Disclaimer: I don't own anyone, don't sue me.
A/N: Hope everyone had an amazing Christmas. Thanks to those who reviewed. This isn't the best chapter, and hopefully the next one will be a lot better.
Big Reader: I would never be able to write a story that's not Cole/Phoebe. They're the couple that makes the most sense to me. I get where you're coming from - Phoebe did treat Cole badly. Maybe he deserves better, but the way I see it, they belong together.
* * * * *
Phoebe grasped her head as a pain shot through it. It disappeared almost as soon as it had come, and she lowered her hands. As she looked up, her gaze met Pipers.
"What's up?" Piper asked, sitting down opposite her at the dining table. Phoebe contemplated what to say. She decided there had been too many lies between them in the past.
"I think I'm. . ." She paused. How could she say it?
"Falling for Cole again." Piper said, with a slight nod. Phoebe looked up, surprised.
"I don't know for sure." Phoebe said honestly. She hesitated. "What do you think?"
"Normally I would be annoyed that you've fallen for my boyfriend." Piper said with a smirk. "But, I have been thinking about it for a while, and I've realised that it doesn't matter what I think. It's your decision. . .and Paige and I will support you in whatever you choose." She said, before adding, "And yes, that does include choosing Cole."
Phoebe gave her a half smile. "Why the change of heart?" She asked.
"Cole does seem to have genuinely changed. He's almost like the man we used to know - and I can live with that." Piper explained.
Phoebe laid a hand on Pipers. "Thank you." She said simply, standing up.
"No problem." Piper said with a smile, as she watched Phoebe leave the room.
Phoebe entered the foyer just as Cole descended the stairs, his face emotionless. His eyes met hers, and she recalled the last conversation they had had. He stepped off the staircase and stood in front of her, and she frowned at the difference in his eyes. He looked away. "About what we were talking about. . ." Phoebe started. "You were right. There was plenty to save in our relationship. And I'm sorry." She said softly.
Cole looked up, his empty glance again meeting hers. "Don't be. I'm not." He replied callously, heading into the lounge room and leaving Phoebe alone. She frowned. Why was he acting so cold towards her? She thought against following him, resentment filing her mind. She had just admitted that Cole was right - and he ignored it. If that was how he was going to act - she could play at that game too. She turned her back on him and headed up the stairs.
* * * * *
The next morning, Phoebe descended the staircase and headed to the front door. The previous night had been awkward. If Cole wasn't being rude to her, he wasn't speaking to her at all. The change in him was obvious, and Phoebe put it down to him just being hurt by her comments. But it wasn't like Cole to act so stubborn. Maybe she just didn't know him as well as she thought she did. She reached out for the doorknob.
"Where are you going?" Cole asked, leaning casually against the wall.
Phoebe jumped as she spun around. She calmed herself down. "Work." She replied simply. "I'm not missing another day." She waited for Cole to start arguing with her.
"Fine." He said simply.
Phoebe frowned. "Fine?" She asked incredulously. "You're fine with me going to work - alone. . .unprotected?"
"I'm sure you'll be fine." Cole replied nonchalantly, as he turned towards the lounge again. Phoebe opened her mouth to speak, but stopped abruptly. Without another word, she pulled open the front door and stepped outside, closing the door loudly behind her. Clenching her teeth, she headed for her car.
* * * * *
Cole watched Phoebe's car drive away through the gap in the curtains. He smiled slightly. His plan was working so far.
"Where did Phoebe go?" Piper asked, from halfway down the stairs.
"She went to work. . .I tried to stop her." Cole said, turning around to face Piper. Piper frowned.
"Are you okay?" Piper questioned, recognising some sort of change in him
"Fine." Cole replied. "I just feel different."
"Different how?" Piper questioned. Cole took a moment to answer.
"You'll find out soon enough." He said, waving a hand in front of Piper, and she disappeared from where she was standing. Cole glanced up at the ceiling, in the direction of the attic, where he had just delivered Piper, unconscious and bound. "Paige!" He called out loudly.
"Yeah?" Her voice sounded from her bedroom. He stepped up onto the staircase.
"We need to talk." He called back. "Don't worry, I'll come up." He said with a smirk, as he slowly headed up the staircase.
* * * * *
Phoebe's hands hovered above the keyboard. She finally let them rest, having not come up with any descent advice since she had arrived. She had avoided Jason as soon as she had entered the building, and tried her best to ignore Cole's indifference towards her. The ringing of her phone interrupted her thoughts, and she picked it up.
"Phoebe Halliwell." She answered professionally.
"Phoebe?" Cole's voice. He sounded breathless and worried.
Phoebe sat up straight immediately. "What is it? What's wrong?"
"They're coming. . ." Cole replied simply. "You have to get here now." The phone was hung up, and Phoebe stood up hurriedly, placing the phone back on her desk. She grabbed her jacket, and in barely any time at all, was sprinting out the doors.
* * * * *
She entered the manor, letting the door close behind her. Everything was silent, and she felt the hair on the back of her neck stand on end.
"Piper? Paige?" She called out loudly. "Cole?" No answer, and she began to panic.
"We're in the attic!" Cole's voice sounded from upstairs finally, and Phoebe breathed a deep sigh of relief as she hurried up the stairs. The attic door was closed when she reached it, and she held her hand out to turn the handle. She pushed it open and stepped inside.
"Oh my god. . ."
* * * * *
I know, I know. . .it was way too short. I just wanted to leave the next bit for the next chapter, so I can do it all together. Feedback would be greatly appreciated, I mean it. You don't have to write much, just let me know you're reading.
