Last Chance Chapter 8
Piper awoke the next morning with a strange feeling in the pit of her stomach. She went down to the kitchen as she always did and started the coffee, like normal. She was usually the first one down, and expected to be today, seeing as how Phoebe came in last night without so much as a hello. Hoping the date had not been a complete disaster, Piper once again gave her attention to the strange feeling inside her. It was a strange emotion, a cryptic one she had not felt for the longest of times. The atmosphere was quiet, serene almost, as if the house that had been torn apart over the past few weeks had silently and suddenly healed itself over the course of the night. Ignoring it for the time being and once again turning to the task of cooking breakfast, Piper began to prepare the morning meal as she heard Paige's door creak open. Leo had been summoned, once again, for an important meeting early that morning, leaving Piper cold and lonely in bed.
"One of these days I think I will cast a spell to keep him here, or freeze him mid-orb. Then I will not spend every morning in bed alone!" she quietly screamed at the ceiling, as if 'they' could hear her anger. She began to tell off the wall above her, but stopped mid-sentence as she heard Paige let out a horrifying scream. Hoping that there were no early-bird demons attacking at this hour, she rushed up the stairs to where her sister stood standing, mouth gaping open, hand pointing, a shocked expression painted on her face. "What?!" Piper asked as she looked where Paige was pointing. "Oh." The sight before her was one both shocking and embaressing. Inside the room lay Phoebe and Cole, both very nervous and very naked (they were wearing the comforter though) It seemed they had spent the whole night together doing god-knows-what and Paige had apparently woken them up when she went to check on Phoebe. "What the hell are you doing here?????" Paige shrieked as she went over as if to yank him out of bed. Instinctively Cole held Phoebe tighter, as well as the blanket, while she hugged him back, lost in the middle of a dream and reality. She snapped out of it when Paige hit Cole in the head with full force. He took it, only looking at the covers as he wished he could just disappear with Phoebe. She may be ready to take him back, but it looked like with the other two it would take some time. "I just came home to drop off Phoebe." Cole started, who was interrupted by the pissed-off Halliwell. "Like hell. Then you undressed her and slept with her! I do not think so buddy. Out!" Paige pointed to the doorway, anger written all over her face. "Paige, don't" Phoebe started in a small voice, scared about what was happening. She did not want anything to come between her family, not now, but there was no way she was losing Cole again. "Don't what Phoebe? He left you, remember? You and the baby. He cannot, will not, just walk into this family again." "That is not how it is!" Phoebe cried out, suddenly mad at her younger sister for reasons she could not explain. "Okay, okay. You," Piper said, pointing to Paige. "Go check on the coffee. And you two, get some clothes on and come downstairs. We will talk about this rationally like adults, okay. No more tears." Everyone began to move as Piper shook her head and began to walk downstairs, grabbing Paige by the arm and leading her down the stairs.
"I am sorry Phoebe. I should not have done this." Cole began as he reached for her robe to put around her trembling shoulders. Frailty again surrounded her, breaking her. He hated to see her like this. Last night had been perfect, it was just the two of them lying together, enjoying each other's company. When she fell asleep in his arms that morning, he kissed her forehead and thanked God they had made it through.
"It is not your fault, Cole. They just." Phoebe said as she shrugged helplessly at the door. "Please do not leave now." She begged as he moved on for his clothes while keeping one hand around her waist. How she wanted this moment never to end. With him, she was safe. He was not leaving her again, he had made this clear. Cole was going to take care of their child, going to be the best father the world had ever seen. Phoebe's sorrow turned to anger as she began to cry. How dare Paige assume they had made love?! How dare she tell Cole how to live his life, and hers as well?! Her family did not understand her, how desperately she wanted this to work, and how she would go through hell again to keep Cole.
"Shhhh, do not cry. Paige is only being protective, which is totally understandable. C'mon, it is okay." Cole finished dressing them and helped her up, walking downstairs with her to the kitchen, giving one last look at the place they had just been, lying peacefully, an hour ago. Phoebe's eyes were ablaze as she pulled him down the stairs with strength she had not possessed for a while now. Being seven months pregnant did not help the fact, for her hormones were raging all the same. Though not quite there, Phoebe looked as if she could be due any minute now. Cole was careful not to fall down on top of her as she stalked into the kitchen, facing Piper, Paige, and Leo with a pissed off expression written clearly all over her face. Tears were now replaced with wrinkles of discontent as fire seemed to shoot from her eyes into their hearts, burning them to pieces (not in the literal sense, hehehe)
"What the hell is wrong with you?!" Phoebe screeched as she threw a coffee mug straight at Paige's head, which was frozen luckily by Piper just in time.
