Hey all our Mist fans ;-D Its what you've been waiting for…chapter two!!
A/N – Aradia/Eva: In response to a review commenting on the use of spells…yes, yes, I KNOW Witches can cast spells for personal gain…hell, I've done it myself… but in the world of Charmed, we have to say that they can't. Indeed, Witches aren't even a "separate race" from humans, but Bridget and I have to take poetic license here :0)
*Grins and points below* Bridget didn't have much to say…but here it be!
A/N – Bridget: You'll love this chapter, trust me ;-) Anything more will spoil your fun. One last thing: My heart goes out to everyone in NYC and I pray for their loved ones to be alive.
Enjoy!
An Apple a Day Keep the Lovesick Away
Music flitted in the air as Phoebe wove through the crowd. Scents of freshly baked bread flooded her senses, making her mouth water. She was finally here, in human territory. It had been risky getting out of Akasha…she had run into Prudence as she was sneaking off to the rowboat, and had to think up a quick excuse as to where she was travelling. Luckily, Prue's mind seemed to be elsewhere, and she escaped without a hitch. Parting the Mists had been a lot easier than she would have thought. Maybe it was because her grandmother wasn't there to screw things up. Nevertheless, from then on it was smooth sailing.
Everywhere she looked, there was a flurry of movement going on.
"Fruit, my lady?" a merchant reached out for her, holding up a ripe, red apple that gleamed in the afternoon sun. "Fresh picked in today's harvest. Free for a pretty woman like you," he winked. Phoebe smiled back at him and took the apple. It was crispy and juicy, full of flavor, nothing like the fruit they had on Akasha. Maybe it was simply because of the different atmosphere, but everything seemed so less…solemn. Like she could do whatever she wanted here, without her grandmother's scrutiny. Taking another bite of the apple, she continued on her way, checking out all the sights and sounds of the Harvest festival.
"Mommy! Mommy! Can I have this?" a little boy was struggling to reach for a small wooden airplane that was perched on a bench. His hand was waving frantically while he hopped up and down, much to the merchant's amusement. Phoebe smiled at the sight, and rounded the corner.
"Miss!" the merchant who had given her the apple was running after her with a strange look on his face, "Miss!" Phoebe turned quickly to face him. Hadn't he said the apple was free? She did not want to be branded as a thief.
"Can I help you?" she questioned worriedly. By the time he had huffed his way over to her, he was breathing heavily and his face was a deep red.
"I just," he panted, hugging his overgrown belly in exhaustion, "I just couldn't let you go without getting your name." As he attempted to put on a charming smile, Phoebe noticed that he had several teeth missing.
"Um…I'm Phoebe," she involuntarily took a step back. The man was giving her a very strange look. Almost as if he was…
"Oh no!" Phoebe muttered under her breath. The love spell! This was definitely not the kind of man she wished to attract! Smiling, Phoebe looked for a way out of this awkward situation.
"Phoebe…Phoebe…what a lovely name. Such a name is quite befitting to the girl who possesses it," he whipped out a faded bandana and wiped his perspiring brow. "It is so hot…please do me the honor of joining me for a drink?"
"I would, but…" Phoebe bit her lip. What to do? The man looked at her expectantly.
"Mommmmm!" the little boy was still reaching for the toy, but there was no parent in sight. The merchant was still smiling, but it was easy to see that she was getting just a little irritated by the child's incessant whining. A crazy idea popped into Phoebe's head.
"Oh, stop that!" she bolted away from the surprised merchant and grabbed the boy. "How many times have I told you not to beg?" He opened his mouth to protest, but then, noticing that Phoebe was not his mom, simply put on a confused expression.
"Huh?" he completely forgot about the toy and Phoebe dragged him away from the stand, hoping against hope that no one knew who his real mother was. The last thing she needed was to be arrested for abducting a child.
"Thank you," she reached into her pocket and pulled out some money, shoving it into the child's hands. "Now, go buy yourself whatever and be good, ok?" The child looked down at the money, back up at Phoebe, and down at the money again. Then, a slow smile crept across his face.
