Disclaimer: I do not own Charmed! Brad Kern and other TV execs and such do! Not me! However, I do own Tomika. And the character Thursday.

Barb6: dies of shock Someone…likes…my….writing…? Wow. Unbelieeevable! I love Cole or Cole/Phoebe stories too, so I decided to try and write one. I'm glad you like so far. gives out your choice of favorite cookie

I suffer from the procrastination virus, meaning I don't update nearly often enough. Sorry! I'm undergoing treatment, but it's a long and painful process. Reviews and feedback are my medication of choice.

Cole swam in inky blackness, his lungs filled with lead. He flailed out frantically at the nothingness, his chest heaving with futile attempts to breathe. There was no air here. There was nothing to touch, see, or smell in the realm between worlds. His fingers had gone numb from the freezing cold and the chill spread quickly throughout his body, racing through his blood. He tried to shout, and a searing liquid poured down his throat, choking him.

He retched and coughed violently, until suddenly there was air in his lungs again. He hunched over and put his hands on his knees, trying to stay upright. The blackness stubbornly remained until he regained his senses and opened his eyes to see scuffed black shoes and a sidewalk. His hearing returned next, as he gradually became aware of the babbling of voices. He was too disconcerted to register what they were saying, and focused on straightening up safely as gravity made its presence known. Despite his efforts, he swayed a little and would have fallen if someone hadn't grasped him by the arm. The person steadied him and gently steered him up some stairs and into a house.

Cole's hands and feet were stinging with pins and needles as the numbness receded. He felt something in his right hand and was surprised to see that he was clutching a bouquet of flowers like it was a lifeline. He stared down at the daises in befuddlement, more confused than ever. The mystery presence gently pried the flowers from his hand, finally getting Cole's attention. He tried to focus on her as she bustled about the foyer and lead him to a chair, chattering the entire way. She chirped something about a glass of water and disappeared into the kitchen before he could see her face. Distractions gone, Cole took to studying his surroundings, struck by a nagging sense of familiarity. There was something…

Cole spun around to peer over the back of the couch into the foyer, a feeling of dread weighting his chest. The view confirmed his suspicions. Everything was exactly as he remembered it. He was sitting in the living room of the Halliwell manor. The home of the Charmed Ones.

"Here you go." Cole startled at the sudden voice and nearly conjured an energy ball in his panic. Phoebe was walking towards him with a glass of water and a kindly expression. Cole's heart jumped at the obvious warmth in her smile. She handed him the glass and sat down next to him, completely at ease. Cole sat contentedly, savoring the opportunity to study her face once more, to see her look at him without hatred or fear. How long had it been since he had seen her this way?

She gestured towards the glass in his hand. "Have some water, it should help that cough." Cole mechanically raised the glass to his lips, barely registering the cool liquid. He couldn't care about anything at the moment, not even how he had gotten here. Phoebe was right there, close enough to touch. Her face suddenly changed to an expression of concern as she took in Cole's dazed appearance.

"Are you alright?" She rested the back of her hand against his forehead, checking for a fever. Cole flinched at her touch, shocked at the feel of her cool skin against his. Electricity thrummed though his veins, and he fought the sudden impulse to take her in his arms and kiss her breathless. Phoebe bit her lip in concern, completely unaware of the conflict raging within the object of her attention. She looked absolutely adorable like that, and she didn't hate him or want to kill him, so… Oh, the hell with this. Cole leaned forward for the kiss, feeling happier than he had felt in a long time.

"Don't you dare!"

Cole lurched back in surprise before he realized that the voice wasn't Phoebe's. She looked more worried than ever at his sudden movement. "What's wrong?"

A hand waved forcefully in front of Cole's face, making him jump again. Thursday was standing behind the couch, glowering down at him like a scolding mother.

"What do you think you're doing?"

"Mr. McInroy, are you okay? Can you hear me?"

Cole gaped at Thursday while Phoebe inched closer, trying to get his attention. She gently shook him by the shoulder, trying to jar him out of his daze. Cole couldn't even bring himself to enjoy her touch at the moment. What the hell was going on?

"What are you doing here?" He snapped viciously at Thursday. This wasn't right, this couldn't be happening. It was perfect, he was with Phoebe again, but now this girl was here to ruin things. Again.

"I'm keeping you from screwing things up even more!" Thursday waved her arms in the air violently. "Sheesh, I leave you alone for five minutes and look what happens." Cole started to respond but she cut him off. "Listen up, bud. You're in mortal danger right now unless you do exactly as I say. Capiche?"

Cole suddenly realized that Phoebe had leaned back and was regarding him with some wariness. "Mr. McInroy, who are you talking to?" She spoke very softly, as though to a frightened child, but Cole noticed the guardedness in her eyes. He suddenly remembered that she was a Charmed One, fully capable of vanquishing him if she chose.

