Disclaimer: I don't own anyone, don't sue me.
A/N: Thank you for the reviews. I just watched the Season Final. It was okay I guess. But I think the previous season finals have been much better. I was wondering in the first half if that Ronan guy was going to have more of a storyline, but I've gotten rid of that idea.
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One week passed by since Cole had returned. His visits to the manor were much more common, so much so that Piper and Paige had even managed to greet him in a monotone when they saw him. Wade, much to everyone's surprise, already knew Cole was his father. When Phoebe sat him down one night to tell him the truth, Wade admitted he already knew. Whether it was the picture of Cole and Phoebe he had found in his mothers room, or some sought of unbound magic creeping through, he knew the truth. It took a huge amount of pressure off Phoebe's shoulders.
Sunday morning began with an extraordinarily bright dawn. Phoebe got ready for her lunch date with Brian and headed downstairs. It was the first day that Cole was taking out Wade without any outside supervision. And while there had been plenty of complaints from her sisters and Brian, she didn't say no when Cole had requested to take Wade to the park. Wade came running out of the kitchen, almost knocking over his mother.
"Whoa!" Phoebe exclaimed, trying to keep her balance. "What have I said about running in the house?"
"Morning mum." Wade said, ignoring Phoebe's question.
"Hmm. Morning sweetie." Phoebe replied, kissing her son on the forehead. "Are you ready?"
"Almost." Wade replied as the doorbell rang. He opened it to reveal Cole standing behind it.
"Hey, buddy." Cole said, which still managed to make Phoebe smile.
"Hi." Wade replied, his face brightening.
"Are you ready?" Cole asked, in a similar tone to Phoebe.
"Not yet. Gimme a minute." Wade replied, running up the stairs. Cole smiled and stepped over the threshold, closing the door behind him. His eyes fell on Phoebe.
"Hey." She said with a smile.
"Hey." He replied. "Going out for lunch?"
"Yeah, actually." Phoebe replied.
"Pity." Cole said with a forced frown. "I was hoping you would join Wade and I at the park."
"I'd love to, but--" Phoebe started.
"You already have plans." Cole finished. "Brian?" Phoebe smiled.
"How'd you guess?" She replied, feigning surprise. She jumped as her cell phone rang from inside her bag. "Sorry. . ." She mumbled to Cole as she fished it out and answered it. "Hello?"
"Hey. . ." Brian replied from the other line, almost guiltily. Phoebe held up a finger and turned to Cole.
"Give me a sec." She whispered.
"What?" Brian asked, confused.
"Nothing, not you. What's going on?" She asked.
"You're going to kill me." Brian replied, his guilty tone not lost on Phoebe.
"Let me guess, you can't make lunch?" Phoebe offered. Silence.
"I'm really sorry, Phoebe. They couldn't find anyone to cover for me. . .I really need to be here." Brian said, the words tumbling from his mouth.
"I guess there's nothing we can do about that. . ." Phoebe mumbled. "When will I see you again?"
"Tomorrow. Definitely." Brian replied.
"Hmm." Phoebe replied, as she watched Wade leaping down the stairs. "I guess I'll see you then."
"Okay. I really am sorry." Brian said.
"Hmm." Phoebe replied with a small smile.
"Love you." He said. Phoebe glanced at Cole.
"You too." She hung up the phone and placed it back in her bag, before looking up at Cole, who was gazing back at her. He gave her a half smile.
"What does that guy do anyway?" Cole asked. Phoebe smiled.
"He's a doctor." She said.
"Oh. Well that explains it." Cole said with a smirk. "You sure you don't want to tag along?" Phoebe sighed.
"This is the first time you're going to be alone with him. Why would you want me to tag along anyway?" She asked.
"Because it's obvious you're not comfortable with this." Cole said with a shrug. "Maybe it's because you don't trust me completely or your sisters are trying to persuade you against it, but you seem reluctant to let me take him. I figured, if you came along, we'd both be more comfortable."
