Chapter 7 Last Chance
Phoebe kept her eyes closed the entire time they shimmered around, holding Cole tightly and crying silently. When they finally stopped shimmering, Phoebe opened her eyes to see a dark, eerie alleyway surrounding them. She slightly shimmered, and Cole held her closer. He noticed her tears and moved his hand up to wipe them away with his thumb.
"Do not cry my love. You are safe here. I will never leave you again. Please do not cry." Cole softly said as he rubbed her back with utmost care. Phoebe was weak from shimmering and from the joy of him coming home to her. Ever move he made was gentle and serene, comforting her. Phoebe looked up at him and smiled through her tears. He slowly leaned down and placed a soft kiss on her silken lips, which she more than willingly returned. They stayed together until Cole came up for air, only to lower himself for a more passionate kiss, welcomed by Phoebe. She had been waiting for this moment ever since he left her. It was as if his love was washing away all the pain that had been building up for so long. After a few minutes the baby kicked and brought Phoebe back to reality. She broke away regretfully, but stayed leaning against his strong chest, a comforting support for her.
"Cole, we should, uh, get to dinner. This baby cannot wait much longer to eat." She said half-heartedly, forcing a small grin for him.
"You are right," he said. "Our baby should not be kept waiting." Both smiled as they heard the words 'our baby' come out of his mouth. It seemed so perfect, like a missing piece of a puzzle they both had searched for since they were born.
Cole led Phoebe down the street to a fancy French restaurant, acting like the perfect gentleman. He pulled out her chair and helped her sit down, then he moved his own chair towards her and put his arm around her, feeding her tidbits of appetizers until their dinners arrived. Asking for a refill of wine, Cole moved his chair back to its proper place and began to eat his meal, occasionally stealing glances of Phoebe. It had been so long since he had seen her, awake at least. She was still even more breathtaking than before, motherhood and pregnancy having added a certain glow to her. Cole could not believe she was really here with him, sitting beside him. He had held her in the alleyway, not ever wanting to let go for fear it was all an illusion, and he would wake up alone in his bed with the searing pain of loneliness ripping him apart. He again looked at her, making sure she was happy. Though at times she appeared to be deep in thought, Cole felt she was enjoying herself.
"So how have you been?" he asked, unsure of how to begin the inevitable conversation both feared, but knew they needed to get over with if things were ever to be normal again.
"I have been okay, you know, hanging on, doing little things slowly. It really hurt when I realized you were not coming back. You?" she asked awkwardly. This was not how it should be, but neither knew how to make it okay. So much time had passed and they had almost forgotten how to talk to each other. The last time that had happened was before Cole had told them he was the Source. Phoebe would not let that happen again, even if it meant giving up her life.
"I have been, um, sorting through my life, you know, figuring out how to make the most of my time." he returned, wanting so much to tell her of the life he was preparing for her and the baby, of his job and apartment, but he held his tongue as he saw Phoebe tense a little at these words.
"Are you ever coming home?" Phoebe asked painfully, barely clinging to the little hope she had left. "Or am I not part of your time? I want you to come home. We all miss you, and I need you. I cannot go on like this. Please come home." She begged, each breath taking more life out of her than she could take.
Cole looked into her brown eyes, wide with hope slowly vanishing and the fear he may never return to her. "I will if you want me to." He answered. She nodded her head slowly, hope once again coming out of the shadows, love returning and filling her heart. Slowly but surely everything would fix itself and they would live as they had before. Life would have meaning. He held out his hand and brought her to the dance floor, where they soon began to dance to the soft music, enveloped in each other and each other alone. Tears of absolute joy and love once again filled Phoebe's eyes, but instead of wiping them away, Cole bent down and kissed her beautiful, innocent eyes.
"Do not cry my love." He softly commanded in a gentle, caring tone. "I am here, we are together. No one will hurt you again." He vowed.
The night was truly magical, everything both Phoebe and Cole could have wanted. It grew late and Phoebe started to become tired. As she yawned for a third time, Cole paid for the dinner and helped her to the alleyway. He told her he was going to shimmer her home and would call her tomorrow, but she refused to let him go. Suddenly a demon attacked, grabbing Phoebe. She screamed and Cole held on to her with all his might. His eyes glazed over black and the demon exploded, spreading goo everywhere. He returned to normal and looked to Phoebe, his eyes begging for forgiveness. She was shaken, sticky but otherwise okay. He expected her to pull away from him, to run forever, but instead she hugged him and told him it was time to go home.
Cole shimmered them into the upstairs bathroom, where he disrobed both of them and carried Phoebe into the bath. He gently washed her, then wrapped them both in a big towel and carried her into their bed. Wrapping her in the comforter he held her in his arms and rubbed her back, occasionally depositing little kisses on her forehead. She slipped into a troubled sleep, tossing around with nightmares of Cole leaving and dying, but awoke with a cry when he tried to get a glass of water. He quickly went to her and held her once more, cooing words of love to her, assuring her he would never leave again. Phoebe once again began to cry. Cole let her, knowing it would help heal her spirit, all the time whispering, "Do not cry my love. I am here." She finally fell into a peaceful slumber, lying with Cole curled up in their bed the entire night.
