Chapter Twenty-Five

Cole appeared with Piper in the living room and quickly knelt next to Phoebe. "Less than a minute, just like I promised," he greeted with a tender kiss to her forehead.

She lay on her side and watched him set a pile of towels next to the foot of the lounge. "You're back," she murmured.

"As if anything could keep me away," he nervously chuckled.

Piper caught his worried glance and came closer. She lightly rubbed her sister's abdomen and teased, "Cole tells me the baby means business this time."

"Thank you for coming back, Cole," Phoebe said as tears trickled from her eyes, "but you have to go. I don't want you here."

"What?" Cole uttered in surprise.

"Please," Phoebe whispered as she pushed him back with her hands, "just go."

But Cole grabbed her hands, "What did you see, Phoebe?"

"Please" she shook her head.

"I know you had a premonition," he pressed. "Tell me."

"Sweetie," Piper softly suggested, "if you saw something, you have to tell us so we can stop it from happening."

"Please" Phoebe merely repeated as she suddenly tensed from the start of a contraction.

Cole watched her try to hold in the contraction and would've probably laughed if he hadn't been so worried about her. He reached for her hands again. She clung to them as he instructed her, "Breathe through it. Work through the pain. Don't let it control youThat's itThat's good, Phoebe, that's right"

"Do you have to push?" Piper asked as she spread out some of the towels below Phoebe's hips. "It's okay, if you have to," she added as she rubbed Phoebe's legs. "The baby's almost here and then this'll all be over."

Phoebe's eyes widened in fear and she twisted away from Cole. "Cole," she panted, "get out!"

But Cole squeezed her hand tighter and tried to maintain some form of patience as he informed her, "I'm not going anywhere."

The contraction finally eased and Phoebe yanked her hand from his. "Please," she replied in a tired voice, "please, just leave."

"I am not missing my son's birth," he stated in a cool tone, "and that you could be so selfish that you'd want to take away that privilege from me after everything we've --"

"Selfish?!" she suddenly shouted as she propped herself up on her elbows and leaned towards him. "How can you say that?! I'm trying to spare you from --"

"From what?" he sharply interrupted. "From missing what'll be one of the happiest and best events of my life?"

"From watching him die!" she retorted but, shocked by what she'd blurted out, Phoebe immediately burst into tears.

Cole quickly caught her as she collapsed and glanced to a stunned Piper. "What do you mean die'?" he asked in a tremulous voice.

"I saw it," she whispered between sobs, "he dies, Cole, he dies. Our beautiful baby boy"

"It won't come true," Cole insisted as he held her tightly and kissed the top of her head.

"That's right," Piper agreed as she nervously rubbed her sister's legs. "Look what happened with Hasoaf. You saw all our deaths but, Pheebs, the only one who died was Hasoaf."

"But enough came true," Phoebe tearfully countered. "It was too close, Piper. Too close to what I saw."

"But it was still different," Cole calmly pointed out as he stroked her hair. "We changed that premonition," he desperately believed, "we'll change this one too."

"And Ava's on her way," Piper reminded them. "She's not going to let anything happen to the baby."

Phoebe sniffled and pushed herself out of Cole's embrace. "Ava isn't coming," she told them. "Paige was holding the baby. Ava wasn't here. She wasn'tCole, she wasn't"

"Leo!" Piper shouted as her sister again broke off in sobs. "Leo, we need you!"

Phoebe refused to let Cole comfort her and she insisted, "If you won't leave, then I will. I'll shimmer away. I swear. I love you too much to let you go through this."

"What about you?" he snapped. "I should let you go through this alone? That's not --"

"Better me than you," she exclaimed even as she felt the tugging of a new contraction.

Cole stared at her in disbelief, "How can you say that?"

She choked back a sob. "I've already hurt you too much," she whispered as she averted her eyes and sucked in her breath, "put you through too much. I can't take another child from you too."

"This isn't your fault," he said with an exasperated look to Piper.

Phoebe glared at him and vented as the pain began, "And how long before it is? How long before you blame me or my sisters for what happens? How long before the cycle of hatred starts again? I wanted things to be different this time but I can't do this anymore, Cole."

"Honey," Piper spoke up, "Cole and IThings are different now. What we've been through makes it different."

"That's right," Cole quickly agreed, grateful to Piper, "and we still have some issues to deal with but we won't fall into the same trap. I promise."