Phoebe gave him a half smile. "Okay. I guess I'll come."
Cole returned her smiled willingly. "Great."
An hour later he collapsed onto the picnic rug they had spread over the lawn. Phoebe, who was lying next to him laughed out loud. "That child has so much energy, it's not funny." Cole exclaimed.
"Well, look who he has for parents." Phoebe replied, a smile still playing on her lips.
"That's true." Cole agreed, nodding slightly. Silence followed this remark, but it was by no means uncomfortable.
"Where did you go, Cole? After you left. . ." Phoebe finally asked. Cole used his arms to sit himself up as he turned to look at her.
"I went to New York for a while. . ." He said. "Left law and for some reason found myself in the FBI. After that, I just moved around a lot. I wasn't planning on coming back to San Francisco, though." He added with a small smile.
"But you did." Phoebe said, half questioning.
"I did." Cole said with a nod. "It wasn't willingly."
"Why not?" Phoebe asked. "I understand you not coming back after a couple of years, but--"
"You may not want to hear this Phoebe, but I never did get over you." Cole said, looking away. His eyes rested on his son on a climbing frame, metres away.
"Cole. . ." Phoebe began.
"I know, I know." Cole interrupted. "But I also know that if I don't say this, it'll eat away at me. I still love you." He held up his hand when Phoebe tried to speak. "Maybe it's because I didn't have closure. Maybe it's because I'm crazy. I don't know. And it doesn't matter either, because it doesn't change anything."
"Cole, don't do this again." Phoebe said, as she too sat up.
"I know--" Cole began.
"I'm with Brian now." Phoebe interrupted. Cole looked away. Phoebe saw him clench his teeth.
"I don't trust him." He finally said.
"You don't have to." Phoebe said, annoyance catching up with her. "This is my life."
"And that is my son. He hardly spends any time with you, or Wade." Cole said loudly, pointing at Wade. "How can I let you marry that--"
"I don't want to do this!" Phoebe said standing up.
"We have to d--" Cole said, quickly standing himself.
"Mum!" Wade shouted running over to them. Cole quickly stopped speaking. "Can we go home now? I'm bored." Phoebe looked at Cole somewhat sullenly.
"Sure, honey." She said to her son. "We'll go right now."
She didn't say a word to Cole as they packed the car and headed back to the manor. In fact, none of them spoke till Cole pulled into the driveway.
"Phoebe." Cole said as he stopped the car. "I need to say this."
Phoebe stopped, her hand on the door handle. She sighed. "Wade, go inside. Tell Aunty Piper or Aunty Paige that I'll be in soon."
"Okay." Wade said. He leaned over and hugged Cole goodbye. "Bye." He said opening the back door."
"Bye buddy." Cole replied as he watched Wade shut the door behind him and run up the manor steps. When he had disappeared into the house, Phoebe turned to face him.
"I'm listening." She said, glaring at him.
"I don't trust him." Cole said simply. Phoebe let out a laugh.
"You said that already." She said.
"I know. You don't seem to be listening to me." Cole replied with a frown.
"Okay. Why?" Phoebe asked, daring him to come up with a logical reason. Cole hesitated.
"Instinct." He finally said. Phoebe laughed again. Cole failed to see any humour in his words.
"Instinct?" She asked incredulously. "You know what it is Cole?" She asked. When he said nothing, she said, "You're jealous."
"Maybe." Cole said softly. Phoebe was shocked by this, it wasn't the reply she had expected. "I know it sounds a bit rich coming from me, but he doesn't seem--"
"Yeah, it does sound a bit rich coming from you. I thought maybe it was a good thing that you were back. Good for Wade. Now I'm not so sure." She opened the door.
"Phoebe, I just want--" Cole started.
"I know. To tell me that you don't trust the man I'm engaged to. Too bad no one warned me about that when I was engaged to you." She climbed out of the car and slammed the door behind her, not looking back as she walked up the steps and entered the manor.
