears and with a slight shake of her head, Phoebe confirmed them.
"Leo dear we'd better get our little boy home it's way past his bedtime." Piper put in. Realizing the fullness of the situation Leo nodded and went to grab the boy.
"What's your name little boy?" Charlie asked as if he had the right to infringe on this family moment after all he'd done. Ethan perked up and smiled.
"Ethan. What's yours?" he answered. This time it was Charlie's face that lit up. Cole sickened by the situation punched him and Charlie was out for the count. The group turned their attention back on the little boy as one of the bartenders at Piper's command helped the dazed man to his feet and out the door.
"Let's go." Phoebe said fighting the urge to let any emotion out. As she reached to take the boy's hand he disappeared.
"Premonitions, Astral projections, what next freezing time? Looks like he takes after his mother's half of the family." Cole tried to joke but his tense jaw and stressed voice gave him away.