Love's Intervention
Chapter Nineteen: Johann's Parallel World
Phoebe sat stiffly in the passenger's seat of Ames' black Corolla, staring pensively out the window. She could not believe that he had brought her here, out of all the stores he could have chosen. Johann's Jewelry. Of course, he didn't know—couldn't have known—but it was too strangely coincidental to her.
"Phoebe? Uh, Phoebe? You OK?"
Phoebe turned to the handsome man sitting in the driver's seat. "I'm fine, Kevin," she said. Kevin frowned at her. The smile she had given him was a little too wan for his taste. "No, really, I am," Phoebe said trying to assure him. "I'm just worried, that, well, you know…" she turned her gaze back toward her side window.
"I told you not to worry," Kevin said almost impatiently. "Ames is not going to find out about this, alright? She is not going to catch us doing anything, I made sure of it. This place is the farthest from any of her regular haunts."
"Well," Phoebe sighed as she stepped out of the car. "If you insist."
Kevin smiled as well, the excitement of the day getting to him, as he merrily turned off the car engine and got of the car as well. "I'm telling you, this day will be perfect," he said. "We found a parking spot right in front of the store."
"So?" Phoebe stubbornly insisted. "That doesn't mean anything." Still, she softened, knowing that the day was very important to Kevin. "Look, man," she said, punching her friend lightly on the arm. "Don't listen to me and my negative side comments. I think that this is absolutely wonderful and I am honored to be a part of it."
"Aw, c'mon, I didn't bring you to be my bodyguard," Kevin replied, grinning from ear to ear. "I brought you so that you could help me, negative comments and all." From his place on the sidewalk, he glanced up at the store name before taking a deep breath. "So, you ready?"
"You should be the one answering that question, not me," Phoebe pretended to chide as they stepped into the same jewelry shop that she and Cole had robbed three years ago.
"I have asked myself that question," Kevin answered her, very seriously. "Ready or not, I have never felt more sure of anything in my entire life. I want to marry her, Phoebe—I truly, truly do. I have no doubts."
Phoebe smiled gently at him as they walked up to the store counter. "There never was any doubt, Kev," she told him as they waited for service. "I am just so thrilled for you both. Marriage is just gonna be perfect for you guys."
"That is if she says yes," Kevin said darkly as the store employee showed a teenage girl and her mother bracelets.
"Of course she will," Phoebe asserted, reaching up slightly to pat him lightly on the shoulder. "I know you, I know Ames even better, and I know…" she trailed off, her eyes suddenly distant.
"You know…you know what?" Kevin pressed, afraid that Ames' best friend was suddenly going to tell him some unfortunate news.
"Love. I know…love." Phoebe nodded her head slightly, as if to punctuate her statement, then sighed and leaned forward on the counter.
Kevin furrowed his brow. Who could Phoebe possibly be talking about? Last time he checked, the most Phoebe had that was close to a romantic relationship lately was the guy she had seen twice and slept with once. The Phoebe that he knew insisted that she did not want love, that love was bothersome and not suited for her. But lately, she seemed to have changed in her demeanor—what could have changed her so? Is she talking about Clay, or…? He stopped. Clay. The name of the only serious boyfriend she had triggered another piece of memory. Another 'C' name. C…Cole. Cole.
Suddenly, everything seemed to make sense. She started acting differently just around the time that she met him. Could it be possible that she was falling in love with this Cole—so quickly, so soon? Kevin tested his theory. "So how's this Cole fellow I've been hearing about?" he said nonchalantly, pretending to shift the topic.
Phoebe sent Kevin a sharp look. Maybe she did not know him in this world, but she had enough to go on from both her diary and her internal instinct to know what he was implying. "I broke up with him."
Kevin opened his mouth. "When did this happen?"
Phoebe sighed. "I told Ames, but I guess you guys haven't talked since last afternoon." She looked around the store. "Are there no other employees here at all?" she muttered to herself, drumming her fingers nervously on the glass. The employee looked awfully familiar to her, and she had the most sinking feeling that he was the man present when Frankie and Lulu decided to steal from the store. Phoebe buried her head in her hands. Why did everything have to so blatantly remind her of Cole?
Kevin shook his head. The fact that she had broke off their relationship just proved his theory to be true. "Why?" he tried. "I mean, it's obvious that you care about him. I mean, Pheebs, is it such a good idea to end something so promising?"
Phoebe groaned. "Now you're on my case too?"
"I'm just looking out for you, Phoebe. I'm sure Ames told you this too."
"Yeah, the whole crew," Phoebe muttered. Ames, she knew, would protest and be astonished that she would break up with such a "hunky slice of flesh", as Ames had so eloquently put it when Phoebe had given her the news. The big shocker was the response of her sisters.
