Chapter 5
It was a month later when Phoebe finally realized that Cole was in town. She had gone to the park with Ben. He was still to little to play, but Phoebe thought that the fresh air would be good for him. Ben was sleeping in his stroller and Phoebe was watching him, when she heard a familiar voice behind her.
"He looks just like you."
Phoebe couldn't believe it. She didn't dare to turn around, afraid that she was just imagining it.
"Actually I think he looks just like his Dad." Phoebe replied and slowly got up, facing Cole.
"It's good to see you again." Cole said, not knowing what else to say. He had watched Phoebe for a couple of minutes before he even considered talking to her. She looked so beautiful, but Cole had noticed that new glow around her, Motherhood seemed to do her good.
"Cole, I didn't know you were back in town." Phoebe's voice was almost a whisper. "I have missed you."
Cole wasn't sure if she had really said these last words, or if he had imagined them. Being with her, seeing her again, he realized that he should have never left her. But she had moved on and he had to live for the rest of his life with that.
Phoebe was about to ask him when he got back in town, when Ben started to cry. Carefully she picked him up and gently rocked him, but he wouldn't stop crying.
"Cole, will you hold him for a minute so I can find his bottle?"
Before Cole had a chance to answer, Phoebe had already placed the baby in his arms. This was something new to Cole and he had to admit that he was a little scared. What if he dropped the baby by accident or what if the baby didn't like him? But to Cole's surprise the minute he held Ben in his arms, he stopped crying.
"I think he likes you." Phoebe said looking at Cole holding Ben. Her heart jumped a little and she could tell how quickly Ben had taken to Cole and Cole to Ben. They were so cute together and in Phoebe's eyes there was no doubt that they looked like Father and Son.
Just as Phoebe was going to hand the bottle to Cole so that he could feed Ben, Cupid showed up.
"Phoebe, how are you hon? I was worried because you and Ben were gone for so long. Who is your friend?" Cupid knew that it was Cole or more likely he was scared that it was Cole, but Cupid now had Phoebe and wouldn't loose her again.
"Oh, Cupid, this is Cole Turner and Cole, this is Cupid."
Both men shook hands and Cupid took the baby out of Cole's arms.
"Come to Dada." Cupid said in a baby voice to Ben, rocking him gently.
Cole quickly got up and said his goodbyes. He didn't need to be reminded that Phoebe had her own family now and had no room for him in her life anymore.
"Cole, wait." Phoebe ran after him. "Where are you staying? I'd like to see you sometimes."
Cole gave Phoebe his number and then left and Phoebe went back to Cupid and Ben. Cupid was busy feeding Ben, but he could tell how Phoebe felt. She was torn between two men, trying to do the right thing. She just didn't know what the right thing was.
Back at the manor Phoebe decided to talk to Piper and to tell her everything. She couldn't keep lying and she couldn't decide what to do. She needed the advice of her big sister.
"Piper, can I talk to you?" Phoebe asked nervously after she had put Ben to bed.
"Sure, what's up?"
Phoebe looked around the kitchen, deciding that this was not the best place to talk about this.
"Let's go in the attic, okay?" Phoebe asked and both women went upstairs.
"You might want to sit down." Phoebe said to Piper once they closed the attic door behind them.
So Piper sat down on the couch and Phoebe sat next to her.
"It's about Ben and Cupid. I didn't mean to lie to you, but Cupid isn't Ben's father. Cole is." There, Phoebe thought, this wasn't so bad. Now she just had to wait for Piper's reaction, but this one just nodded her head.
"Well, aren't you going to say anything?" Phoebe asked surprised. She had expected Piper to yell or at least look upset, not this. Not silence.
"Well, I'm not happy you lied to me for so long, but you must have had a pretty good reason. Plus Paige and I figured your secret out a while ago, you know, Ben being born prematurely but healthy and strong as can be. He never looked like he was born 2 months early. So Paige and I had our doubts about Cupid being the father."