"Wait until I tell the guys about the lady who gave me this!" Phoebe groaned and shoved him away.
"Don't ever talk to your mother like that!" Without another word, she raced off in a different direction. After she had put as much distance as possible in between her and the merchant, she relaxed and resumed her leisurely pace. Everywhere she went, however, she noticed merchants staring at her, men on the street giving her looks and lanky teenagers whispering to their friends as she walked by. She tried her best to ignore it, and at least no one had actually stopped her yet, aside from the apple merchant.
"I think I put a little too much 'love' into my love spell," she muttered under her breath. She had never had trouble being noticed by men before, but this was ridiculous!
"Oven-fresh bread!" The drawling voice of an old woman reached her ears. "Fresh from the grill-stone! Get it hot!" The smells were overwhelming, and drew Phoebe slowly towards the stand. At least THIS merchant wouldn't be affected by the spell.
"May I help you?" the woman asked. She smiled genuinely, causing a warm feeling to pass over Phoebe.
"Yes, I would love to sample some of your bread. It smells fantastic," the young witch gushed. It was taking all of her willpower to keep from drooling.
"Take your pick," she motioned towards the wide variety of food available. "Let me know if you need assistance." With that, she turned and began to clean up her extra dishes. Phoebe nodded and walked toward a pile of delicious looking white bread.
"Mmm," she picked up the top loaf. Just as she did, another person grabbed the same one. Before she could say anything, Phoebe looked up, and their eyes locked. She felt her world collapse as her heart pounded heavily. In front of her was one of the most gorgeous men she had ever encountered, and he wasn't acting bewitched, either.
"Well, hello there," he looked surprised.
"Uhh…" Phoebe couldn't break away from his gaze, and wouldn't let go of the bread. He smiled, causing her to break out into her own silly grin.
"I believe we have a bit of a problem here," his voice was rich and true. The merchant stopped washing her plate and turned to them.
"It's on the house," she winked at the two. Thanking her, Phoebe broke the bread in half and offered one portion to the man.
"There," she nodded, "problem solved." They stepped away from the bread stand. "I'm Phoebe," she held out her hand. The man took it firmly into his own, but instead of shaking it, he leaned down and kissed the back of her hand.
"A pleasure to meet such a fine lady as yourself." His eyes were an impossible blue. "I'm Cole." He started walking down the path, and Phoebe fell into step beside him. Cole looked over at her. She was beautiful…far more beautiful than any demoness he had come into contact with. If only he didn't have a job to complete, he could have fun with her. Oh well, he thought. There'd be other chances.
"So," she took a small bite of the bread. It was delicious. "What brings you to the Harvest festival?" Cole sampled some of his own bread.
"Oh, you know. I can't resist a party." Phoebe giggled happily, stealing a glance at her apple blossoms. Were they working for REAL now?
"Oh!" she yelled in surprise as a group of children scurried past, nearly knocking her off her feet. One little girl stopped when she saw Phoebe, and turned to look at her.
"You're pretty," her short brown hair swept over her shoulders. She couldn't have been more than six years old. Phoebe knelt down so that she was at eye level with the child.
"I bet you'll be even prettier than me when you grow up," the little girl giggled.
"You look like the Goddess in a story book my mommy reads me at night," she looked worried for a moment. "You're not evil, though, are you?" Phoebe caught herself from saying something she would regret. Is this what humans were teaching their children? That the Goddess was evil? She knew that witches were not welcome, but she didn't think that things had gotten this bad. Smiling, she suppressed her questions and reached out, patting the girl's cheek.
"I'm no more evil than you." Satisfied, the little girl ran off to join her friends.
Cole watched this exchange with a sense of wonder. Humans were a rare species. They showed so much love and tenderness. It usually repulsed him, but, for some reason, this time it only heightened his interest in the girl next to him. He cleared his throat.
"You have kids at home?" And suddenly, for no reason, he wondered…where was her home?
