I do not own Charmed

Yo Ho Hello! Thank you for not being mad! This chap is a little less exciting than others, but I can't have the characters being miserable/in peril/pissed all the time, can I? Thanks for your reviews; my flying monkeys have not yet needed to release their rage!

Passions- Thank you!

Jackie67- Glad you like it! You really like Mark don't you? & About the characterisation? I just give them personalities of people I know. Danielle won't me a main character, but she'll stick around.

Wyatt333- As always, your review ROCKED! Phoebe will be happy and her baby is coming soon (around the bottom of this page…) You guessed right about the Jason thing, but he won't be here for a couple of chapters yet! & How could I ever get rid of Cole? I love him too much…Mmmm Cole… sorry, got a little carried away there…again! He won't be around as much as he used to, but he will always be there with some sort of storyline.

Cutleryismyfriend- Yay a new reviewer! I tend to yell at the TV when a Phoebe/Cole moment happens too! Thanks for reviewing & BTW your story rocks like a cheese-coated hovercraft!

Peanut2lb- Holy moly! What a lot of reviews to respond to! I have another Mark fan! Yay! There will be more of Mark/Paige fluff later. I'm so glad you like my fic! What I've read of yours are really good! & Yay! Someone finally liked the action scene in chapter 3. I loved writing that! Anyway thank you! I wasn't going to offer this prize until this chap but since you were my 20th reviewer you win…cue drum roll… a piece of CHEESE! (I bet you're grateful? Lol!)

Happy Reading (And reviewing- HINT! HINT!)

May the cheese be with you!

Laur xXx

Chapter7-Moving On

±September 16th 2004±

Summer could not have gone more slowly in the Halliwell Manor. The news of Piper being pregnant with her second child had lifted the spirits for a while, but no matter how happy anyone else got, Phoebe continued to mope around the place. The huge wedge between she and Cole had been eased and they were now able to have civilised conversations but Cole still refused to let Phoebe back into his heart.

Yes, Phoebe missed Cole, but it was not the fact that their relationship was over that was hurting her. It was the fact that her daughter would have to live in two separate homes for her whole life. As Phoebe's due date crept closer and closer, Cole and Phoebe had to see a lot more of each other but Cole still refused to let old sparks be relit. He would visit the manor every Thursday with a bag full of baby gifts and would return home every Thursday having exchanged nothing more than words with the mother of his child.

On this particular Thursday, Phoebe was lazing in the garden enjoying the last of the summer weather and watching over her youngest niece when Paige orbed in with Cole.

"Hi," He said, handing the brown, paper bag, full of baby clothes, to her.

"Cole, don't you think you've bought enough for her already?"

"Well it's September sixteenth- only four days left- and since she's coming home to the manor I want her to know that even when her daddy isn't around, he still loves her."

"But she'll know that anyway Cole," Phoebe said, "Besides, we agreed she'd live with you too."

Cole sighed. He knew that their daughter would be living with he and Phoebe separately but he did not think it was going to be good for her. Despite this thought, Cole did not mention it. Things had just settled between the two soon-to-be parents and voicing doubts was just going to cause another ruckus.

"Phoebs, where's Mark?" Paige asked, picking up Laura, who was holding a piece of paper and was covered in pen.

"Basement."

"Well come on them Pixie, let's go find Daddy and then get you cleaned up! You messy little witch!"

"I gotsa picka!" Laura told her mother, showing her the picture she had been drawing which, to Paige, looked like an orange blob, "Tzeez for Mammy!"

"Why thank you," Paige said proudly. Even though it was just a scribble, her daughter's first masterpiece was going to hang with pride on the wall. "Let's go show Daddy,"

"Wait, Paige! Can you orb me home first?" Cole asked, placing his hand on Paige's shoulder.

"But you only just got here?" Phoebe questioned suspiciously. Although she and Cole were not together any longer, Cole's visits to the manor usually lasted at least two hours.

"Yeah…I, um…." Cole looked to the sky as if asking someone to give him an excuse to leave, "I've got to go to an important meeting." He said uncertainly.