"I can't take that chance," Phoebe whispered in pain as she clenched her mouth, "I'm sorry."

"What do you --" Cole began before he saw her start to shimmer. "No!" he shouted as he grabbed her.

"Cole, no," she began as she lost control of her shimmer and contraction. "Oh God," she moaned and she curled into a ball.

Cole looked helplessly to Piper before he reached out to massage Phoebe's abdomen. "Look at me, honey," he quietly requested. She looked back at him and he saw the pain reflected in her eyes. With his other hand, he gently wiped away her tears, "Breathe through the pain. You can do it. Just keep your eyes on me and continue to breathe."

"Maybe she should try pushing," Piper suggested as she continued to rub Phoebe's legs.

"No." Phoebe groaned when she suddenly grabbed at Cole's shirt.

"It's okay," he quickly assured her in an effort to calm her. "Just keep looking at me. You're doing great. It's almost over now, isn't it? You're doing just great, baby." He watched her panting slow until she returned to a more normal breathing pattern. Her hair was matted to her face with sweat and he brushed it back. "I'm so proud of you," he softly told her.

She hadn't let go of him and began, "Don't --" But she saw the orb lights from the corner of her eye and gasped. "Ava!"

"Heard you went and got started without me," Ava cheerfully greeted as she took a step away from Paige and quickly moved towards Phoebe.

"Where the hell have you been?" Piper snapped at her sister.

"Ava was stitching up a little boy," Paige retorted, "did you want me to let him bleed to death?"

Piper was stunned, "I'm sorryWe've been so worried, Paige. Phoebe had a premonition about Ava not being here and the baby dying."

"What, what do you mean?" Paige asked as she glanced at Phoebe with concern.

Cole kissed Phoebe's forehead and assured her, "But, it's already changing, isn't it? See, honey, Ava's here." He helped her shift position so that Ava could examine her.

"Footstool," Paige ordered before one orbed onto the floor at the foot of the chaise lounge.

"Thanks," Ava told her. She set her bag down on the floor and sat on the stool, "Phoebe, I promise that I'm going to do everything I can to make sure nothing happens to your baby. So, let's take a look and see what's going on, okay?"

"The contractions are barely two minutes apart and she's stopped pushing," Cole informed her.

"Cole" Phoebe nervously warned him as she tensed with Ava examining her.

"All right, Phoebe," Ava smiled, "you're doing great. I can see the baby's head but I want to give him as much room as possible so I'm going to perform an episiotomy, okay? It'll pinch a bit when I give you the injection but other than that it won't hurt."

"Okay" Phoebe nervously agreed as she tightened her grip on Cole.

Paige looked to Piper and then loudly said, "Isn't this the point where you tried to blow up Leo?"

"You really tried to kill Leo?" Cole asked in surprise.

"Damn it, Paige, I told you I --" Piper began before she realized Paige was trying to distract Phoebe. She looked at Cole and sighed, "It was near the end, the pain didn't let up, and it was simply a case of bad timing."

"Why, what'd he do?" Cole warily asked even as he comforted Phoebe.

Piper looked down at her feet and mumbled, "He said he loved me."

Paige burst out laughing and quickly apologized, "But, Piper, it's just so funny. Come on, in all the time since Melly was born, you're telling me you haven't once even chuckled about it?"

"That's not the --" Piper began before she was interrupted by a moan from Phoebe.

"Okay, Phoebe, I want you to push as hard as you can to the count of ten," Ava instructed with a nod to Cole, "and take a deep breath and then push again to another count of ten. And then go for it one more time." She indicated for Piper and Paige to come closer. "Hold her legs and give her some resistance." She turned back to Phoebe and confirmed, "So it's three big pushes for this contraction. Okay?"

"Okay," Phoebe nodded as she tried to get ready but Cole suddenly pulled away from her and she panicked. "Where are you going? Don't leave me. I don't want you to leave me. Please don't go, Cole, I need you. Please, please stay with me."

Cole planted a firm kiss on her forehead. "That's what I've been trying to do," he lovingly teased. "I'm just changing position," he assured her as he straddled the lounge and supported her from behind. She groaned as the contraction intensified and he used his upper body to push her forward. As he softly counted to ten in her ear, he reached his arms out by her sides and she grabbed his hands and squeezed them. He lightly kissed her ear as she took a deep breath and then began counting to ten again when she resumed pushing.

But, by the next set of ten, Phoebe suddenly sagged back against him. "No more," she moaned, "I can't do it."

