Chapter Eleven: The Guest
Back at the manor, Phoebe and Junior were getting ready to leave before Paige called her back.
"Phoebe," Paige called from the kitchen, "can I talk to you for a minute?"
"Uh, Paige, I really have to go, I have an early day tomorrow." Phoebe hollered back.
"Just for a second." Paige pleaded.
"All right." She entered the kitchen. "What is it?"
"What are you going to do with Cole?" Paige got straight to the point.
"I don't know." Phoebe replied without giving it a thought. "I didn't really think about it."
Suddenly the kitchen door swung open, startling Paige and Phoebe, and Junior entered.
"Mommy, can we go now?" He asked innocently while rubbing his sleepy eyes.
"Yeah, honey." Phoebe picked him up as he rested his head against her shoulder. "G' night Paige."
"Night. Bye Junior."
"Goodnight Aunty Paige." He yawned, and Phoebe exited the kitchen.
"Uh, Cole," Phoebe called, "can you shimmer us home?"
"Yeah, yeah." He answered, smiling to himself at the sight of Junior resting his little head on Phoebe's shoulder. He took hold of Phoebe's free hand and shimmered back to the penthouse.
After they arrived, Phoebe put Junior to bed, followed by Cole standing by the door watching Phoebe. She settled down next to Junior and stroked his forehead gently.
"Thank you." She whispered, not looking up at him.
"Anything for you and our son." Cole replied happily.
Out of the blue, a shudder escaped from Phoebe, accompanied by a tear dropped on Junior's blanket, and Cole was taken aback from it.
"Phoebe?" Cole slowly approached her. "What's the matter?"
"I was so scared." Phoebe sobbed, wiping the new tears away. Her eyes were welling up as she continued to look down at Junior and continue to stroke his forehead. The moment she realized Junior was taken away, her heart just stopped and her world just went dark. She couldn't feel anything; she was frozen in place that moment. She had no idea what she would do if he had died. He was her life, and the only thing she had.
"I know," Cole whispered, "so was I."
Even though he wasn't there for most or all of Junior's life, somewhere in his heart he knew Junior was going to be a great kid. He sometimes could sense him, which was one of the powers he'd picked up in the wasteland. He could sense when he was happy, when he was sad, and when he and Phoebe were bonding. There were days he wanted to shimmer in and get a glimpse of Junior and Phoebe, just to see how happy they were, but he was afraid he'd risk exposing himself, which he thought Phoebe wouldn't be too thrilled about. He didn't want to bring her any more grief and pain.
"No, Cole. I was scared to death!" She turned to him and sobbed harder, "I felt like somebody stomped on my heart and I couldn't breathe."
Kneeling down next to her, Cole brought her to him and hugged her tightly, rubbed her back and tried to calm her down. "Look on the bright side, he's back and sound asleep."
Staying in his arms for a short while, she pulled back slowly, and took a good look at him and ran her hands through his face and said, "Gosh, you look awful."
He let out a snicker and replied, "Well, it's been a while since I've shaven or taken a bath."
A small smile formed on her lips and she came closer and brushed her lips against his. However he stopped her instantly which brought her to confusion.
"You're vulnerable." He stated lowly, trying to take a hold of his emotion and desire. He wanted to kiss her too, but he knew this was not what she wanted. She didn't mean it. He didn't want to ruin the moment, and didn't want to make anything out of his return to help save his son. "You need to get some rest; it's been a long day."
Slightly nodding her head, she kissed Junior. Cole helped her up and led her out of his room.
"Where are you going to stay?" Phoebe suddenly turned to him in the middle of the room and asked.
"Going back to where I belong, the wasteland." Cole answered, with sadness in his voice.
"You look like hell," Phoebe said, "why don't you take a shower, shave, and I'll cook—I mean order you something to eat."
"No, I don't want to be a bother. I'm good." Cole rejected her offer. "I'm good."
"I insist." She pushed. "It's the least I can do for you, since you did help and save our asses."
"What fast food place opens at 3:00 in the morning?"
"Fine. I'll microwave."
"Are you sure?" Cole asked again.
"If I wasn't, then I wouldn't have asked." She answered with a hint of attitude.
"All right, if you insist." With that Cole headed for the shower.
"I do." She then headed for the kitchen.
