Disclaimer: I don't own anyone, don't sue me.
A/N: This will be the last chapter, with an epilogue to finish it off. Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter, I'm glad you're enjoying it.
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Phoebe squeezed Cole's hand tightly, her own eyes shut as she willed him to awaken. She felt him squeeze back, and her eyes opened immediately. The wound was started to heal. Slowly, but visibly. Leo's and Paige's hands suddenly began to shake fiercely, and both were thrown backwards, as the demon in Cole fought them off. Leo stumbled backwards, and Paige fell to the ground. Cole jerked awake, his wound only half healed. He glanced around at them, his eyes resting on Phoebe, before he looked at Paige being helped up by Piper, and then Leo.
"Thank you. . ." He said softly, genuinely.
"Don't worry about it. . ." Paige said half heartedly as she stood up straight. Cole looked at her, and then turned to glance at Leo again.
"Why?" It was the question that would have bothered him had he not asked it. "I'm sure the other Elders wouldn't have you not healing me."
"They tried to stop me coming." Leo admitted. "But the truth is, I owe you."
Cole gave him a wry smile. "What could you possibly owe me?" He asked.
"You stood up for me." Leo said, glancing at Piper for a moment. "You made Piper believe in me again." He looked at Cole again.
"I tell her anything she didn't already know." Cole said, as Phoebe and Paige exchanged confused glances.
"Wait a second, who said I believed him?" Piper questioned.
"Believed what?" Paige asked, her curiosity getting the best of her. Ignoring Paige, Leo smiled slightly as he looked at Piper.
"You have anything left from last nights dinner? I'm starved. . ." He changed the subject.
"No." Piper said quickly.
"The steak and mash? Nothing's left?" Leo asked, raising his eyebrows.
Piper gazed at him, surprised. "How could you possibly know that?" She asked suspiciously.
Leo smirked. "I'm always watching, Piper." He said gently. "Always." They remained silent for a moment as Piper contemplated this.
"I'll serve you a plate." She said after a minute, heading downstairs, Leo following.
Phoebe watched Piper and Leo disappear downstairs. "You should rest." She said, turning back to face Cole. "You can use my room."
"I'm okay." Cole said, grimacing as Phoebe helped him stand.
"You're only half healed." Paige said. Cole gave a small grunt of pain and clutched his torso.
"Come on." Phoebe said, leading him downstairs. "I'm going to stay with him for a little while." She said to Paige, who nodded after a moment. Phoebe let him lean his weight on him as they descended the attic stairs, and entered her room, closing the door behind them. She staggered slightly as she supported his full weight, before he leaned back onto the bed and she pulled back.
"Thanks." He said, leaning his head back. He gazed at her, and they shared a moment of silence before he spoke again. "How did you know?"
"Know what?" Phoebe asked in confusion.
"That it wasn't me." Cole said softly.
"I just did." Phoebe shrugged slightly. "I guess for over two years I've been going over in my head all the implications that it was the Source and not you. All the implications that I never caught on to. . .some of which I saw today."
"I'm glad." Cole said when she had finished. "I don't think I would have found my way back without you."
Phoebe gave him a half smile. "I'm glad too." She replied honestly. "Or I would have been in big trouble. . .that was some choking."
Cole looked away, and Phoebe realised what she had said. "I'm sorry, Phoebe. I don't know what to say. . ."
"Nothing." Phoebe said, reaching out to hold his hand in an attempt to reassure him. "I shouldn't have brought it up."
"It happened, you shouldn't have to ignore it." Cole said, shaking his head. "I almost killed you. . .again."
"No you didn't. It wasn't you." She tried her best to persuade him. He pulled his hand away from her.
"I could feel you. . .your neck underneath my hands." He held his hands up in front of him, staring at them as though they weren't his own. "But I couldn't move them. . .I couldn't do anything." He shook his head and let his hands fall to his side.
"Exactly." Phoebe said softly. "You said it yourself, you couldn't stop it. Because it wasn't you." She once again took his hand in hers, this time holding on to it tightly. "It wasn't you." She reiterated firmly. He looked at her, their eyes locking together. She realised that it was time to change the subject. Pulling her hand away she sat up straight. "You were right about what you said yesterday. Not just about Piper. . .but about you and me. . .our relationship." She paused. "I could have fought harder to save us, and I didn't. And I know now how much there was to save." Cole looked away after a moment, before turning to gaze into her eyes again. He pushed himself into a seated position, grimacing as he leaned his back against the headboard.
"As much as I love hearing you say that. . ." He stopped abruptly, contemplating what to say. "Sometimes I believe it." He looked away. "I believe that it was worth fighting for. . .even though it didn't work out. I believe that it was worth dying for. . ." He paused as he avoided her gaze. "And then there are days when I believe everything that you said. That love wasn't enough. . ." He caught her gaze, "That it was never meant to be."
Phoebe felt a lump rise to her throat, as she fought with her words, wondering what she could possibly say. "In the attic. . .just now. . .you told me that you loved me." She said gently.
Cole nodded slowly. "In that moment. . .I thought that I wasn't going to make it. . .and I had to tell you."
