Chapter 14
As the sun rose the next morning, Psyche sat at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee staring out the window. She had not slept well the night before because of disturbing dreams of the past. They had been a sharp contrast from the visions she had had of the future a mere twenty four hours earlier. She felt a guilty pang for realizing that she wanted the dreams to come true instead of the latter.
Cole walked in and headed for the coffee pot.
Cole: Good morning. You're up early.
Psyche: Good morning. I'm a morning person. It always use to drive dad nuts but said it was good for training.
Cole: You look preoccupied. What's on your mind? The wedding?
Psyche: That and everything else.
Cole: Do you want to talk about it before everyone wakes up?
Psyche: I don't know...
Cole: Listen. For a few hours yesterday, I had a baby sister. I may not technically be your brother but I can be like your brother, if you'd let me.
Psyche: You sure did step up to the plate yesterday, didn't you?
Cole: I felt I needed to.
Psyche took a drink of her coffee still looking out the window. As Cole sat down across from her with his cup, she turned to look at him with a scared look on her face.
Psyche: I don't know what to do, Cole.
Cole: I know, Psyche. Hell, we all know that.
Psyche: Yes, but you don't understand. A part of me is screaming to get married to Lance today and yet the other part is screaming even louder not to.
Cole: So follow the louder voice.
Psyche: It's not that easy. Simon is right. By this afternoon, the other one will be louder. I can sense it.
Cole: In your deepest heart, Psyche, what do you want?
Psyche: To be happy and sure of myself again.
Cole: Did you ever truly have that in all the time that you've been with Lancelot?
Psyche took another sip as she considered her answer to Cole's question.
Psyche: No. Not really.
Cole: Have you ever had that feeling?
Psyche: Yes. Once. A long time ago.
Cole: When was that?
Psyche: When father was alive and Eros was here.
Cole: Well, Eros is here now. Your father may not be but at least you still have him.
Psyche: Yes, but do I still know him? I never thought he would let me believe that he was dead.
Cole: Even if it was to keep you alive? If you ask me, it sounds like a motive prompted by love.
Psyche: You believe Eros is in love with me?
Cole: I know it. Psyche, all you have to do is look at his face when he looks at or talks about you. He glows. I know that feeling. I have it every time I see, think about, or talk about Phoebe. We've been through hell too, you know. There was a time where I thought I had lost her forever and went back to my demonic life but she believed in me enough to pull me back. Even risked facing The Source face to face to do so. Love is a powerful thing, true love even more so. Why do you think so many spells require a confirmation of it in order to break them? "Love conquers all", as the saying goes.
Psyche: What about my father's soul? I can't allow it to remain in Lance's grasp forever, not when I have the chance to free it.
Cole: Would your father really want you to marry his murderer, give up your life and everything he believed in and worked for, to save him? Would he want you to give up a life of love and happiness for him?
Psyche: No.
Cole: Then break the spell, Psyche.
Psyche: I can't. Do you think I could really be happy with Eros, knowing what I'd done? I would never feel complete or whole again. I can't spend the rest of my life knowing what I had given up.
Phoebe: Good morning, Eros.
Unknown by Psyche or Cole, Eros had been standing in the doorway and had caught Psyche's answer to his statement. Eros jumped and spun around to see Phoebe directly behind him. She saw the hurt in his eyes and wondered what she had missed.
Eros: Good morning, Phoebe.
Eros turned back around and went to the refrigerator.
Eros: Good morning, Cole. Psyche.
He pulled the milk out and poured a glass. Phoebe came in and gave Cole a kiss. Eros turned his back to the scene and looked out the window.
Phoebe: Well, it looks like it's going to be a beautiful day.
Cole: Let's hope so.
Psyche: Did you sleep well?
Phoebe: Yes, I believe we did.
Just then Piper and Leo walked in, followed by Paige who was rubbing the sleep from her eyes.
Piper: Good morning, everyone.
Leo: What did we miss?
Phoebe: Not much. Good morning.
Paige: How in the world do you people function this early in the morning?
Piper: Don't mind Paige. She's always like this in the morning until she gets a cup of coffee in her system.
Psyche: That's fine. I understand completely. Help yourself, Paige.
Paige: Thank you. You are an angel.
Psyche chuckled at this as Simon came in the room and Piper and Leo sat down at the table.
Psyche: Perhaps but the horns are holding up the halo.
Simon: Isn't that the truth! So what is on the agenda for today?
Eros: I'll be leaving within the hour.
