A/N: Phoebe learns a little bit about love - from Jason
I know that many readers don't like Jason. Well pls bear with me in this chapter. As reward there will be some Cole/Phoebe at the end ;-)
And yes, like all writers I love reviews too, so please leave one for me on your way out...

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An Asian Love Story

"Are you still working in Hong Kong?" Phoebe asked Jason as they slid around the dance floor.

"Yes. It turned out to be much more than I expected." Jason beamed down on her, "so many opportunities. It's an incredible vibrant country. You should come and visit me sometime."

"Maybe. I really could use a holiday," Phoebe mused. "You really look good you know," Phoebe admitted, "so relaxed. Not like you are stressed-out with your job, work and so on."

"Well work is heavy on my life as always, but I found something that distracts me," Jason smiled.

"So?" Phoebe asked curiously, "tell me what it is. Maybe I can try it too."

"I've fallen in love," Jason answered with a genuine smile.

Phoebe was taken aback a little. He had already managed to move on. Not that she thought of him that much, but he had been her only serious relationship after Cole.

"Congratulations Jason. I'm happy for you," Phoebe managed to say, but didn't convince him totally.

"Tell me about your Chinese love story. Is your girlfriend from Hong Kong?"

She was really interested how it had worked out for Jason.

"Ok," Jason laughed, "but you asked me to tell you. My friends always chastise me for ranting about it on and on."

"No please, I really wanna know. Could make use of a love story with a happy ending."

"I met Zin, that's her name, at a formal business event. Her father's company and mine had joined forces to develop the Chinese internet market. He owns a big paper in Hong Kong. My company has all the knowledge about internet campaigning. It fit."

"That was it? You just met her and you live happily ever after?" Phoebe asked incredulous. Was only her life much more complicated?

"No, not at all," Jason laughed heartily again, "The evening I met Zin, I knew she was special. I don't know, something inside me clicked. I can't describe it better. We talked at lot this evening, we really had fun, we phoned a couple of times and then I asked her out for dinner. The whole courting thing. She fell in love with me too. We had the best time in our lives."

Phoebe was hanging on his lips. "Come on, no obstacles?"

"You do have the power of premonition, do you?" Jason teased and Phoebe looked at him warily.

"We shouldn't talk about that here."

"I didn't mean it that way, Phoebe," Jason appeased her and continued with his story. "Zin and I were in for a big surprise. Probably more me than her. Her father forbad that I met her further."

"He can't do that!" Phoebe said scandalized, "I mean we don't live in the 18th century anymore where parents decide for their kid's spouses. Women have rights."

"Obviously in China they play by different rules. She stopped meeting me."

"That can't be!" Phoebe didn't believe it, "not if she really loved you."

No one had been able to stop her from being with Cole at that time long ago when she had been madly in love with him. Today was a different story. Today everything was complicated. Today there were things that outranked love.

"We didn't meet anymore but we phoned a lot. My phone bills went to astronomical heights, I can tell you." Jason snickered.

"You are not making this up for me?" Phoebe asked unsure.

"No I am not. I decided I needed to play by their rules. Zin gave me some tips and I hired a language teacher and started learning Chinese. You know Zin is very family oriented she wouldn't leave them – not even for me. So I had to find a way they accepted me. I studied at least two hours a day. It's a damn hard language to learn, with the different characters and the pronouncement. My counsellor also gave me insight in the rules of courting in China. It's totally different from ours here. You don't just go into a relationship. The whole extended family has to approve. At least parents, grandparents, uncles, aunts and siblings."

"That sounds familiar to me," Phoebe sighed, thinking of her sisters. No man lasted in the manor who wasn't approved by all of them. No one besides Leo had made it so far.

"I started sending her family presents. Presents that had symbolic value. Expressing how much I honoured the family, how much I honoured Zin. I started with presents for her parents, then her siblings, than grandparents. She has a really big family. It took around 3 months until I managed to find a suitable present for everybody."

"I'm impressed," Phoebe said looking admiringly at Jason, "you are very persistent."