Phoebe blushed slightly, "No, no I don't. I plan on having a whole tribe of them some day, though." What a perfect topic. Phoebe turned her face to hide her slowly reddening cheeks. Did I truly say that? She wondered in her mind. This wonderful, handsome man must think her mad, yet his next comment disproved that.
"That's good. A lady as beautiful as you should have many children whom would hopefully inherit such stunning looks. It would do the world a great deal of good." He held out his arm. "Would you honor me with a stroll?"
"Certainly, sir. Lead the way." She linked her arm with his as they walked on. Phoebe suppressed a shiver of joy. The love spell was working! And this time, on the right kind of guy. It was funny, though; he wasn't acting the same as the other men. Was that a sign?
"Phoebe!" a voice rang out from behind the couple. Before she even turned around, Phoebe cringed. It was the apple merchant.
"Phoebe…" he puffed to a stop next to her. Cole gave her a curious glance, but said nothing. Phoebe mustered as sincere a smile as she could, but she was sure that it couldn't have been very convincing. Mr. Apple Man must have been very spellbound, for he seemed to brighten at it. He puffed out his chest and beamed at the young witch.
"I see you have attracted yet another suitor," he gave a curt nod in Cole's direction. "But where, my dear, sweet lady, is your son?" Phoebe bit her lower lip fiercely. How was she ever going to get out of this one?
"I uh…he…you see…" she stuttered and looked up desperately at Cole. He looked as confused as ever, and she didn't blame him. After all, had they not just gotten through discussing the fact that Phoebe had no children? The merchant was moving slowly closer, so Phoebe grasped at the only option she saw available, aside from simply running away again.
"My son is off playing," she tried to keep the tremor out of her voice, "and this fine gentleman beside me, is my husband." Cole's expression turned from confused to downright bewildered. Phoebe squeezed his arm and gave him a look, then turned back to the merchant, hoping he hadn't seen her subtle clues.
"Your husband?" he was visibly crushed at the news. Sizing up Cole, Mr. Apple Man was obviously debating on whether he was a match for him or not. A devious smile pulled at Cole's mouth.
"Yes, sir, Phoebe is indeed my wife." Cole leaned over and brushed his lips against Phoebe's forehead, causing her to giggle nervously. "We have a whole tribe of children waiting for us. I do hope you won't detain us further?" The flustered apple man stared blankly at the two of them before turning on his heel and walking away in a defeated huff. Cole watched him leave, then turned his attention to Phoebe.
"We only met a few moments ago, and already we are married?" Cole gazed wolfishly down at her. "I think I'm going to enjoy this arrangement." Phoebe laughed and proceeded to explain the story to him about how she had narrowly escaped from her first encounter with the apple merchant…leaving out the love spell part, of course. To her great relief, Cole found it very amusing, and didn't seem to think Phoebe was out of her mind. How was it possible that she had stumbled across such a wonderful man? It was so perfect, she thought…maybe even too perfect. How was she ever going to introduce him to her family? She wasn't exactly a normal girl with a normal or even completely human family.
"So, Phoebe," Cole's voice tugged her gently out of her thoughts, "Where do you live?" Phoebe stiffened. She had forgotten about this tiny detail. There was no way should could admit that she lived in Akasha…that would be a death sentence right there.
"I live on…an island," she bluffed, struggling to grasp at any believable story she could think up. Cole pulled her a little closer.
"An island?" he raised his eyebrows and looked down at her, "How mysterious." Phoebe withered happily as he laced his fingers in with hers. At least he wasn't pursuing the question.
They walked this way for several minutes, chatting about various things and getting to know each other. Phoebe couldn't help but feel as though she was connecting with him in a very special manner…a way that could not be enhanced by any spell, ritual…not even all the magick of Akasha. This was pure and untainted.