Quite abruptly, the laughter left the room and Psyche stared at Eros.
Simon: Don't be silly, boy. We have a lot to do today.
Eros turned then and looked at the group with a closed expression on his face.
Eros: That you do and I will just be in the way. I have things I need to do.
Piper: But we have a spell to break.
Phoebe: And a wedding to stop.
Paige: And a soul to free.
Eros: I know. Those are all things that you can do without my help. After all, you are The Charmed Ones.
Cole: We just might need your help still, Eros.
Psyche: Eros, you just returned. There is so much to catch up on. What things are more important?
Eros: They do not concern you. You've obviously built a new life without me and so have I. I need to return to it.
Psyche suddenly stood up and squarely faced Eros, her expression angry.
Psyche: I had to rebuild, Eros. Unlike you, I believed everyone I knew and cared about was dead. You had the advantage of knowing otherwise. What did you expect me to do? Spend the rest of my life in mourning? I finally picked up the pieces after realizing that maybe that was something you would have wanted me to do. Apparently I was wrong. Excuse me.
With that, she stormed out.
Simon: What the hell is going on here, Eros? After our talk last night, why would you want to leave?
Eros: I know better than to stay where I'm not wanted.
Cole: What makes you think that you're not wanted?
Eros: I heard the two of you talking. She doesn't believe that she could be happy with me or complete since she would have given up her demon. That's fine. I'll learn to live with that.
Eros turned and walked out the back door into the gardens. Cole stood to follow him.
Phoebe: Cole? Perhaps you had better leave him alone.
Cole: No. He walked in on the tail end of a conversation and completely misunderstood everything Psyche had said. Our only chance of breaking this damn spell just walked out of this kitchen. He's walked out on her once and I refuse to allow it to happen again.
Leo: You're right Cole. I have a better idea. Why don't you, Simon, and I go talk to him while the girls go talk to Psyche? We'll double-team and probably have more luck that way.
Leo stood and Piper did the same.
Piper: I agree.
Cole: Very well.
Just then the doorbell rang.
Paige: I'll get it. You guys take care of business.
Simon: If it's Lance, stall him.
Paige: Will do.
With that, she left the room and went to answer the door. Piper and Phoebe headed up the stairs to Psyche's room while Cole, Leo, and Simon went in search of Eros.
As the sun rose the next morning, Psyche sat at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee staring out the window. She had not slept well the night before because of disturbing dreams of the past. They had been a sharp contrast from the visions she had had of the future a mere twenty four hours earlier. She felt a guilty pang for realizing that she wanted the dreams to come true instead of the latter.
Cole walked in and headed for the coffee pot.
Cole: Good morning. You're up early.
Psyche: Good morning. I'm a morning person. It always use to drive dad nuts but said it was good for training.
Cole: You look preoccupied. What's on your mind? The wedding?
Psyche: That and everything else.
Cole: Do you want to talk about it before everyone wakes up?
Psyche: I don't know...
Cole: Listen. For a few hours yesterday, I had a baby sister. I may not technically be your brother but I can be like your brother, if you'd let me.
Psyche: You sure did step up to the plate yesterday, didn't you?
Cole: I felt I needed to.
Psyche took a drink of her coffee still looking out the window. As Cole sat down across from her with his cup, she turned to look at him with a scared look on her face.
Psyche: I don't know what to do, Cole.
Cole: I know, Psyche. Hell, we all know that.
Psyche: Yes, but you don't understand. A part of me is screaming to get married to Lance today and yet the other part is screaming even louder not to.
Cole: So follow the louder voice.
Psyche: It's not that easy. Simon is right. By this afternoon, the other one will be louder. I can sense it.
Cole: In your deepest heart, Psyche, what do you want?
Psyche: To be happy and sure of myself again.
Cole: Did you ever truly have that in all the time that you've been with Lancelot?
Psyche took another sip as she considered her answer to Cole's question.
Psyche: No. Not really.
Cole: Have you ever had that feeling?
Psyche: Yes. Once. A long time ago.
Cole: When was that?
Psyche: When father was alive and Eros was here.
Cole: Well, Eros is here now. Your father may not be but at least you still have him.
Psyche: Yes, but do I still know him? I never thought he would let me believe that he was dead.
Cole: Even if it was to keep you alive? If you ask me, it sounds like a motive prompted by love.
Psyche: You believe Eros is in love with me?
