From All Sides
Pillow Talk
Chapter Seven
John growled his satisfaction as Prue ran her foot up his leg. She was also gently tugging on his ear with her teeth. "Have you forgiven me yet master buff bottom?" she inquired. "I'm still considering the answer to that question," John told her with mock seriousness. I think I might need a bit more convincing. I was horribly worried after all. "You are incorrigible not to mention insatiable," Prue said biting him lightly.
"Is that a complaint? Funny because I could have sworn I heard you say during that last oh so special moment that not only did I make the earth move but every planet in the known universe too," John said with a huge smirk on his face. Prue lowered her eyes coquettishly. "You must have been dreaming," she said teasingly. "Well if I am, don't ever wake me up," he said with all trace of playfulness suddenly vanishing from his tone. His arms wrapped around her as if he couldn't hold her close enough.
"Don't get that troubled, sad look in your eyes," Prue pleaded. "I can't help it," John admitted honestly. "Prue, I loved my mother with all my heart but in the end that wasn't enough to protect her from my father. I couldn't even prove that he was responsible for the so -called accident that killed her. So I built a virtual moat around myself because part of me thought that if I could only keep people at a safe distance, maybe I wouldn't have to bear the burden of letting anyone down that much again."
"John, you didn't let your mother down. Your father was part of a damn mob with virtually a whole army dedicated to covering his ass. There is no way one man not even one who is as brave and skillful as you are could have been expected to take him down. Your mother wouldn't have wanted you to blame yourself for what happened to her and you know that."
"I know that intellectually honey but emotionally I don't think I will ever really be able to let go of the guilt and now there is you. All you had to do was take my hand in yours and look into my eyes and the moat crumbled as if it had never existed. If anything were to ever happen to you, I don't think I could stand it." As much as he tried to fight it, John could feel moisture welling up in his tear ducts.
"Nothing is going to happen to me! I'm too stubborn a witch. You don't have to just take my word for it either. I've already been down for the count once but I bounced right back. It's like that song. "I get knocked down but I get up again, no one is ever going to make me fall."
"Are you trying to tell me you're a weeble as well as a witch?" he asked managing a chuckle. "Oh, I love weebles. Weebles wobble but they don't fall down. Yep that is definitely me. Besides it's better to be a weeble than a Woogy," Prue said with the gleam of girlish memories in her eyes. "Is a Woogy anything like the boogie man?" John asked finally starting to relax again. He kept one arm around his wife and placed the other behind his own head on the pillow. "Sort of," she confirmed. "What ever you do just don't bring the subject up around Phoebe, she was possessed by one once. And should the topic of Wendigos ever come up around Piper, run for the hills." "Is there anyone in this family who hasn't been possessed?" John asked.
Prue laughed. "Sure doesn't seem like it. Cole holds the record though I think. Let's see there was Belthazor of course, and then the demon of anger, and then he and Phoebe were both possessed by two Bonnie and Clyde type ghosts named Frankie and LuLu. But I wasn't there for that. I only know what Phoebe told me about that whole episode when she was recounting her acceptance of one of Cole's proposals."
"He proposed more than once?" "Yes so I'm led to understand. I would have never guessed it from first impressions but beneath your brother's skin beats the heart of a true romantic." "Would you answer a question honestly for me?" John asked. A mischievous grin lit up his wife's face. "I think I know what it is and I can truthfully say that based upon further observation and study your behind is definitely not identical to his. Yours is much, much tighter and cuter."
"Why thank you," John replied, "but that wasn't what I was going to ask. All kidding aside have you finally really accepted Cole not just because he's your brother-in-law twice over but also because you truly like and accept him now? I only ask because it still seems as if you like to give him a harder time than the rest of us." John listened intently for her answer because he wanted the two most important people in his life to accept each other at least on some level.
"John, I know it may not always seem like it but I really have come to love and appreciate Cole on his own merit. How could I not? How can I explain this? I was always the de-facto leader of the Charmed circle. You knew that. You also know how important taking care of Piper and Phoebe has always been to me. That was a role that meant everything to me even if there were those times that I cracked a little under the responsibility of it."
