Chapter 7
A couple of days after the wedding, Cole was over at the manor. The Charmed Ones had a little emergency, nothing they couldn't handle, but Phoebe couldn't take Ben and neither Cupid nor Leo were around to baby-sit.
"Cole, would you mind staying here with Ben?" Phoebe asked, desperately.
"I'd love to. You just go and be careful and don't worry about a thing. Ben and I will be fine."
Phoebe ran out the manor, leaving Cole and Ben behind. Of course she wasn't worried, Ben was in good hands.
"Well, little guy, what do you wanna do today?" Cole picked up Ben and took him into the living room where all of his toys were. They played with cars for a little while, until Ben came crawling towards Cole, grabbed his finger, smiled and said "Dada". Cole's heart almost jumped. This little boy just mean so much to him, he has won his heart the second Cole had laid eyes on him. Cole never felt like this before. Gently Cole picked Ben up and rocked him.
"Well, you really should now better, don't you think? I'm not Dada, I'm Uncle Cole, but it's okay. The truth is that I would have loved to be your father. You would have made me so proud, little Benjamin." But Ben just stared into Cole's face. "Dada, Dada" he kept saying over and over again, until he fell asleep.
Phoebe got back to the house two hours later, to find a sleeping Ben lying on top of a sleeping Cole. She had to smile, this was just too beautiful for words. She went to get the camera and took a picture. This looked perfect. Father and Son together at last...
That night Phoebe was lying in bed, next to her sleeping husband, remembering Cole and Ben and the way Ben fit into Cole's arms perfectly. Phoebe knew how much Cole liked, maybe even loved Ben and she could see in her son's eyes that he was crazy about Cole. No, she couldn't lie any longer. Cole had to know and Ben deserved to know. They had a right to know that they belonged together, that their feelings were meant to be this way. Phoebe just didn't know how to tell Cole.
Phoebe had been gathering up her courage for the past two months, and still, hadn't done anything. But then Father's Day came, and it was as if someone had given her the perfect chance to amend for her mistakes.
Phoebe nervously knocked on Cole's door. For a second she thought of making a run for it, but she knew she couldn't.
Inside Cole had just finished reading the morning paper. He was surprised to hear that someone was at the door, he wasn't expecting anybody. He went to open the door, to find a very nervous Phoebe holding Ben in her arms. Ben, of course, was smiling the minute he saw Cole and that made Cole smile to.
"Phoebe, what are you doing here?" He asked, still smiling.
"Cole, I don't know how to say this, but Happy Father's Day. I guess..." with that Phoebe gave Ben to Cole, with a diaper bag filled with toys, clothes, diapers, food and everything Ben could ever need for a day outside the manor. "I'll pick him up tomorrow morning before work, okay?" Cole didn't understand what she was talking about, but nodded anyways. Whatever it was Phoebe had to do, he would always watch Ben for her. Cole waited for her to say something else, but Phoebe just kissed Ben on the cheek and left.
Cole had already put Ben on the floor next to him and had started to unpack the bag, when he found a small gift, with his name on it. When he opened it there was an envelope and a picture frame with a picture of him and Ben sleeping on Phoebe's couch. Cole smiled, it was a cute picture. He still remembered that night. Phoebe had left Cole sleeping on the couch the whole night and had put Ben in his crib next to the couch.
Cole opened the envelope and inside he found a father's day card. He read it, still not understanding. "Dear Daddy" it said in Phoebe's handwriting "surprise! I know Mommy didn't tell you and she is sorry, but she was scared that the bad guys would find out. Not only do I have witch blood in me, but I also have demon blood. She wanted to protect me, but she knows that you love me and that you can protect me to. I am your son and even so I don't know that much yet, I know that I love you very much. Don't be mad at Mommy. Kisses, Ben.
