Part Twenty-Nine
Two Hours Later...
May 10, 2004
Paige leaned against the waiting room wall, her chin tilted toward the ceiling. Her hands were shoved into her jeans' pockets and she stifled a yawn as she lowered her head to scan the room. For the past half-hour, hers was the only family left waiting. She shifted her weight to her left leg as she gazed at her older sister. Piper had finally drifted off in Leo's arms. 'Poor Leo,' Paige thought, 'Wyatt in one arm and Piper in the other, he's gonna pay for it later.' She couldn't help but smile in return to him, 'And somehow I think he'll feel it'll be worth every ache.'
Leo had nodded to her in Cole's direction so she focused on Cole who sat dejectedly in one of the side chairs, elbows resting on his thighs, his head hanging low. 'He should be in there.' She quietly approached and touched his shoulder. He didn't even twitch a muscle. "Cole," she whispered as she knelt next to him, "it's your baby. Phoebe needs you."
"Does she?" he muttered before he slowly looked into his sister-in-law's eyes. He saw the concern in them and was grateful but... "She ever tell you about her premonition?" A rhetorical question because he knew Phoebe had only confided to him the full truth so he quickly continued, "I wasn't part of her life and she was successful."
"Couldn't've been too successful," she pointed out, "if she's been so desperate to make sure it didn't come true."
"The point is," he shook his head, "she did just fine without me. She had her family, a career, love..."
Growing more worried, Paige assured him, "Phoebe loves you and she'd be lost without you, Cole. I know. I saw it when she thought you were dead and I don't know what would've happened if you hadn't come back."
"She doesn't want me back," he stated as he strode to the doorway and stared down the deserted hall at the delivery room doors. "You didn't see her face, didn't see the pain. I betrayed her."
"We betrayed her too," Piper quietly announced as she stirred. She eased herself away from Leo who was still watching her and she squeezed his hand before she stood. Working out the pins and needles in her feet, she caressed her belly as she slowly made her way to Cole who hadn't turned around. "We weren't there for her when she needed us, Cole. After everything we've been through in the past two years we fell right back into old habits."
"Piper and I both knew better," Paige apologized to Cole, "knew you better but we still believed in Gideon's lies."
"It wasn't your fault," he told them when he finally faced the sisters. "He was twisting the truth. Besides, I'm a demon and always will be and you shouldn't ever forget what I've done to you."
"But we've forgiven," Piper quietly insisted as she touched his forearm, "and we've accepted."
"And we thought we'd grown but what'd we do?" Paige grumbled. "We let Phoebe down when she needed her sisters most."
"But you are her sisters," he commented with a shrug, "and she'll forgive you."
"And you're her soul-mate," Piper smiled warmly, "and she'll forgive you."
Leo cautiously stood, made sure Wyatt was still sleeping, and suggested, "Why don't you go in there, Cole? What's the worst that could happen?"
Cole didn't want to answer him. His imagination had already worked out a hundred different scenarios, none of which ended well. Instead he paced back to his chair and slumped down in the seat.
Piper and Paige both gazed at Leo, hoping for another suggestion, but he only shrugged as they gathered near Cole.
"Cole," Victor breathlessly called out as he hurried into the waiting area and yanked down his surgical mask. He saw the combined excitement and fear in his son-in-law's eyes when Cole jumped up from the chair.
His mouth suddenly dry, Cole hoarsely asked, "How are they?"
"She's been trying so hard," Victor somberly informed them, "but she's so tired, Cole. She's been through so much these past few weeks and this labor's been more than she can handle."
Piper gripped Paige's hand and squeezed it in fear, "Dad, what're you saying?" She glanced at Leo who suddenly closed his eyes in concentration.
"She's very weak," he grimly announced. "Fading's a better word."
If she hadn't already been terrified, she was now. Paige's voice trembled when she asked both Victor and Leo, "Are you saying Phoebe's not gonna make it?"
Victor ignored the question because maybe if he ignored it, it wouldn't be a possibility. Instead, he focused on Cole, "She's been pushing for more than an hour and it's too late for a C-section and she's..." He clenched his hands into fists and pushed the fear from his mind. "She needs you, Cole. You have to help her through this."