"Mom once told us that Piper was the heart of this family and that Phoebe was the bearer of its deepest feelings. There is no denying either one of those statements. 'They are both such incredibly intelligent, beautiful, and strong women. I'm proud of them and always will be but the truth is when Shax took me away from them, neither one of them had the preparation to lead the family. To be honest I never gave them the chance to learn and god- bless Leo, I love him dearly, but there is no way a pacifist could ever handle taking charge of headstrong Halliwells. They needed someone to give the tough talks when they needed them, someone to come up with the strategies to keep them safe, and Cole filled that void.
I think a part of me was jealous of that in a way. I'm just vain enough to have hoped that I could never be replaced. I think that feeling started even before I went away. In a way Phoebe was like my baby and I wanted to be the one to guide her to maturity and instead in stepped Cole.
Then of course there is the fact that Cole and I are both technically first borns with all the issues that come with that. We both like to be in control and that is always going to cause some head butting. We also are both very suspicious by nature, we've had to be to survive. Not to mention we both have very healthy egos and wits and dueling with each other kind of helps keep those aspects of ourselves sharp in a way. Besides I don't think he'd ever know what to make of it, if I stopped picking on him. He'd think the literal end of the world was coming."
"So basically what you're saying is that you and my twin are as identical in attitude as he and I are in looks," John interrupted with a smile. "All right I admit it but if you ever breathe a hint of that to him, you will walk with a limp for weeks. But to answer your original question, I have completely absolved Cole, and yes I do love him and respect him for his own merit."
"Now kiss me again and then let's get our rears in gear and go help look for Paige." "Paige, oh yeah right. I almost completely forgot about your demented baby sister." "Don't ever call her that," Prue admonished. As far as I'm concerned that is always reserved for Phoebe no matter how old and wise she becomes." "So noted from now on when referring to Paige, I will use the term you used when you first told me about her existence. What was it now, bratty bitch daughter of a black guard bastard?" John recounted. "You got it sweet cheeks," she said giving him a pinch on the same.
Pillow Talk
Chapter Seven
John growled his satisfaction as Prue ran her foot up his leg. She was also gently tugging on his ear with her teeth. "Have you forgiven me yet master buff bottom?" she inquired. "I'm still considering the answer to that question," John told her with mock seriousness. I think I might need a bit more convincing. I was horribly worried after all. "You are incorrigible not to mention insatiable," Prue said biting him lightly.
"Is that a complaint? Funny because I could have sworn I heard you say during that last oh so special moment that not only did I make the earth move but every planet in the known universe too," John said with a huge smirk on his face. Prue lowered her eyes coquettishly. "You must have been dreaming," she said teasingly. "Well if I am, don't ever wake me up," he said with all trace of playfulness suddenly vanishing from his tone. His arms wrapped around her as if he couldn't hold her close enough.
"Don't get that troubled, sad look in your eyes," Prue pleaded. "I can't help it," John admitted honestly. "Prue, I loved my mother with all my heart but in the end that wasn't enough to protect her from my father. I couldn't even prove that he was responsible for the so -called accident that killed her. So I built a virtual moat around myself because part of me thought that if I could only keep people at a safe distance, maybe I wouldn't have to bear the burden of letting anyone down that much again."
"John, you didn't let your mother down. Your father was part of a damn mob with virtually a whole army dedicated to covering his ass. There is no way one man not even one who is as brave and skillful as you are could have been expected to take him down. Your mother wouldn't have wanted you to blame yourself for what happened to her and you know that."
"I know that intellectually honey but emotionally I don't think I will ever really be able to let go of the guilt and now there is you. All you had to do was take my hand in yours and look into my eyes and the moat crumbled as if it had never existed. If anything were to ever happen to you, I don't think I could stand it." As much as he tried to fight it, John could feel moisture welling up in his tear ducts.
"Nothing is going to happen to me! I'm too stubborn a witch. You don't have to just take my word for it either. I've already been down for the count once but I bounced right back. It's like that song. "I get knocked down but I get up again, no one is ever going to make me fall."
