Disclaimer: I don't own anyone, don't sue me.
A/N: Wow, thanks for all the reviews. Hope I manage to keep all of you interested. I wasn't sure what was outside of Cole's apartment. . .like where the lift ended up. I was sure you couldn't just get in the elevator and walk the penthouse, so I just created a lower floor and doorman. . .a bit dodgy, right?
* * * * *
Phoebe entered the manor after her walk and headed to the kitchen. Not expecting anyone to be awake yet, she was surprised to see Piper leaning against the counter.
"Morning." Phoebe greeted her. "I didn't expect anyone else to be awake."
"Couldn't sleep." Piper explained. Phoebe realised that this was because of Leo's lack of existence in their lives now, but she chose not to pursue the matter, as Piper didn't show any signs of wanting to talk about it.
"Me neither." She said, pouring herself a cup of coffee.
"More Cole dreams?" Piper asked.
"It was weird, Piper. It wasn't like a dream. . .it was more like a premonition." Phoebe explained, sipping her coffee thoughtfully.
"But that's not possible. I mean, Cole's. . .gone." Piper said, her brow furrowed slightly.
"I know. . .I know." Phoebe said. "But what if he's not. . .what if we just think he is?"
"Phoebe, come on." Piper said, shaking her head. "It was most likely just a dream that you had. There's probably no truth in it at all."
"It was so real." Phoebe whispered. She placed her mug back on the counter.
"Dreams can be sometimes." Piper said. Phoebe glanced at her sister, wondering if she should forget about the dream.
"Maybe you're right." Phoebe said. She left Piper in the kitchen, and headed back to her room. She quietly opened the door, not wanting to wake up Jason. But when she entered, she found her bed empty. A note sat on her dresser. She walked forward and picked it up.
"Had to go, see you at work. Love you."
She placed the note back on the dresser and headed to her closet to find some clothes. She stepped on something small and round. Bending over she picked it up, confused. How did her wedding band from her marriage with Cole get here? She sure she had put it in her dresser. . .a long time ago. She crossed the room and opened the top drawer, before digging in the back of it. She eventually pulled out a small bag and tipped it out. Empty. Phoebe clenched her teeth. She had to find out what was going on. But first, she had to get to work.
* * * * *
Phoebe tapped her fingers impatiently on her desk and looked at her watch. She was finding it impossible to concentrate. And there was still another hour to go. She glanced at her watch again. Her fingers stopped tapping for a moment as she thought. Glancing at the practically blank page on her computer, she typed a quick, low standard paragraph. She printed it quickly and got to her feet, exiting her office in a rush. She passed the editorial tray and dropped the sheet into it, before heading to the lifts.
"Hey!" A voice called out to her. She grimaced.
"Hey. . .Jason." She said, turning around.
"Where are you going?" He asked, having noticed her attempt to leave the building.
"Dinner. . ." Phoebe thought up quickly. "With the sisters. A really early dinner." She added hastily.
"Oh, alright. But I'll see you tomorrow, right?" He asked, giving a wry smile that usually made her go bubbly, but that now made her irritable.
"Sure. But I really have to go." She pummelled the elevator button, and stepped onto the shaft as soon as the doors opened. She plastered a grin on her face. "See you." She said, her smile disappearing as the doors closed.
* * * * *
As Phoebe walked into the familiar building, she paused. Maybe it was just a dream and not a premonition at all. Maybe she didn't have to be in Cole's old penthouse hoping to be hit with a premonition. But she had to know for sure. She walked up to the front desk.
"Miss Halliwell!" The man behind the counter exclaimed with a smile.
"Joel, how are you?" Phoebe said, returning his smile.
"I'm good, I'm good. I didn't think I'd see you after. . .well, you know." He said, somewhat awkwardly.
"Yeah." Phoebe replied. "I actually wanted to see if someone had taken the penthouse."
"Well, it's been a long time, someone was bound to take it. It's a nice place." Joel explained.
"Right, that's what I thought." Phoebe said disappointed. What did she expect? To just walk in and get a premonition? 'Well. . .yeah.' A voice in her head said.
"Actually, the owners have already put the place up for sale again." Joel said, surprising Phoebe. "I think they're expecting prospective buyers today."
"Is that right?" Phoebe said, hardly believing her luck. "I can just go up then?"
"Yeah, hang on, I'll just give you one of these. . ." He bent over and pulled out a folder from behind the counter. He handed it to her and Phoebe glanced at it. It was a brochure about house buying.