"Oh…okay," Phoebe seemed to believe what Cole had said. Even if she didn't, her pregnant state left her in no mood to question the baby's father.

Paige, on the other hand, noticed Cole's suspicious attitude and orbed him into the attic, way out of Phoebe's earshot. "Why are you really leaving so soon?"

"I told you. I have a meeting."

"Nice try Cole. You may be a good liar, but I used to deal with lawyers a lot in my profession. Spill."

"Okay…I have a date."

Paige's eyes widened in shock. She stepped backwards and did not know whether to smile or to smack Cole in the teeth. How could he be going to see other women when Phoebe was days away from having his baby? On the other hand, he and Phoebe had been separated for four and a half months so it made sense that he was dating. Cole was Paige's friend and she knew she should be happy for him, but Phoebe was her sister and she would not be pleased. Paige tried to imagine Piper in this situation and could envision Cole's guts splattering on the attic walls. Not pleasant. She thought and decided the first option was a lot less messy.

"Really, who's the lucky lady?"

"A colleague." Cole replied with a vacant smile. He was obviously over Phoebe.

(AN- MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!)

"Okay! I'll take you home, but I want details later please."

"Thanks Paige. I'm not sure how Phoebe's going to take it so please don't mention it to her."

"I'll try."

Meanwhile in the garden, Phoebe awaited her younger sister's return. The sun had moved behind a cloud and without it, the September breeze was chilly. She slowly hoisted herself out of the garden chair and began walking towards the house, when suddenly; she stopped dead in her tracks. Her waters had broken.

"Leo!" She called out, "Piper! Paige!" Nobody answered her calls, but then she remembered Leo and Piper were at Ava's, which was magically protected, meaning Leo could not hear her and the only person in the house with her was Mark. "Mark!"

"Phoebe, what's wrong?" He asked urgently, racing out of the glass doors and placing a hand on her shoulder to calm her.

"My waters broke." She told him as the made their way inside.

"Shit." Was Mark's reply. He sat Phoebe on one of the kitchen chairs and grabbed her a nightdress from the laundry basket. "Put this on, I'll get warm blankets."

Mark dashed into the laundry room, racking his brains for what they had done when Prue was born. He grabbed some blankets from the radiator and made his way back into the kitchen where Phoebe had changed.

"Where's Paige?" He asked urgently. He was not keen on delivering this baby by himself. "Wait, where's Cole? I heard him arrive."

"He had a meeting." Phoebe said. She had felt no contractions yet, but she was getting the strange feeling of power drain. "Paige took him home. Call Piper, I'm going to lie down."

"Right…" Mark said and he reached for the phone, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah. I'll be in my room."

With that, Phoebe left. Hopefully her calm façade had fooled Mark. As much as she loved him like a brother, she did not want him to be the only one present at the child's birth. She looked up the stairs and decided that climbing them by herself was maybe not a good idea and turned to go back into the living room. Suddenly, she felt a sharp pain and winced as she received her first contraction. Oddly, when she opened her eyes, she was in the comfort of her own room.

"Did I just astral project?" She asked out loud, but she was certain she had not. "Wait…"

Phoebe held out her left palm and attempted to form a fireball. As she had expected, nothing happened. The strange power drain she had felt was her losing control of the baby's powers. The baby had shimmered them upstairs.

"You walk awfully fast for a pregnant woman!" Mark said with a smile as he entered her room. "Piper and Leo are on their way."

"I didn't walk. The baby shimmered me up here." Phoebe said proudly.

"Well that's new! At least she won't be the only child in the house without a transportation power."

"Yeah, that would have been a downer! Then again I'm sure Prue and Laura wouldn't have left her out."

"Yeah, even for a one year old, Laura's pretty selfless. She'll wait 'til Paige and I are awake in the mornings before she starts to cry, y'know? Pretty amazing little girl."

Phoebe smiled at Mark, who was beaming with pride as he spoke of his daughter. How could Laura not be selfless with parents like Paige and Mark? Both parents… Phoebe let out a sigh as she thought of the life her daughter would lead. Living in two separate homes for her whole life would not be good for a child. Her melancholy chain of thought was brought to an abrupt stop as she received another contraction.

