Author's Notes: I got lots of reviews for the last chapter, yay! Keep 'em
coming and I'll love all of ya forever! In this chapter we get some
Phoebe/Cole, as well as the return of you-know-who.
Cindy: Thanks for the in-depth review, and I'm glad you like where I'm
going. I agree that having Prue as Cole's Whitelighter opens up some
possibilities.
Evil Angel: You're welcome! I always thought Cole/Phoebe were meant to be,
despite what those crazy writers did to his character.
Liz: Hopefully this one helps you with your Phoebe/Cole needs; it's not
entirely focused on them, but it does give you something.
Chapter 11: Earth Angel
"Prue, are you sure that you really want to do this?" The young man who spoke looked uncertain, his tone of voice concerned. He stood on the edge of a cloud, along with a woman who turned to face him. She had a strong chin, and steady eyes; this was a person who did not sway easily from her decisions once she made them.
"I'm positive. Andy, you know how badly I've wanted to see my sisters. I don't care what the Elders say; I wasn't ready to die, and I wasn't ready to leave them. Now I've finally got a chance to be a part of their lives again. I've got a chance to rejoin my family." The eldest Charmed One couldn't understand why Andy was doubting this.
"I thought I was part of your family." Andy's response was quiet. The two of them had grown close again over the years; closer than they had ever been on Earth. "I understand that you want to see them again, Prue. But you've got to understand that things have changed: they've changed. I don't want you to be hurt."
"No matter how much they've changed they're still my sisters Andy." Prue's tone of voice indicated that there would be no more arguments on that topic. Even in death, she retained her stubborn character.
With a sigh the young man stepped forward and the two of them embraced, sharing a deep kiss. "Come up and see me now and then, all right? Love you."
Prue nodded. "I love you too," and orbed away in a swirl of blue lights. _________________________________________________________________
Cole sat at the desk in his office, an empty coffee mug next to a stack of papers. He may have become a warlock a few days ago, but unfortunately, he still had to go to work. Phoebe had convinced him that he needed to have a job so that people didn't start asking questions; he had agreed with her. To her delight, he also informed her that he rather enjoyed being a lawyer 'the mortal way'; it gave him a sense of satisfaction to know that the case against the abusive husband was one that he had researched and built up on his own, without the use of mind control. The court date was coming up soon, and Cole was confident that he would win. He had asked Phoebe to be there so that she could see more proof that he had changed for the better.
He looked at his watch, and it read 5:45. He was supposed to meet Phoebe in the parking lot at six so they could go to a restaurant for dinner. Cole couldn't help smiling to himself; it was just like old times again, when their relationship had been in its prime. After the spell succeeded, Phoebe had been acting much more comfortable around him; he no longer got the feeling that she would bolt if he made a sudden move.
The warlock lawyer packed up his things and exited the building, aware that most of the other attorneys had gone home already. The streetlights had turned on, and the full moon had already risen high into the night sky. Phoebe's car pulled up next to the sidewalk, and Cole started to open the door when he felt the hairs on the back of his neck go up. Living in the Underworld and attaining a high position among its denizens required one to develop very good survival instincts; there were always demons ready to plunge a knife into your back if you let your guard down. Cole turned around quickly, and saw a demon conjuring up an energy ball. Before his opponent could release the deadly projectile, Cole threw a fireball at him. The demon was reduced to a pile of ashes in seconds, his screams echoing into the darkness.
Cole turned to face Phoebe again; he noticed that she was gripping the steering wheel rather tightly, and that her body language was tense. "Hey, are you all right? It was just a demon, nothing to worry about, and nothing I can't handle." He spoke in what he hoped was a soothing voice as he opened the door and sat down next to the Charmed One.
"I know Cole, it's just that seeing you throw fire again," Phoebe paused, looking away from Cole. "It reminds me of before, that's all. I'm sorry." Her tone was quiet, almost ashamed. After all, the spell had proven that she and Cole were meant to be together. Why couldn't she shake off her fear?
"This is going to take time, just like you said Phoebe. I can never forgive myself for what I did to you, but I've already promised to make it up. Are you going to be okay?" Cole looked concerned; he didn't like being reminded of his past any more than Phoebe did, but he couldn't help the fact that throwing fireballs could be considered a demonic skill.
"I'm fine; just a little shaken, that's all." Phoebe started driving again, and the two were silent until they were at the restaurant. Then Cole leaned over, pausing a moment to give her a chance to pull away if she wanted to; she didn't. She wrapped her arms around him as he kissed her, her fears dissipating as she remembered what it was like to have him so close to her, realizing that the only place she felt truly safe was when she was in his arms. When they pulled apart, she found herself saying, "Cole, let's skip dinner. . .and go to your place."