"Thanks, Joel." Phoebe said, as the headed to the elevators.
"No problem!" He shouted behind her. Phoebe pressed the 'up' button and climbed into the lift once the doors had slid open. She waited patiently, wondering what she could say to the owners. When the doors opened she stepped out of the elevator and looked around the very familiar lounge room. There were some big changes - the furniture, the curtains. There was some hideous paintings lining the walls, and some very weird shaped lamps placed all over the room.
"Hello, you're here to see the apartment?" A voice said. Phoebe turned to see a middle aged man standing in the doorway to the balcony.
"Yeah." Phoebe replied, lying through her teeth. "Phoebe Halliwell." She said, holding out her hand. He shook it and gave her his name, which she hardly paid attention to. He started to give her the rehearsed tour, and Phoebe made a few noises in an attempt to make him think she was listening. In truth, she was touching anything she could in an attempt to have a premonition. She realised how hard this would be, now that Cole had been practically washed out of the apartment. There was almost nothing left from his time here.
". . .you might have to give these walls a coat of paint, though. They haven't been spruced up since before we bought the place. . ." Phoebe gave a grunt of acknowledgement, before pausing. The walls, they were here when Cole was. She inched her way over to the wall and placed both her hands flat on it, and she was immediately thrown into a premonition.
She was back in the penthouse, but it was different. It was how it looked in Cole's time. The silence was abruptly broken by a cry of pain as Cole emerged from nowhere, flames engulfing him. The flames disappeared, leaving Cole kneeling on the ground, his hands shaking. Phoebe wondered what was going on, when did this happen? But it wasn't as though she had paid much attention to Cole's life. Cole looked up, glancing around the penthouse. He looked more confused than she did. Phoebe jumped as someone else materialised into the room, cloaked in black. Cole noticed him and stood up.
"What happened?" He asked. "How am I here?"
"I brought you here." The man said after a moment.
"But I was vanquished, I felt the flames. . .the pain." Cole said, as though remembering something he would prefer not to.
"I made you feel the pain. Made you feel something you don't need to feel. . .if you join us." He said. Cole looked at the man for a moment.
"No." He said simply.
"I changed realities to make you see that she doesn't love you. You know that now." The man said, and Phoebe was hit with the realisation of what was going on. This must have been before her and her sisters had come here to bid Cole farewell. . .on his birthday.
"I do." Cole said. "But I don't want this anymore. I don't want this power. . .these memories. . .of her." His hands clasped his head as though in pain. "I don't want to be an Avatar." He added.
"You will regret it." The man said simply.
"I don't really care." Cole said. The stared at each other for a moment, before the man disappeared in a wave of darkness. Phoebe watched as Cole waited a moment, before heading to the bedroom. Moments later he emerged holding a bag, his other hand clenched over something small. He placed the bag on the couch and walked onto the balcony. Phoebe followed him. She walked around and saw him open his unclenched fist, to reveal the wedding band he had worn when he had married her. "You're free now." He whispered. He threw the ring as far as he could, watched it disappear into the darkness, before he walked back into the penthouse. He grabbed his bag, and with one last look around the penthouse, shimmered out. Phoebe expected the premonition to end here, but instead she felt herself drawn to the ring, and as though she were flying behind it, she saw it falling, almost in slow motion. Finally it hit the concrete walkway on the other side of the road. The foot of a pedestrian came down on it, wedging it down into a crack on the walkway.
Phoebe opened her eyes, a breath escaping her lips.
"Miss? Are you okay?" The owner of the penthouse was staring at her as if she was crazy. Phoebe stared at him for a moment.
"I'm sorry, I have to go." Phoebe said quickly, hurriedly exiting the room and climbing onto the elevator. She quickly stepped off it as it reached the ground floor and waved awkwardly at Joel, before rushing out of the building before he could stop her. The premonition was fresh in her mind, she didn't want to forget it. She stopped on one side of the road, waiting for the traffic to pass. As soon as it did, she jogged across it. She looked up as she hurried down the walkway, her eyes found the balcony many stories above. Finally, she stopped. Was this where it had landed? Ignoring the strange looks from passers-by, she bent over on her knees and began to crawl, her eyes straining to find it. A glint in the sun caught her eye, and her mouth fell open. Using a small stick lying nearby, she wrenched the ring out of the crack in the concrete. She collapsed, her feet curled underneath her. So it was true. Cole wasn't dead.