"She doesn't want me there," Cole whispered. "And," he resolved in a stronger voice, "I won't hurt her any more than I already have."
No one was prepared when Victor's fist suddenly shot out and connected with Cole's jaw.
"Dad!" Piper rushed to her father's side but prevented him from going after Cole again.
"If you let my daughter die," Victor spat at the fallen demon, "I'll make it so you'll beg to be vanquished."
Cole rubbed his jaw and got to his feet. He stared directly into Victor's furious eyes and, without a word, angrily spun on his heel, away from everyone. In the doorway, he turned back and declared, "I'll do whatever Phoebe wants, even if that means being vanquished for good."
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Dressed in surgical garb, Cole was about to enter the actual delivery room when the nurse stopped him.
"I'm Nancy. Carla's already inside with Dr. Carlton. Now, it's going to be unnerving seeing your wife as she is," she warned. "Doesn't matter how many lessons they have or how many videos they watch, most men aren't prepared for seeing their wives so helpless to the pain. Remember, this is one of the most beautiful, natural, acts in this world and there is no right or wrong behavior. But all egos are checked at the door. Your only job is to help your wife concentrate on bringing that baby into this world. Hold her hand, whisper in her ear, pat away the sweat. If you feel a bit woozy, sit down or leave. There's no shame in it."
Cole gazed through the glass panes at Phoebe who seemed desperately trying to push. He turned back to the nurse and asked, "What if she doesn't want me here?"
Nancy smiled kindly, "She wants you here, Mr. Turner. She's been calling your name for nearly an hour."
"Then why..."
"Every time her father was ready to bring you in," she explained, "Phoebe stopped him saying she was furious with you. That she would never let you touch her or hurt her again." She patted Cole's shoulder when she saw his crestfallen expression, "She doesn't mean it, Cole. I've attended nearly a hundred births and no woman has ever meant what she's said. She may yell, shout, scream at you so much you'll think she's been turned into a witch but --" She caught Cole's surprised expression and chuckled, "Once it's over, she'll be back to her normal self."
"I want my witch back," he whispered as he glanced at Phoebe again.
Nancy smiled and led Cole through the doors, "I promise you that Phoebe Turner loves you and needs you in this room with her when your baby is born. Now, chin up and let's go in and welcome your baby."
Cole kept his eyes on Phoebe who hadn't noticed his entrance. The oxygen mask over her nose and mouth worried him and he glanced at the other nurse who gave him a reassuring smile.
Carla rolled a stool towards him and returned to the other side of Phoebe's table. "Just hold her hand, you'll be fine," she encouraged the nervous father-to-be.
"Glad you could join us," Dr. Carlton greeted in a friendly tone. "It seems once your baby decided it was time, things really got moving."
Cole merely nodded, sat on the stool, and kept his gaze on Phoebe who had finally turned towards him. With a hesitant hand, he slowly brushed some bangs from her forehead. She mumbled something but he couldn't understand with the mask on her face. "Shhh, just rest for a minute." He saw she could barely lift her hand so he took it in his and brought it to his lips. She gave it the slightest of squeezes and he tried to keep the worry from the smile he gave her.
With her free hand, Phoebe tried to move the mask but found she had no energy for the simple task. She was still so angry with him but she loved him so much and the contradiction brought tears to her eyes. He helped push away the mask and she uttered in despair, "I can't do this anymore."
"Because you've been trying to do it alone," he quietly told her. "But I'm with you," he kissed the back of her hand again and added, "and I'm not going anywhere."
"You hurt me," she weakly cried. "It was gonna be different this time. All our promises to each other and you still hurt me."
"I know," he whispered, bringing her hand back to his lips, "and I'm so sorry." He used his other hand to brush away her tears. "And if I could change it, I would. I swear it, Phoebe, I love you and you have always been my only concern."
"I don't kn--" But Phoebe broke off her thought when the contraction seized her. "No more," she sobbed. "I can't..."
He immediately wrapped his arm around her shoulders and helped lean her forward. With his opposite hand still holding and squeezing hers, he suggested, "I know you're still pissed so use your anger, Phoebe. Use it to push the baby."