"Sure you can," he told her. But he saw how exhausted she was and, instead, brought their hands to his lips and kissed her fingertips. "It's okay, you did greatyou did great."

"We're getting close, Phoebe," Ave told her. "The next contraction should do it so I want you to be ready to push as hard as you can. You'll be holding your baby boy in just a few minutes."

"I'm so tired," Phoebe cried to Cole. "I can't do this anymore."

"I know, baby," he sympathized, "but it's almost over. You can do this, you're so strong, Phoebe."

"You keep saying that," she tearfully complained, "but it's not true."

"Have I ever said anything I didn't mean?" he asked in a semi-serious tone. He saw her hesitate to answer and quickly assured her, "I love you, Phoebe, and I know you can do this. I believe in you, in your strength. In your courage and in your faith. I always have."

"But what if --" she began.

"I will love you no matter what happens," he softly whispered in her ear.

Suddenly, the doorbell rang and they all froze.

"I'll get it," Paige offered. She caught their concerned looks and added, "I don't think demons ring doorbells. Present company excepted, of course."

"They might if they knew the house was protected," Piper warned as Paige left the room, "or have you already forgotten what happened this morning?"

"Hey, Piper," Paige called from the foyer, "it's for you."

Piper glanced nervously at Cole and Phoebe before her face lit up. "Melinda!" she shouted as she raced to her father and pulled away the sleeping baby. She cuddled the baby and rained light kisses all over the baby's face.

"You'll wake her," Victor warned even as he hugged Piper tightly. He looked over at Phoebe and asked in concern, "Is everything okay?" To Cole, he quickly accused, "Why the hell isn't she in the hospital like she's supposed to be?"

"The baby had other plans, Mr. Halliwell," Ava pleasantly intervened.

"Bennett," he corrected and was about to question her further when Phoebe suddenly stiffened in Cole's arms and groaned.

"Dad, here," Piper quickly said as she kissed her daughter once more before placing the baby back in Victor's arms. She rushed back to Phoebe's side and gripped her sister's leg while Paige did the same for Phoebe's other leg.

"Okay, Phoebe," Ava told her, "this is it. Now push, just like I told you."

With Cole's support Phoebe hunched forward and squeezed her eyes shut as she pushed. She heard him reach six and took a quick breath before she gritted her teeth and continued to push.

"You're doing great, Phoebe, I've just about got his head out," Ava announced, "just keep pushing and he'll be -- Phoebe, stop pushing!" Startled by her shout, Phoebe froze and Ava curtly said, "The cord's wrapped around his neck."

Phoebe whimpered and clenched Cole's hands. She moaned, "I have to"

"You can't. Do your best to breathe through it," Ava ordered as she tried to quickly unwrap the cord.

Cole tried to keep Phoebe still. "Just a little bit longer"

"Okay, he's free," Ava sighed with relief. "I need you to push again, Phoebe."

"What about --" Phoebe began.

"Just push," Ava insisted as Cole quickly helped Phoebe into position, "you can do it."

Phoebe gripped Cole's hands as if her very life depended upon it. She tried to focus solely on the sound of his soft, but strong, count. She squeezed her eyes shut and pushed with all she had even though she felt as if she was being torn apart. And suddenly, it was over. She felt the baby slip from her and she collapsed back against Cole.

"Not that it's a surprise," Ava announced, "but welcome to the world, baby boy."

"Thatta girl, Pheebs," Piper softly praised, "you did it!"

Phoebe still leaned back against Cole with her eyes closed but felt him shift position. She opened her eyes to find herself staring into Cole's shiny ones.

"I love you," he whispered in a choked voice before he kissed her tenderly.

Phoebe gave him a tired smile and caressed his cheek, "I love you, too." But she suddenly realized, "Why isn't he crying?" She leaned forward and asked, "Ava, what's wrong?"

Paige cautiously answered, "Ava's just suctioning out his nose and mouth." She quickly glanced to a concerned Piper and added unconvincingly, "It'll be okay, Phoebe."

But Phoebe knew her sister was only trying to protect her from the horrible truth. She began to softly cry, "I told you, Cole, I told you"

Cole pulled one of his arms from hers and tried to shield Phoebe's face from the scene by turning her face away. He, himself, looked away from Ava and their son and he hoarsely told her, "I love you, Phoebe, and we'll get through this. Together. I promise."

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