Disclaimer: I don't own anyone, don't sue me.
A/N: Thanks to everyone who reviewed, wouldn't have put this up as fast without you.
* * * * *
"You have no idea what you're getting yourself into."
Hesitation.
"Neither do you."
* * * * *
Silence. Convinced. "I love that man."
* * * * *
Determined. "I'm not giving up on us, Phoebe. Ever. . .
* * * * *
Honesty. "My love for you will keep me alive. Forever. . ."
* * * * *
"I will always love you. . ."
* * * * *
Phoebe sat up with a start, panting. The same dreams that had plagued her for the last few days remained in her mind, except now there was reason. She ran her tongue across the top of her mouth, grimacing at the dryness. She needed a drink. She stood up in the darkness and headed downstairs quietly. As she reached the foyer, she glanced into the lounge. She could barely make out the couch itself, so she began to inch towards it. She stopped abruptly. What was she doing? She turned around and headed for the kitchen, where she felt for the fridge and opened the door. Light poured into the room, and she squinted as she reached for the milk.
"Couldn't sleep?" Phoebe jumped and let out a quiet squeal as she spun around, knowing immediately who was behind her. She glared at Cole, and he gave her a quick grin.
"No, I couldn't." She replied, urging her heart to stop beating so fast. She turned back to the fridge and shut the door. The room once again was filled with darkness. "It's hard to sleep when you know someone's out to kill you." She added. There was some truth in the statement - she did find it hard to close her eyes in fear of what might happen. But that wasn't the reason why she kept waking up constantly throughout the night. But she wasn't about to tell Cole that. "What about you?"
"Bad dreams." He stated simply, and Phoebe knew what he meant without him having to say it. He might be putting on a confident persona, but being held captive with little memories of the incident had affected him. More than even he knew. "It's easier not to go to sleep." He lifted his own glass of water to his lips, and swallowed it in one go. Phoebe's eyes were now growing accustomed to the darkness, and she could make out his tall figure standing a metre away from her. She silently poured her milk into a glass, before placing the box back inside the fridge, squinting once more as the light filled the room. She turned her back on him as she took a sip of the milk. Cole let out a breath as he stared at her back, contemplating what he was going to say. Phoebe sensed his stare.
"What is it?" She questioned, turning around to face him.
Cole paused before speaking. "I was just thinking." He said, gripping the empty glass. "If we're going to try and work together on getting rid of this. . .were going to need to talk about what happened."
Phoebe sighed. She had been hoping to avoid this. "We can just ignore it. It was a long time ago."
"You know that we can't ignore it." Cole replied. "Are you telling me that you don't think about everything that happened every time you look at me?" He asked incredulously. "We're not going to be able to do anything with it hanging over our heads."
"Okay." Phoebe gave in. She looked away.
"I never apologised for any of it." Cole said softly.
"That's because you knew it wouldn't mean anything." Phoebe replied.
"Would it mean anything now?" Cole asked, trying to make out her features through the shadows.
Phoebe paused. "Maybe." She said finally.
"Then I'm sorry. More than you'll ever know." Cole replied sincerely. "I would give anything to undo the pain that I caused your family." He stopped. "Our family. The family we could have. . .almost had." Phoebe clenched her teeth as a lump formed in her throat. The baby she had lost years ago hadn't been mentioned since. It was like a memory being formed again.
"So would I." Phoebe replied genuinely. A pause. "But we can't, and we have to live with that."
Cole nodded slowly. "I just. . .I wanted you to realise how much things have changed since then."
"I do know." Phoebe replied. "I see the change in you. I did when I saw you lying in that hospital bed."
"Not everything has changed." Cole added, his eyes meeting hers. They held eye contact, and Phoebe breathed in deeply.
"Some things never do." She replied, looking away. She drained the rest of her milk, and placed the empty glass in the sink, before looking at Cole again. "Let's go to the lounge. You can tell me what you've been doing for the last two years."
