Disclaimer: I don't own anyone, don't sue me.
A/N: This one took ages to come out. Sorry about that. Thanks to everyone who reviewed. Good to know you're actually reading!
* * * * *
As the sisters reappeared in the manor, Phoebe stumbled slightly. She was absolutely exhausted. But she felt that sleep wouldn't find her. Not tonight. She saw Cole standing over Grams, who was lying on the couch. She felt a lump form in her throat, as the tears threatened to flow once more. She felt a hand squeeze hers, and looked around to see Prue. She offered a feeble smile to her eldest sister.
"We'll have to call the police. Make up something." Prue said quietly.
"What could you say?" Cole asked, turning around.
Prue shook her head. "I don't know."
Silence followed, before Pipers sobs became heard. As Prue consoled her, Phoebe sat down on the armchair, she bent her head into her hands and closed her eyes. How could all this be happening? How could they possible get through this? A hand closed over hers, and she looked up to find Cole kneeling in front of her.
"You will make it through this." He whispered.
Phoebe shook her head slightly. "I don't know how. . ." She replied.
"I'm here." He said simply.
Phoebe once again shook her head. "No."
Cole frowned. "No?"
"You can't be." Phoebe said. She pulled her hand away from his. "I know this wasn't your fault. I meant what I said down there. But there's something that Piper said. . .if you hadn't helped Grams find her--"
"You blame me for this?" Cole asked, his worst fears realised.
Phoebe closed her eyes. "I don't know. I don't know what I think. . .or how I feel. Not anymore."
Cole's mouth opened slightly, but no words escaped. He wanted to be here for her. To try and make it better. But she was pushing him away. He stood up. "If you ever need me. . ." He didn't continue, instead he looked away. "I never meant for any of this--"
"I know." Phoebe interrupted. "I know."
Cole nodded slowly. "I will always love you." He said softly, before he shimmered away.
* * * * *
One week later. . .
Phoebe opened her eyes, squinting through the sunlight. Something was bothering her in the back of her mind. Then it hit her. Today was Grams' funeral. She rolled over in bed. She had been dreading it. Seeing everyone that Grams knew. People she had hardly talked to. People that had absolutely no idea what they were going through. She climbed out of bed and headed downstairs to the kitchen, where Piper and Prue were sitting in silence. They looked up as she entered.
"Morning." Phoebe said softly, before sitting down at the table. Conversation between them was minimal, but the silences they shared were anything but uncomfortable.
"Cole called again." Piper said.
"Oh." Was all Phoebe managed to say.
"So did Social Services." Piper added.
This caught Phoebe's attention. "What do they want?"
"They don't think we're capable of looking after ourselves." Prue said.
"But we are. . .we can. . ." Phoebe let out.
"There's a woman coming over after the funeral." Prue said, causing silence to once again overcome them.
"We should get ready." Piper said, breaking the silence.
* * * * *
Phoebe blew her nose silently as the coffin was lowered in the ground. She opened up her umbrella as rain poured down harder. As the service ended, people approached her and her sisters, offering them their condolences. Phoebe thanked them half-heartedly. As she turned around, her eyes fell on someone standing in the distance, leaning against a large oak tree, the rain falling freely over him, soaking his suit. She felt her heart rise slightly. A hand enclosed over hers.
"Talk to him." She heard Prue say, as her hand was released. Almost unconsciously her feet moved towards him. She lowered the umbrella as she reached him, letting the rain flow over her.
"I hoped you would come." She said.
"I didn't know if I should." Cole replied. "You didn't call me back."
Phoebe looked at her feet. "I didn't know what to say."
"Say you want me to help you through this. Say that even though you blame me, we can get past this." Cole said softly.
"I can't." Phoebe replied. Cole looked away, his heart slowly breaking. "Because I don't blame you." Cole looked back at her, confused.
"But you said--" He started.
"I was confused. I was searching for a reason that doesn't exist. I blamed the one person that I wanted with me. The one person that I need with me." Phoebe said, taking a step towards him.
Cole opened his arms, and felt an immense sense of relief overcome him as she leaned into him, her head resting on his chest. He wrapped him arms around her, his chin lying on top of her head. He let go of her with one hand, and took the umbrella she was holding. He opened it above them, smiling as the rain ceased to fall on them.
* * * * *
Sorry this chapter was so short. I'll try to do better next time! Just an epilogue to come though. Review and tell me what you thought.