The sun was beginning to sink lower on the Harvest sky, and soon the sound of drums and bells could be heard, accompanied by the sweet singing of a tin whistle that echoed through the evening air. Phoebe and Cole grew subdued and quiet as the sounds of the drums coursed through their veins. Somehow they ended up at the village center and Cole asked her if she wanted to dance. A feeling within him, some desire that he had never felt before urged him to get closer to Phoebe. She accepted and they crossed to the center of the other dancing couples. The musicians began to play a slow, soothing song, which allowed Cole to wrap his arms around Phoebe and bring her against his chest. Time seemed to stand still as they danced with one another. Phoebe's heart sang with joy from their close proximity. Some kind of thread seemed to be wrapped around them, binding their souls closer and closer together. Phoebe could not see, only feel, yet she knew the link between them was silver. A silver cord. Silver cord? Cole was just a regular human who happened to be very attractive. Her psychic ability must have been acting up again, making her dream up a silver cord. Nevertheless, when the song stopped, they couldn't seem to release each other.
Cole was so very confused…he had never felt this elated before. The only emotions he had ever known were pain, terror, and hatred: never this. Cole looked down at the girl in his arms and shivered with delight. Now there was no desire in him to leave her, and all unpleasant thoughts…including his mission to destroy the humans…were pushed to the back of his mind. He could work on that later. Right now the only thing he wanted to deal with was Phoebe.
Cole was suddenly aware that they were in a very public place, and felt very uncomfortable. Phoebe shifted in his arms and looked him straight in the eyes. The music had started again, and they slowly drifted off to the side, away from the rest of the villagers. It was dark out now, with only a thin sliver of sunlight shining over the horizon. Phoebe's thoughts drifted momentarily to Akasha, but she was shaken back to the situation at hand at the sound of Cole's voice.
"Phoebe, I…" he started. Before any more could be said, Phoebe wrapped her arms around his neck and they dissolved into a passionate kiss just as the last light of the Sabbat slipped away from the world and into the forever of Akasha.
Phoebe awoke the next morning in a state of ecstasy, and it took her a moment to realize why. It wasn't until she saw Cole dozing in the hay beside her that all the emotions of the day before hit her with full force. For a moment she thought her heart would burst with joy, there was so much flooding her senses. She situated herself quietly so as not to wake the man next to her. What had happened after the dance? Ahh, yes, Phoebe remembered. That kiss kind of took off in all directions. If they hadn't been in a public place, well…it probably would have taken them both deeper than they had ever intended. Although, Phoebe sighed, she really wouldn't have minded much. So what if she took a vow of chastity under the Goddess? She was pretty sure that the Great Mother would have understood had things gotten that far, even if her grandmother most certainly wouldn't have.
Cole stirred slightly, rustling the hay. Phoebe smiled and leaned over him, giving him a kiss on the cheek.
"You better get up," she warned. "We don't want anyone catching us here. I think your Christian priests tend to look down on this sort of thing." Cole opened his eyes and sat up, embracing her and treating her to a long, delicious kiss on the lips.
"My Christian priests?" he played with her hair and kissed her neck lightly. "If the Christians are mine, what, my lady, do you consider yourself to be?" His lips traveled up to her cheek and then her forehead.
Phoebe mentally slapped herself. How could she have been so stupid!
"I'm sorry," she covered, "I misspoke. I tend to do that when I have my mind on other things." Cole grinned devilishly, and kissed her again.
"Careful," he warned jokingly, "Or people may just think you are a Witch of the Akashic Isle." Although this was meant as a mere jest, it alerted Phoebe to the danger she was in.
By the Goddess! She cringed inwardly. If I'm not home in time for breakfast…Phoebe disentangled herself from Cole's arms and tried to keep the fear out of her voice.
"I have to go. Now." She emphasized the last part. Cole looked worriedly at her.
"Where do you have to go? I can accompany you if you like," he stood up and helped her out of the hay. She brushed off the dust that was clinging to her dress and smoothed out the wrinkles.
"No, I have to go alone, or else…" she left the thought hanging and started off.
"Wait!" he ran after her and caught her arm. His eyes shone with a desperate hue. "Where can I find you?" Phoebe hesitated before answering.
"You can't," she reached up and placed her hand on his cheek, "I'll find you." Cole covered her hand with his own, and they shared one last parting kiss. With that, she ran off into the hazy morning mist.