Phoebe had been researching some more information on magic on her computer when Prue rang her. "Phoebe," Prue had demanded without even bothering with a greeting. "I hand you my ex-boyfriend and you hand me back a broken man. Why?"
"Uh…Prue?" Phoebe had said a bit bewilderedly, her mind not exactly comprehending what her sister had told her.
"OK," Prue had relented, "maybe 'broken' is a bit of a strong word. But he's devastated, Phoebe. I can honestly say that I've never seen him this upset over anything at all."
"Wait," Phoebe has answered. "Where is he now again?"
"He's in the sun room and Piper is feeding him," Prue replied.
"Uh, Piper, feeding?"
Prue made an annoyed sound over the phone. "You know, comfort food and all that. Phoebe, you're my sister and I love you, but you have to at least give this guy a reason. I mean, he is our friend and all."
"Look," Phoebe said slowly. "I'm not ready to be in a long-term relationship. Not with him, not with anyone—not ever," she finished gloomily.
Prue made another sound at the other end of the line. Phoebe was mystified—how was Prue, of all people, getting so riled up over her breaking up with Cole? It just made no sense. "Phoebe," Prue was saying condescendingly, "you're twenty seven years old. For God's sakes, you can't base the rest of your life on one-night stands. Just in case you didn't know, love encompasses an entire field that is completely separate than casual sex, and infinitely more satisfying."
"Love is shit," Phoebe had snapped back at her sister, clutching the phone in a death-grip. "I know exactly what love is. It only works if you can keep it, and believe me, love is something I'll never be able to keep. And when it doesn't work out, it hurts far more than anything in the world. You don't think I don't know? Things have changed, Prue. Things have changed a lot." Phoebe sighed; she didn't have enough heart to hang up on her sister. "I have to go. Are we still on for tomorrow night?" Phoebe had heard a stunned affirmative from the other end and sighed again. "Bye."
"Hello," sounded the smooth voice of the store employee as he hurriedly went over to where Phoebe and Kevin were. Phoebe took in a full look at the man's face and felt her stomach sink to the ground. It was him. Thank God Cole and I robbed this place a few months after this, Phoebe thought as she gave a nervous smile. Or I would be arrested right about now, probably. "What would you two be looking for on this fine day?"
Phoebe glanced at Kevin and prodded him. Kevin started and faced the employee. "Hi, we're looking for an engagement ring." Kevin saw the glance the man gave to Phoebe and shook his head vehemently. "No, not her, she's here to help. Best friend and all."
The employee nodded. "So, do you have any ideas of what you have in mind, or should I give a few suggestions?"
Kevin, who had already looked at the selection, hesitantly pointed at a particular ring that Phoebe recognized. "I'm not sure, but what do you think about this? I think it's OK, don't know if Ames would be up for it though."
"Oh no, you don't want this one," Phoebe said quickly even as the man opened his mouth to speak. "Believe me." She added under her breath, "unless you want to curse the marriage before it even begins." She lifted her head and smiled at the man. "Do you have some other diamond engagement rings?"
Half an hour later, Kevin and Phoebe stepped out of the store, Kevin holding a little bag. They stopped just outside of Ames' car on the sidewalk and faced each other. Phoebe looked at Kevin's face. A tumble of emotions shone clearly in his eyes; excitement, exhilaration, and the inevitable fear of rejection. Phoebe smiled softly and brought up a hand to lightly stroke Kevin's cheek. "You have absolutely nothing to worry about," Phoebe told him softly. "She'll say yes in a heartbeat, and you guys will have a beautiful wedding, and get married, and have four kids."
"Yup," Kevin responded, smiling. "We've decided the order, did she tell you that?"
"Boy, girl, girl, boy," Phoebe responded, dropping her hand and grinning. "You guys have your whole lives ahead of you. Your love is beautiful and worth it, Kevin. Don't ever forget that."
"Never," Kevin said solemnly, then suddenly grabbed Phoebe into a great big bear hug. "Thank you so much, Phoebe," Kevin said as he held her tight. "I don't know what I'd do without you. I probably wouldn't even be with her if it wasn't for you because I would've been too scared. But I took the chance and now—now I couldn't be happier," he ended as he released her.
"Don't worry about it," Phoebe answered. "Now go get your woman. I'm staying over at my sisters' tonight, remember? Propose wherever you want—you'll know when the moment is right. OK?"
"Definitely," Kevin replied. He opened the driver seat door. "You coming with me?"