"He is what is wrong with me!" Paige screamed as she reappeared from orbing away from the mug. "Cole is nothing but trouble Phoebe, and he has hurt you one too many times! He has to leave Phoebe, you know he does. We cannot function with him in our lives like this!"
"No, you are wrong. We cannot function without him, me especially. He is my fiancé damn it! You cannot just throw him out of our lives like this! He is the father of my baby too, and if you refuse to change, then I gladly will."
"What is that supposed to mean?" Leo exclaimed as Piper tried to command them to stop.
"If you cannot accept him into our lives again then I will take this baby and move away with Cole somewhere far away from here where you cannot hurt us!" Phoebe replied.
"You cannot." Paige retorted. "The Power of Three requires all three Charmed Ones to be in the same area, and it works better in the same house. Face it Phoebe, you are stuck here."
"Then I will relinquish my powers. I do not care about magic as much as Cole."
"Phoebe, magic brought you to Cole." Piper answered, careful not to piss her off more. Phoebe had already left them once for Cole, she did not need that to happen again.
"Yea, and it seems to love separating us. Well not anymore, if you cannot live with it, then we will leave." Phoebe explained. Cole kept his mouth shut, a wise move. Phoebe seemed dead serious about her announcement, one that had indeed been talked about between the two of them.
"And as for another thing." Phoebe began, but did not finish, for a great pain swept through her abdomen, one that seemed to tear her apart. She began to fall and reached out, half catching the table, half Cole.
"Phoebe!" they all cried as she sank to the ground with Cole.
"Phoebe, baby what is it?" he asked, terror written in his eyes. She gasped for air in short, painful breaths, as her face went pale. Phoebe turned to him, fear enveloping her face as she shakily said:
"I think my water broke."
Piper awoke the next morning with a strange feeling in the pit of her stomach. She went down to the kitchen as she always did and started the coffee, like normal. She was usually the first one down, and expected to be today, seeing as how Phoebe came in last night without so much as a hello. Hoping the date had not been a complete disaster, Piper once again gave her attention to the strange feeling inside her. It was a strange emotion, a cryptic one she had not felt for the longest of times. The atmosphere was quiet, serene almost, as if the house that had been torn apart over the past few weeks had silently and suddenly healed itself over the course of the night. Ignoring it for the time being and once again turning to the task of cooking breakfast, Piper began to prepare the morning meal as she heard Paige's door creak open. Leo had been summoned, once again, for an important meeting early that morning, leaving Piper cold and lonely in bed.
"One of these days I think I will cast a spell to keep him here, or freeze him mid-orb. Then I will not spend every morning in bed alone!" she quietly screamed at the ceiling, as if 'they' could hear her anger. She began to tell off the wall above her, but stopped mid-sentence as she heard Paige let out a horrifying scream. Hoping that there were no early-bird demons attacking at this hour, she rushed up the stairs to where her sister stood standing, mouth gaping open, hand pointing, a shocked expression painted on her face. "What?!" Piper asked as she looked where Paige was pointing. "Oh." The sight before her was one both shocking and embaressing. Inside the room lay Phoebe and Cole, both very nervous and very naked (they were wearing the comforter though) It seemed they had spent the whole night together doing god-knows-what and Paige had apparently woken them up when she went to check on Phoebe. "What the hell are you doing here?????" Paige shrieked as she went over as if to yank him out of bed. Instinctively Cole held Phoebe tighter, as well as the blanket, while she hugged him back, lost in the middle of a dream and reality. She snapped out of it when Paige hit Cole in the head with full force. He took it, only looking at the covers as he wished he could just disappear with Phoebe. She may be ready to take him back, but it looked like with the other two it would take some time. "I just came home to drop off Phoebe." Cole started, who was interrupted by the pissed-off Halliwell. "Like hell. Then you undressed her and slept with her! I do not think so buddy. Out!" Paige pointed to the doorway, anger written all over her face. "Paige, don't" Phoebe started in a small voice, scared about what was happening. She did not want anything to come between her family, not now, but there was no way she was losing Cole again. "Don't what Phoebe? He left you, remember? You and the baby. He cannot, will not, just walk into this family again." "That is not how it is!" Phoebe cried out, suddenly mad at her younger sister for reasons she could not explain. "Okay, okay. You," Piper said, pointing to Paige. "Go check on the coffee. And you two, get some clothes on and come downstairs. We will talk about this rationally like adults, okay. No more tears." Everyone began to move as Piper shook her head and began to walk downstairs, grabbing Paige by the arm and leading her down the stairs.
