Chapter 5 - The morning after
Phoebe approached Jason's office. The door was closed and the lights off. She saw Diane, Jason's assistant. "Diane, what's his schedule today?"
"Oh, Phoebe, I guess I didn't expect you to be here today. Not after your dinner last night. He called in sick. I figured you were with him..." Phoebe left quietly.
She stood in front of his apartment door, an envelope in her hand. She knew he was in there, she felt him. His emotions were still wildly oscillating between incredulousness, confusion and worry. Maybe, she thought, she should not be here yet...
But, there was something else... She still felt his love. Maybe he didn't hate her. 'Maybe I should talk to him... Maybe I should just knock on this door...' Phoebe raised her hand to knock on the door. As she did, the door opened and she jumped back. There was Jason, standing in the doorway.
"It's about time you knocked... You've been standing there for about ten minutes." He backed away and motioned for her to enter.
"You don't look like you've slept much."
"I haven't even tried, Phoebe." His voice slurred as if he had been drinking. Phoebe looked around the room and saw evidence of that in the form of an almost empty bottle of Jack Daniels Single Barrel Vintage and a shot glass. Jason continued, "I guess I didn't want to sleep... thought I might have nightmares. I have some more questions Phoebe."
"I will answer anything."
Phoebe sat on the couch and Jason paced across the floor. "Phoebe, what you showed me last night... it scared me. I have never imagined that such things are true. Even as a child, I knew magic was setup and timing and not real. What you showed me really scared me. But, I was sitting here... about three a.m. this morning... and I remembered something that was said. You and your sisters are on the good side of this equation. That means there must be a bad side and, well, as these things go... the bad side must be infinitely scarier than what I saw. Am I right?"
"Well, yes... I guess... the bad side includes warlocks and demons, whose powers are physical and destructive. The faces of these creatures are sometimes very human. But then they turn. But... I think... they are usually more lethal in their human form. Because we may not know they are evil... Does this answer your question?"
Jason knelt in front of her. "Phoebe... you face this every day... does it scare you?"
"Well, yes... I guess... Jason, I have been doing this for over six years. During that time, I have learned and grown as a witch and as a person. I went to college and graduated. I've been married and divorced. I have lived a life other than being a witch."
"Did being a witch break up your marriage? Did he know you were a witch?"
"There were differences between us that could not be resolved. He knew I was a witch and I guess that is what broke us up. I had to make a choice between good and evil and the good side within me won out. He made a good effort, but the evil and obsession in him hampered that effort."
Phoebe looked into Jason's eyes. "Look, my marriage is a long story that does not need to be discussed here. I have lived a life while being a witch. I will continue to live my life... but I need to know if you will be a part of this life... my life."
Jason sat on the floor and supported his head with his hands.
"Jason, I know you don't hate me... which is what I feared would happen when I told you about me. I don't want to hurt you."
"Phoebe..."
"No... wait... I brought this to give to you. It's my letter of resignation."
Jason lifted his head and stared at the envelope Phoebe held out. He made no attempt to take it. "Why do you think I would want this?"
"Jason, after everything you have heard about me... you can't tell me you want to stay with me."
"Phoebe... that's personal... our professional life is completely separate. I have an empath working as my advice columnist. Why would I want to change that?"
Jason stood and started to pace again. Phoebe also stood. "Has it been? ...separate ...lately? ...since you have returned from Hong Kong? Has it been separate? I make up reasons to call you for meetings, rather than sit in the same room as you. Your emotions are so strong and I don't have full control over my empath power. Being next to you... hurts."
Jason looked at her and fought the urge to put his arms around her. "Phoebe... of all the questions and nightmares and musings that have gone through my head tonight, never once did I think that I could let you out of my life. I don't want to lose you Phoebe, not professionally, and definitely not personally.
The pair looks at each other. Each stunned by this admission. As if drawn together by gravity, they come together in a kiss. The kiss deepens with their shared emotions.
Jason suddenly held her away from him. "You said this empath power is new. How long have you had it...? I mean since I have returned from Hong Kong?"
"Well... since just before you returned. But not long before and I had very little control over it when you did return."
"When I returned, I know I missed you. But, whenever I saw you, when I was near you, I felt as if I had to touch you. Lust was not totally what I felt, but it was what won out over my other emotions. I wanted to tell you... but I didn't know how... then you kept pulling away... I was confused... I'm sorry."
"I pulled away because I wanted more than sex and that's all I sensed. Jason, I will try not to read into your emotions. I can control that better now. But I do need you to be honest with me. Still, sometimes it is difficult for me to distinguish between my feelings and those I feel from you, especially when they are so similar. Your feelings overwhelmed me when you first got back, that's why I pulled away."
Both looked at the other and sank into the couch, as if exhausted. Phoebe closed her eyes, but Jason continued to focus his attention on her. "Phoebe..." She opened her eyes and looked into his... "Where do we go from here?"
"A normal couple would take one day at a time." But it has been so long since I have been a part of a normal couple."
"Until last night, I thought we were a normal couple. Phoebe, I love you. I know that. Right now, I don't know what this means for our future, but I do know I want one. I think the only thing to do is live one day at a time."
Phoebe smiled at him. She kicked off her shoes and scooted over the couch, closer to him. He put his arm around her. "I think one day at a time starts today." She looks at him, touches his face and pulls him into a kiss.
~~ Fini ~~~
A/N - Hope you have enjoyed my story. This is my first "Charmed" fic, but I have a few others on this database. If you are interested, please check them out.