"Where are you guys?" A shout belonging to Paige came from downstairs. "Hello?"

"We're up here honey!" Mark yelled back, "Phoebe's waters broke!"

They could hear Paige's excited squeals and Laura's giggles as the mother pounded up the stairs faster than you can say "Nebuchadnezzar". She burst into Phoebe's room with a huge grin on her face, kissed mark on the cheek, and then joined her sister on the bed.

"Yay!" She exclaimed, "How are you?"

"Okay I guess." Phoebe replied with a shrug. The contractions were painful when they came, but that was not very often yet.

"Just you wait." Paige said with a sly grin, "Do you want anything?"

"Candy?" Laura asked hopefully, "Tzeez?"

"Tea would be good." Phoebe told Paige, smiling at her niece.

"Okay, I'll get you some and put my little Pixie here down for her nap. I'll call Cole from the kitchen. I'm sure he'll cancel his da…meeting to be here."

"No." Phoebe said, "He said it was important." Of course, she was lying. Him being there might bring up old feelings and she was just beginning to get over him.

"Okay…" Paige queried Phoebe in her mind, but let it slip, knowing she would call Cole anyway.

"Paige, I'll take Laura to if you want to put the kettle on?" Mark offered.

"Sure," Paige replied, but as they exited the room she turned to her husband with a very serious expression on her face. "Do not leave her alone for one minute. You remember what happened last time a baby was born in this family and there is still the risk of Decron attacking." Paige's voice seemed to drip with poison as she said the demon's name and Mark was feeling the same intense hatred.

"I'll take the crib up here." He replied, "I'm sure Prue won't mind some company."

As Phoebe listened to the Andersons make there way downstairs, her thoughts returned to Cole. Memories of the day they had met; of when she had pretended to vanquish him; of when she had discovered she was pregnant; none of them were happy ones. Perhaps destiny had not meant for them to be together after all.

At the exact moment Phoebe realised she no longer loved Cole, she received a contraction. She winced in pain and once more, when she opened her eyes, she was not where she had been before.

"Phoebe? What are you doing here?" Cole's voice asked. She was sitting on Cole's bed and he was standing in front of her with no shirt on. "What are you wearing?"

"Um…" Phoebe suddenly realised that the baby had shimmered her to Cole's apartment. The smell of paint filled her nostrils and she noticed the room she had once forced Cole to paint lilac, was half blue. "Baby." She told him before receiving another contraction.

"Oh!" Cole went into panic mode and ran into the living room. "Call for Leo! I'll call the Manor!" He yelled and then added under his breath so that Phoebe could not hear him "And Danielle…"

When Leo, Piper and Prue arrived in Cole's apartment they were a little confused. Mark had called from the manor to say that Phoebe's waters had broken but once they left Ava's Phoebe had called from Cole's.

"Maybe Paige orbed her here?" Leo suggested as they walked towards the living room from the kitchen. "Cole? Where's Phoebe?"

"She's in the bedroom. I think the baby shimmered her over here." Cole told them. He was dialling a number into his phone, looking a little nervous. "I'll take Prue if you want to go in." He offered but was distracted by a voice at the other end.

"Danielle Sutherland."

"Um…Danni, it's Cole."

"What's wrong?" She asked hearing his nervous tone, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine Sweetie. It's just I'm going to have to cancel tonight. Phoebe's waters broke."

"Aww! Congratulations! Wish her good luck and maybe when I see you at the office tomorrow you'll be a daddy!"

Piper pursed her lips as she heard Cole call the woman on the end of the phone 'Sweetie". However, she decided to respect his privacy; at least until the baby was born. She tried to ignore her urge to shout at Cole and walked into the half decorated mess of Cole's bedroom where there was a pungent smell of paint. Ignoring the sudden sick feeling in her stomach, she went to grab Phoebe's hand and pull her out of the room.

"If we deliver her in here then she'll be high before we cut he cord." Piper told her sister, holding her own nose.