"I am sorry Phoebe. I should not have done this." Cole began as he reached for her robe to put around her trembling shoulders. Frailty again surrounded her, breaking her. He hated to see her like this. Last night had been perfect, it was just the two of them lying together, enjoying each other's company. When she fell asleep in his arms that morning, he kissed her forehead and thanked God they had made it through.
"It is not your fault, Cole. They just." Phoebe said as she shrugged helplessly at the door. "Please do not leave now." She begged as he moved on for his clothes while keeping one hand around her waist. How she wanted this moment never to end. With him, she was safe. He was not leaving her again, he had made this clear. Cole was going to take care of their child, going to be the best father the world had ever seen. Phoebe's sorrow turned to anger as she began to cry. How dare Paige assume they had made love?! How dare she tell Cole how to live his life, and hers as well?! Her family did not understand her, how desperately she wanted this to work, and how she would go through hell again to keep Cole.
"Shhhh, do not cry. Paige is only being protective, which is totally understandable. C'mon, it is okay." Cole finished dressing them and helped her up, walking downstairs with her to the kitchen, giving one last look at the place they had just been, lying peacefully, an hour ago. Phoebe's eyes were ablaze as she pulled him down the stairs with strength she had not possessed for a while now. Being seven months pregnant did not help the fact, for her hormones were raging all the same. Though not quite there, Phoebe looked as if she could be due any minute now. Cole was careful not to fall down on top of her as she stalked into the kitchen, facing Piper, Paige, and Leo with a pissed off expression written clearly all over her face. Tears were now replaced with wrinkles of discontent as fire seemed to shoot from her eyes into their hearts, burning them to pieces (not in the literal sense, hehehe)
"What the hell is wrong with you?!" Phoebe screeched as she threw a coffee mug straight at Paige's head, which was frozen luckily by Piper just in time.
"He is what is wrong with me!" Paige screamed as she reappeared from orbing away from the mug. "Cole is nothing but trouble Phoebe, and he has hurt you one too many times! He has to leave Phoebe, you know he does. We cannot function with him in our lives like this!"
"No, you are wrong. We cannot function without him, me especially. He is my fiancé damn it! You cannot just throw him out of our lives like this! He is the father of my baby too, and if you refuse to change, then I gladly will."
"What is that supposed to mean?" Leo exclaimed as Piper tried to command them to stop.
"If you cannot accept him into our lives again then I will take this baby and move away with Cole somewhere far away from here where you cannot hurt us!" Phoebe replied.
"You cannot." Paige retorted. "The Power of Three requires all three Charmed Ones to be in the same area, and it works better in the same house. Face it Phoebe, you are stuck here."
"Then I will relinquish my powers. I do not care about magic as much as Cole."
"Phoebe, magic brought you to Cole." Piper answered, careful not to piss her off more. Phoebe had already left them once for Cole, she did not need that to happen again.
"Yea, and it seems to love separating us. Well not anymore, if you cannot live with it, then we will leave." Phoebe explained. Cole kept his mouth shut, a wise move. Phoebe seemed dead serious about her announcement, one that had indeed been talked about between the two of them.
"And as for another thing." Phoebe began, but did not finish, for a great pain swept through her abdomen, one that seemed to tear her apart. She began to fall and reached out, half catching the table, half Cole.
"Phoebe!" they all cried as she sank to the ground with Cole.
"Phoebe, baby what is it?" he asked, terror written in his eyes. She gasped for air in short, painful breaths, as her face went pale. Phoebe turned to him, fear enveloping her face as she shakily said:
"I think my water broke."