Disclaimer: I don't own anyone, don't sue me.
A/N: So we've reached the end of this story, which to my great delight is looking to receive one hundred reviews. . .a milestone I have yet to conquer. So maybe this epilogue will crush it. Thanks to every one of you that reviewed anytime throughout the story, it was my motivation. Hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.
* * * * *
One Year Later
Cole stood up in front of the small room of people. He glanced down at the glass of champagne he held in his hand. Clearing his throat, he smiled slightly.
"I'll try to keep this short and sweet. . ." He said after a moment. "I've known Leo and Piper for a long time now. . .longer than I can remember. Almost six year. . ." He paused as he glanced at Piper and Leo, his smile widening. "I've seen the best of them, and the worst. I was at their wedding - their first one. And I remember thinking that anyone would be lucky to have what they had. Because it was the most amazing thing that I had ever seen. And I knew despite any problems that they may have had, their love would always conquer all. And I guess that's the best thing you can have." He gazed down at Phoebe who was seated beside him, and gave her a half smile. "So anyway, as best man at this beautiful reception, I am honoured to ask you to raise your glasses. To Leo and Piper. I wish all of us were as lucky as you are." He raised his glass and watched as all the people in the room followed suit.
"To Leo and Piper." They all chanted in unison. Cole brought the glass to his lips and sipped some of the champagne. He grimaced. He had never been much of a fan of this particular alcoholic drink, but he guessed he would have to make do. After a slight burst of applause, the room came alive with the sound of conversation and laughter, and Cole let out a relieved breath.
"See, that went fine." Phoebe said, standing and slipping her hands around his waist.
Cole smiled as he turned to face her, placing his glass back on the table. He placed one hand on her waist, the other creeping round to rest on the small of her back. "Hmm. I guess it did." He said, admitting that his fear had been unwarranted. "Now I'm wondering when we'll be the ones getting toasted."
Phoebe smiled. "We've been through this." She said gently.
"I know, I know." Cole replied. "But now that all of this is over, we don't have to worry about stealing their thunder." He tilted his head in the direction of Leo and Piper.
"Hmm, I guess you're right." Phoebe murmured, leaning in towards him. "But you do realise this requires a gorgeous engagement ring and an extra romantic proposal. . ."
"Then I'm halfway there." Cole whispered back, leaning in to kiss her. She pulled back at his words.
"You are?" She questioned, surprised.
Cole hesitated. "Can you forget I said that?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.
"No!" Phoebe said, pulling away from him. "You've bought me an engagement ring?"
"Phoebe!" Cole exclaimed. "Does 'surprise' not mean anything to you?"
Before Phoebe could reply, they were interrupted. "Hey, Cole. . ." Leo called, heading towards them, holding onto Pipers hand. He held out his free hand to Cole. "The speech was great. Thank you."
Cole accepted Leo's hand, shaking it gratefully. "No problem. It was all the truth."
"Yeah. . .who knew you could be so sappy." Piper said with a smirk.
"Don't you worry, Piper. There's much more where that came from." Cole replied, returning her smile.
"Great. . ." Piper muttered, half amused, half horrified.
"Cole." Phoebe muttered, grabbing onto his shirt. "Can we talk?" She asked though a plastered grin.
Cole glanced down at her. "Sure. . .sweetie. . ." Cole let out, following Phoebe as she led him out of the manor living room and onto the back patio.
"I thought we were going to wait to get engaged." She said softly.
"We were." Cole replied. "But I thought, maybe. . .we could wait less. . ." He paused. "You don't want this? Is that what it is?"
"No." Phoebe said quickly, placing a hand on his arm to reassure him. "No." She reiterated.
"Well. . .good." Cole replied, relieved. He smiled as he removed the hand she had placed on his arm and held it tightly in-between both of his hands. "But I won't do anything till you're ready."
"I'm ready." Phoebe said gently, taking a step forward.
"But you seemed upset about it. . ." Cole said, frowning slightly.
"Surprised, that's all." Phoebe said. "I didn't think it would happen this fast. . .but when I think about it, it couldn't happen fast enough."
"You're sure about this?" Cole asked.
"All you have to do is ask." Phoebe said, placing her free hand on his chest.
"Well, then. . ." Cole said, pulling away from her. "I guess all I need now is the extra romantic proposal. . ."
"I was exaggerating. . ." Phoebe said, raising an eyebrow wearily.
"But I'm not." Cole said softly. "Last time, I proposed. . .well, at an awkward moment---"
"And last time I hesitated." Phoebe interrupted. "I'm not going to hesitate this time."