* * * * *
Well? Feedback, if you can spare it.
A/N: Thank you for the reviews. I just watched the Season Final. It was okay I guess. But I think the previous season finals have been much better. I was wondering in the first half if that Ronan guy was going to have more of a storyline, but I've gotten rid of that idea.
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One week passed by since Cole had returned. His visits to the manor were much more common, so much so that Piper and Paige had even managed to greet him in a monotone when they saw him. Wade, much to everyone's surprise, already knew Cole was his father. When Phoebe sat him down one night to tell him the truth, Wade admitted he already knew. Whether it was the picture of Cole and Phoebe he had found in his mothers room, or some sought of unbound magic creeping through, he knew the truth. It took a huge amount of pressure off Phoebe's shoulders.
Sunday morning began with an extraordinarily bright dawn. Phoebe got ready for her lunch date with Brian and headed downstairs. It was the first day that Cole was taking out Wade without any outside supervision. And while there had been plenty of complaints from her sisters and Brian, she didn't say no when Cole had requested to take Wade to the park. Wade came running out of the kitchen, almost knocking over his mother.
"Whoa!" Phoebe exclaimed, trying to keep her balance. "What have I said about running in the house?"
"Morning mum." Wade said, ignoring Phoebe's question.
"Hmm. Morning sweetie." Phoebe replied, kissing her son on the forehead. "Are you ready?"
"Almost." Wade replied as the doorbell rang. He opened it to reveal Cole standing behind it.
"Hey, buddy." Cole said, which still managed to make Phoebe smile.
"Hi." Wade replied, his face brightening.
"Are you ready?" Cole asked, in a similar tone to Phoebe.
"Not yet. Gimme a minute." Wade replied, running up the stairs. Cole smiled and stepped over the threshold, closing the door behind him. His eyes fell on Phoebe.
"Hey." She said with a smile.
"Hey." He replied. "Going out for lunch?"
"Yeah, actually." Phoebe replied.
"Pity." Cole said with a forced frown. "I was hoping you would join Wade and I at the park."
"I'd love to, but--" Phoebe started.
"You already have plans." Cole finished. "Brian?" Phoebe smiled.
"How'd you guess?" She replied, feigning surprise. She jumped as her cell phone rang from inside her bag. "Sorry. . ." She mumbled to Cole as she fished it out and answered it. "Hello?"
"Hey. . ." Brian replied from the other line, almost guiltily. Phoebe held up a finger and turned to Cole.
"Give me a sec." She whispered.
"What?" Brian asked, confused.
"Nothing, not you. What's going on?" She asked.
"You're going to kill me." Brian replied, his guilty tone not lost on Phoebe.
"Let me guess, you can't make lunch?" Phoebe offered. Silence.
"I'm really sorry, Phoebe. They couldn't find anyone to cover for me. . .I really need to be here." Brian said, the words tumbling from his mouth.
"I guess there's nothing we can do about that. . ." Phoebe mumbled. "When will I see you again?"
"Tomorrow. Definitely." Brian replied.
"Hmm." Phoebe replied, as she watched Wade leaping down the stairs. "I guess I'll see you then."
"Okay. I really am sorry." Brian said.
"Hmm." Phoebe replied with a small smile.
"Love you." He said. Phoebe glanced at Cole.
"You too." She hung up the phone and placed it back in her bag, before looking up at Cole, who was gazing back at her. He gave her a half smile.
"What does that guy do anyway?" Cole asked. Phoebe smiled.
"He's a doctor." She said.
"Oh. Well that explains it." Cole said with a smirk. "You sure you don't want to tag along?" Phoebe sighed.
"This is the first time you're going to be alone with him. Why would you want me to tag along anyway?" She asked.
"Because it's obvious you're not comfortable with this." Cole said with a shrug. "Maybe it's because you don't trust me completely or your sisters are trying to persuade you against it, but you seem reluctant to let me take him. I figured, if you came along, we'd both be more comfortable."