Phoebe nodded her head to this. " I should have known you guys would figure it out. I'm really sorry that I lied to you guys, it's just that with Cole being the father Life is going to get a little more complicated. I got pregnant when Cole still was a demon, meaning that Ben is a quarter of a demon."
Now Piper understood. "Oh Phoebe, it's okay. You could have told me, but I understand why you didn't. So, what are you going to do now?"
"I don't know. In some ways I really wanna tell Cole, but he couldn't deal with the fact that he couldn't protect me, how is going to deal with the fact that he can't protect his son either… Plus it's going to be hard for him to find out that Ben has the powers that he lost. He will be the only one without magic. And mostly I don't want the Source to find out. I would have to worry about Ben all the time. I couldn't stand it if something was to happen to him."
Piper felt badly for Phoebe, realizing that this one had every reason to worry. If the wrong person would find out that Ben not only had witch blood in him, but also demon blood, everybody would be after him.
"Oh honey, I don't know what to do either." Piper said, pulling Phoebe into a hug. "I understand all your reasons, but don't you think that Cole has a right to know that Ben is his son?"
Deep down Phoebe knew that Piper was right, but she was to scared to admit it.
Meanwhile Cupid sensed that something was wrong, after all he was the one and only Cupid… He knew all about love and he knew that Phoebe didn't really love him, that she still loved Cole and always would. Yet, she couldn't be with Cole and Cupid knew that Phoebe was happy with him. And even so Ben wasn't his son, he loved him like he was his own. Everything was fine, they were almost a real, happy family, but now Cole was back and Cupid didn't know what to do. He loved Phoebe and Ben too much to let them go without a fight, but he didn't wanna hurt them. That was never his intension, he just wanted what was best for Phoebe and the baby.
A/N I wanna thank everybody for the wonderful reviews, esp. Lilian who is herself writing a wonderful story (Change of heart) that I happen to love. Also I need to thank Kathryn from the Charmedones website for her wonderful e mail and as always a special thanks to my friend Becca for dealing with me and my ideas every day. Thanks you guys, you are the best.
It was a month later when Phoebe finally realized that Cole was in town. She had gone to the park with Ben. He was still to little to play, but Phoebe thought that the fresh air would be good for him. Ben was sleeping in his stroller and Phoebe was watching him, when she heard a familiar voice behind her.
"He looks just like you."
Phoebe couldn't believe it. She didn't dare to turn around, afraid that she was just imagining it.
"Actually I think he looks just like his Dad." Phoebe replied and slowly got up, facing Cole.
"It's good to see you again." Cole said, not knowing what else to say. He had watched Phoebe for a couple of minutes before he even considered talking to her. She looked so beautiful, but Cole had noticed that new glow around her, Motherhood seemed to do her good.
"Cole, I didn't know you were back in town." Phoebe's voice was almost a whisper. "I have missed you."
Cole wasn't sure if she had really said these last words, or if he had imagined them. Being with her, seeing her again, he realized that he should have never left her. But she had moved on and he had to live for the rest of his life with that.
Phoebe was about to ask him when he got back in town, when Ben started to cry. Carefully she picked him up and gently rocked him, but he wouldn't stop crying.
"Cole, will you hold him for a minute so I can find his bottle?"
Before Cole had a chance to answer, Phoebe had already placed the baby in his arms. This was something new to Cole and he had to admit that he was a little scared. What if he dropped the baby by accident or what if the baby didn't like him? But to Cole's surprise the minute he held Ben in his arms, he stopped crying.
"I think he likes you." Phoebe said looking at Cole holding Ben. Her heart jumped a little and she could tell how quickly Ben had taken to Cole and Cole to Ben. They were so cute together and in Phoebe's eyes there was no doubt that they looked like Father and Son.
Just as Phoebe was going to hand the bottle to Cole so that he could feed Ben, Cupid showed up.
"Phoebe, how are you hon? I was worried because you and Ben were gone for so long. Who is your friend?" Cupid knew that it was Cole or more likely he was scared that it was Cole, but Cupid now had Phoebe and wouldn't loose her again.
