Part Seven

Phoebe practically collapsed onto the sofa. First arranging the candles and then bending again to light them hadn't helped the ache at all and, much as she hated to, she'd probably have to take a painkiller now. Wiping the sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand, she recited the spell she'd created yesterday. It was a moment before she was rewarded with a bright white light in the center of the circle. She heard him before she actually saw him but she was already smiling in anticipation.

"Hey there cutes, put on your dancin' boots and come dance with me…"

"Hey there yourself, cutes," Phoebe cheerfully greeted, momentarily forgetting her pain.

Drake grinned and continued singing while dancing out of the circle to the spot in front of her. As he got to the end of the chorus, he reached out, tugged her on her hand, and lightly swung it to and fro. "As we wing home, cheek to cheek we'll be," he sang, "Come on, come on, come on, come on, and dance with me." He pulled a bit harder on her hand in order that she get off the sofa and join him but he was surprised by her sudden cry of pain and, without skipping a beat, immediately knelt before her. "Phoebe?"

Trying not to groan, she gingerly brought her arm back to the pillow and hugged it tightly to herself. She knew he was waiting but she needed to take several deep breaths before she could explain. "Didn't you get the news up there?"

"I've been in meetings," he replied with growing anger that he hadn't been informed. "What happened?"

She raised an eyebrow, "What kind of meetings?"

But he remained serious, "You're hurt, Phoebe. What happened?"

Grateful for his concern, she couldn't help caressing his cheek and sighing, "I missed you."

He took her hand and brought it to his lips, "I missed you too. But I need to know."

"I was shot." She watched his eyes widen in surprise and rolled her own, "Long story…" She hadn't called him to impress him with her reckless behavior. It had been bad enough being chewed out first by Cole, then her father and sisters, and last, but by no means least, Grams.

Without releasing her hand, Drake used his other hand to move the pillow. That's when he noticed the bandage sticking out from beneath her cropped top. He sucked in his breath as he realized it wasn't some minor graze.

She watched him hesitate and knew he wanted to touch the bandage but wouldn't so as not to hurt her. He frowned and, for the first time since she'd met him, Phoebe saw the demon within Drake, smoldering in his eyes. "I'm okay," she softly told him. "The bullet missed everything and they removed it without a problem. All I need is some time to recover and I'll be good as new. Honest."

But her words didn't really register. All he could see was that Phoebe was badly hurt. "I'll kill him."

She lightly squeezed his hand, "My dad already took care of him. And by that I mean he's in jail, not that he's dead much as Dad would've liked him to be." She patted the cushion next to her. "Tell me about these meetings. They wouldn't've been with a former Source that I might've married, huh?"

Drake's gaze narrowed and he warily asked, "Wasn't he vanquished in some alternate reality?"

"Could never keep Cole down for long. Maybe you met for a little follow-up to your mission," she teased.

"You know," he stated. "How?"

"He told me, of course." She inhaled sharply from a sudden wave of pain and decided she wouldn't be able to enjoy this little game so she quickly explained, "I ended up in limbo for a little while."

He hung his head and closed his eyes as he apologized, "It's my fault. If you'd believed, you'd never have gone there. I should've tried harder."

"Oh, Drake…" But he didn't look up nor did he open his eyes so she squeezed his hand again, "You weren't so far off. Maybe if we'd had more time together…"

"Or maybe," he considered as he finally looked at her, "I wasn't the right one to convince you." He didn't miss the way the corners of her mouth slightly curved up. "You're here so you're convinced now, right?"

"I am," she assured him with a sad smile. "Love is worth it and every moment should be treasured for when you can't be with the one you love."

He carefully put his arm around her shoulder, drew her closer, and smiled when she leaned her head against him. "Are you really okay?"

"Well it's not like you see on TV where I'm up and running a week later as if nothing happened," she told him. "But I'll be fine."

They were quiet for some time while Phoebe rested comfortably against him and Drake unconsciously twirled the ends of her hair through his fingers, humming other Sinatra tunes as he did.

"Why'd you call me?" he suddenly asked. "Not that I mind, of course, but why now?"

Phoebe stirred and shifted position slightly in order to look up at him. "I needed to apologize." She saw the questions in his eyes and answered him, "Right before you left, I lied to you. You wanted so badly to hear me say that I believed in love and I didn't want to disappoint you." Tears welled in her eyes, "You'd been so up front and honest but you didn't want to stay and --"

"I couldn't stay," he corrected. "There's a difference. I made a deal, Phoebe."

"With a demon who reneged on it the instant he tried to trick you into doing evil," she snapped. "You didn't even want me to try to find a way out for you."

Drake gently stroked her cheek and murmured, "If you only knew how hard it was."

"To stay?" she sniffed.