Phoebe gave him a half smile. "Okay. I guess I'll come."
Cole returned her smiled willingly. "Great."
An hour later he collapsed onto the picnic rug they had spread over the lawn. Phoebe, who was lying next to him laughed out loud. "That child has so much energy, it's not funny." Cole exclaimed.
"Well, look who he has for parents." Phoebe replied, a smile still playing on her lips.
"That's true." Cole agreed, nodding slightly. Silence followed this remark, but it was by no means uncomfortable.
"Where did you go, Cole? After you left. . ." Phoebe finally asked. Cole used his arms to sit himself up as he turned to look at her.
"I went to New York for a while. . ." He said. "Left law and for some reason found myself in the FBI. After that, I just moved around a lot. I wasn't planning on coming back to San Francisco, though." He added with a small smile.
"But you did." Phoebe said, half questioning.
"I did." Cole said with a nod. "It wasn't willingly."
"Why not?" Phoebe asked. "I understand you not coming back after a couple of years, but--"
"You may not want to hear this Phoebe, but I never did get over you." Cole said, looking away. His eyes rested on his son on a climbing frame, metres away.
"Cole. . ." Phoebe began.
"I know, I know." Cole interrupted. "But I also know that if I don't say this, it'll eat away at me. I still love you." He held up his hand when Phoebe tried to speak. "Maybe it's because I didn't have closure. Maybe it's because I'm crazy. I don't know. And it doesn't matter either, because it doesn't change anything."
"Cole, don't do this again." Phoebe said, as she too sat up.
"I know--" Cole began.
"I'm with Brian now." Phoebe interrupted. Cole looked away. Phoebe saw him clench his teeth.
"I don't trust him." He finally said.
"You don't have to." Phoebe said, annoyance catching up with her. "This is my life."
"And that is my son. He hardly spends any time with you, or Wade." Cole said loudly, pointing at Wade. "How can I let you marry that--"
"I don't want to do this!" Phoebe said standing up.
"We have to d--" Cole said, quickly standing himself.
"Mum!" Wade shouted running over to them. Cole quickly stopped speaking. "Can we go home now? I'm bored." Phoebe looked at Cole somewhat sullenly.
"Sure, honey." She said to her son. "We'll go right now."
She didn't say a word to Cole as they packed the car and headed back to the manor. In fact, none of them spoke till Cole pulled into the driveway.
"Phoebe." Cole said as he stopped the car. "I need to say this."
Phoebe stopped, her hand on the door handle. She sighed. "Wade, go inside. Tell Aunty Piper or Aunty Paige that I'll be in soon."
"Okay." Wade said. He leaned over and hugged Cole goodbye. "Bye." He said opening the back door."
"Bye buddy." Cole replied as he watched Wade shut the door behind him and run up the manor steps. When he had disappeared into the house, Phoebe turned to face him.
"I'm listening." She said, glaring at him.
"I don't trust him." Cole said simply. Phoebe let out a laugh.
"You said that already." She said.
"I know. You don't seem to be listening to me." Cole replied with a frown.
"Okay. Why?" Phoebe asked, daring him to come up with a logical reason. Cole hesitated.
"Instinct." He finally said. Phoebe laughed again. Cole failed to see any humour in his words.
"Instinct?" She asked incredulously. "You know what it is Cole?" She asked. When he said nothing, she said, "You're jealous."
"Maybe." Cole said softly. Phoebe was shocked by this, it wasn't the reply she had expected. "I know it sounds a bit rich coming from me, but he doesn't seem--"
"Yeah, it does sound a bit rich coming from you. I thought maybe it was a good thing that you were back. Good for Wade. Now I'm not so sure." She opened the door.
"Phoebe, I just want--" Cole started.
"I know. To tell me that you don't trust the man I'm engaged to. Too bad no one warned me about that when I was engaged to you." She climbed out of the car and slammed the door behind her, not looking back as she walked up the steps and entered the manor.
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Well? Feedback, if you can spare it.