A/N: Hope everyone had an amazing Christmas. Thanks to those who reviewed. This isn't the best chapter, and hopefully the next one will be a lot better.
Big Reader: I would never be able to write a story that's not Cole/Phoebe. They're the couple that makes the most sense to me. I get where you're coming from - Phoebe did treat Cole badly. Maybe he deserves better, but the way I see it, they belong together.
* * * * *
Phoebe grasped her head as a pain shot through it. It disappeared almost as soon as it had come, and she lowered her hands. As she looked up, her gaze met Pipers.
"What's up?" Piper asked, sitting down opposite her at the dining table. Phoebe contemplated what to say. She decided there had been too many lies between them in the past.
"I think I'm. . ." She paused. How could she say it?
"Falling for Cole again." Piper said, with a slight nod. Phoebe looked up, surprised.
"I don't know for sure." Phoebe said honestly. She hesitated. "What do you think?"
"Normally I would be annoyed that you've fallen for my boyfriend." Piper said with a smirk. "But, I have been thinking about it for a while, and I've realised that it doesn't matter what I think. It's your decision. . .and Paige and I will support you in whatever you choose." She said, before adding, "And yes, that does include choosing Cole."
Phoebe gave her a half smile. "Why the change of heart?" She asked.
"Cole does seem to have genuinely changed. He's almost like the man we used to know - and I can live with that." Piper explained.
Phoebe laid a hand on Pipers. "Thank you." She said simply, standing up.
"No problem." Piper said with a smile, as she watched Phoebe leave the room.
Phoebe entered the foyer just as Cole descended the stairs, his face emotionless. His eyes met hers, and she recalled the last conversation they had had. He stepped off the staircase and stood in front of her, and she frowned at the difference in his eyes. He looked away. "About what we were talking about. . ." Phoebe started. "You were right. There was plenty to save in our relationship. And I'm sorry." She said softly.
Cole looked up, his empty glance again meeting hers. "Don't be. I'm not." He replied callously, heading into the lounge room and leaving Phoebe alone. She frowned. Why was he acting so cold towards her? She thought against following him, resentment filing her mind. She had just admitted that Cole was right - and he ignored it. If that was how he was going to act - she could play at that game too. She turned her back on him and headed up the stairs.
* * * * *
The next morning, Phoebe descended the staircase and headed to the front door. The previous night had been awkward. If Cole wasn't being rude to her, he wasn't speaking to her at all. The change in him was obvious, and Phoebe put it down to him just being hurt by her comments. But it wasn't like Cole to act so stubborn. Maybe she just didn't know him as well as she thought she did. She reached out for the doorknob.
"Where are you going?" Cole asked, leaning casually against the wall.
Phoebe jumped as she spun around. She calmed herself down. "Work." She replied simply. "I'm not missing another day." She waited for Cole to start arguing with her.
"Fine." He said simply.
Phoebe frowned. "Fine?" She asked incredulously. "You're fine with me going to work - alone. . .unprotected?"
"I'm sure you'll be fine." Cole replied nonchalantly, as he turned towards the lounge again. Phoebe opened her mouth to speak, but stopped abruptly. Without another word, she pulled open the front door and stepped outside, closing the door loudly behind her. Clenching her teeth, she headed for her car.
* * * * *
Cole watched Phoebe's car drive away through the gap in the curtains. He smiled slightly. His plan was working so far.
"Where did Phoebe go?" Piper asked, from halfway down the stairs.
"She went to work. . .I tried to stop her." Cole said, turning around to face Piper. Piper frowned.
"Are you okay?" Piper questioned, recognising some sort of change in him
"Fine." Cole replied. "I just feel different."
"Different how?" Piper questioned. Cole took a moment to answer.
"You'll find out soon enough." He said, waving a hand in front of Piper, and she disappeared from where she was standing. Cole glanced up at the ceiling, in the direction of the attic, where he had just delivered Piper, unconscious and bound. "Paige!" He called out loudly.
"Yeah?" Her voice sounded from her bedroom. He stepped up onto the staircase.
"We need to talk." He called back. "Don't worry, I'll come up." He said with a smirk, as he slowly headed up the staircase.
* * * * *
Phoebe's hands hovered above the keyboard. She finally let them rest, having not come up with any descent advice since she had arrived. She had avoided Jason as soon as she had entered the building, and tried her best to ignore Cole's indifference towards her. The ringing of her phone interrupted her thoughts, and she picked it up.
"Phoebe Halliwell." She answered professionally.
"Phoebe?" Cole's voice. He sounded breathless and worried.
Phoebe sat up straight immediately. "What is it? What's wrong?"
"They're coming. . ." Cole replied simply. "You have to get here now." The phone was hung up, and Phoebe stood up hurriedly, placing the phone back on her desk. She grabbed her jacket, and in barely any time at all, was sprinting out the doors.
* * * * *
She entered the manor, letting the door close behind her. Everything was silent, and she felt the hair on the back of her neck stand on end.
"Piper? Paige?" She called out loudly. "Cole?" No answer, and she began to panic.
"We're in the attic!" Cole's voice sounded from upstairs finally, and Phoebe breathed a deep sigh of relief as she hurried up the stairs. The attic door was closed when she reached it, and she held her hand out to turn the handle. She pushed it open and stepped inside.
"Oh my god. . ."
* * * * *
I know, I know. . .it was way too short. I just wanted to leave the next bit for the next chapter, so I can do it all together. Feedback would be greatly appreciated, I mean it. You don't have to write much, just let me know you're reading.