Two hours later, although in a lot of pain, Phoebe was still not fully dilated. She was lying on Cole's dining table watching Paige and Mark (who had arrived shortly after the Halliwell-Wyatts) converse with Piper. They were speaking in hurried whispers and Phoebe was not sure whether or not to be concerned. Leo was with Prue and Laura on the balcony, admiring the spectacular view of San Francisco and Cole was watching Phoebe with a deep look of apprehension on his face.

"Paige, you're just paranoid." Piper whispered to her younger sister. "And even if he does attack, we wont let him near the girls or Phoebe."

Paige said nothing. She kept the same concerned expression on her face and leaned aggressively back onto the couch. She did not think she was in the slightest bit paranoid.

Mark did not need Phoebe's empathy power to sense his wife's worry. He knew, though she would never admit it, that Paige feared Decron. He gave her a reassuring smile and pulled her into a hug. "Love you." He told her, making puppy dog eyes.

"Love you too." Paige replied, her expression finally turning into a wide grin before she kissed him.

"God, you make me more sick than this baby!" Piper said sarcastically, placing a hand on her stomach and leaving the two alone of the couch and going to speak to her other sister.

"Hey Phoebe, how you doin'?"

"Just peachy!" Phoebe said, "I just want this baby out. Shimmering every time I have a contraction is getting a little annoying!"

It was another four, long hours before Phoebe got her wish

"I want to start pushing!" She screamed through clenched teeth.

"Okay." Piper said and if Phoebe had not been in so much pain, she would have thanked the higher powers. "Cole, come here and hold Phoebe's hand, Leo take the girls home- they do not need to be woken up, Paige, Mark; you know the drill."

"Gotcha." Paige replied, lifting up Phoebe's nightgown, "Come on Phoebs: push."

The middle sister let out a blood curling scream and Cole's eyes widened.

"Thank God Paige had drugs…" Mark muttered under his breath, looking at Cole's hand, which was already turning red.

"Shut up Mark!" Paige said and she kicked him in the groin, "Now multiply that pain by a hundred and then make jokes!"

"Ouch…" Mark squeaked

Unfortunately for Phoebe, the birth of her daughter took a lot longer than Piper or Paige's labours. She felt like giving up when, at eleven fifteen, her older sister uttered the three words she had been longing to here since ten PM.

"One more push!"

As soon as Phoebe's final howl ended, the penthouse was filled with the cries of a tiny baby girl. As Paige handed her sister the screaming little girl, Phoebe's eyes filled with tears of joy. She was no longer Aunt Phoebe…she was Mommy.

Piper had never imagined Cole to cry, but here he was with tears streaming down his face. One landed on his daughter's stomach and he wiped it away with his index finger.

"She's so small…" He said with a smile bigger than anyone could imagine. "My little Melinda Halliwell."

Phoebe suddenly felt a twang of guilt shining through her happiness. She had chosen the baby's first name, given her daughter her second name, was having her live in the Manor and Cole had nothing. "Don't you mean Melinda-Jayne?" Phoebe asked him, "You always liked Jayne, right?"

"Are you serious?" Cole asked and although nobody had thought it possible, his smile broadened. "Thanks Mommy."

"You're welcome Daddy."

It was an awkward moment as the two new parents held their daughter for the first time. She was beautiful: huge brown eyes and a tuft of black hair. The one thing that worried the parents about these features was that diagonally across her right eye, was a black demonic tribal line and hidden by hair above both of her ears, were two small, red hexagons- the symbol of a powerful demon. Cole assured Phoebe that Melinda-Jayne would learn to control these in time and that they would most likely disappear when she was not crying. For one moment, the two new parents looked directly into each other's eyes and felt nothing but gratefulness. No passionate love remained between the two, only a mutual respect. And this pleased them both. Now they could move on with their lives.

I told you Phoebe would be happy! She'll even get happier in coming chapters! Anyways…I'm sorry that the birth of MJ (that's probably what I will refer to her as now.
I named her after my best friend Melanie-Jayne & that's what we call her so…) wasn't really as climactic as you'd hoped, but there is a reason for Decron's absence. And besides, I thought it was time for a feel good chapter! Please review and I might not send the evil brain eating Munchkinlanders as well as my flying monkeys…

Laur xXx