Chapter Thirteen

Two Months Later

"Would you quit it, Cole," Phoebe sputtered with a mouthful of cereal as she tried, at the same time, to talk on the phone, "I feel fine and I'm going to work. I want to enjoy my freedom for a while longer because you'll be home before you know it and then you won't let --"

"Not soon enough for me," Cole interrupted as he suddenly appeared before her, clad only in a pair of black sweatpants. He grinned, shut off his cell phone, and pocketed it as he approached her.

"Cole!" Phoebe squealed in excitement as she put down her phone and, as quickly as she could, pushed back her chair and stood up to properly greet him. After a warm and inviting kiss, she led him back to the table where he sat down in a chair and pulled her awkwardly onto his lap. She slapped his chest in mock-annoyance when he groaned after she sat. "One word, Mr. Turner, and I'll ask my sisters to re-institute the ban on your presence in this house," she playfully warned him.

"What if that word is beautiful'?" he asked with a sparkle in his eye as he ran a hand along the sleeve of her satin robe. "Would that be allowed?"

Phoebe cupped his face with her palms and kissed him passionately, "What do you think?"

"I think I'd better get back to Johnson before we start something we can't finish," he groaned even as his hands parted her robe and slipped inside, feeling every curve of her body. "Phoebe"

Phoebe ignored him and hungrily claimed his lips with hers. But, she suddenly felt a sharp kick and accidentally bit his lip before she pressed her hand to her abdomen.

"Hey, what the --" But as Cole quickly pulled back and rubbed his lip, he realized she was in pain. "What's wrong?"

She exhaled in relief and explained, "He's more active these days and it's a bit more painful." She smiled and rubbed her belly, "I think he wants outI know I do."

Cole smiled in return, patted her abdomen, and sternly told his son, "Your new room isn't ready yet, young man. Behave yourself and let Mommy be."

"Thank you, Daddy," Phoebe teased as she playfully kissed him before she pushed herself off his lap and went to the refrigerator. "I'm glad we were able to do the closing before you left for this conference so that we could start scheduling some of the deliveries."

"Bedroom furniture's supposed to arrive tomorrow, right?" he asked as she took out a carton of milk.

"And living room's day after tomorrow and baby's furniture," she told him as she patted her belly, "should arrive next week. Leo's been so busy lately with other charges, he hasn't had much time to work on the construction. He thinks he'll need another week for the upstairs rooms so I'll call the painter again and schedule him for the end of next week."

"It'll be pretty tight with your due date," he considered. "Maybe we should hold off on the construction for a few months. We could manage with the rooms as they are."

Phoebe shook her head, "If we're going to do this, we're going to do it right." She poured herself a glass of milk and faced him, "So, tell me, Mr. Turner, just how are you going to explain your sudden disappearance to Tom?"

"I don't have to because I'm taking a shower," he answered smugly. She looked puzzled and he explained, "I told Johnson I was taking a shower before we went down to the breakfast session. I figured it was the only way to spend fifteen minutes with you."

"Why didn't you think of that two days ago?" she chastised before she drank some milk. "Next time you're sent to L.A. on business," she suggested, "insist on separate rooms even if you have to pay for it. Then you could've spent the nights with me too."

"The guy hasn't let me alone for a minute," Cole groaned. "Three days with him at this boring conference and all he wanted to do at night was drag me with him to check out the hottest L.A. clubs."

"Well no one likes clubbing aloneAh, the single life," Phoebe wistfully recalled, "I remember it well." As she drank some more, she noticed Cole watching her and she frowned. "Something wrong?"

"The way you said that," he admitted, "sounded like you meant it. Like you put your single life behind you, I mean."

"I guess I did," Phoebe quietly realized as she toyed with the ends of her loose belt. "I suppose I never really felt like I was single again. And I tried, I tried so hard" Cole cleared his throat and Phoebe dropped the belt and gazed at him, "Sorry"

"You don't have to apologize," Cole shook his head. "Things were different for us. I understand that."

Phoebe set down her glass, "All these monthsYou have to know, Cole, things've changed...I've changed. I feel"

"Comfortable?" he suggested as he stood and walked towards her.

"I know things still aren't perfect with my sisters, or with us for that matter, and maybe they never will be," she shrugged, "but I know that being with you feelsIt feels right."

"I love you," he told her as he pulled her into a hug. "I love you when you demand I solve your problems by killing Elise," he kissed her. "I love you when you sing softly to Junior at night after you think I've left," he kissed her again. "I love you when you hog all the covers," he kissed her before she could protest. "And I love you when you have a milk mustache." Phoebe immediately stiffened in embarrassment but he grinned and assured her, "It's almost gone." And he kissed her again.

