Part Fourteen

One Week Later…

May 9, 2004

Phoebe leaned back against her headboard and drew half of a big red "x" through the date in her countdown calendar. She felt the baby kick and she smiled as she rubbed the spot, "Take your time, baby, we've got another three weeks 'til we say hello." The phone rang and she rolled her eyes as she set aside the calendar. Before her sister could even say hello, she answered, "I'm fine, Piper. The doctor said to keep doing whatever I'm doing and even okayed some light work."

Piper's disapproval came through despite the static in the connection. "You're on medical leave. No work, Phoebe."

Phoebe sighed. She'd already had this argument with Cole on the way back from the doctor. "I'm not going into the office or doing any interviews," she announced. "All I'm talking about's reading some letters and typing some advice. Reading and typing, Piper. Nothing strenuous in that and I won't even have to leave the bed." She glanced at the huge pile of letters next to her that she'd begged Cole to pick up on their way home and recalled her promise to him, "I'll work at a slow pace, a few letters at a time. Jason even agreed to forgo my usual deadlines and let Elise pick and choose which pieces to run in a fresh column and which to repeat. He'd prefer me to do some radio spots but --"

"Is he insane?" Piper snapped. "You're in no condition to travel to the studio and --"

"That's not what he had in mind," Phoebe replied defensively. "He and Elise have both been more than accommodating for me given the past two weeks and the fact that I'll still be taking my full maternity leave. He wanted to arrange for the spots to take place here in the house where I wouldn't even have to move from the sofa."

"Fine," Piper grudgingly said, "but I still say you'd be overdoing it."

"I agree," Phoebe sighed, "and I even told Cole that. I do know my limitations, y'know. Even from the living room, doing the radio spots would be too much."

"Not to mention all the juicy explanations we'd have to come up with for what goes on around here," Piper added. "Can you imagine the calls that would've come in if that attack on Chris the other day had been caught live?"

Phoebe paused a moment before she quietly apologized, "I know I wasn't much help with that…"

"It's okay, Pheebs," Piper quickly assured her. "That's not why I mentioned it. I'm sorry you got pushed to the sidelines but we couldn't risk you going into labor again. Besides, the spell you wrote's what really saved Chris, not the fact that I blew up one of the demons."

Phoebe twisted a strand of hair around her finger. "The attacks seem to be more frequent now. Maybe the school isn't such a safe place for you anymore. Maybe you and Wyatt should go with Leo up to the other Elders."

"I'm not running," Piper declared. "And, if you recall, I didn't even want to go to the school in the first place. If we can't hold our own surrounded by all this good magic, then maybe we should reconsider our line of work."

"I don't want anything to happen to you," Phoebe worried. "I don't like being separated from you and I'm not talking about living in different homes even if they're only two blocks away. I'm talking about not being able to share with you or talk to you or --"

"I know, sweetie," Piper softly interrupted. "And I feel the same way. You're about to become a mommy and I know that scares you even though you've practically help me raise Wyatt. But you --"

"That's not true," Phoebe blushed. "I may be crazy 'bout my nephew but I'm no replacement for his own mommy or his daddy. You've accomplished so much, Piper, and I'm so proud of you. I wish I'll be half as successful as you."

"Don't be silly," Piper insisted, "you'll be a great mommy. But, if it makes you feel better, remember I'll be there in an instant if you need to talk or have any questions or even if you just want your big sister to hold your hand. And the minute you're in labor, I'll be right there with you."

"Thanks," Phoebe whispered, "but maybe that's not such a good idea. Not with you and Wyatt still in danger."

It took Piper a moment to comment. "As much as I hate to say it, maybe Cole and Leo are right. We need to concentrate on what's best for our babies. And maybe that means staying on the sidelines right now while everyone else tries to find the person responsible for the attacks."

"So you've forgiven Cole for not letting you come home when I was in the hospital?" Phoebe sniffled into a tissue.

"He was concerned for both of us," Piper acknowledged, "and even I can see that he had only our best interests at heart. However…his bedside manner leaves much room for improvement."

"Not for me," Phoebe chuckled as she recalled Cole's bedside manner with her that morning. "Nope, he, I mean, it, couldn't be sweeter." She glanced around as if someone might be listening and partly covered her mouth when she confided, "I think Cole and Paige have a suspect lined up. Have you noticed how chummy they are these days?"

"Yeah," Piper agreed, "the other day she even offered to temp at his office while one of his law clerks's on jury duty. Y'think maybe they've turned over new leaves because of you?"

"Then I missed the newsflash," Phoebe snorted, "that hell froze over. No, those two are up to something, I can feel it."