"I wouldn't have let you die." She said gently.
"Maybe not." Cole replied. "But we both know that there was a chance that neither Paige or Leo could heal me. . ." He paused again, just for a moment. "I know what it must have sounded like to you."
"You do?" Phoebe questioned, her eyebrows raised.
He breathed in deeply. "When I was the Source. . .after I came back from the Wasteland. . .I told you that I loved you at every opportunity. Every moment I had the chance. And it grew to mean nothing, I know that. But in the attic just now, as shallow as it must have sounded. . .it was genuine."
Phoebe tilted her head slightly, before nodding. "I know." She replied simply. She leaned forwards, tears lining in her eyes, but not falling. "You've been here for less than a week. . .and everything has changed. . ." She said softly.
"What's changed?" Cole asked, confused. Phoebe thought about what to say. She stood up and sat beside him on the bed, her eyes searching his.
"Everything." She said softly. Without thinking, she leaned in towards him.
It took all Cole's strength to pull away, moments before their lips met. "Wait. . ." He whispered. Phoebe pulled back, slightly embarrassed.
"What about Jason?" Cole asked, his only query. When Phoebe failed to reply, he added, "You said you loved him." He looked away, the memory too painful to recall.
"I said a lot of things I didn't mean." Phoebe said, searching out his eyes. When she found them, she held eye contact. "I was afraid of what it might mean if I told you the truth. . .if I told myself the truth."
"What is the truth?" Cole asked, suddenly aware of the minimal space between them.
"That I will never love anyone as much as I love you. . ." Phoebe said, barely audible. She gave him a half smile. "As overly sentimental as that sounds." She looked down. "I thought I loved Jason. . .until you came back, and I realised it wasn't even close."
Cole couldn't help but smile slightly. "You're sure about this?"
"Are you sure about this?" Phoebe asked in reply. Cole raised his eyebrows in mock amusement. Despite the pain in his torso, he leaned forwards and caught her lips in his, his hand immediately moving up to caress her neck.
After a moment of complete relief, he pulled back, only so they were a breath apart. "You are going to dump him soon. . ." Cole muttered, ". .. right?"
Phoebe groaned and closed the space between them, her lips meeting his once more. Cole ignored the pain in his chest and rolled over so he was lying on top of her. Through the kiss, Phoebe managed to let out, "Later. . .", the sound muffled. She smiled slightly. Sooner rather than later. Definitely.
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I love being mean to Jason. As rude as that seems. Review and tell me what you thought. Flames always welcome. Preferably something nicer though, :)
A/N: This will be the last chapter, with an epilogue to finish it off. Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter, I'm glad you're enjoying it.
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Phoebe squeezed Cole's hand tightly, her own eyes shut as she willed him to awaken. She felt him squeeze back, and her eyes opened immediately. The wound was started to heal. Slowly, but visibly. Leo's and Paige's hands suddenly began to shake fiercely, and both were thrown backwards, as the demon in Cole fought them off. Leo stumbled backwards, and Paige fell to the ground. Cole jerked awake, his wound only half healed. He glanced around at them, his eyes resting on Phoebe, before he looked at Paige being helped up by Piper, and then Leo.
"Thank you. . ." He said softly, genuinely.
"Don't worry about it. . ." Paige said half heartedly as she stood up straight. Cole looked at her, and then turned to glance at Leo again.
"Why?" It was the question that would have bothered him had he not asked it. "I'm sure the other Elders wouldn't have you not healing me."
"They tried to stop me coming." Leo admitted. "But the truth is, I owe you."
Cole gave him a wry smile. "What could you possibly owe me?" He asked.
"You stood up for me." Leo said, glancing at Piper for a moment. "You made Piper believe in me again." He looked at Cole again.
"I tell her anything she didn't already know." Cole said, as Phoebe and Paige exchanged confused glances.
"Wait a second, who said I believed him?" Piper questioned.
"Believed what?" Paige asked, her curiosity getting the best of her. Ignoring Paige, Leo smiled slightly as he looked at Piper.
"You have anything left from last nights dinner? I'm starved. . ." He changed the subject.
"No." Piper said quickly.
"The steak and mash? Nothing's left?" Leo asked, raising his eyebrows.
Piper gazed at him, surprised. "How could you possibly know that?" She asked suspiciously.
Leo smirked. "I'm always watching, Piper." He said gently. "Always." They remained silent for a moment as Piper contemplated this.
"I'll serve you a plate." She said after a minute, heading downstairs, Leo following.
Phoebe watched Piper and Leo disappear downstairs. "You should rest." She said, turning back to face Cole. "You can use my room."
"I'm okay." Cole said, grimacing as Phoebe helped him stand.
"You're only half healed." Paige said. Cole gave a small grunt of pain and clutched his torso.
"Come on." Phoebe said, leading him downstairs. "I'm going to stay with him for a little while." She said to Paige, who nodded after a moment. Phoebe let him lean his weight on him as they descended the attic stairs, and entered her room, closing the door behind them. She staggered slightly as she supported his full weight, before he leaned back onto the bed and she pulled back.