Cole gazed at her, as if contemplating her statement. Then, after coming to a decision, he took two steps forward so they were standing less than a foot apart. He dug in his pocket and produced a small, blue velvet box.
"You brought it here?" She questioned, just above a whisper.
Cole didn't answer, instead opening the box and pulling out the small, elegant ring. He pocketed the empty box and held the ring in the small space between them. He twisted it round so that the bottom of the ring was facing upwards, and held it up towards her. Phoebe raised a hand to it, not holding onto it, but simply caressing it as she viewed it. She glanced at the bottom of the ring, smiling gently as she read the tiny engraving.
"Hope. . ." She read out softly.
"The last thing I lost when I thought it was all over." Cole said gently. "The first thing that came back when I saw you again." He paused, fingering the ring tenderly. ". . .the one thing I relied on." He looked up at her, their eyes meeting. "You gave me hope." He reached up and wiped away a tear that slipped down Phoebe's cheek, then smiled.
"I love you. . ." Phoebe whispered gently.
"Shh. . ." Cole said with a half smile. "Let me finish." He warned with mock seriousness. "And I love you too." He quickly added, before continuing. "I'm not getting down on one knee. . .tradition isn't my thing, you know that." He said softly. "Will you marry me?" His voice was barely above a whisper, and Phoebe could almost hear her heart beating over the noises in the manor behind them.
She took a breath. "You know," She started, gaining composure, "There are some advantages to over-the-top romantic behaviour."
Cole stared at her. "Phoebe--" He began.
She interrupted him by closing the space between them, pressing her lips against his gently, before pulling back a fraction. "Yes." She said softly.
"This should. . .feel better, you know. . ." Cole joked, with mock concern.
"Hmmm. . .funny." Phoebe acknowledged his statement and smiled.
"It feels amazing." He said, serious this time.
"It feels. . ." Phoebe started, "Right."
"Hopeful?" Cole asked softly.
Phoebe nodded with a smile, as she watched him slip the ring onto her finger - it fit perfectly. "Hopeful. . ." She whispered, looking up at him again. She leaned forward and kissed him again, enjoying the feel of his lips on hers. Relishing in their happiness, knowing it was only just beginning.
Hopeful.
* * * * *
The End
* * * * *
Thanks again, to all who read and enjoyed it. Don't know when I'll be starting a new story, but there will be another one. Sooner or later. . .I'm. . .hopeful.
A/N: So we've reached the end of this story, which to my great delight is looking to receive one hundred reviews. . .a milestone I have yet to conquer. So maybe this epilogue will crush it. Thanks to every one of you that reviewed anytime throughout the story, it was my motivation. Hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.
* * * * *
One Year Later
Cole stood up in front of the small room of people. He glanced down at the glass of champagne he held in his hand. Clearing his throat, he smiled slightly.
"I'll try to keep this short and sweet. . ." He said after a moment. "I've known Leo and Piper for a long time now. . .longer than I can remember. Almost six year. . ." He paused as he glanced at Piper and Leo, his smile widening. "I've seen the best of them, and the worst. I was at their wedding - their first one. And I remember thinking that anyone would be lucky to have what they had. Because it was the most amazing thing that I had ever seen. And I knew despite any problems that they may have had, their love would always conquer all. And I guess that's the best thing you can have." He gazed down at Phoebe who was seated beside him, and gave her a half smile. "So anyway, as best man at this beautiful reception, I am honoured to ask you to raise your glasses. To Leo and Piper. I wish all of us were as lucky as you are." He raised his glass and watched as all the people in the room followed suit.
"To Leo and Piper." They all chanted in unison. Cole brought the glass to his lips and sipped some of the champagne. He grimaced. He had never been much of a fan of this particular alcoholic drink, but he guessed he would have to make do. After a slight burst of applause, the room came alive with the sound of conversation and laughter, and Cole let out a relieved breath.
"See, that went fine." Phoebe said, standing and slipping her hands around his waist.
Cole smiled as he turned to face her, placing his glass back on the table. He placed one hand on her waist, the other creeping round to rest on the small of her back. "Hmm. I guess it did." He said, admitting that his fear had been unwarranted. "Now I'm wondering when we'll be the ones getting toasted."
Phoebe smiled. "We've been through this." She said gently.
"I know, I know." Cole replied. "But now that all of this is over, we don't have to worry about stealing their thunder." He tilted his head in the direction of Leo and Piper.
"Hmm, I guess you're right." Phoebe murmured, leaning in towards him. "But you do realise this requires a gorgeous engagement ring and an extra romantic proposal. . ."
"Then I'm halfway there." Cole whispered back, leaning in to kiss her. She pulled back at his words.