Cole just sat there, looking at Ben. How could he have missed it? The blue eyes, the dark hair, the way his chin and nose looked exactly like his... The reason why he loved that little boy so much, from the moment he saw him. The reason why his name was Benjamin. He was his baby, his son. Cole almost laughed out of joy, he didn't think he could feel happier. That was until Ben came crawling into his lap, looked at him and said "Dada?" Cole smiled. "That's right son, I'm your dada." And with that he picked Ben up, ready to never let him go.
Meanwhile Phoebe had reached the manor. Cupid was there, waiting for her.
"I don't believe you really did this. How could you? I thought you wanted to protect our son." Cupid was angry, like Phoebe had never seen him before.
"He is not our son, Cupid. He is Cole's and mine and I know that Cole will protect him as good as he can and I'm sure that that will be enough. Maybe he isn't a demon anymore, but he is a father who would do anything for his son."
Once Phoebe had said these words she realized that there was no turning back, all she could do was watch Cupid as he turned around and walked away. And Phoebe knew that once again she was alone, once again her relationship, or this time her marriage, had failed.
"Maybe one day I'll meet someone that I love and who loves me. Someone that won't turn around and leave me, like Cole and Cupid." And with that thought Phoebe finally let go of all her emotions as tears started forming in her eyes. A failed marriage, a son who didn't know who his real father was, the love of her life thinking she had a family with someone else.... Finally it was too much for Phoebe as she sat there all alone and sobbed.
.
The next day a very nervous Phoebe went to pick up her son from his father's house.
"Cole, hey." Phoebe didn't know what to say and stood on his doormat, looking at her shoes.
"Phoebe, it's okay, I understand."
Phoebe slowly lifted her eyes and looked into Cole's eyes. Yes, he understood and he would always understand.
"So I guess you get Ben on weekends and I keep him during the week?" She asked, not sure what to say.
"Whatever you like." He said and smiled.
****
tbc not the end yet!
A million thanks to my wonderful friend Lilian who not only encourages me all the time, but proof reads my work and corrects all the grammar... Thanks Lily, you are the best.
A couple of days after the wedding, Cole was over at the manor. The Charmed Ones had a little emergency, nothing they couldn't handle, but Phoebe couldn't take Ben and neither Cupid nor Leo were around to baby-sit.
"Cole, would you mind staying here with Ben?" Phoebe asked, desperately.
"I'd love to. You just go and be careful and don't worry about a thing. Ben and I will be fine."
Phoebe ran out the manor, leaving Cole and Ben behind. Of course she wasn't worried, Ben was in good hands.
"Well, little guy, what do you wanna do today?" Cole picked up Ben and took him into the living room where all of his toys were. They played with cars for a little while, until Ben came crawling towards Cole, grabbed his finger, smiled and said "Dada". Cole's heart almost jumped. This little boy just mean so much to him, he has won his heart the second Cole had laid eyes on him. Cole never felt like this before. Gently Cole picked Ben up and rocked him.
"Well, you really should now better, don't you think? I'm not Dada, I'm Uncle Cole, but it's okay. The truth is that I would have loved to be your father. You would have made me so proud, little Benjamin." But Ben just stared into Cole's face. "Dada, Dada" he kept saying over and over again, until he fell asleep.
Phoebe got back to the house two hours later, to find a sleeping Ben lying on top of a sleeping Cole. She had to smile, this was just too beautiful for words. She went to get the camera and took a picture. This looked perfect. Father and Son together at last...
That night Phoebe was lying in bed, next to her sleeping husband, remembering Cole and Ben and the way Ben fit into Cole's arms perfectly. Phoebe knew how much Cole liked, maybe even loved Ben and she could see in her son's eyes that he was crazy about Cole. No, she couldn't lie any longer. Cole had to know and Ben deserved to know. They had a right to know that they belonged together, that their feelings were meant to be this way. Phoebe just didn't know how to tell Cole.
Phoebe had been gathering up her courage for the past two months, and still, hadn't done anything. But then Father's Day came, and it was as if someone had given her the perfect chance to amend for her mistakes.