Eyes shut, she moaned as the contraction intensified. In pain, she nuzzled his chest and begged, "Make it stop."
Cole closed his eyes as he pressed a hard kiss to the top of her head and gathered his strength. He squeezed her hand back, opened his eyes, and demanded, "Remember your training. Focus your anger. Focus your pain. Concentrate." He waited a moment for her to comply and continued, "Push it out. Focus and push. Listen to me, keep focusing. Use your anger. Use it to push the baby." Her body trembled from the effort so he tightened his grip and encouraged in a more sensitive tone, "That's it, Phoebe, you're doing great. Just keep pushing. Use the anger to your advantage. Make the pain go away by pushing it away. Push it hard."
Phoebe ignored the doctor and nurses and listened solely to the strong voice of her husband. She took a quick breath and continued pushing even as she squeezed his hand with all her might. But her energy was waning and she moaned again when she couldn't push anymore while the pain threatened to tear her apart. She leaned into Cole's embrace for more strength but she was so tired and couldn't muster another push. "No more..." she wearily groaned.
"It's okay, baby," he kissed her again as he helped her settle back against the cushion, "you did great. I'm so proud of you, Phoebe. I love you."
"Okay, Phoebe," Dr. Carlton interrupted, "I can see the baby's head." He pointed to the mirror for the expectant parents to look, "So it's real important to give me some good pushes now. I know it hurts but it'll all be over in just a few minutes." With a nod, he indicated to Cole to help her into position.
"Cole..." she whispered in fear. "I can't..."
"You can. You will." He squeezed her hand, kissed her temple, and promised, "Honey, you're so strong and brave. I believe in you but you're not alone, I'm right here by your side."
With another cry, Phoebe clenched his hand and pushed with everything she had left. After a searing pain, instructions from the doctor, and what seemed like forever, she finally felt release as the baby slipped out from within her. "Cole..." she weakly uttered as she sagged in his arms.
Cole gently settled her back and kissed her tenderly on the lips, stiffening when he heard the baby's cries. He gazed at his beautiful wife and could barely find his voice to tell her, "I love you."
Tears streamed down her cheeks, strange sensations radiated from her lower body, and all Phoebe could do was stare back into her husband's sparkling, shiny, eyes. "I love you," she breathlessly declared, "and I'm so sorry for --"
He silenced her with a kiss. "No more sorry. It's a new beginning, something we seem to excel at," he teased. He exhaled in relief when she smiled shyly at him. And, when she tried to lean forward for another kiss, he gratefully made it easier by kissing her first.
"So, Dad," the doctor chimed in, "would you like to cut the cord?" Cole didn't even turn his head and Dr. Carlton chuckled, "Cole, I'm talking to you." Cole suddenly snapped to attention and the doctor chuckled again at the familiar reaction of a first-time father. He held up the scissors and repeated, "Would you like to cut the cord?"
Cole glanced at Phoebe who practically shoved him forward, a good trick since he knew she was still so weak. He accepted the instrument and gazed down in wonder at his baby, his messy but exquisitely beautiful baby. Steadying his hand, he cut what had, only moments ago, been the lifeline of his child to the woman he loved. And then he froze.
Phoebe immediately saw the change in him and leaned forward on her elbows as best she could. "Cole?" It was a moment before he looked back at her and she couldn't hide the panic from her voice, "What is it? What's wrong?"
"Nothing's wrong," Dr. Carlton assured her. "We'll run a few tests, of course, but I don't see any problems right now. He is a little on the small side but, remember, he's also three weeks early."
"Then what --" Phoebe stared at Cole, "He?"
"It's a boy," Cole announced in a dull, shocked tone.
"Are you sure?" Phoebe gasped.
That snapped Cole from his state. "I'm rather familiar with the equipment," he retorted.
Dr. Carlton chuckled and confirmed Cole's news, "I assure you, it's no mistake. You've got yourselves a healthy baby boy. Congratulations."
"Are you all right?" Carla asked Cole as she wrapped the baby in a sheet and laid the newborn on Phoebe's chest.