"Oh, Cupid, this is Cole Turner and Cole, this is Cupid."
Both men shook hands and Cupid took the baby out of Cole's arms.
"Come to Dada." Cupid said in a baby voice to Ben, rocking him gently.
Cole quickly got up and said his goodbyes. He didn't need to be reminded that Phoebe had her own family now and had no room for him in her life anymore.
"Cole, wait." Phoebe ran after him. "Where are you staying? I'd like to see you sometimes."
Cole gave Phoebe his number and then left and Phoebe went back to Cupid and Ben. Cupid was busy feeding Ben, but he could tell how Phoebe felt. She was torn between two men, trying to do the right thing. She just didn't know what the right thing was.
Back at the manor Phoebe decided to talk to Piper and to tell her everything. She couldn't keep lying and she couldn't decide what to do. She needed the advice of her big sister.
"Piper, can I talk to you?" Phoebe asked nervously after she had put Ben to bed.
"Sure, what's up?"
Phoebe looked around the kitchen, deciding that this was not the best place to talk about this.
"Let's go in the attic, okay?" Phoebe asked and both women went upstairs.
"You might want to sit down." Phoebe said to Piper once they closed the attic door behind them.
So Piper sat down on the couch and Phoebe sat next to her.
"It's about Ben and Cupid. I didn't mean to lie to you, but Cupid isn't Ben's father. Cole is." There, Phoebe thought, this wasn't so bad. Now she just had to wait for Piper's reaction, but this one just nodded her head.
"Well, aren't you going to say anything?" Phoebe asked surprised. She had expected Piper to yell or at least look upset, not this. Not silence.
"Well, I'm not happy you lied to me for so long, but you must have had a pretty good reason. Plus Paige and I figured your secret out a while ago, you know, Ben being born prematurely but healthy and strong as can be. He never looked like he was born 2 months early. So Paige and I had our doubts about Cupid being the father."
Phoebe nodded her head to this. " I should have known you guys would figure it out. I'm really sorry that I lied to you guys, it's just that with Cole being the father Life is going to get a little more complicated. I got pregnant when Cole still was a demon, meaning that Ben is a quarter of a demon."
Now Piper understood. "Oh Phoebe, it's okay. You could have told me, but I understand why you didn't. So, what are you going to do now?"
"I don't know. In some ways I really wanna tell Cole, but he couldn't deal with the fact that he couldn't protect me, how is going to deal with the fact that he can't protect his son either… Plus it's going to be hard for him to find out that Ben has the powers that he lost. He will be the only one without magic. And mostly I don't want the Source to find out. I would have to worry about Ben all the time. I couldn't stand it if something was to happen to him."
Piper felt badly for Phoebe, realizing that this one had every reason to worry. If the wrong person would find out that Ben not only had witch blood in him, but also demon blood, everybody would be after him.
"Oh honey, I don't know what to do either." Piper said, pulling Phoebe into a hug. "I understand all your reasons, but don't you think that Cole has a right to know that Ben is his son?"
Deep down Phoebe knew that Piper was right, but she was to scared to admit it.
Meanwhile Cupid sensed that something was wrong, after all he was the one and only Cupid… He knew all about love and he knew that Phoebe didn't really love him, that she still loved Cole and always would. Yet, she couldn't be with Cole and Cupid knew that Phoebe was happy with him. And even so Ben wasn't his son, he loved him like he was his own. Everything was fine, they were almost a real, happy family, but now Cole was back and Cupid didn't know what to do. He loved Phoebe and Ben too much to let them go without a fight, but he didn't wanna hurt them. That was never his intension, he just wanted what was best for Phoebe and the baby.
A/N I wanna thank everybody for the wonderful reviews, esp. Lilian who is herself writing a wonderful story (Change of heart) that I happen to love. Also I need to thank Kathryn from the Charmedones website for her wonderful e mail and as always a special thanks to my friend Becca for dealing with me and my ideas every day. Thanks you guys, you are the best.