Chapter Twenty-three: Reconsideration
All eyes were fixed on Phoebe, but all stayed in silence. Everyone was looking at each other trying to get the other to go after Phoebe. Suddenly Cole silently volunteered to run after her.
Speed-walked up to her, he grabbed her arm and pulled her back. Swiftly turning around, Phoebe gave Cole a devilish look.
"Say it Cole." Phoebe austerely ordered.
"Say what?" Cole asked, a bit baffled.
"Say, 'I told you so.'"
"Phoebe, I'm not going to say that."
"Why not? You were right!" Phoebe yelled, hysterically. "This is a complete disaster."
"Well, if it makes you feel any better, I wasn't the one that screw this up." Cole declared.
"I know you didn't, baby." Phoebe let out a sigh. "It's them. They said they would behave, and they completely turned."
Saddened by Phoebe's words, Cole tucked her into his arms and tightly embraced her. Rested his chin on the crown of her head, he said, "I know sweetie." and kissed her forehead.
"I wanna go home." Phoebe muffled.
"Phoebe." Interrupted Piper.
Turning away from Cole's grasp with a touch of attitude, she faced Piper with a disappointing look.
"I'm. Sorry." Piper uttered.
"What a pity apology?" Phoebe fumed.
"No. I really am sorry." Piper answered sincerely, "I was--I just got caught up in the moment."
"You know Piper, this was your idea." Phoebe began, "Not mine."
"I know, I know." Piper agreed, putting her hands up. "I really do want us to get along again. Seriously, I'll stop with the mockery. Please come back to the table."
"It's not up to me." Phoebe pursed her lips then looked up at Cole.
"I'm easy." Said Cole smiling down at Phoebe, and then placed a kiss on her forehead. "Let's go."
Headed back to the dinning room table, Cole pulled out Phoebe's chair for her then he seated himself right between her and Junior.
Through out dinner, things were quiet and subtle. Piper sat stiffly trying to bite her tongue, while Paige played with her food, which bothered Leo; he snapped at her which made her sneered at him. Junior found it to be quite amusing as he kept leering at Paige then over to Leo.
"Can we have cake now?" Junior spoke up, looking toward Piper's way.
"Uh, we're not having cake today sweetie." Piper replied with an apologetic smile. "We're having flan."
"What's flan." He inquired.
"It's an egg custard top with caramel." Piper explained.
"Yuck!" Junior stuck is tongue out to emphasize his point.
Phoebe couldn't help but laugh at her son's reaction. She turned to him and enlightened him a bit, "It's actually quite tasty honey. Especially when auntie Piper makes it."
"No, thank you." He said, shaking his face.
After desert has been severed, and dishes were put away, the family and Cole gathered into the living room discussing Cole's staying matters from some hot herbal tea. There were a few snipes here and there, but nothing a little "agree to disagree" couldn't fix.
It was getting late, and Junior has already fallen a sleep in Melinda's room. Everyone was getting tired and agitated by one another.
"Come on, let's go." Phoebe was got up a little quickly padded Cole on the side on his lower thigh then handed the key car. "Go warm up the car, and I'll get Junior."
Cole grumpily got off of the couch and tried to drag himself to the door. Before he exited he turned to the rest of the family and said his final conge for the night, "It was nice to you all again. Later!" All mumbled their adieu just before Cole slammed the door.
Outside he wiped his face with his palm trying to keep himself awake. He grunted and lazily walked to the car, and started it. He slouched on the seat and let out a loud grunt before Phoebe came out with Junior on her shoulder still sleeping.
Phoebe opened the car door and sat Junior in the back seat and buckled him up. She got herself into the passenger's seat and leaned against the window and closed her eyes.
"Phoebe?" Cole calmly called, as he started the car.
With her eyes closed she raised her eyebrows, and answered, "Huh?"
"I'm sorry about tonight." Cole apologized while putting the car to gear.
"It wasn't your fault." Phoebe mumbled in her half asleep state.
Cole memorized her for a few minutes before taking off. After all this years of living without her, and all the pain he had caused her, he was still amazed that she would accept him back into her life.
The night was getting colder and the sky was turning slightly violet through the murky mid-night sky. The chillness slowly traveled to the windshield, fogging it up. Squinting his eyes, Cole couldn't see what was ahead of him. He pressed the A/C button for it to clear up the fog.
Pinching the bridge of his nose, he tried to keep himself awake. His eyes were extremely heavy and they were watery from trying to keep it opened. To make it worse, everything around him was peaceful, and the darkness didn't help much either. Slightly drifting off, a squeal of car wheels and horns honking suddenly woke everybody up.
"What happened?" Phoebe asked, alertly.
"Uh, nothing." Cole answered, sitting up straight.
"Son of a bitch." He cursed to himself. "That was close."
A little closer and he could have lost Phoebe and Junior permanently. Shaking himself out of his thought he focused on the road and hurried home.
"Phoebe." Cole shook her. "We're home sweetie."
Phoebe straightened up and yawned before opening the door.
Cole quickly got out of the car and opened the back door to pick Junior up and carried him to the penthouse.
As they reached the door, Phoebe quickly opened it and stepped in.
"Do you want me to tuck him in?" Phoebe asked, turning to Cole.
"Uh, no, I was thinking he could stay with us tonight." Cole answered smiling at her.
"You sure?"
"Positive."
"Alright." Phoebe said, for Cole scooped her into his arm and the three of them disappeared into the hallway.
