The Hidden Page
Chapter 12
Honey I'm Home
"I can't believe you had me make a stop at the mall, Phoebe," Piper said shaking her head as they walked in the door. We are in the midst of a major crisis." "Tell me about it. Does this new shirt cover the arm cast all the way?" Phoebe asked as she tried to yank it down even further.
She was really worried about how Cole was going to react. She hated that he felt guilty because he couldn't protect her without his powers. He should be celebrating being a full- fledged human being free of evil. Phoebe wished she could convince him once and for all that his love and presence were all she would ever need from him.
"You seriously don't believe that is going to hide it from Cole do you? I do have to hand it to you; however, your performance at the emergency center was brilliant. You almost had me believing that Kit untied your sneaker causing you to fall down the stairs."
"Do you think I could sell it to Cole?" "Phoebe, honey, people have accused your fiancée of a lot of things but being a sucker was never one of them. Just bite the bullet and tell him."
"Okay, Okay. Speaking of my gorgeous one, I wonder where he is? Oh guys we are home!"
A loud "Heehaw" arose from the basement. "Well at least I know where Leo is," Piper said putting her head in her hands. "I better go down and check on him."
Phoebe watched her sister descend into the basement and then headed off to find Cole. She checked the room they shared with no luck. Maybe he had gone on one of his long introspective walks that he had begun taking each night since his Belthazor half had been vanquished.
She was confident that he didn't miss his evil side. He did admit, however, that he no clue of where and how he fit in the world. That had to be such a frightening feeling to deal with. It was something Phoebe had never had to cope with at least not in this life. She had no doubt where she fit. Oh sure she had her doubts about her career choices and life in general but deep down she knew she was a Halliwell and all that being one entailed. Her only wish was that she had a bit more maturity and wisdom so she would know how to help her beloved through this.
Well standing around wasn't going to solve anything. Phoebe decided to check the attic and if Cole wasn't there she'd borrow Piper's SUV and go out looking for him. She felt somewhat confident that she could drive despite her arm being in the cast. It was starting to storm and it looked like it was going to be a pretty bad one so she quickened her steps.
Phoebe felt her heart nearly stop beating when she found Cole lying on the attic floor in what appeared to be a lifeless state. She raced over to him and knelt down to check that he was still breathing. "Thank God," she whispered as she confirmed his strong, steady breaths and equally strong pulse.
"Honey, Honey, are you okay?" Phoebe asked as she gently tried to nudge him back to consciousness. Cole eyelids blinked and then slowly opened. "Phoebe? What happened?" he queried groggily. "I don't know. I just got back and was hoping you could tell me. Did something assault you?" "No, not that I know of anyway. One minute I was fully alert and then next thing I knew it was lights out."
"What were you doing up here anyway?" she wondered aloud. He usually didn't come up here unless there was a family conference or an intruder on the loose.
Cole glanced down at the extinguished candle by his side. "I don't think I exactly want to tell you." "I thought we didn't keep secrets from one another anymore," Phoebe chided him gently. "Of course for your own safety if you had a harem of concubines up here while I was out, you'd better not tell me. I can get pretty jealous and possessive when it comes to you," she informed him as she sat down on the floor next to him. Come to think of it, it does kind of smell like perfume in here."
"I think I smell it too but Phoebe I swear to you, I don't know where it came from. We both know I'm no saint but cheating on you is something I would never even consider and not just because you would kick my ass." Phoebe laughed and tossed back her hair. "I know that silly man. I was just teasing." She was about to wrap her arm around his back but she quickly checked her action.
Unfortunately she didn't do it fast enough. "Phoebe why are you holding your arm so stiff? He took her left hand in his and carefully pushed up the sleeve of her shirt. "A cast? What the hell happened?"
"Well when Piper and I were up here earlier trying to find a way to locate Paige and help Leo, a demon showed up. I thought I had the jump on him but then he threw me into that wall and my shoulder sort of got smushed. But then Piper exploded him and everything was fine, except this of course," she said pointing to the cast.
Phoebe could see the struggle on Cole's face as he tried to keep his emotions under control. "So I take it you didn't find Paige or your poor shoulder wouldn't still be injured," he said quietly. "Uh well, that's what one would assume, but we did find her. She just refused to help either me or Leo," Phoebe informed him. Then she closed her eyes and waited for the explosion.
"She what? Okay that does it. I've tried treating her with kid gloves for your sake and Piper's but this does it. Where is she? I may not be a demon anymore but I think I could still manage frightening. Maybe I can scare some sense into that girl."
"Cole, just calm down sweetheart, please!" "Don't tell me you are still going to defend her? You're in pain baby and as far as I'm concerned Paige is just as responsible for that as the demon that attacked you in the first place. She's not going to get away with that, not if I can help it."
"Don't you get it," Phoebe cried out finally loosing her own temper. "I don't give a damn about Paige, at least I'm trying not to extremely fast. You on the other hand I love with all my heart and soul. Now this is a terribly cliché thing to say, straight from one of those 'chick flicks' that you and Leo love to hate, and terribly girly but I don't care. I don't want to go and avenge my honor. All I need tonight is for you to hold me and to share a lot of good old fashioned TLC." "The Learning Channel?" Cole asked.
"I meant tender loving care you goofball," Phoebe said. Cole winked at her. "Which of course you knew already because you are obviously pulling my leg." He laughed and gave her a quick kiss. He jumped to his feet, lifted her off the floor and swung her up into his arms. "If it is TLC you want then it is TLC you'll get. That I can do."