"You are?" She questioned, surprised.
Cole hesitated. "Can you forget I said that?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.
"No!" Phoebe said, pulling away from him. "You've bought me an engagement ring?"
"Phoebe!" Cole exclaimed. "Does 'surprise' not mean anything to you?"
Before Phoebe could reply, they were interrupted. "Hey, Cole. . ." Leo called, heading towards them, holding onto Pipers hand. He held out his free hand to Cole. "The speech was great. Thank you."
Cole accepted Leo's hand, shaking it gratefully. "No problem. It was all the truth."
"Yeah. . .who knew you could be so sappy." Piper said with a smirk.
"Don't you worry, Piper. There's much more where that came from." Cole replied, returning her smile.
"Great. . ." Piper muttered, half amused, half horrified.
"Cole." Phoebe muttered, grabbing onto his shirt. "Can we talk?" She asked though a plastered grin.
Cole glanced down at her. "Sure. . .sweetie. . ." Cole let out, following Phoebe as she led him out of the manor living room and onto the back patio.
"I thought we were going to wait to get engaged." She said softly.
"We were." Cole replied. "But I thought, maybe. . .we could wait less. . ." He paused. "You don't want this? Is that what it is?"
"No." Phoebe said quickly, placing a hand on his arm to reassure him. "No." She reiterated.
"Well. . .good." Cole replied, relieved. He smiled as he removed the hand she had placed on his arm and held it tightly in-between both of his hands. "But I won't do anything till you're ready."
"I'm ready." Phoebe said gently, taking a step forward.
"But you seemed upset about it. . ." Cole said, frowning slightly.
"Surprised, that's all." Phoebe said. "I didn't think it would happen this fast. . .but when I think about it, it couldn't happen fast enough."
"You're sure about this?" Cole asked.
"All you have to do is ask." Phoebe said, placing her free hand on his chest.
"Well, then. . ." Cole said, pulling away from her. "I guess all I need now is the extra romantic proposal. . ."
"I was exaggerating. . ." Phoebe said, raising an eyebrow wearily.
"But I'm not." Cole said softly. "Last time, I proposed. . .well, at an awkward moment---"
"And last time I hesitated." Phoebe interrupted. "I'm not going to hesitate this time."
Cole gazed at her, as if contemplating her statement. Then, after coming to a decision, he took two steps forward so they were standing less than a foot apart. He dug in his pocket and produced a small, blue velvet box.
"You brought it here?" She questioned, just above a whisper.
Cole didn't answer, instead opening the box and pulling out the small, elegant ring. He pocketed the empty box and held the ring in the small space between them. He twisted it round so that the bottom of the ring was facing upwards, and held it up towards her. Phoebe raised a hand to it, not holding onto it, but simply caressing it as she viewed it. She glanced at the bottom of the ring, smiling gently as she read the tiny engraving.
"Hope. . ." She read out softly.
"The last thing I lost when I thought it was all over." Cole said gently. "The first thing that came back when I saw you again." He paused, fingering the ring tenderly. ". . .the one thing I relied on." He looked up at her, their eyes meeting. "You gave me hope." He reached up and wiped away a tear that slipped down Phoebe's cheek, then smiled.
"I love you. . ." Phoebe whispered gently.
"Shh. . ." Cole said with a half smile. "Let me finish." He warned with mock seriousness. "And I love you too." He quickly added, before continuing. "I'm not getting down on one knee. . .tradition isn't my thing, you know that." He said softly. "Will you marry me?" His voice was barely above a whisper, and Phoebe could almost hear her heart beating over the noises in the manor behind them.
She took a breath. "You know," She started, gaining composure, "There are some advantages to over-the-top romantic behaviour."
Cole stared at her. "Phoebe--" He began.
She interrupted him by closing the space between them, pressing her lips against his gently, before pulling back a fraction. "Yes." She said softly.
"This should. . .feel better, you know. . ." Cole joked, with mock concern.
"Hmmm. . .funny." Phoebe acknowledged his statement and smiled.
"It feels amazing." He said, serious this time.
"It feels. . ." Phoebe started, "Right."
"Hopeful?" Cole asked softly.
Phoebe nodded with a smile, as she watched him slip the ring onto her finger - it fit perfectly. "Hopeful. . ." She whispered, looking up at him again. She leaned forward and kissed him again, enjoying the feel of his lips on hers. Relishing in their happiness, knowing it was only just beginning.
Hopeful.
* * * * *
The End
* * * * *
Thanks again, to all who read and enjoyed it. Don't know when I'll be starting a new story, but there will be another one. Sooner or later. . .I'm. . .hopeful.