"You're sure about this Phoebe?" Cole's dark eyes looked into her own, eyes that she could tell were filled with desire, though he obviously didn't want to push her into anything.
"I'm sure." Not surprisingly, he didn't question her again. A few minutes later, they were stepping off the elevator into Cole's apartment. She and Cole kissed again, and they maneuvered over to the bed. Cole pulled off his shirt as they laid down, their lips locked together. "Oh Cole. . .I've missed you so much." Phoebe sounded breathless as he started kissing her neck. He responded by meeting her lips again as they both surrendered to the passion between them.
Sunlight streamed in the window the next morning as Cole opened his eyes sleepily. Phoebe was curled up next to him, and as he felt her stir he gently kissed the top of her head, causing her to smile. She snuggled closer to him as he wrapped his arms around her. Finally, he broke the silence. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you've still got plenty of fire in you."
Phoebe turned to give him a look, though it was obvious that she had enjoyed the experience as well. "You weren't so docile yourself, Mr. Ex- demon." The Charmed One looked at a clock near them, and sat up suddenly. "Uh-oh. I told Piper I'd be back at 10 last night. She's gonna kill me." Realizing that she had just put a damper on the moment, Phoebe turned to Cole again. "Why don't you join me for breakfast, since we didn't quite make it out to eat last night." Cole nodded, and the two of them kissed once more before getting dressed and heading to the Manor.
"Well, I'm glad you decided to join us Phoebe." Piper's accusing voice rang out from the kitchen as Phoebe and Cole tried unsuccessfully to sneak past. "I was just about ready to have Leo orb me over to Cole's and see just what you two were up too." Though the Piper was trying to sound serious, there was a definite tone of amusement to her voice.
Phoebe and Cole sat down at the table along with the rest of the household. Paige was feeding Wyatt a bottle, while Leo tickled his son's feet, causing more of the milk to get all over the bib than in Wyatt's mouth. Piper set down a few pancakes in front of the couple, while Paige rolled her eyes and Leo smiled knowingly.
Wyatt hiccupped, signaling that he was finished with his breakfast, and Paige burped him carefully. "All right, it's time for this little angel to have his nap; he decided it would be fun to get Mommy and Daddy up at five in the morning today." Piper made a face at Wyatt, who gurgled happily. Paige handed him over, and Piper started up the stairs with her baby. She turned off the lights in the bedroom and gently laid him in his crib. As she straightened, she heard a floorboard creak behind her, though everyone else was still downstairs. A hand reached out to touch her shoulder, scaring her half to death and causing her to let out a yell.
"Was that Piper?" The group downstairs heard the yell, and all of them shared a look. As one, they all ran up to the bedroom, to reveal Piper backing away from a shadowy figure.
Chapter 11: Earth Angel
"Prue, are you sure that you really want to do this?" The young man who spoke looked uncertain, his tone of voice concerned. He stood on the edge of a cloud, along with a woman who turned to face him. She had a strong chin, and steady eyes; this was a person who did not sway easily from her decisions once she made them.
"I'm positive. Andy, you know how badly I've wanted to see my sisters. I don't care what the Elders say; I wasn't ready to die, and I wasn't ready to leave them. Now I've finally got a chance to be a part of their lives again. I've got a chance to rejoin my family." The eldest Charmed One couldn't understand why Andy was doubting this.
"I thought I was part of your family." Andy's response was quiet. The two of them had grown close again over the years; closer than they had ever been on Earth. "I understand that you want to see them again, Prue. But you've got to understand that things have changed: they've changed. I don't want you to be hurt."
"No matter how much they've changed they're still my sisters Andy." Prue's tone of voice indicated that there would be no more arguments on that topic. Even in death, she retained her stubborn character.
With a sigh the young man stepped forward and the two of them embraced, sharing a deep kiss. "Come up and see me now and then, all right? Love you."
Prue nodded. "I love you too," and orbed away in a swirl of blue lights. _________________________________________________________________
Cole sat at the desk in his office, an empty coffee mug next to a stack of papers. He may have become a warlock a few days ago, but unfortunately, he still had to go to work. Phoebe had convinced him that he needed to have a job so that people didn't start asking questions; he had agreed with her. To her delight, he also informed her that he rather enjoyed being a lawyer 'the mortal way'; it gave him a sense of satisfaction to know that the case against the abusive husband was one that he had researched and built up on his own, without the use of mind control. The court date was coming up soon, and Cole was confident that he would win. He had asked Phoebe to be there so that she could see more proof that he had changed for the better.
He looked at his watch, and it read 5:45. He was supposed to meet Phoebe in the parking lot at six so they could go to a restaurant for dinner. Cole couldn't help smiling to himself; it was just like old times again, when their relationship had been in its prime. After the spell succeeded, Phoebe had been acting much more comfortable around him; he no longer got the feeling that she would bolt if he made a sudden move.