"Thanks." He said, leaning his head back. He gazed at her, and they shared a moment of silence before he spoke again. "How did you know?"
"Know what?" Phoebe asked in confusion.
"That it wasn't me." Cole said softly.
"I just did." Phoebe shrugged slightly. "I guess for over two years I've been going over in my head all the implications that it was the Source and not you. All the implications that I never caught on to. . .some of which I saw today."
"I'm glad." Cole said when she had finished. "I don't think I would have found my way back without you."
Phoebe gave him a half smile. "I'm glad too." She replied honestly. "Or I would have been in big trouble. . .that was some choking."
Cole looked away, and Phoebe realised what she had said. "I'm sorry, Phoebe. I don't know what to say. . ."
"Nothing." Phoebe said, reaching out to hold his hand in an attempt to reassure him. "I shouldn't have brought it up."
"It happened, you shouldn't have to ignore it." Cole said, shaking his head. "I almost killed you. . .again."
"No you didn't. It wasn't you." She tried her best to persuade him. He pulled his hand away from her.
"I could feel you. . .your neck underneath my hands." He held his hands up in front of him, staring at them as though they weren't his own. "But I couldn't move them. . .I couldn't do anything." He shook his head and let his hands fall to his side.
"Exactly." Phoebe said softly. "You said it yourself, you couldn't stop it. Because it wasn't you." She once again took his hand in hers, this time holding on to it tightly. "It wasn't you." She reiterated firmly. He looked at her, their eyes locking together. She realised that it was time to change the subject. Pulling her hand away she sat up straight. "You were right about what you said yesterday. Not just about Piper. . .but about you and me. . .our relationship." She paused. "I could have fought harder to save us, and I didn't. And I know now how much there was to save." Cole looked away after a moment, before turning to gaze into her eyes again. He pushed himself into a seated position, grimacing as he leaned his back against the headboard.
"As much as I love hearing you say that. . ." He stopped abruptly, contemplating what to say. "Sometimes I believe it." He looked away. "I believe that it was worth fighting for. . .even though it didn't work out. I believe that it was worth dying for. . ." He paused as he avoided her gaze. "And then there are days when I believe everything that you said. That love wasn't enough. . ." He caught her gaze, "That it was never meant to be."
Phoebe felt a lump rise to her throat, as she fought with her words, wondering what she could possibly say. "In the attic. . .just now. . .you told me that you loved me." She said gently.
Cole nodded slowly. "In that moment. . .I thought that I wasn't going to make it. . .and I had to tell you."
"I wouldn't have let you die." She said gently.
"Maybe not." Cole replied. "But we both know that there was a chance that neither Paige or Leo could heal me. . ." He paused again, just for a moment. "I know what it must have sounded like to you."
"You do?" Phoebe questioned, her eyebrows raised.
He breathed in deeply. "When I was the Source. . .after I came back from the Wasteland. . .I told you that I loved you at every opportunity. Every moment I had the chance. And it grew to mean nothing, I know that. But in the attic just now, as shallow as it must have sounded. . .it was genuine."
Phoebe tilted her head slightly, before nodding. "I know." She replied simply. She leaned forwards, tears lining in her eyes, but not falling. "You've been here for less than a week. . .and everything has changed. . ." She said softly.
"What's changed?" Cole asked, confused. Phoebe thought about what to say. She stood up and sat beside him on the bed, her eyes searching his.
"Everything." She said softly. Without thinking, she leaned in towards him.
It took all Cole's strength to pull away, moments before their lips met. "Wait. . ." He whispered. Phoebe pulled back, slightly embarrassed.
"What about Jason?" Cole asked, his only query. When Phoebe failed to reply, he added, "You said you loved him." He looked away, the memory too painful to recall.
"I said a lot of things I didn't mean." Phoebe said, searching out his eyes. When she found them, she held eye contact. "I was afraid of what it might mean if I told you the truth. . .if I told myself the truth."
"What is the truth?" Cole asked, suddenly aware of the minimal space between them.
"That I will never love anyone as much as I love you. . ." Phoebe said, barely audible. She gave him a half smile. "As overly sentimental as that sounds." She looked down. "I thought I loved Jason. . .until you came back, and I realised it wasn't even close."
Cole couldn't help but smile slightly. "You're sure about this?"
"Are you sure about this?" Phoebe asked in reply. Cole raised his eyebrows in mock amusement. Despite the pain in his torso, he leaned forwards and caught her lips in his, his hand immediately moving up to caress her neck.
After a moment of complete relief, he pulled back, only so they were a breath apart. "You are going to dump him soon. . ." Cole muttered, ". .. right?"
Phoebe groaned and closed the space between them, her lips meeting his once more. Cole ignored the pain in his chest and rolled over so he was lying on top of her. Through the kiss, Phoebe managed to let out, "Later. . .", the sound muffled. She smiled slightly. Sooner rather than later. Definitely.
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I love being mean to Jason. As rude as that seems. Review and tell me what you thought. Flames always welcome. Preferably something nicer though, :)