"Are you trying to tell me you're a weeble as well as a witch?" he asked managing a chuckle. "Oh, I love weebles. Weebles wobble but they don't fall down. Yep that is definitely me. Besides it's better to be a weeble than a Woogy," Prue said with the gleam of girlish memories in her eyes. "Is a Woogy anything like the boogie man?" John asked finally starting to relax again. He kept one arm around his wife and placed the other behind his own head on the pillow. "Sort of," she confirmed. "What ever you do just don't bring the subject up around Phoebe, she was possessed by one once. And should the topic of Wendigos ever come up around Piper, run for the hills." "Is there anyone in this family who hasn't been possessed?" John asked.
Prue laughed. "Sure doesn't seem like it. Cole holds the record though I think. Let's see there was Belthazor of course, and then the demon of anger, and then he and Phoebe were both possessed by two Bonnie and Clyde type ghosts named Frankie and LuLu. But I wasn't there for that. I only know what Phoebe told me about that whole episode when she was recounting her acceptance of one of Cole's proposals."
"He proposed more than once?" "Yes so I'm led to understand. I would have never guessed it from first impressions but beneath your brother's skin beats the heart of a true romantic." "Would you answer a question honestly for me?" John asked. A mischievous grin lit up his wife's face. "I think I know what it is and I can truthfully say that based upon further observation and study your behind is definitely not identical to his. Yours is much, much tighter and cuter."
"Why thank you," John replied, "but that wasn't what I was going to ask. All kidding aside have you finally really accepted Cole not just because he's your brother-in-law twice over but also because you truly like and accept him now? I only ask because it still seems as if you like to give him a harder time than the rest of us." John listened intently for her answer because he wanted the two most important people in his life to accept each other at least on some level.
"John, I know it may not always seem like it but I really have come to love and appreciate Cole on his own merit. How could I not? How can I explain this? I was always the de-facto leader of the Charmed circle. You knew that. You also know how important taking care of Piper and Phoebe has always been to me. That was a role that meant everything to me even if there were those times that I cracked a little under the responsibility of it."
"Mom once told us that Piper was the heart of this family and that Phoebe was the bearer of its deepest feelings. There is no denying either one of those statements. 'They are both such incredibly intelligent, beautiful, and strong women. I'm proud of them and always will be but the truth is when Shax took me away from them, neither one of them had the preparation to lead the family. To be honest I never gave them the chance to learn and god- bless Leo, I love him dearly, but there is no way a pacifist could ever handle taking charge of headstrong Halliwells. They needed someone to give the tough talks when they needed them, someone to come up with the strategies to keep them safe, and Cole filled that void.
I think a part of me was jealous of that in a way. I'm just vain enough to have hoped that I could never be replaced. I think that feeling started even before I went away. In a way Phoebe was like my baby and I wanted to be the one to guide her to maturity and instead in stepped Cole.
Then of course there is the fact that Cole and I are both technically first borns with all the issues that come with that. We both like to be in control and that is always going to cause some head butting. We also are both very suspicious by nature, we've had to be to survive. Not to mention we both have very healthy egos and wits and dueling with each other kind of helps keep those aspects of ourselves sharp in a way. Besides I don't think he'd ever know what to make of it, if I stopped picking on him. He'd think the literal end of the world was coming."
"So basically what you're saying is that you and my twin are as identical in attitude as he and I are in looks," John interrupted with a smile. "All right I admit it but if you ever breathe a hint of that to him, you will walk with a limp for weeks. But to answer your original question, I have completely absolved Cole, and yes I do love him and respect him for his own merit."
"Now kiss me again and then let's get our rears in gear and go help look for Paige." "Paige, oh yeah right. I almost completely forgot about your demented baby sister." "Don't ever call her that," Prue admonished. As far as I'm concerned that is always reserved for Phoebe no matter how old and wise she becomes." "So noted from now on when referring to Paige, I will use the term you used when you first told me about her existence. What was it now, bratty bitch daughter of a black guard bastard?" John recounted. "You got it sweet cheeks," she said giving him a pinch on the same.