"C'mon," Piper laughed, "look who we're talking about – Paige and Cole? No way she's gonna be up to any funny business with him, not after all the lectures and grousing she gives whenever he comes up with one of his plans."

"Just once I'd like to see her a little more grateful for the fact that because Cole is a demon we've been able to survive some rather nasty encounters," Phoebe commented with a more than a little hint of annoyance.

"Hell would have to freeze over first," Cole quipped when he blinked into the bedroom carrying a tray of two servings of pasta and orange juice.

Phoebe smiled at him and tried to scoot over to the side of the bed to allow him room to sit next to her. But she couldn't manage the phone at the same time and had to disconnect the call, "Gotta go, lunchtime…Love you."

Cole set the tray down on the snack table that had been placed near the bed and assisted his wife. He then moved the pile of letters to a different table and frowned, "You're not working today. You've already had enough excitement."

Phoebe opened her mouth to argue but changed her mind when she whiffed the aromatic sauce coming from the pasta. She closed her eyes, inhaled deeply, and smiled, "You went to that little place in Italy, didn't you."

Cole shrugged, "A blink here, a blink there, nothing's too good for my two beautiful witches."

Phoebe stretched out her arms for him and, when he bent forward, kissed him appreciatively, "I love you."

Cole kissed the tip of her nose and turned back to get the food. "Food, then nap. No arguments."

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"Well?" Paige questioned when she orbed into the kitchen.

Cole looked up from doing the dishes and informed her, "Chris checked in about a half-hour ago and Phoebe's still asleep."

"Is she okay?" she wondered with concern. "It's been almost two hours since lunch." Then she noticed what Cole was doing and raised an eyebrow, "Demon does dishes?"

He sprayed her with the nozzle for a second or two and ignored her shriek. Then he returned to his task of washing the last dish and seriously told her, "It might not've seemed like much but going to the doctor and later stopping by her office was more activity than she's used to and she's exhausted even if she can't admit it."

She finished patting her face dry and set aside the towel. "But the doctor said everything's fine, right?"

He nodded and placed the last dish in the drain-board, "The doctor even said she could do some light work on her laptop which, if you tell your sister I said this, you'll be out at least three pairs of shoes, is probably a good thing for her. Phoebe's been going a bit stir crazy and --"

"Driving the rest of us crazy," Paige grinned and tossed him the towel to dry his hands. "Okay, so she's settled. Chris is ready. And Piper loves the idea of "escaping" and doing some shopping for Phoebe."

"And she doesn't suspect anything about Wyatt?" he paused before he dropped the towel on the counter. "She may not be as far along as Phoebe but I don't want her going into labor either."

"She'll be fine," she assured him. "The fact that I volunteered to watch Wyatt for her while she spent quality time alone with Phoebe only put her more at ease about leaving him at the school."

"And Leo?" he warily asked. "You're sure he doesn't suspect? He seemed to be asking a lot of questions before about Wyatt and Chris."

"If he does suspect," she retorted, "he deserves an Oscar." But she thought for a moment before she quietly considered, "He's scared for his sons and given that Phoebe's knowledge of the future from her premonition hasn't helped us find out who's after Wyatt or why, can't you understand what he's going through?"

"Of course I can," he glared at her. But, realizing she didn't mean to be insulting, he toned down his voice when he said, "But it's better for everyone if Leo stays out of this for now. No matter what he's been through or how worried he is, he's not exactly the best at subterfuge and I don't want to give Gideon the slightest edge."

"We're so close," she murmured. "Wyatt's only one but it seems he's fated to a life of willingly doing evil while Chris grew up without his father's influence. They both lost Piper and had to forge lives for themselves."

"Chris is a survivor," Cole nodded. "He's a Halliwell, it's in his blood."

Paige couldn't help but smile, "That he is…Maybe that's why he keeps butting heads with Piper. He's so much like her."

"Like all of you," he agreed. "Even that big sister of yours. He's got enough of Prue's pride within him too."

Paige's smile faded, "What if we let him down and can't change anything? What if Wyatt still turns evil?"

"Look at me," he instructed. "I'm proof that any part of the future can be changed. And that was only because of Phoebe. With the Charmed Ones, Leo, Chris, and me all working together, do you really think we'll lose Wyatt?"

"We're doing a pretty damn good job of it so far but I'm scared," she admitted. She glanced at him and nervously commented, "I hope we're right about this."

He eyed her, "Cold feet? You're the one who convinced me I wasn't overreacting with my suspicion."

She laughed to herself, "If you ever told me that I'd be working together with you…"

"Maybe there's hope for us yet," he quipped before he froze at the sound of shattering glass.

"Phoebe…" Paige uttered.

Without a second thought, Cole blinked and Paige orbed from the kitchen and into Phoebe's room.

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