Disclaimer:

None of these characters are mine. All characters from Buffy, the Vampire Slayer, Angel, and Charmed are the property of Joss Whedon and Aaron Spelling, respectively. The X-Files quote comes from the episode "Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose," episode #304, written by Darin Morgan.

Summary:

Crossover between the Charmed and Buffy universes. THE CHAPTER YOU'VE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR! Phoebe and Willow meet.

Author's Note:

Thanks to all of you for your great words on the last two chapters. For all of you that expressed interest in Willow's new shoes, just go to to check them out - "Gramercy". All of the stores Willow and Buffy went to are actual stores or boutiques in San Francisco, and the clothes were my descriptions of clothes I found on line. Thanks again, everyone has been super nice in their reviews and I feel like I've really started something here. Perhaps, it's because the story of Cole and Willow needed to be told.

Chapter Thirteen – Mrs. Cole Turner: Past and Present

Bay City Mirror

Willow paused outside the door to the Bay City Mirror's bullpen to smooth her skirt of any wrinkles while she was driving over here. She was still a little stiff from her very busy night. She looked down at the new shoes in satisfaction as she remembered just how they had inspired her husband. Luckily, the blood Cole shared with her in their relationship managed to speed up her healing process considerably. Otherwise, she'd be covered with the scars of bite and claw marks.

Turning back to the door, she took a deep, cleansing breath and strode in. She heard a few low whistles of admiration. She smiled mysteriously at the men in the room who were staring at her. I am going to have to keep these shoes, she thought for what must have been twentieth time that morning. A young, eager-looking Asian man came up to her. "Can.. can I help you?"

She smiled at him. "Yes, I'm looking for Phoebe Halliwell."

His face fell. "Of course, she's in there. Would you like me to show you in?"

She brought her hand with the wedding band up to brush a wisp of hair back into her chignon. She rarely wore her hair up, but Buffy and she had decided it would make her look more sophisticated. "No, thank you. I can find my way."

Willow walked over to the door. She could see a woman who must be Phoebe Halliwell sitting within. She had her eyes scrunched up as she was working on her computer. She had short, very short, dark hair and was wearing a halter top. A top Willow would be too embarrassed to wear. Of course, there was a lot that Willow would be embarrassed to wear. She rose a hand and rapped on the door.

Phoebe looked up at the sound. There was a young woman she had never seen before standing outside her office. Well, thank god it wasn't Elise. She wasn't sure just how much more she could take from her. Getting up she opened the door to greet her visitor. Smiling into the woman's green eyes, she was that the woman had very expensive tastes. The shoes alone must have cost over $300! "Hello? Can I help you?"

"Yes, hi." Willow greeted pleasantly. "My name's Willow Rosenberg Turner and I came about the advice you gave me. May I come in?"

Phoebe's heart leapt up into her throat and at first she couldn't move. About my advice? She thought frantically. Oh, God, please I can't handle another law suit. Suddenly she noticed that she was still blocking the doorway. "Oh, of course, Mrs. Turner, do come in. I'm sorry."

Willow walked past her and entered the small room. There was a photograph on one corner of Phoebe with two women who were probably her sisters. There was also another photograph with Phoebe and one of the women from the other photo as well as another brunette. Who was she? A friend? Her desk was piled high with paper and it looked like Phoebe was a pencil-chewer. Phoebe motioned Willow to sit in the chair in her office. Willow sat down and carefully arranged her legs, all the time thanking the Goddess that she hadn't made a fool of herself yet. She smiled up at Phoebe.

Phoebe sat down opposite her. This Mrs. Turner made her feel like she already knew everything about her. Her eyes were very intelligent and lit with something she didn't recognize. What really confused her was what her empathy was telling her. Or wasn't as the case was. It wasn't that she didn't have any emotions, it was just that they seemed to be different. They were the same emotions that every one else had, they just seemed to be in a different shade or intensity. It was very peculiar. "Yes, Mrs. Turner, you had a question about the advice I gave? I do hope there hasn't been a problem?"

Willow chuckled. So, that was the problem. Surely the paper put down a liability statement so people didn't blame them for the advice not working. "Ms. Halliwell. I assure I'm not here to complain or to sue you and the paper. Out of curiousity, has someone actually done that? Sued because the advice didn't work?"

Phoebe laughed, much more at ease now. The woman had a very friendly air about her. She was the type of person people liked to. She could see that. "Oh, yes. It does. Luckily, not very often. But you'd be surprised."

"I never understand lawsuit happy people. I'm very happy that my husband doesn't practice that particular brand of law." Willow dropped the hint wondering if Phoebe picked it up.

"You're married to a lawyer?" Phoebe asked in a friendly manner. "What a coincidence. My ex-husband was a lawyer."

Willow was becoming very amused. I suppose if I told her my husband was a demon, would she think that was a coincidence, too? What was it that Fox Mulder said in that episode of The X-Files? 'If coincidences are just coincidences, why do they feel so contrived? "Actually that's why I came to see you."

"It was about your husband?"

"Indirectly." Willow was getting tired of beating around the bush. She pulled a copy of the Mirror out of her handbag. She passed it over to Phoebe. "Here's a copy to remind you."

Phoebe looked down. It was the letter from 'A New Wife.' Yes, she remembered this one. Looking up, she smiled at her guest. "Yes, I remember this. Have you followed the advice? Did you need some more help?"