"Please," Paige complained as she entered the kitchen, "it's way too early in the morning for all this sweetness."

Phoebe chuckled when Cole suddenly kissed her forehead in frustration. "Good morning, Paige," she happily greeted her sister as she stepped out of Cole's embrace.

"It was, anyway," Paige grumbled. "Aren't you in L.A.?"

Cole ignored her and turned to Phoebe, "The plane's scheduled to land at one and I've already convinced Johnson that I'm going straight to check on you instead of going back to the office."

"I'll be at work," she reminded him.

"We'll discuss that lateragain," he warned her.

Phoebe rolled her eyes, "Don't you have a plane to catch?"

"Don't remind me," Cole groaned.

"Poor baby," Paige teased, "having to deal with conventional modes of transportation."

"How'd you like blue hair?" Cole snapped. Paige was about to retort but he quickly added, "Thanks to you, I'm no longer invulnerable and I've lost some powers but I'm still as least as powerful as I was as Belthazor. Care to test me?"

"We had enough of that two months ago," Paige grimaced. "By the way, you still owe me two hundred bucks for those shoes you fried."

"You should be grateful," Cole retorted, "that I still had the power to switch you with that burning pile of laundry or you'd be --"

"All right you two," Phoebe chuckled before she drank the rest of her milk, "back to your corners." She chuckled again as the two exchanged dirty looks. Just then, Piper entered the kitchen carrying the baby. "Good morning," Phoebe chirped.

Paige smiled and quickly took the baby from Piper's arms. "And how is Angel Melinda this morning?" she cooed. "Piper, did --" The sound of glass shattering interrupted her and she turned back to Phoebe and gasped, "What's wrong?"

Cole quickly held onto Phoebe and pulled her back from the shards on the floor. "Is it the baby?" he asked in concern as she struggled to catch her breath.

"Phoebe, what is it?" Piper quickly rushed towards her.

Phoebe pointed at her older sister and gasped, "That shirtWhere'd you get that shirt?"

Piper looked at her shirt before she looked back at Phoebe with discomfort, "It's one of Prue's. You said you didn't want this one and --"

"Oh God," Phoebe whispered as she grabbed onto Cole and dug her fingers into his biceps, "Oh God. Today. It's today."

Piper cast a nervous glance towards Cole and asked Phoebe, "What do you mean? What's today?"

Phoebe released Cole and hugged herself as she backed away further from them. "He's coming," she whispered. "Hasoaf's coming." She turned to Cole and shook her head, "It's too soon. It's too soon."

"You can't be sure," Piper quietly commented.

"You were wearing that shirt," Phoebe tearfully insisted. "I've seen it over and over. I'm right, Piper. It's today."

Cole quickly wrapped his arms around Phoebe and held her tightly. He kissed the top of her head and promised, "We're ready for him. It won't come true. We'll change the future."

"Damn right," Piper stated, "starting with this shirt." Piper took the baby back from Paige, "After I change, I'll get her bag and the Book and call Dad to pick her up. Find Leo and tell him to get ready."

"I have to check with some sources," Cole somberly told them.

"No," Phoebe quietly announced. "You have to get back to L.A."

"I'm not leaving you now," he sharply informed her.

"You'd be leaving me to check with your sources anyway," she reasoned as she calmly stepped out of his embrace. "You have to get back to L.A. and take that flight like a normal human."

"I don't like this," he shook his head.

Phoebe patted his chest and assured him, "You're right. For months we've been preparing for this and we're ready. This just took me by surprise." He didn't look reassured but she insisted, "I'm not in labor. The baby's fine and so am I, Cole. I'm not going to fall apart. We're going to face Hasoaf and send him straight to hell."

Cole hugged her tight and kissed the top of her head. "That's my witch," he murmured. After a moment of silence, he instructed them, "Don't leave the house. It's protected and you're strongest here. Do you have your amulets?" Paige and Piper held out their wrists and shook their bracelets while Cole fingered the pendant that lay suspended between Phoebe's breasts. "Don't take them off," he added while he gazed at her. He caressed her cheek and told her, "Call your office. Tell them you're not feeling well and won't be in today."

"Not so far from the truth," she hoarsely commented. "I think I'm going to be sick," she whispered as she suddenly covered her mouth.

Cole grabbed her and immediately disappeared from the kitchen.

Piper held her daughter tightly and kissed Melinda's soft cheek. "It's started," she nervously whispered.

"God help us all," Paige quietly replied.

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