A/N: This one took ages to come out. Sorry about that. Thanks to everyone who reviewed. Good to know you're actually reading!
* * * * *
As the sisters reappeared in the manor, Phoebe stumbled slightly. She was absolutely exhausted. But she felt that sleep wouldn't find her. Not tonight. She saw Cole standing over Grams, who was lying on the couch. She felt a lump form in her throat, as the tears threatened to flow once more. She felt a hand squeeze hers, and looked around to see Prue. She offered a feeble smile to her eldest sister.
"We'll have to call the police. Make up something." Prue said quietly.
"What could you say?" Cole asked, turning around.
Prue shook her head. "I don't know."
Silence followed, before Pipers sobs became heard. As Prue consoled her, Phoebe sat down on the armchair, she bent her head into her hands and closed her eyes. How could all this be happening? How could they possible get through this? A hand closed over hers, and she looked up to find Cole kneeling in front of her.
"You will make it through this." He whispered.
Phoebe shook her head slightly. "I don't know how. . ." She replied.
"I'm here." He said simply.
Phoebe once again shook her head. "No."
Cole frowned. "No?"
"You can't be." Phoebe said. She pulled her hand away from his. "I know this wasn't your fault. I meant what I said down there. But there's something that Piper said. . .if you hadn't helped Grams find her--"
"You blame me for this?" Cole asked, his worst fears realised.
Phoebe closed her eyes. "I don't know. I don't know what I think. . .or how I feel. Not anymore."
Cole's mouth opened slightly, but no words escaped. He wanted to be here for her. To try and make it better. But she was pushing him away. He stood up. "If you ever need me. . ." He didn't continue, instead he looked away. "I never meant for any of this--"
"I know." Phoebe interrupted. "I know."
Cole nodded slowly. "I will always love you." He said softly, before he shimmered away.
* * * * *
One week later. . .
Phoebe opened her eyes, squinting through the sunlight. Something was bothering her in the back of her mind. Then it hit her. Today was Grams' funeral. She rolled over in bed. She had been dreading it. Seeing everyone that Grams knew. People she had hardly talked to. People that had absolutely no idea what they were going through. She climbed out of bed and headed downstairs to the kitchen, where Piper and Prue were sitting in silence. They looked up as she entered.
"Morning." Phoebe said softly, before sitting down at the table. Conversation between them was minimal, but the silences they shared were anything but uncomfortable.
"Cole called again." Piper said.
"Oh." Was all Phoebe managed to say.
"So did Social Services." Piper added.
This caught Phoebe's attention. "What do they want?"
"They don't think we're capable of looking after ourselves." Prue said.
"But we are. . .we can. . ." Phoebe let out.
"There's a woman coming over after the funeral." Prue said, causing silence to once again overcome them.
"We should get ready." Piper said, breaking the silence.
* * * * *
Phoebe blew her nose silently as the coffin was lowered in the ground. She opened up her umbrella as rain poured down harder. As the service ended, people approached her and her sisters, offering them their condolences. Phoebe thanked them half-heartedly. As she turned around, her eyes fell on someone standing in the distance, leaning against a large oak tree, the rain falling freely over him, soaking his suit. She felt her heart rise slightly. A hand enclosed over hers.
"Talk to him." She heard Prue say, as her hand was released. Almost unconsciously her feet moved towards him. She lowered the umbrella as she reached him, letting the rain flow over her.
"I hoped you would come." She said.
"I didn't know if I should." Cole replied. "You didn't call me back."
Phoebe looked at her feet. "I didn't know what to say."
"Say you want me to help you through this. Say that even though you blame me, we can get past this." Cole said softly.
"I can't." Phoebe replied. Cole looked away, his heart slowly breaking. "Because I don't blame you." Cole looked back at her, confused.
"But you said--" He started.
"I was confused. I was searching for a reason that doesn't exist. I blamed the one person that I wanted with me. The one person that I need with me." Phoebe said, taking a step towards him.
Cole opened his arms, and felt an immense sense of relief overcome him as she leaned into him, her head resting on his chest. He wrapped him arms around her, his chin lying on top of her head. He let go of her with one hand, and took the umbrella she was holding. He opened it above them, smiling as the rain ceased to fall on them.
* * * * *
Sorry this chapter was so short. I'll try to do better next time! Just an epilogue to come though. Review and tell me what you thought.