* * * * *
Phoebe opened her eyes and rolled over, and before realising it collapsed onto the floor. It took her a moment to realise she had been sleeping on the armchair. She sat up on the floor and glanced around the room. Cole was lying sprawled on the couch, his sheets kicked to the ground. It was amazing, Phoebe thought, that she had slept so soundly through the night for the first time in weeks.
Phoebe was thinking about having a quick shower, when Cole suddenly sat up with a start, panting. He ran a hand over his face and groaned, and Phoebe realised that he must have had another nightmare. When his hand moved off his eyes, he froze as he realised Phoebe was seated on the floor in front of him. She smiled.
"Sleep well?" She asked. He gave her a wry smile.
"That damn warehouse." Cole muttered. "I have a feeling it's going to haunt me forever." Phoebe realised this was not something he particularly wanted to talk about, so using the armchair as support, she stood up.
"I need to get ready for work. Piper and Paige should be down soon." She said.
"You're going to work?" Cole asked, surprised.
"Well. . .yes. Some of us have to work for a living." Phoebe said with a smirk.
"Phoebe, there's some psychopath after you and your sisters. It's not a good idea for you three to split up. Especially without any protection." Cole said seriously.
"I'll be fine, Cole. There are people all around me, they can't hurt me there."
"Unless they decide to kill everyone to get to you." Cole offered the alternative, and Phoebe gave him an uncomfortable glance.
"They wouldn't do that. It would rouse too much attention." Phoebe said hesitantly.
"I guess you're right." Cole said turning away. "However," He added before she could speak, "if it did mean they get one of the Charmed Ones. . .it might just be worth it." He faced Phoebe again, and their eyes met. After a moment, Phoebe let out a sigh of disbelief.
"Fine. I'll call in and say I won't be going today." Phoebe said heading towards the staircase. "You're unbelievable." She muttered.
Cole watched her go and smirked. He knew she would have been relatively safe at work - demons didn't like attacking in full view, never mind humans. But at least this way he could keep an eye on her. Protect her.
* * * * *
That's another one done. Review and tell me what you thought of it. Flames are welcome.
A/N: Thanks to everyone who reviewed, wouldn't have put this up as fast without you.
* * * * *
"You have no idea what you're getting yourself into."
Hesitation.
"Neither do you."
* * * * *
Silence. Convinced. "I love that man."
* * * * *
Determined. "I'm not giving up on us, Phoebe. Ever. . .
* * * * *
Honesty. "My love for you will keep me alive. Forever. . ."
* * * * *
"I will always love you. . ."
* * * * *
Phoebe sat up with a start, panting. The same dreams that had plagued her for the last few days remained in her mind, except now there was reason. She ran her tongue across the top of her mouth, grimacing at the dryness. She needed a drink. She stood up in the darkness and headed downstairs quietly. As she reached the foyer, she glanced into the lounge. She could barely make out the couch itself, so she began to inch towards it. She stopped abruptly. What was she doing? She turned around and headed for the kitchen, where she felt for the fridge and opened the door. Light poured into the room, and she squinted as she reached for the milk.
"Couldn't sleep?" Phoebe jumped and let out a quiet squeal as she spun around, knowing immediately who was behind her. She glared at Cole, and he gave her a quick grin.
"No, I couldn't." She replied, urging her heart to stop beating so fast. She turned back to the fridge and shut the door. The room once again was filled with darkness. "It's hard to sleep when you know someone's out to kill you." She added. There was some truth in the statement - she did find it hard to close her eyes in fear of what might happen. But that wasn't the reason why she kept waking up constantly throughout the night. But she wasn't about to tell Cole that. "What about you?"
"Bad dreams." He stated simply, and Phoebe knew what he meant without him having to say it. He might be putting on a confident persona, but being held captive with little memories of the incident had affected him. More than even he knew. "It's easier not to go to sleep." He lifted his own glass of water to his lips, and swallowed it in one go. Phoebe's eyes were now growing accustomed to the darkness, and she could make out his tall figure standing a metre away from her. She silently poured her milk into a glass, before placing the box back inside the fridge, squinting once more as the light filled the room. She turned her back on him as she took a sip of the milk. Cole let out a breath as he stared at her back, contemplating what he was going to say. Phoebe sensed his stare.