Back at the manor, Phoebe and Junior were getting ready to leave before Paige called her back.
"Phoebe," Paige called from the kitchen, "can I talk to you for a minute?"
"Uh, Paige, I really have to go, I have an early day tomorrow." Phoebe hollered back.
"Just for a second." Paige pleaded.
"All right." She entered the kitchen. "What is it?"
"What are you going to do with Cole?" Paige got straight to the point.
"I don't know." Phoebe replied without giving it a thought. "I didn't really think about it."
Suddenly the kitchen door swung open, startling Paige and Phoebe, and Junior entered.
"Mommy, can we go now?" He asked innocently while rubbing his sleepy eyes.
"Yeah, honey." Phoebe picked him up as he rested his head against her shoulder. "G' night Paige."
"Night. Bye Junior."
"Goodnight Aunty Paige." He yawned, and Phoebe exited the kitchen.
"Uh, Cole," Phoebe called, "can you shimmer us home?"
"Yeah, yeah." He answered, smiling to himself at the sight of Junior resting his little head on Phoebe's shoulder. He took hold of Phoebe's free hand and shimmered back to the penthouse.
After they arrived, Phoebe put Junior to bed, followed by Cole standing by the door watching Phoebe. She settled down next to Junior and stroked his forehead gently.
"Thank you." She whispered, not looking up at him.
"Anything for you and our son." Cole replied happily.
Out of the blue, a shudder escaped from Phoebe, accompanied by a tear dropped on Junior's blanket, and Cole was taken aback from it.
"Phoebe?" Cole slowly approached her. "What's the matter?"
"I was so scared." Phoebe sobbed, wiping the new tears away. Her eyes were welling up as she continued to look down at Junior and continue to stroke his forehead. The moment she realized Junior was taken away, her heart just stopped and her world just went dark. She couldn't feel anything; she was frozen in place that moment. She had no idea what she would do if he had died. He was her life, and the only thing she had.
"I know," Cole whispered, "so was I."
Even though he wasn't there for most or all of Junior's life, somewhere in his heart he knew Junior was going to be a great kid. He sometimes could sense him, which was one of the powers he'd picked up in the wasteland. He could sense when he was happy, when he was sad, and when he and Phoebe were bonding. There were days he wanted to shimmer in and get a glimpse of Junior and Phoebe, just to see how happy they were, but he was afraid he'd risk exposing himself, which he thought Phoebe wouldn't be too thrilled about. He didn't want to bring her any more grief and pain.
"No, Cole. I was scared to death!" She turned to him and sobbed harder, "I felt like somebody stomped on my heart and I couldn't breathe."
Kneeling down next to her, Cole brought her to him and hugged her tightly, rubbed her back and tried to calm her down. "Look on the bright side, he's back and sound asleep."
Staying in his arms for a short while, she pulled back slowly, and took a good look at him and ran her hands through his face and said, "Gosh, you look awful."
He let out a snicker and replied, "Well, it's been a while since I've shaven or taken a bath."
A small smile formed on her lips and she came closer and brushed her lips against his. However he stopped her instantly which brought her to confusion.
"You're vulnerable." He stated lowly, trying to take a hold of his emotion and desire. He wanted to kiss her too, but he knew this was not what she wanted. She didn't mean it. He didn't want to ruin the moment, and didn't want to make anything out of his return to help save his son. "You need to get some rest; it's been a long day."
Slightly nodding her head, she kissed Junior. Cole helped her up and led her out of his room.
"Where are you going to stay?" Phoebe suddenly turned to him in the middle of the room and asked.
"Going back to where I belong, the wasteland." Cole answered, with sadness in his voice.
"You look like hell," Phoebe said, "why don't you take a shower, shave, and I'll cook—I mean order you something to eat."
"No, I don't want to be a bother. I'm good." Cole rejected her offer. "I'm good."
"I insist." She pushed. "It's the least I can do for you, since you did help and save our asses."
"What fast food place opens at 3:00 in the morning?"
"Fine. I'll microwave."
"Are you sure?" Cole asked again.
"If I wasn't, then I wouldn't have asked." She answered with a hint of attitude.
"All right, if you insist." With that Cole headed for the shower.
"I do." She then headed for the kitchen.