Phoebe nervously knocked on Cole's door. For a second she thought of making a run for it, but she knew she couldn't.
Inside Cole had just finished reading the morning paper. He was surprised to hear that someone was at the door, he wasn't expecting anybody. He went to open the door, to find a very nervous Phoebe holding Ben in her arms. Ben, of course, was smiling the minute he saw Cole and that made Cole smile to.
"Phoebe, what are you doing here?" He asked, still smiling.
"Cole, I don't know how to say this, but Happy Father's Day. I guess..." with that Phoebe gave Ben to Cole, with a diaper bag filled with toys, clothes, diapers, food and everything Ben could ever need for a day outside the manor. "I'll pick him up tomorrow morning before work, okay?" Cole didn't understand what she was talking about, but nodded anyways. Whatever it was Phoebe had to do, he would always watch Ben for her. Cole waited for her to say something else, but Phoebe just kissed Ben on the cheek and left.
Cole had already put Ben on the floor next to him and had started to unpack the bag, when he found a small gift, with his name on it. When he opened it there was an envelope and a picture frame with a picture of him and Ben sleeping on Phoebe's couch. Cole smiled, it was a cute picture. He still remembered that night. Phoebe had left Cole sleeping on the couch the whole night and had put Ben in his crib next to the couch.
Cole opened the envelope and inside he found a father's day card. He read it, still not understanding. "Dear Daddy" it said in Phoebe's handwriting "surprise! I know Mommy didn't tell you and she is sorry, but she was scared that the bad guys would find out. Not only do I have witch blood in me, but I also have demon blood. She wanted to protect me, but she knows that you love me and that you can protect me to. I am your son and even so I don't know that much yet, I know that I love you very much. Don't be mad at Mommy. Kisses, Ben.
Cole just sat there, looking at Ben. How could he have missed it? The blue eyes, the dark hair, the way his chin and nose looked exactly like his... The reason why he loved that little boy so much, from the moment he saw him. The reason why his name was Benjamin. He was his baby, his son. Cole almost laughed out of joy, he didn't think he could feel happier. That was until Ben came crawling into his lap, looked at him and said "Dada?" Cole smiled. "That's right son, I'm your dada." And with that he picked Ben up, ready to never let him go.
Meanwhile Phoebe had reached the manor. Cupid was there, waiting for her.
"I don't believe you really did this. How could you? I thought you wanted to protect our son." Cupid was angry, like Phoebe had never seen him before.
"He is not our son, Cupid. He is Cole's and mine and I know that Cole will protect him as good as he can and I'm sure that that will be enough. Maybe he isn't a demon anymore, but he is a father who would do anything for his son."
Once Phoebe had said these words she realized that there was no turning back, all she could do was watch Cupid as he turned around and walked away. And Phoebe knew that once again she was alone, once again her relationship, or this time her marriage, had failed.
"Maybe one day I'll meet someone that I love and who loves me. Someone that won't turn around and leave me, like Cole and Cupid." And with that thought Phoebe finally let go of all her emotions as tears started forming in her eyes. A failed marriage, a son who didn't know who his real father was, the love of her life thinking she had a family with someone else.... Finally it was too much for Phoebe as she sat there all alone and sobbed.
.
The next day a very nervous Phoebe went to pick up her son from his father's house.
"Cole, hey." Phoebe didn't know what to say and stood on his doormat, looking at her shoes.
"Phoebe, it's okay, I understand."
Phoebe slowly lifted her eyes and looked into Cole's eyes. Yes, he understood and he would always understand.
"So I guess you get Ben on weekends and I keep him during the week?" She asked, not sure what to say.
"Whatever you like." He said and smiled.
****
tbc not the end yet!
A million thanks to my wonderful friend Lilian who not only encourages me all the time, but proof reads my work and corrects all the grammar... Thanks Lily, you are the best.