"Why don't you sit right down next to your wife," Nancy suggested as she guided Cole back to the stool.
"It's supposed to be a girl," Phoebe panicked even as she began taking inventory of fingers and toes and other essential appendages.
Dr. Carlton chuckled again, "A lot of mothers swear they 'know' the sex but they're not always right, not even when they've seen the sonograms." He paused from his task and glanced up at the still-stunned parents, "I read over your records, Phoebe. None of them were conclusive. You'll just have to change the nursery's décor to blue."
Phoebe grabbed at Cole's gown with her free hand, "But I saw --"
Cole kissed her before she could continue and possibly reveal something the medical personnel shouldn't hear. He then kissed her temple and whispered in her ear, "You saw a possible future within a premonition."
"But --"
He kissed her again, rather enjoying this way of keeping her quiet. "But nothing," he emphasized her as he gently poked her nose. "You saw a possible future without me. A possible future where I could not have been the father of your child."
"The Seer..." she whispered as she fingered her son's dark hair.
"Is gone forever and won't lay a finger on him," he promised. "This baby," he added in a suddenly choked voice, "our baby, is nothing but pure innocence, goodness." He cautiously touched the baby's flailing hand and nearly fell off the stool when his son's tiny fingers instinctively closed around his finger. His son. "My son," he whispered.
"He's probably a little hungry," Nancy grinned after spotting Phoebe's sudden panic from the baby's loud cries, "after the day he's had. Why don't you give it a try?"
"Our son," Phoebe corrected her husband as she, with his help, shifted to a less awkward position. She gazed down at her fussing son, "Created and born in love. God, Cole, look at him. He's perfect." She then focused her teary eyes on the man she loved and, in an instant, forgot how weak she felt, and found the words pouring from her heart, "You're perfect. Perfect for me. My partner, my soul-mate. I can't imagine my life without you and I..." She stroked his stubbly cheek, "Oh, Cole, I can't even begin to thank you for changing my life, for giving me my life, my son..."
Overwhelmed by her loving admission, Cole couldn't speak. For more than a century, he'd never known, never believed, such a strong positive emotion between two beings was even possible. Until Phoebe. Unconcerned by the tears welling in his own eyes, he brought his wife's hand to his lips and gently kissed her fingertips before he brushed away her tears. Then he helped adjust her gown before bending his head and kissing his son's forehead. "I love you," he whispered before he kissed Phoebe gently on her lips, "and I love you. Forever and always."
"No more than I love you," she promised with a glowing smile. She glanced at Nancy who provided some brief tips for her. Then she brought the baby close to her breast and gasped when his mouth instantly latched on. She gleefully chuckled with Cole as they each watched their son nurse. And, the longer he suckled, the quicker the tears again fell from her eyes. "Welcome to the family, little guy," she greeted while she loosely held his hand.
His cheek pressed close to hers, Cole joined his hand to theirs and told his son, "We may act a bit insane at times and you may wonder what we've gotten you into but we love you and will always be there for you." The baby yawned, drooled, and closed his eyes and Cole complained, "Not listening to me already, he's just like his mother."
"Then he already must be crazy in love with you," she teased in return as she pressed herself into Cole's strong embrace. "Look at him, Cole," she sighed in amazement. "He's our proof that validates our love. Let Gideon or the others take one look at him and still tell us we're wrong."
"We're not wrong, Phoebe," he stated, determined not to ruin this moment by revealing Gideon's fate. There'd be time enough for that later. "Together, we can do anything."
"We can conquer the world," she sighed tiredly and nuzzled his neck.
Whispering in her ear, he teased, "Without turning evil...Being together makes us strong, unbeatable."
Phoebe was quiet a moment, content to hearing only the soft sounds of her son breathing. She glanced back at Cole, "Maybe this is what justice means. Passing on what we've learned from our mistakes and making sure he knows, does, better."
"Then it's up to us," he quietly agreed with a kiss to her temple, "to make sure justice is served."
And, as their newborn slept, once again attached to his mother for nourishment, the new parents remained blissfully oblivious to all else in the room but for each other and their son.
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