"What is it?" She questioned, turning around to face him.
Cole paused before speaking. "I was just thinking." He said, gripping the empty glass. "If we're going to try and work together on getting rid of this. . .were going to need to talk about what happened."
Phoebe sighed. She had been hoping to avoid this. "We can just ignore it. It was a long time ago."
"You know that we can't ignore it." Cole replied. "Are you telling me that you don't think about everything that happened every time you look at me?" He asked incredulously. "We're not going to be able to do anything with it hanging over our heads."
"Okay." Phoebe gave in. She looked away.
"I never apologised for any of it." Cole said softly.
"That's because you knew it wouldn't mean anything." Phoebe replied.
"Would it mean anything now?" Cole asked, trying to make out her features through the shadows.
Phoebe paused. "Maybe." She said finally.
"Then I'm sorry. More than you'll ever know." Cole replied sincerely. "I would give anything to undo the pain that I caused your family." He stopped. "Our family. The family we could have. . .almost had." Phoebe clenched her teeth as a lump formed in her throat. The baby she had lost years ago hadn't been mentioned since. It was like a memory being formed again.
"So would I." Phoebe replied genuinely. A pause. "But we can't, and we have to live with that."
Cole nodded slowly. "I just. . .I wanted you to realise how much things have changed since then."
"I do know." Phoebe replied. "I see the change in you. I did when I saw you lying in that hospital bed."
"Not everything has changed." Cole added, his eyes meeting hers. They held eye contact, and Phoebe breathed in deeply.
"Some things never do." She replied, looking away. She drained the rest of her milk, and placed the empty glass in the sink, before looking at Cole again. "Let's go to the lounge. You can tell me what you've been doing for the last two years."
* * * * *
Phoebe opened her eyes and rolled over, and before realising it collapsed onto the floor. It took her a moment to realise she had been sleeping on the armchair. She sat up on the floor and glanced around the room. Cole was lying sprawled on the couch, his sheets kicked to the ground. It was amazing, Phoebe thought, that she had slept so soundly through the night for the first time in weeks.
Phoebe was thinking about having a quick shower, when Cole suddenly sat up with a start, panting. He ran a hand over his face and groaned, and Phoebe realised that he must have had another nightmare. When his hand moved off his eyes, he froze as he realised Phoebe was seated on the floor in front of him. She smiled.
"Sleep well?" She asked. He gave her a wry smile.
"That damn warehouse." Cole muttered. "I have a feeling it's going to haunt me forever." Phoebe realised this was not something he particularly wanted to talk about, so using the armchair as support, she stood up.
"I need to get ready for work. Piper and Paige should be down soon." She said.
"You're going to work?" Cole asked, surprised.
"Well. . .yes. Some of us have to work for a living." Phoebe said with a smirk.
"Phoebe, there's some psychopath after you and your sisters. It's not a good idea for you three to split up. Especially without any protection." Cole said seriously.
"I'll be fine, Cole. There are people all around me, they can't hurt me there."
"Unless they decide to kill everyone to get to you." Cole offered the alternative, and Phoebe gave him an uncomfortable glance.
"They wouldn't do that. It would rouse too much attention." Phoebe said hesitantly.
"I guess you're right." Cole said turning away. "However," He added before she could speak, "if it did mean they get one of the Charmed Ones. . .it might just be worth it." He faced Phoebe again, and their eyes met. After a moment, Phoebe let out a sigh of disbelief.
"Fine. I'll call in and say I won't be going today." Phoebe said heading towards the staircase. "You're unbelievable." She muttered.
Cole watched her go and smirked. He knew she would have been relatively safe at work - demons didn't like attacking in full view, never mind humans. But at least this way he could keep an eye on her. Protect her.
* * * * *
That's another one done. Review and tell me what you thought of it. Flames are welcome.