"To leave…"

Phoebe nuzzled his shoulder, "Then why?"

"Because it was the right thing to do," he answered, caressing her cheek again. "I needed tofulfill my end of the bargain if I wanted what I chose, to be human, to have any meaning. Can you understand that?"

She nodded, "When I wasn't busy being angry with you or feeling hurt, I was proud of you."

He pushed her back slightly, "Really?"

"Really," she confirmed for him. "But I was angry and hurt that you wouldn't let me help you and I couldn't accept that I'd been ready to -- I couldn't believe in love. I just couldn't. And I'm sorry because you deserved the truth but you were out of time and I didn't want to hurt you and --"

Drake silenced her with a tender kiss. "In spite of my honorable intentions, I wasn't honest with you either, Phoebe. Once a demon, always a demon, eh?"

"You're a good demon, then," she countered. "Maybe one of the only two in this universe," she added softly. He still looked like he wanted forgiveness so she assured him again, "I understand why you didn't tell me and I'm okay with it…Just like I'm okay with your other little secret."

His stomach dropped as he asked, "What other little secret?"

"Oh, the way you feel about me," she teased as she pulled his arm tighter around her shoulders and snuggled against him.

Relieved she didn't seem furious with him, he questioned, "And just how do I feel about you?"

"You love me," she smugly stated.

"Says who?" He tried to keep his tone light but those butterflies had just returned to his stomach with a vengeance.

"The same little bird who told you exactly when to enter my life. I think his name is," she pretended to struggle for a name, "Cole?"

Not bothering to deny it, he simply mused, "Now that must have been an awkward conversation." But he didn't let her comment and quickly asked her, "How d'you feel about that?" But when she didn't speak, he regretted having posed the question. She'd never once led him to expect anything more than friendship and she clearly still loved her ex. "Never mind, forget I asked."

"You left," she sadly reminded him. "Does it matter now?"

Drake slid from behind her and moved to her other side in order to face her, "Yes, it does."

She couldn't tease him and honestly replied, "I was crazy about you and, maybe, if we'd've had more time…"

"What if we did?" he carefully asked.

"Did what?"

He took hold of both her hands and kissed one before the other, "What if we had more time?"

Phoebe smiled in confusion, "Last I checked you were still dead."

"What if I came back?"

Her smile faded and she pulled her hands free, "What do you mean?"

Drake stood and paced to the opposite end of the room before he turned, paced back, and stood before her. "I've been offered an opportunity. That's what the meetings were about."

"Go on," she warily encouraged.

"It seems I made a bit of an impression with those Elders of yours…"

Phoebe's heart began pounding against her ribcage and she guessed in a hushed tone, "They made you a Whitelighter."

"Not a done deal yet," he cautiously clarified, "and I didn't agree to be just any Whitelighter."

"Our Whitelighter?" she gasped. "Our new Whitelighter?"

He slowly nodded and knelt before her, "What do you think about that?"

"What do I think?" She threw her arms around his neck and hugged him, "I think it's great!" But no sooner had she done that than she collapsed against him in pain. "Oh, God…" she groaned.

Drake quickly maneuvered himself to the sofa where Phoebe curled up in a ball, her head in his lap. He tried not to aggravate her pain as he twisted in order to reach for the pillow she'd been holding earlier.

She couldn't believe the pain and wrapped her arms around her middle, drawing her knees up to her chin. She tried holding her breath as if it would stop the pain.

"Try this," he suggested as he carefully eased the pillow between her arms and stomach. He felt helpless and didn't like the feeling at all. If she consented, he'd have to talk to Them about giving him some healing powers.

"Burns…" she gasped as she hugged the pillow tight.

He gently smoothed her hair from her face and encouraged, "Try to take slow, deep breaths…" He saw her squeeze her eyes shut and, in a soothing tone, suggested, "Just concentrate on breathing nice and slow."

"Why didn't…accept?" she asked before biting her lower lip. It hurt to speak.

"I told them it depended on you and your sisters," he replied. "Are they home? Did they leave you any potions for pain?"

"Painkillers…downstairs…" She felt him stir and moaned, "Stop, don't…move…"

"I'm sorry," Drake quickly apologized. She'd have to bear the pain a little while longer until he could move without hurting her more. To distract her, he decided to tell her briefly about the offer. "The Elders were impressed, astounded really, that someone of my, shall we say questionable, background wanted to be human and it seems they spent the past year watching me. They even tested me and I never had a clue."

"Cole?" She still couldn't breathe freely yet without pain and clutched the pillow tighter.

"We'd often run into each other over the years when we were passing through the city," he explained. "Always enjoyed hanging out, even way back when…Turns out now I was his first solo case."

"You…lost?"