* * * * *
Queue drum beat. Reviews?
A/N: Wow, thanks for all the reviews. Hope I manage to keep all of you interested. I wasn't sure what was outside of Cole's apartment. . .like where the lift ended up. I was sure you couldn't just get in the elevator and walk the penthouse, so I just created a lower floor and doorman. . .a bit dodgy, right?
* * * * *
Phoebe entered the manor after her walk and headed to the kitchen. Not expecting anyone to be awake yet, she was surprised to see Piper leaning against the counter.
"Morning." Phoebe greeted her. "I didn't expect anyone else to be awake."
"Couldn't sleep." Piper explained. Phoebe realised that this was because of Leo's lack of existence in their lives now, but she chose not to pursue the matter, as Piper didn't show any signs of wanting to talk about it.
"Me neither." She said, pouring herself a cup of coffee.
"More Cole dreams?" Piper asked.
"It was weird, Piper. It wasn't like a dream. . .it was more like a premonition." Phoebe explained, sipping her coffee thoughtfully.
"But that's not possible. I mean, Cole's. . .gone." Piper said, her brow furrowed slightly.
"I know. . .I know." Phoebe said. "But what if he's not. . .what if we just think he is?"
"Phoebe, come on." Piper said, shaking her head. "It was most likely just a dream that you had. There's probably no truth in it at all."
"It was so real." Phoebe whispered. She placed her mug back on the counter.
"Dreams can be sometimes." Piper said. Phoebe glanced at her sister, wondering if she should forget about the dream.
"Maybe you're right." Phoebe said. She left Piper in the kitchen, and headed back to her room. She quietly opened the door, not wanting to wake up Jason. But when she entered, she found her bed empty. A note sat on her dresser. She walked forward and picked it up.
"Had to go, see you at work. Love you."
She placed the note back on the dresser and headed to her closet to find some clothes. She stepped on something small and round. Bending over she picked it up, confused. How did her wedding band from her marriage with Cole get here? She sure she had put it in her dresser. . .a long time ago. She crossed the room and opened the top drawer, before digging in the back of it. She eventually pulled out a small bag and tipped it out. Empty. Phoebe clenched her teeth. She had to find out what was going on. But first, she had to get to work.
* * * * *
Phoebe tapped her fingers impatiently on her desk and looked at her watch. She was finding it impossible to concentrate. And there was still another hour to go. She glanced at her watch again. Her fingers stopped tapping for a moment as she thought. Glancing at the practically blank page on her computer, she typed a quick, low standard paragraph. She printed it quickly and got to her feet, exiting her office in a rush. She passed the editorial tray and dropped the sheet into it, before heading to the lifts.
"Hey!" A voice called out to her. She grimaced.
"Hey. . .Jason." She said, turning around.
"Where are you going?" He asked, having noticed her attempt to leave the building.
"Dinner. . ." Phoebe thought up quickly. "With the sisters. A really early dinner." She added hastily.
"Oh, alright. But I'll see you tomorrow, right?" He asked, giving a wry smile that usually made her go bubbly, but that now made her irritable.
"Sure. But I really have to go." She pummelled the elevator button, and stepped onto the shaft as soon as the doors opened. She plastered a grin on her face. "See you." She said, her smile disappearing as the doors closed.
* * * * *
As Phoebe walked into the familiar building, she paused. Maybe it was just a dream and not a premonition at all. Maybe she didn't have to be in Cole's old penthouse hoping to be hit with a premonition. But she had to know for sure. She walked up to the front desk.
"Miss Halliwell!" The man behind the counter exclaimed with a smile.
"Joel, how are you?" Phoebe said, returning his smile.
"I'm good, I'm good. I didn't think I'd see you after. . .well, you know." He said, somewhat awkwardly.
"Yeah." Phoebe replied. "I actually wanted to see if someone had taken the penthouse."
"Well, it's been a long time, someone was bound to take it. It's a nice place." Joel explained.
"Right, that's what I thought." Phoebe said disappointed. What did she expect? To just walk in and get a premonition? 'Well. . .yeah.' A voice in her head said.
"Actually, the owners have already put the place up for sale again." Joel said, surprising Phoebe. "I think they're expecting prospective buyers today."
"Is that right?" Phoebe said, hardly believing her luck. "I can just go up then?"
"Yeah, hang on, I'll just give you one of these. . ." He bent over and pulled out a folder from behind the counter. He handed it to her and Phoebe glanced at it. It was a brochure about house buying.