Chapter 12
Honey I'm Home
"I can't believe you had me make a stop at the mall, Phoebe," Piper said shaking her head as they walked in the door. We are in the midst of a major crisis." "Tell me about it. Does this new shirt cover the arm cast all the way?" Phoebe asked as she tried to yank it down even further.
She was really worried about how Cole was going to react. She hated that he felt guilty because he couldn't protect her without his powers. He should be celebrating being a full- fledged human being free of evil. Phoebe wished she could convince him once and for all that his love and presence were all she would ever need from him.
"You seriously don't believe that is going to hide it from Cole do you? I do have to hand it to you; however, your performance at the emergency center was brilliant. You almost had me believing that Kit untied your sneaker causing you to fall down the stairs."
"Do you think I could sell it to Cole?" "Phoebe, honey, people have accused your fiancée of a lot of things but being a sucker was never one of them. Just bite the bullet and tell him."
"Okay, Okay. Speaking of my gorgeous one, I wonder where he is? Oh guys we are home!"
A loud "Heehaw" arose from the basement. "Well at least I know where Leo is," Piper said putting her head in her hands. "I better go down and check on him."
Phoebe watched her sister descend into the basement and then headed off to find Cole. She checked the room they shared with no luck. Maybe he had gone on one of his long introspective walks that he had begun taking each night since his Belthazor half had been vanquished.
She was confident that he didn't miss his evil side. He did admit, however, that he no clue of where and how he fit in the world. That had to be such a frightening feeling to deal with. It was something Phoebe had never had to cope with at least not in this life. She had no doubt where she fit. Oh sure she had her doubts about her career choices and life in general but deep down she knew she was a Halliwell and all that being one entailed. Her only wish was that she had a bit more maturity and wisdom so she would know how to help her beloved through this.
Well standing around wasn't going to solve anything. Phoebe decided to check the attic and if Cole wasn't there she'd borrow Piper's SUV and go out looking for him. She felt somewhat confident that she could drive despite her arm being in the cast. It was starting to storm and it looked like it was going to be a pretty bad one so she quickened her steps.
Phoebe felt her heart nearly stop beating when she found Cole lying on the attic floor in what appeared to be a lifeless state. She raced over to him and knelt down to check that he was still breathing. "Thank God," she whispered as she confirmed his strong, steady breaths and equally strong pulse.
"Honey, Honey, are you okay?" Phoebe asked as she gently tried to nudge him back to consciousness. Cole eyelids blinked and then slowly opened. "Phoebe? What happened?" he queried groggily. "I don't know. I just got back and was hoping you could tell me. Did something assault you?" "No, not that I know of anyway. One minute I was fully alert and then next thing I knew it was lights out."
"What were you doing up here anyway?" she wondered aloud. He usually didn't come up here unless there was a family conference or an intruder on the loose.
Cole glanced down at the extinguished candle by his side. "I don't think I exactly want to tell you." "I thought we didn't keep secrets from one another anymore," Phoebe chided him gently. "Of course for your own safety if you had a harem of concubines up here while I was out, you'd better not tell me. I can get pretty jealous and possessive when it comes to you," she informed him as she sat down on the floor next to him. Come to think of it, it does kind of smell like perfume in here."
"I think I smell it too but Phoebe I swear to you, I don't know where it came from. We both know I'm no saint but cheating on you is something I would never even consider and not just because you would kick my ass." Phoebe laughed and tossed back her hair. "I know that silly man. I was just teasing." She was about to wrap her arm around his back but she quickly checked her action.
Unfortunately she didn't do it fast enough. "Phoebe why are you holding your arm so stiff? He took her left hand in his and carefully pushed up the sleeve of her shirt. "A cast? What the hell happened?"
"Well when Piper and I were up here earlier trying to find a way to locate Paige and help Leo, a demon showed up. I thought I had the jump on him but then he threw me into that wall and my shoulder sort of got smushed. But then Piper exploded him and everything was fine, except this of course," she said pointing to the cast.
Phoebe could see the struggle on Cole's face as he tried to keep his emotions under control. "So I take it you didn't find Paige or your poor shoulder wouldn't still be injured," he said quietly. "Uh well, that's what one would assume, but we did find her. She just refused to help either me or Leo," Phoebe informed him. Then she closed her eyes and waited for the explosion.
"She what? Okay that does it. I've tried treating her with kid gloves for your sake and Piper's but this does it. Where is she? I may not be a demon anymore but I think I could still manage frightening. Maybe I can scare some sense into that girl."
"Cole, just calm down sweetheart, please!" "Don't tell me you are still going to defend her? You're in pain baby and as far as I'm concerned Paige is just as responsible for that as the demon that attacked you in the first place. She's not going to get away with that, not if I can help it."
"Don't you get it," Phoebe cried out finally loosing her own temper. "I don't give a damn about Paige, at least I'm trying not to extremely fast. You on the other hand I love with all my heart and soul. Now this is a terribly cliché thing to say, straight from one of those 'chick flicks' that you and Leo love to hate, and terribly girly but I don't care. I don't want to go and avenge my honor. All I need tonight is for you to hold me and to share a lot of good old fashioned TLC." "The Learning Channel?" Cole asked.
"I meant tender loving care you goofball," Phoebe said. Cole winked at her. "Which of course you knew already because you are obviously pulling my leg." He laughed and gave her a quick kiss. He jumped to his feet, lifted her off the floor and swung her up into his arms. "If it is TLC you want then it is TLC you'll get. That I can do."