All eyes were fixed on Phoebe, but all stayed in silence. Everyone was looking at each other trying to get the other to go after Phoebe. Suddenly Cole silently volunteered to run after her.
Speed-walked up to her, he grabbed her arm and pulled her back. Swiftly turning around, Phoebe gave Cole a devilish look.
"Say it Cole." Phoebe austerely ordered.
"Say what?" Cole asked, a bit baffled.
"Say, 'I told you so.'"
"Phoebe, I'm not going to say that."
"Why not? You were right!" Phoebe yelled, hysterically. "This is a complete disaster."
"Well, if it makes you feel any better, I wasn't the one that screw this up." Cole declared.
"I know you didn't, baby." Phoebe let out a sigh. "It's them. They said they would behave, and they completely turned."
Saddened by Phoebe's words, Cole tucked her into his arms and tightly embraced her. Rested his chin on the crown of her head, he said, "I know sweetie." and kissed her forehead.
"I wanna go home." Phoebe muffled.
"Phoebe." Interrupted Piper.
Turning away from Cole's grasp with a touch of attitude, she faced Piper with a disappointing look.
"I'm. Sorry." Piper uttered.
"What a pity apology?" Phoebe fumed.
"No. I really am sorry." Piper answered sincerely, "I was--I just got caught up in the moment."
"You know Piper, this was your idea." Phoebe began, "Not mine."
"I know, I know." Piper agreed, putting her hands up. "I really do want us to get along again. Seriously, I'll stop with the mockery. Please come back to the table."
"It's not up to me." Phoebe pursed her lips then looked up at Cole.
"I'm easy." Said Cole smiling down at Phoebe, and then placed a kiss on her forehead. "Let's go."
Headed back to the dinning room table, Cole pulled out Phoebe's chair for her then he seated himself right between her and Junior.
Through out dinner, things were quiet and subtle. Piper sat stiffly trying to bite her tongue, while Paige played with her food, which bothered Leo; he snapped at her which made her sneered at him. Junior found it to be quite amusing as he kept leering at Paige then over to Leo.
"Can we have cake now?" Junior spoke up, looking toward Piper's way.
"Uh, we're not having cake today sweetie." Piper replied with an apologetic smile. "We're having flan."
"What's flan." He inquired.
"It's an egg custard top with caramel." Piper explained.
"Yuck!" Junior stuck is tongue out to emphasize his point.
Phoebe couldn't help but laugh at her son's reaction. She turned to him and enlightened him a bit, "It's actually quite tasty honey. Especially when auntie Piper makes it."
"No, thank you." He said, shaking his face.
After desert has been severed, and dishes were put away, the family and Cole gathered into the living room discussing Cole's staying matters from some hot herbal tea. There were a few snipes here and there, but nothing a little "agree to disagree" couldn't fix.
It was getting late, and Junior has already fallen a sleep in Melinda's room. Everyone was getting tired and agitated by one another.
"Come on, let's go." Phoebe was got up a little quickly padded Cole on the side on his lower thigh then handed the key car. "Go warm up the car, and I'll get Junior."
Cole grumpily got off of the couch and tried to drag himself to the door. Before he exited he turned to the rest of the family and said his final conge for the night, "It was nice to you all again. Later!" All mumbled their adieu just before Cole slammed the door.
Outside he wiped his face with his palm trying to keep himself awake. He grunted and lazily walked to the car, and started it. He slouched on the seat and let out a loud grunt before Phoebe came out with Junior on her shoulder still sleeping.
Phoebe opened the car door and sat Junior in the back seat and buckled him up. She got herself into the passenger's seat and leaned against the window and closed her eyes.
"Phoebe?" Cole calmly called, as he started the car.
With her eyes closed she raised her eyebrows, and answered, "Huh?"
"I'm sorry about tonight." Cole apologized while putting the car to gear.
"It wasn't your fault." Phoebe mumbled in her half asleep state.
Cole memorized her for a few minutes before taking off. After all this years of living without her, and all the pain he had caused her, he was still amazed that she would accept him back into her life.
The night was getting colder and the sky was turning slightly violet through the murky mid-night sky. The chillness slowly traveled to the windshield, fogging it up. Squinting his eyes, Cole couldn't see what was ahead of him. He pressed the A/C button for it to clear up the fog.
Pinching the bridge of his nose, he tried to keep himself awake. His eyes were extremely heavy and they were watery from trying to keep it opened. To make it worse, everything around him was peaceful, and the darkness didn't help much either. Slightly drifting off, a squeal of car wheels and horns honking suddenly woke everybody up.
"What happened?" Phoebe asked, alertly.
"Uh, nothing." Cole answered, sitting up straight.
"Son of a bitch." He cursed to himself. "That was close."
A little closer and he could have lost Phoebe and Junior permanently. Shaking himself out of his thought he focused on the road and hurried home.
"Phoebe." Cole shook her. "We're home sweetie."
Phoebe straightened up and yawned before opening the door.
Cole quickly got out of the car and opened the back door to pick Junior up and carried him to the penthouse.
As they reached the door, Phoebe quickly opened it and stepped in.
"Do you want me to tuck him in?" Phoebe asked, turning to Cole.
"Uh, no, I was thinking he could stay with us tonight." Cole answered smiling at her.
"You sure?"
"Positive."
"Alright." Phoebe said, for Cole scooped her into his arm and the three of them disappeared into the hallway.