"Thanks, Joel." Phoebe said, as the headed to the elevators.
"No problem!" He shouted behind her. Phoebe pressed the 'up' button and climbed into the lift once the doors had slid open. She waited patiently, wondering what she could say to the owners. When the doors opened she stepped out of the elevator and looked around the very familiar lounge room. There were some big changes - the furniture, the curtains. There was some hideous paintings lining the walls, and some very weird shaped lamps placed all over the room.
"Hello, you're here to see the apartment?" A voice said. Phoebe turned to see a middle aged man standing in the doorway to the balcony.
"Yeah." Phoebe replied, lying through her teeth. "Phoebe Halliwell." She said, holding out her hand. He shook it and gave her his name, which she hardly paid attention to. He started to give her the rehearsed tour, and Phoebe made a few noises in an attempt to make him think she was listening. In truth, she was touching anything she could in an attempt to have a premonition. She realised how hard this would be, now that Cole had been practically washed out of the apartment. There was almost nothing left from his time here.
". . .you might have to give these walls a coat of paint, though. They haven't been spruced up since before we bought the place. . ." Phoebe gave a grunt of acknowledgement, before pausing. The walls, they were here when Cole was. She inched her way over to the wall and placed both her hands flat on it, and she was immediately thrown into a premonition.
She was back in the penthouse, but it was different. It was how it looked in Cole's time. The silence was abruptly broken by a cry of pain as Cole emerged from nowhere, flames engulfing him. The flames disappeared, leaving Cole kneeling on the ground, his hands shaking. Phoebe wondered what was going on, when did this happen? But it wasn't as though she had paid much attention to Cole's life. Cole looked up, glancing around the penthouse. He looked more confused than she did. Phoebe jumped as someone else materialised into the room, cloaked in black. Cole noticed him and stood up.
"What happened?" He asked. "How am I here?"
"I brought you here." The man said after a moment.
"But I was vanquished, I felt the flames. . .the pain." Cole said, as though remembering something he would prefer not to.
"I made you feel the pain. Made you feel something you don't need to feel. . .if you join us." He said. Cole looked at the man for a moment.
"No." He said simply.
"I changed realities to make you see that she doesn't love you. You know that now." The man said, and Phoebe was hit with the realisation of what was going on. This must have been before her and her sisters had come here to bid Cole farewell. . .on his birthday.
"I do." Cole said. "But I don't want this anymore. I don't want this power. . .these memories. . .of her." His hands clasped his head as though in pain. "I don't want to be an Avatar." He added.
"You will regret it." The man said simply.
"I don't really care." Cole said. The stared at each other for a moment, before the man disappeared in a wave of darkness. Phoebe watched as Cole waited a moment, before heading to the bedroom. Moments later he emerged holding a bag, his other hand clenched over something small. He placed the bag on the couch and walked onto the balcony. Phoebe followed him. She walked around and saw him open his unclenched fist, to reveal the wedding band he had worn when he had married her. "You're free now." He whispered. He threw the ring as far as he could, watched it disappear into the darkness, before he walked back into the penthouse. He grabbed his bag, and with one last look around the penthouse, shimmered out. Phoebe expected the premonition to end here, but instead she felt herself drawn to the ring, and as though she were flying behind it, she saw it falling, almost in slow motion. Finally it hit the concrete walkway on the other side of the road. The foot of a pedestrian came down on it, wedging it down into a crack on the walkway.
Phoebe opened her eyes, a breath escaping her lips.
"Miss? Are you okay?" The owner of the penthouse was staring at her as if she was crazy. Phoebe stared at him for a moment.
"I'm sorry, I have to go." Phoebe said quickly, hurriedly exiting the room and climbing onto the elevator. She quickly stepped off it as it reached the ground floor and waved awkwardly at Joel, before rushing out of the building before he could stop her. The premonition was fresh in her mind, she didn't want to forget it. She stopped on one side of the road, waiting for the traffic to pass. As soon as it did, she jogged across it. She looked up as she hurried down the walkway, her eyes found the balcony many stories above. Finally, she stopped. Was this where it had landed? Ignoring the strange looks from passers-by, she bent over on her knees and began to crawl, her eyes straining to find it. A glint in the sun caught her eye, and her mouth fell open. Using a small stick lying nearby, she wrenched the ring out of the crack in the concrete. She collapsed, her feet curled underneath her. So it was true. Cole wasn't dead.
* * * * *
Queue drum beat. Reviews?