The warlock lawyer packed up his things and exited the building, aware that most of the other attorneys had gone home already. The streetlights had turned on, and the full moon had already risen high into the night sky. Phoebe's car pulled up next to the sidewalk, and Cole started to open the door when he felt the hairs on the back of his neck go up. Living in the Underworld and attaining a high position among its denizens required one to develop very good survival instincts; there were always demons ready to plunge a knife into your back if you let your guard down. Cole turned around quickly, and saw a demon conjuring up an energy ball. Before his opponent could release the deadly projectile, Cole threw a fireball at him. The demon was reduced to a pile of ashes in seconds, his screams echoing into the darkness.
Cole turned to face Phoebe again; he noticed that she was gripping the steering wheel rather tightly, and that her body language was tense. "Hey, are you all right? It was just a demon, nothing to worry about, and nothing I can't handle." He spoke in what he hoped was a soothing voice as he opened the door and sat down next to the Charmed One.
"I know Cole, it's just that seeing you throw fire again," Phoebe paused, looking away from Cole. "It reminds me of before, that's all. I'm sorry." Her tone was quiet, almost ashamed. After all, the spell had proven that she and Cole were meant to be together. Why couldn't she shake off her fear?
"This is going to take time, just like you said Phoebe. I can never forgive myself for what I did to you, but I've already promised to make it up. Are you going to be okay?" Cole looked concerned; he didn't like being reminded of his past any more than Phoebe did, but he couldn't help the fact that throwing fireballs could be considered a demonic skill.
"I'm fine; just a little shaken, that's all." Phoebe started driving again, and the two were silent until they were at the restaurant. Then Cole leaned over, pausing a moment to give her a chance to pull away if she wanted to; she didn't. She wrapped her arms around him as he kissed her, her fears dissipating as she remembered what it was like to have him so close to her, realizing that the only place she felt truly safe was when she was in his arms. When they pulled apart, she found herself saying, "Cole, let's skip dinner. . .and go to your place."
"You're sure about this Phoebe?" Cole's dark eyes looked into her own, eyes that she could tell were filled with desire, though he obviously didn't want to push her into anything.
"I'm sure." Not surprisingly, he didn't question her again. A few minutes later, they were stepping off the elevator into Cole's apartment. She and Cole kissed again, and they maneuvered over to the bed. Cole pulled off his shirt as they laid down, their lips locked together. "Oh Cole. . .I've missed you so much." Phoebe sounded breathless as he started kissing her neck. He responded by meeting her lips again as they both surrendered to the passion between them.
Sunlight streamed in the window the next morning as Cole opened his eyes sleepily. Phoebe was curled up next to him, and as he felt her stir he gently kissed the top of her head, causing her to smile. She snuggled closer to him as he wrapped his arms around her. Finally, he broke the silence. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you've still got plenty of fire in you."
Phoebe turned to give him a look, though it was obvious that she had enjoyed the experience as well. "You weren't so docile yourself, Mr. Ex- demon." The Charmed One looked at a clock near them, and sat up suddenly. "Uh-oh. I told Piper I'd be back at 10 last night. She's gonna kill me." Realizing that she had just put a damper on the moment, Phoebe turned to Cole again. "Why don't you join me for breakfast, since we didn't quite make it out to eat last night." Cole nodded, and the two of them kissed once more before getting dressed and heading to the Manor.
"Well, I'm glad you decided to join us Phoebe." Piper's accusing voice rang out from the kitchen as Phoebe and Cole tried unsuccessfully to sneak past. "I was just about ready to have Leo orb me over to Cole's and see just what you two were up too." Though the Piper was trying to sound serious, there was a definite tone of amusement to her voice.
Phoebe and Cole sat down at the table along with the rest of the household. Paige was feeding Wyatt a bottle, while Leo tickled his son's feet, causing more of the milk to get all over the bib than in Wyatt's mouth. Piper set down a few pancakes in front of the couple, while Paige rolled her eyes and Leo smiled knowingly.
Wyatt hiccupped, signaling that he was finished with his breakfast, and Paige burped him carefully. "All right, it's time for this little angel to have his nap; he decided it would be fun to get Mommy and Daddy up at five in the morning today." Piper made a face at Wyatt, who gurgled happily. Paige handed him over, and Piper started up the stairs with her baby. She turned off the lights in the bedroom and gently laid him in his crib. As she straightened, she heard a floorboard creak behind her, though everyone else was still downstairs. A hand reached out to touch her shoulder, scaring her half to death and causing her to let out a yell.
"Was that Piper?" The group downstairs heard the yell, and all of them shared a look. As one, they all ran up to the bedroom, to reveal Piper backing away from a shadowy figure.