"I…don't…" Cole stuttered a little, completely lost. Thursday was right there, clearly visible and (unfortunately) audible. And why did Phoebe keep calling him Mr. McInroy?

"Need some help?" Thursday smirked from behind him. "Alright, tell her that you were just a little confused after your asthma attack. You weren't sure what was happening, and your mind went fuzzy." She leveled a finger at him sternly. "Call her Miss Halliwell, and act like I don't exist."

Cole looked back to Phoebe, nearly flinching at the growing mistrust in her face. He couldn't stand to have her look at him that way again.

"Just got a little confused for a second." Thursday frowned, and Cole remembered. "Miss Halliwell," he corrected hastily. "Must have been the asthma, sorry I drifted off there." Phoebe visibly relaxed and Cole felt a rush of relief.

"That's okay," she smiled gently and patted his hand. "How do you feel now?"

Cole didn't need Thursday's frantic gestures to know the correct answer. "Much better, thank you, Miss Halliwell." He reluctantly stood up and Phoebe followed suit as Thursday pointed to the door. "I should get going now, I suppose." Cole had no idea where he should be going, but out of the manor sounded like a good start.

"Okay," Phoebe walked with him to the door, her hand hovering near his shoulder to steady him. "Thank you so much for delivering the flowers."

It took a few seconds before Cole realized she was referring to the bouquet he had been holding when he first got there. "My pleasure," he managed to reply, puzzling over that new fact. He was a delivery boy?

Phoebe noticed the pause. "Are you sure you're alright? Maybe you should take a vacation, Mr. McInroy." She urged kindly as she opened the door. "You work too hard."

Cole smiled weakly at her. "I'll be fine. Good afternoon, Miss Halliwell." He forced himself not to look back at her as he walked down the steps to a delivery truck. He heard the door close behind him and felt a strange mix of relief and sadness.

To distract himself, he examined the truck at the curb for clues. Frannie's Flowers and Gifts was emblazoned on the side of the small vehicle, along with some pictures of colorful bouquets and presents. There was no one inside at the moment.

Cole glanced down at himself and finally noticed what he was wearing. It was a dark blue uniform jumpsuit with a name tag clipped to the breast pocket. It read "Tom McInroy, flower transportation specialist." Cole snorted at the pompous sounding job title. Glorified delivery boy indeed. He fished around in his pockets and found the car keys. It wasn't until he had started up the truck that realized that he had no idea where to go.

"Go down this road until the third stoplight, then take a right." Cole jumped and glared at Thursday as she grinned at him from the passenger's seat.

"What the hell is this?" Cole clenched his fists to avoid wrapping his fingers around Thursday's throat.

Thursday remained blissfully oblivious to his murderous desires. "You are Tom McInroy, age sixty five, a long time employee of Frannie's Flowers and Gifts. You have delivered to the Halliwell manor several times and have met each of the sisters. You are vulnerable to asthma attacks and it's past time for you to retire." She recited the facts dryly and checked for his reaction. "Think of it as your cover."

Cole only cared about one thing at the moment. "Why didn't Phoebe recognize me?"

"See for yourself. Use the review mirror."

Cole tilted the mirror down and saw an older man with graying hair and blue eyes staring back at him. He touched his face and saw the old gentleman do the same, but where he saw wrinkles, he felt smooth skin. "What -?"

"You're wearing his aura." Thursday explained. "You look and sound like him to everyone else. The real Tom McInroy is safe and sleeping. The guy deserves some rest."

"Why am I here?"

"Closure, like I said. This was the only way to bring you back, so to speak." She clapped her hands briskly. "Okay, here are the ground rules: One, no talking to me when other people are around, unless you want to spend the entire time in an asylum. Two, no using your powers for any reason. Three, no telling anyone else who you really are. Break rules two and three and this little field trip is over."

Cole knew the question had to be asked. "How long do I have?"

"One week."

Cole felt the anger surge back immediately. This wasn't even close to fair. "One week? What am I supposed to do with that?"

"For starters, you can go back to work. Marie will be waiting with a fresh set of deliveries." Thursday shook her head at Cole's incredulous expression. "This isn't just about Phoebe, you know. There are other things you have to fix. Don't spend too much time moping around her or you're outta here. Remember, down here until the third stoplight, then take a right. It'll be the second building on your left." There was a dull glow and a humming noise, and then she was gone.

Cole sat there for a few minutes and seriously contemplated ignoring everything Thursday had told him. Was it really worth it for one lousy week? A vision of Phoebe's smiling face floated into his mind. Swearing ferociously, he yanked the truck into gear and sped off down the road.