"Ms. Halliwell, let's get to the point." Willow began, her eyes sparkling. "I'm here because I am following your advice. I'm the current wife of your ex-husband, and I want to ask you out for a cup of coffee or perhaps lunch, if you'd prefer. I'd really like to get to know you better."

Phoebe paled, her stomach felt as if it had just dropped to the floor. This little slip of a thing was Cole's wife? She was so not his type. And, really, what was this girl thinking? Phoebe began to feel torn apart by the wave of feelings she was having. Shock, anger, rage, disgust, and jealousy. Yes, jealousy. But, she was over Cole wasn't she? Why would she be jealous? Especially of this girl. This girl's welcome to Cole. But, wait, what if she's in danger from him? She could be an innocent. Lord knows how charming and deadly Cole could be.

Willow was amused at the myriad of emotions cascading over Phoebe's very expressive face. Really, this girl should never play poker. She could never bluff convincingly. Looking into her eyes, she realized that Phoebe was now wondering how threatening Cole was to her. She laughed inwardly, if anything, it was the other way around. Willow had always been the more powerful in their relationship.

"Mrs. Turner," Phoebe choked out. "Do you need help? Is Cole threatening you? You don't need to worry, I..."

Phoebe was interrupted by the sound of Willow's laughter. She had a very warm and throaty laugh. "Ms. Halliwell, I am sorry for interrupting you. Don't worry about me and Cole. We have a very warm relationship. We've been blessed with two beautiful children, and all my friends like him. Trust me, I've been fighting vampires and demons since I was fifteen, if Cole was a threat, I'd deal with him."

She'd been fighting.. since she was fifteen! Maybe that's why she was so difficult to read, she was another witch. But, why would the elders let another witch get involved with Cole? "Are you.. are you a witch? Is that why you've been fighting since you were fifteen?"

"Well, yes and no. I wasn't a witch when I started fighting, that came later. I lived in Sunnydale and went to high school on top of a hellmouth. In my town, you either fought the evil or were eaten by it."

Phoebe swallowed heavily. It sounded worse than their life. Much worse. Didn't that new white lighter say something about a hellmouth? She'd have to ask him later. Oops! She missed whatever she had said last. "I'm sorry, I missed that."

Willow giggled. "It's alright. I was just wondering if you'd like that cup of coffee or lunch."

Phoebe nodded and stood up. "A cup of coffee and some chocolate sounds like just the thing."

A nearby Starbucks

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Willow and Phoebe had nestled themselves in a corner table. Their discussion would probably involve terms the average person just doesn't hear everyday. Words like demon, witch, vanquish, etc.

Phoebe took a deep breath. "Willow, may I call you Willow?"

Willow smiled. "I'd like that. Mrs. Turner always sounds so strange to me. Even after five years."

Phoebe shook her head slightly. Five years? He'd been with her that long and never tried to hurt anyone? Impossible! He had to have killed someone by now. She just didn't know him like she did. "Thanks, Willow. It's just I feel I have to warn you about Cole. I know how charming he can be. It's just that when he turns on you..."

Willow put her hand up. She was going to keep this friendly if it killed her. But it was so hard listening to her talk about her Cole that way. "Phoebe. Cole isn't the same man you knew. I'm sorry he hurt you and your family. But people like Cole aren't like other people. You can't just break up with them and tell them to get lost without expecting a backlash. They don't feel things like human mortals do. They feel them deeper, with more intensity and passion."

"Now, Willow." Phoebe snapped. "There's no excuse for what he..."

"No, I didn't say there was. There is no excuse for what he did. But there is a reason."

"Yes, he's evil! That's why he does the thing he does."

Willow slapped her hand with force on the top of the table. Phoebe wasn't sure but she could have been sure that she saw Willow's eyes flash from green to a deep obsidian black back to green again. She shook her head, she couldn't have seen that. "Enough! I wanted to come to some kind of an understanding with you. Cole is sorry for what he did, deeply sorry. Can't you give him a chance? Let him repent? Allow him to make some sort of restitution?"

Phoebe snorted with disgust. "Repent? Restitution? Those are options for humans, people that have souls. Not Cole. Not a demon that is responsible for the most heinous of crimes. If he wants restitution, he should've stayed dead."

Phoebe shuddered. This time she was sure. The eyes did turn black, and she was sensing Willow's emotions much clearer now. She was enraged. Furious. At her. She shuddered again. She was also very, very powerful. She could feel the magic flowing around Willow clearly. Its potential frightened her. "Cole has a soul." Willow said in a sibilant tone.

"It doesn't matter. It can't overcome the evil." Phoebe refuted. Willow's eyes flashed again. "I'm sorry. Maybe he's behaving now, but soon.."

"No more." Willow demanded hotly, getting up suddenly. "I won't take anymore of this. Cole is a good husband and a loving father. And, I promise you, you try and threaten what's mine you'll discover just how really powerful I am. It's not something you'll want to see, I assure you. If you're frightened by what you see in my eyes, I don't think you want to see the real thing. This's just the tip of iceberg."

"Are you threatening us?"

"Us? You mean the Charmed Ones?" Phoebe nodded to her question. "No, not at all. I have nothing against your sisters. I've never met them. I'm just forewarning you. I love Cole, Phoebe. I will protect him.. at all costs. Never doubt that."

Willow smiled and nodded at Phoebe and walked out of the coffee shop never looking back. Phoebe shuddered involuntarily. What was she going to do? What would she tell her sisters? Cole was bad enough, but now he was married to this crazy, evil witch. They were going to need to figure out how to vanquish her. But Phoebe doubted it would be that easy.