Phoebe kept her eyes closed the entire time they shimmered around, holding Cole tightly and crying silently. When they finally stopped shimmering, Phoebe opened her eyes to see a dark, eerie alleyway surrounding them. She slightly shimmered, and Cole held her closer. He noticed her tears and moved his hand up to wipe them away with his thumb.
"Do not cry my love. You are safe here. I will never leave you again. Please do not cry." Cole softly said as he rubbed her back with utmost care. Phoebe was weak from shimmering and from the joy of him coming home to her. Ever move he made was gentle and serene, comforting her. Phoebe looked up at him and smiled through her tears. He slowly leaned down and placed a soft kiss on her silken lips, which she more than willingly returned. They stayed together until Cole came up for air, only to lower himself for a more passionate kiss, welcomed by Phoebe. She had been waiting for this moment ever since he left her. It was as if his love was washing away all the pain that had been building up for so long. After a few minutes the baby kicked and brought Phoebe back to reality. She broke away regretfully, but stayed leaning against his strong chest, a comforting support for her.
"Cole, we should, uh, get to dinner. This baby cannot wait much longer to eat." She said half-heartedly, forcing a small grin for him.
"You are right," he said. "Our baby should not be kept waiting." Both smiled as they heard the words 'our baby' come out of his mouth. It seemed so perfect, like a missing piece of a puzzle they both had searched for since they were born.
Cole led Phoebe down the street to a fancy French restaurant, acting like the perfect gentleman. He pulled out her chair and helped her sit down, then he moved his own chair towards her and put his arm around her, feeding her tidbits of appetizers until their dinners arrived. Asking for a refill of wine, Cole moved his chair back to its proper place and began to eat his meal, occasionally stealing glances of Phoebe. It had been so long since he had seen her, awake at least. She was still even more breathtaking than before, motherhood and pregnancy having added a certain glow to her. Cole could not believe she was really here with him, sitting beside him. He had held her in the alleyway, not ever wanting to let go for fear it was all an illusion, and he would wake up alone in his bed with the searing pain of loneliness ripping him apart. He again looked at her, making sure she was happy. Though at times she appeared to be deep in thought, Cole felt she was enjoying herself.
"So how have you been?" he asked, unsure of how to begin the inevitable conversation both feared, but knew they needed to get over with if things were ever to be normal again.
"I have been okay, you know, hanging on, doing little things slowly. It really hurt when I realized you were not coming back. You?" she asked awkwardly. This was not how it should be, but neither knew how to make it okay. So much time had passed and they had almost forgotten how to talk to each other. The last time that had happened was before Cole had told them he was the Source. Phoebe would not let that happen again, even if it meant giving up her life.
"I have been, um, sorting through my life, you know, figuring out how to make the most of my time." he returned, wanting so much to tell her of the life he was preparing for her and the baby, of his job and apartment, but he held his tongue as he saw Phoebe tense a little at these words.
"Are you ever coming home?" Phoebe asked painfully, barely clinging to the little hope she had left. "Or am I not part of your time? I want you to come home. We all miss you, and I need you. I cannot go on like this. Please come home." She begged, each breath taking more life out of her than she could take.
Cole looked into her brown eyes, wide with hope slowly vanishing and the fear he may never return to her. "I will if you want me to." He answered. She nodded her head slowly, hope once again coming out of the shadows, love returning and filling her heart. Slowly but surely everything would fix itself and they would live as they had before. Life would have meaning. He held out his hand and brought her to the dance floor, where they soon began to dance to the soft music, enveloped in each other and each other alone. Tears of absolute joy and love once again filled Phoebe's eyes, but instead of wiping them away, Cole bent down and kissed her beautiful, innocent eyes.
"Do not cry my love." He softly commanded in a gentle, caring tone. "I am here, we are together. No one will hurt you again." He vowed.
The night was truly magical, everything both Phoebe and Cole could have wanted. It grew late and Phoebe started to become tired. As she yawned for a third time, Cole paid for the dinner and helped her to the alleyway. He told her he was going to shimmer her home and would call her tomorrow, but she refused to let him go. Suddenly a demon attacked, grabbing Phoebe. She screamed and Cole held on to her with all his might. His eyes glazed over black and the demon exploded, spreading goo everywhere. He returned to normal and looked to Phoebe, his eyes begging for forgiveness. She was shaken, sticky but otherwise okay. He expected her to pull away from him, to run forever, but instead she hugged him and told him it was time to go home.
Cole shimmered them into the upstairs bathroom, where he disrobed both of them and carried Phoebe into the bath. He gently washed her, then wrapped them both in a big towel and carried her into their bed. Wrapping her in the comforter he held her in his arms and rubbed her back, occasionally depositing little kisses on her forehead. She slipped into a troubled sleep, tossing around with nightmares of Cole leaving and dying, but awoke with a cry when he tried to get a glass of water. He quickly went to her and held her once more, cooing words of love to her, assuring her he would never leave again. Phoebe once again began to cry. Cole let her, knowing it would help heal her spirit, all the time whispering, "Do not cry my love. I am here." She finally fell into a peaceful slumber, lying with Cole curled up in their bed the entire night.