Cole: I know it. Psyche, all you have to do is look at his face when he looks at or talks about you. He glows. I know that feeling. I have it every time I see, think about, or talk about Phoebe. We've been through hell too, you know. There was a time where I thought I had lost her forever and went back to my demonic life but she believed in me enough to pull me back. Even risked facing The Source face to face to do so. Love is a powerful thing, true love even more so. Why do you think so many spells require a confirmation of it in order to break them? "Love conquers all", as the saying goes.
Psyche: What about my father's soul? I can't allow it to remain in Lance's grasp forever, not when I have the chance to free it.
Cole: Would your father really want you to marry his murderer, give up your life and everything he believed in and worked for, to save him? Would he want you to give up a life of love and happiness for him?
Psyche: No.
Cole: Then break the spell, Psyche.
Psyche: I can't. Do you think I could really be happy with Eros, knowing what I'd done? I would never feel complete or whole again. I can't spend the rest of my life knowing what I had given up.
Phoebe: Good morning, Eros.
Unknown by Psyche or Cole, Eros had been standing in the doorway and had caught Psyche's answer to his statement. Eros jumped and spun around to see Phoebe directly behind him. She saw the hurt in his eyes and wondered what she had missed.
Eros: Good morning, Phoebe.
Eros turned back around and went to the refrigerator.
Eros: Good morning, Cole. Psyche.
He pulled the milk out and poured a glass. Phoebe came in and gave Cole a kiss. Eros turned his back to the scene and looked out the window.
Phoebe: Well, it looks like it's going to be a beautiful day.
Cole: Let's hope so.
Psyche: Did you sleep well?
Phoebe: Yes, I believe we did.
Just then Piper and Leo walked in, followed by Paige who was rubbing the sleep from her eyes.
Piper: Good morning, everyone.
Leo: What did we miss?
Phoebe: Not much. Good morning.
Paige: How in the world do you people function this early in the morning?
Piper: Don't mind Paige. She's always like this in the morning until she gets a cup of coffee in her system.
Psyche: That's fine. I understand completely. Help yourself, Paige.
Paige: Thank you. You are an angel.
Psyche chuckled at this as Simon came in the room and Piper and Leo sat down at the table.
Psyche: Perhaps but the horns are holding up the halo.
Simon: Isn't that the truth! So what is on the agenda for today?
Eros: I'll be leaving within the hour.
Quite abruptly, the laughter left the room and Psyche stared at Eros.
Simon: Don't be silly, boy. We have a lot to do today.
Eros turned then and looked at the group with a closed expression on his face.
Eros: That you do and I will just be in the way. I have things I need to do.
Piper: But we have a spell to break.
Phoebe: And a wedding to stop.
Paige: And a soul to free.
Eros: I know. Those are all things that you can do without my help. After all, you are The Charmed Ones.
Cole: We just might need your help still, Eros.
Psyche: Eros, you just returned. There is so much to catch up on. What things are more important?
Eros: They do not concern you. You've obviously built a new life without me and so have I. I need to return to it.
Psyche suddenly stood up and squarely faced Eros, her expression angry.
Psyche: I had to rebuild, Eros. Unlike you, I believed everyone I knew and cared about was dead. You had the advantage of knowing otherwise. What did you expect me to do? Spend the rest of my life in mourning? I finally picked up the pieces after realizing that maybe that was something you would have wanted me to do. Apparently I was wrong. Excuse me.
With that, she stormed out.
Simon: What the hell is going on here, Eros? After our talk last night, why would you want to leave?
Eros: I know better than to stay where I'm not wanted.
Cole: What makes you think that you're not wanted?
Eros: I heard the two of you talking. She doesn't believe that she could be happy with me or complete since she would have given up her demon. That's fine. I'll learn to live with that.
Eros turned and walked out the back door into the gardens. Cole stood to follow him.
Phoebe: Cole? Perhaps you had better leave him alone.
Cole: No. He walked in on the tail end of a conversation and completely misunderstood everything Psyche had said. Our only chance of breaking this damn spell just walked out of this kitchen. He's walked out on her once and I refuse to allow it to happen again.
Leo: You're right Cole. I have a better idea. Why don't you, Simon, and I go talk to him while the girls go talk to Psyche? We'll double-team and probably have more luck that way.
Leo stood and Piper did the same.
Piper: I agree.
Cole: Very well.
Just then the doorbell rang.
Paige: I'll get it. You guys take care of business.
Simon: If it's Lance, stall him.
Paige: Will do.
With that, she left the room and went to answer the door. Piper and Phoebe headed up the stairs to Psyche's room while Cole, Leo, and Simon went in search of Eros.