He unconsciously caressed her cheek as he revealed, "I don't have to tell you what you're up against down there if you want to be good and still keep your head. And I suppose the decades of suppression were catching up to me. Cole saw I was losing faith and stepped in."

"The sorcerer…" she exhaled. Was the pain finally easing?

He nodded, "I believe you know the rest. Now close your eyes again." When she complied, almost too quickly, he continued, "The Elders came to me with their offer but I told them I would only become a Whitelighter if I had only one, rather three, charges. Seeing as the Charmed Ones were short one Whitelighter and that you're a magnet to demons more than most witches, they agreed. As long as you agreed."

"I agree," Phoebe sleepily informed him. She couldn't believe how tired she felt and she struggled to prop herself up but couldn't manage it.

"It's okay," he assured, "sleep, Phoebe, we'll talk later."

"Stay…"

He brushed some hair from her eyes, "Close your eyes, slow deep breaths, I'm still here…"

"Sing…" she murmured.

Drake smiled and began singing softly to her. She was asleep before he even reached the first chorus and, as he finally relaxed and leaned back, he continued singing, stroking her shoulder as he did.

"All right, Pheebs, time's," Paige froze when she entered the attic and saw Drake sitting there, "up. Uh, Drake, not the demon I was expecting." And then she noticed Phoebe curled in his lap and rushed towards them, "Is she okay?"

He brought his index finger to his lips to shush Paige and he spoke in a low tone, "She's sleeping."

Annoyed with herself for having given into Phoebe's whim when she'd known better, Paige shook her head, "I knew she'd overdone it. I'd better orb her to bed."

"I can do that," he told her, "but let Phoebe be for a little longer. On the other hand, maybe we should wake her so she can take that painkiller."

"She hates taking them," Paige commented before she realized what he'd said. "What d'you mean you can do that? Since when can you orb? You're a Whitelighter?"

"I'm your Whitelighter," he specified. "Assuming you and Piper also approve." He watched her frown and asked, "You were hoping for someone else?"

She put aside thoughts of Kyle and apologized, "It was silly to think they might send him." Quickly changing the subject she commented, "So, you're the one Phoebe called."

"Cole can only make limited appearances," Drake said as he glanced down at Phoebe, "and I think they both realize it can't work."

"She's in love with him," Paige informed him.

"As he is with her," he agreed.

"You did too good a job with her," she criticized. "You were supposed to get her to believe in love to move forward, not backward."

He smiled at her, "Love doesn't die because you can't be with that person, Paige. Will you never fall in love again because you still love your Whitelighter?" He cut her off as she began to protest, "Phoebe's learned that lesson all too well. And now that she can acknowledge that love, her love for Cole, she'll be able to move on. She'll be able to embrace a new love without losing the old."

"She pretty much said the same thing," Paige realized. "For her sake, I hope you're both right."

"Paige," he grinned, "I'm always right."

"So, tell me then," she challenged, "this Whitelighter gig wouldn't be your way of making sure you're Phoebe's next love, would it?"

"Would I do something like that?" Drake questioned with feigned innocence. "The Elders came to me, honest." With a shrug, he added, "The fact that it worked in my favor is my good fortune. Of course, if you and Piper have problems with it, I'll tell them to forget the deal. I told them it was the Charmed Ones or nothing."

"You love her that much?" she gasped in surprise. He didn't answer and she quickly told him, "Look, Drake, you're a nice guy but you've no idea what it means to be involved with Phoebe. She's my sister and I love her to death but she's had a lousy track record especially when she's in love with Cole. Are you ready to compete with a ghost in limbo? Are you ready to be a Whitelighter to us if she can't love you the way you want?"

"Who says it has to be a competition?" he countered. "Can't she love me as much as she loves Cole?" Phoebe stirred but didn't waken and he lowered his voice, "There is something between us and I can be patient. Give her some time."

"I hope it doesn't backfire," Paige sincerely told him.

"It won't," Drake assured her, "because I believe. And she does too. It'll be great, Paige, you'll see."

"But the future isn't --"

"You know," he interrupted, "part of the Charmed Ones' problem's that they spend too much time worrying about the future, either preserving it or changing it, that they often miss out on the simple pleasures of life."

"Simple and Charmed Ones, in the same sentence? You don't know us at all, do you?" she joked.

"Sure I do," he acknowledged, "and that's why I'm here. We'll have fun, Paige, you'll see."

"That's what I'm afraid of," she muttered. "Look, I'll talk to Piper. Why don't you take Phoebe to bed and --" Paige couldn't believe the way that came out and felt her blush spread as Drake grinned appreciatively. "You know what I mean," she declared as he began to orb out, singing 'I've Got You Under My Skin.' "Painkillers on her nightstand," she called out. "A singing demonic Whitelighter in love with Phoebe," she groaned to herself, "Piper's gonna love this."

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