"Nah," Phoebe said, waving her hand. "I think I'll walk it to my sisters' now—they want me right about now, and it's not that far." She leaned in the window. "Good luck," she told him. "But you won't need it. All you need is what you already have." She stepped back from the car, gave him one last encouraging smile, then turned toward the window of Johann's Jewelry as Kevin pulled out of the parking spot. Through the window, she saw and remembered, almost as though from an onlooker's view, the way she and Cole, possessed by the ghosts of lovers, had barged in to the store and stole the ring that Kevin had looked at. The perfect solitaire.
With a final sigh, she turned away from the store window and started to head for her sisters' house, passing a seasonal Halloween shop along the way.
"Morning, sweet sister," Paige happily greeted Piper from the Manor kitchen of the magical world. Piper rubbed her eyes sleepily and plodded to the counter to pour a cup of coffee.
"I thought you were at Richard's," Piper yawned as she opened a cabinet and took out her favorite mug.
"I was," Paige corrected her. "But he had to leave early, and I thought—hey, might as well hang out with my sisters if can before heading over to the school." Paige smeared a slab of butter on the toasted bagel and bit into it. "So, how are you sis?" Paige asked, mouth full.
"I'm as I ever am," Piper answered, adding cream to her coffee. She glanced over to Paige, who had practically polished off the first half of her bagel already. "Hungry, aren't you?"
"And this is my second too," Paige replied, grinning. "Sex and orbing calls for lots of food."
"Yup," Piper said shortly, gripping her cup and taking a bagel off the pile Paige had assembled on a separate plate. Paige realized what she had said and started to apologize before Piper stopped her. "Don't," Piper said firmly. "You don't have to. It's OK. I'm OK." They lapsed into silence, contemplatively chewing on their breakfast.
"So, do you know how Phoebe's holding up? I didn't get a chance to talk to her this morning," Paige began, taking various sips between her cup of coffee and her cup of orange juice.
Piper stopped eating. "Really? She wasn't in bed this morning when I checked up on her."
They looked at each other, then shrugged. "Maybe she went to the office early," Paige tried. "She always runs to the office whenever something's up in her life," she added wisely.
"Yeah, but this was her boss," Piper said slowly. "She's not running to the office any faster than she has to face the reactions of her colleagues. I mean, how much to bet that they're gossiping about her and Jason's break up right now?" She took a drought of coffee and continued. "And another thing—when I went to her bedroom, her covers weren't pulled back. What I mean is," Piper clarified when Paige gave her a perplexed look, "it's almost like she disappeared out of her bed. You could still see the shape that her body took under the covers."
Paige opened her mouth, but Piper beat her to it. "CHRIS!" she yelled.
A shower of blue-white lights appeared. "What?" Chris said irritably when he saw the two sisters sitting at the kitchen island. He gave Piper a look that children gave to their parents when they interrupted something important.
"Can you check your radar for Phoebe," Piper asked him. "We're afraid that something may have happened to her."
Chris raised his eyebrows, then up stood and concentrated. After a few seconds, he opened his eyes, clearly puzzled. "She's not in any trouble," he said, furrowing his brows. "She's—here."
Paige looked at Piper, then back at Piper's son. "What do you mean, here?"
"I feel her presence, right in the living room, but it's like she's here and not here at the same time," Chris answered, squinting his eyes.
Piper pounded her hand on the table. "Do not tell me she's been stuck on another plane," she muttered. "Or even worse, an alternate universe." She exchanged a dark look with Paige.
"No, no," Chris waved his hand and gripped his head. "No, this is different. It's like another plane…and another universe. At the same time."
Paige's eyes lit up in recognition and she pointed at Chris. "Wait a second. I think I know what you're talking about." She got up from her seat and hurried off to the staircase. A minute later, she appeared, not only with the Book of Shadows but with a teacher's textbook as well. She planted both the Book of Shadows and her teacher's materials on the counter. She opened her textbook first and flipped to a dog-earred page. "Parallel world," she announced triumphantly.
"Parallel world?" Piper and Chris echoed at the same time.
"Exactly," Paige said smugly. "I know because I was going to put it on the final for the kids for extra credit. Anyways—a parallel world is a like a cross between a plane and an alternate universe. Usually, there's only one factor that separates the parallel world and the magical world—our world, the 'Main' world. Other than that, the theoretical space between our world and a parallel world is very small. A parallel world can't be created but can be accessed—but it's really, really, hard." Paige frowned. "You need a lot of power just to transfer someone to a parallel world, it can't even be done accidentally."
"OK, then, so you're telling us that Phoebe was physically ripped out of our world and planted into a parallel one?" Piper said, her voice a little higher pitched than usual. "Great. Just great."
"Well, at least we know what's going on," Paige offered.
"True," Piper answered. Silence ensued. "Now what do we do?"