Maxie.
Phoebe approached Jason's office. The door was closed and the lights off. She saw Diane, Jason's assistant. "Diane, what's his schedule today?"
"Oh, Phoebe, I guess I didn't expect you to be here today. Not after your dinner last night. He called in sick. I figured you were with him..." Phoebe left quietly.
She stood in front of his apartment door, an envelope in her hand. She knew he was in there, she felt him. His emotions were still wildly oscillating between incredulousness, confusion and worry. Maybe, she thought, she should not be here yet...
But, there was something else... She still felt his love. Maybe he didn't hate her. 'Maybe I should talk to him... Maybe I should just knock on this door...' Phoebe raised her hand to knock on the door. As she did, the door opened and she jumped back. There was Jason, standing in the doorway.
"It's about time you knocked... You've been standing there for about ten minutes." He backed away and motioned for her to enter.
"You don't look like you've slept much."
"I haven't even tried, Phoebe." His voice slurred as if he had been drinking. Phoebe looked around the room and saw evidence of that in the form of an almost empty bottle of Jack Daniels Single Barrel Vintage and a shot glass. Jason continued, "I guess I didn't want to sleep... thought I might have nightmares. I have some more questions Phoebe."
"I will answer anything."
Phoebe sat on the couch and Jason paced across the floor. "Phoebe, what you showed me last night... it scared me. I have never imagined that such things are true. Even as a child, I knew magic was setup and timing and not real. What you showed me really scared me. But, I was sitting here... about three a.m. this morning... and I remembered something that was said. You and your sisters are on the good side of this equation. That means there must be a bad side and, well, as these things go... the bad side must be infinitely scarier than what I saw. Am I right?"
"Well, yes... I guess... the bad side includes warlocks and demons, whose powers are physical and destructive. The faces of these creatures are sometimes very human. But then they turn. But... I think... they are usually more lethal in their human form. Because we may not know they are evil... Does this answer your question?"
Jason knelt in front of her. "Phoebe... you face this every day... does it scare you?"
"Well, yes... I guess... Jason, I have been doing this for over six years. During that time, I have learned and grown as a witch and as a person. I went to college and graduated. I've been married and divorced. I have lived a life other than being a witch."
"Did being a witch break up your marriage? Did he know you were a witch?"
"There were differences between us that could not be resolved. He knew I was a witch and I guess that is what broke us up. I had to make a choice between good and evil and the good side within me won out. He made a good effort, but the evil and obsession in him hampered that effort."
Phoebe looked into Jason's eyes. "Look, my marriage is a long story that does not need to be discussed here. I have lived a life while being a witch. I will continue to live my life... but I need to know if you will be a part of this life... my life."
Jason sat on the floor and supported his head with his hands.
"Jason, I know you don't hate me... which is what I feared would happen when I told you about me. I don't want to hurt you."
"Phoebe..."
"No... wait... I brought this to give to you. It's my letter of resignation."
Jason lifted his head and stared at the envelope Phoebe held out. He made no attempt to take it. "Why do you think I would want this?"
"Jason, after everything you have heard about me... you can't tell me you want to stay with me."
"Phoebe... that's personal... our professional life is completely separate. I have an empath working as my advice columnist. Why would I want to change that?"
Jason stood and started to pace again. Phoebe also stood. "Has it been? ...separate ...lately? ...since you have returned from Hong Kong? Has it been separate? I make up reasons to call you for meetings, rather than sit in the same room as you. Your emotions are so strong and I don't have full control over my empath power. Being next to you... hurts."
Jason looked at her and fought the urge to put his arms around her. "Phoebe... of all the questions and nightmares and musings that have gone through my head tonight, never once did I think that I could let you out of my life. I don't want to lose you Phoebe, not professionally, and definitely not personally.
The pair looks at each other. Each stunned by this admission. As if drawn together by gravity, they come together in a kiss. The kiss deepens with their shared emotions.
Jason suddenly held her away from him. "You said this empath power is new. How long have you had it...? I mean since I have returned from Hong Kong?"
"Well... since just before you returned. But not long before and I had very little control over it when you did return."
"When I returned, I know I missed you. But, whenever I saw you, when I was near you, I felt as if I had to touch you. Lust was not totally what I felt, but it was what won out over my other emotions. I wanted to tell you... but I didn't know how... then you kept pulling away... I was confused... I'm sorry."
"I pulled away because I wanted more than sex and that's all I sensed. Jason, I will try not to read into your emotions. I can control that better now. But I do need you to be honest with me. Still, sometimes it is difficult for me to distinguish between my feelings and those I feel from you, especially when they are so similar. Your feelings overwhelmed me when you first got back, that's why I pulled away."
Both looked at the other and sank into the couch, as if exhausted. Phoebe closed her eyes, but Jason continued to focus his attention on her. "Phoebe..." She opened her eyes and looked into his... "Where do we go from here?"
"A normal couple would take one day at a time." But it has been so long since I have been a part of a normal couple."
"Until last night, I thought we were a normal couple. Phoebe, I love you. I know that. Right now, I don't know what this means for our future, but I do know I want one. I think the only thing to do is live one day at a time."
Phoebe smiled at him. She kicked off her shoes and scooted over the couch, closer to him. He put his arm around her. "I think one day at a time starts today." She looks at him, touches his face and pulls him into a kiss.
~~ Fini ~~~
A/N - Hope you have enjoyed my story. This is my first "Charmed" fic, but I have a few others on this database. If you are interested, please check them out.
Maxie.