"That's a trait you have to adopt if you want to make business in Asia. Even family business," Jason acknowledged.

"After not seeing her for almost a half year, I decided it was time to take the next step. I came by one evening at her father's house. They couldn't send me away, I'm his business partner. It is all about losing the face and all that, so her father invited me in for a tea."

"He wasn't mad at you?" Phoebe asked

"He was, but he hid it. Hospitality is a strict rule. He couldn't abash me. It was very awkward- me, Zin, her father and her mother sitting around having tea. Not talking much. He was talking only in Chinese and only to her and she translated for me. He didn't know by then that I had learnt already some words. Not enough to talk it but I understood some of it. I asked him to have a word in English and he agreed. Then I started reciting an ancient Chinese love poem in Chinese. I had been learning it for almost a half year. It's rather long and complicated, it took almost half an hour and I didn't want to make any mistakes with the pronunciation. But I guess I did anyway because Zin laughed several times during my performance."

"Jason," Phoebe squeaked, "I don't know what to say! You are so romantic. I don't think anybody did anything near that romantic for me ever!" She hugged him tightly. Did coming back from the Dead for you count as romantic? Phoebe asked herself.

"They were stunned. I remember that Zin had tears in her eyes in the end. She didn't know about this plan of mine. I excused myself and went home. Now it was her father's turn. I had played all my cards."

"And what happened next," Phoebe was intrigued.

"He officially invited me over for dinner. I met the extended family. I got their approval. They acknowledged my efforts," Jason smiled, "and of course, they wanted Zin to be happy. We will marry next year."

"You are engaged?" Phoebe was flabbergasted. She looked at his hand. Yes, there was definitely an engagement ring.

"Congratulations again, Jason. There's nothing more important than finding your true love." And I'm a real loser at this Phoebe thought.

This time she could compliment him wholeheartedly. Phoebe blinked away some wet gleam from her eyes. She hugged him again.

"Thanks Phoebe," Jason said moved. He looked at her inquiringly.

"What about you?" Jason asked gently. "Do you still have this on and off relationship with your ex-husband?" Of course he had noticed her bidding on Cole.

"Off, very off," Phoebe evaded the question. But her eyes searched the hall for Cole. He was nowhere to be seen. He had probably already left.

Jason raised an eyebrow at her statement. "You don't look happy Phoebe," Jason said concerned.

"Could we stop talking about my love life please?" Phoebe said slightly irritated, "It's not blooming lately".

"Does he know what you are?" Jason lowered his voice, "a witch?"

Phoebe looked at him perplexed, "Yes he knows. But why do you insist on talking about Cole?"

"Maybe I want you to be as happy as I am," Jason suggested, "maybe I feel a little guilty of running away when you told me your secret."

"You don't have to feel guilty Jason. It's a big thing what I told you. It changes your whole perception of the world. I understand that it can be too much," Phoebe assured him. "It's not the first time and it happened to my sisters also."

"It's not too big when you really found the one. It didn't stop me with Zin and her world is a whole different world for me too. It obviously didn't stop your ex-husband of marrying you in the first place."

"It's complicated Jason. I appreciate that you care for me, but I don't think I like to talk about Cole with you."

"Still I have to admire him for not freaking out over you being a witch." Jason was still bothered that he hadn't had the guts to go through with Phoebe when learning that she was a witch.

"Jason please, don't make him the good guy. He is not. I know him. You don't."

Phoebe got angry with Jason for not letting go of the subject. She entangled herself from him and was staring at him. They were standing in the middle of the dance floor arguing, already attracting some attention.

"I think you should try again. With him. How many normal men you think can handle your secret? At least he seems very protective of you. I remember how he looked at me when I caught you in your room. I was afraid he would tear me to pieces and I'm no faint heart."

Normal man! Cole was anything but that. "Why do you bring this up now?" Phoebe asked unnerved. "That's all history and I was really sorry for cheating on you. I told you it kinda just happened."

"The same like bidding on him?" Jason asked.

"Yeah kind of," Phoebe had to admit uneasily.

"Seems like you have a habit of acting spontaneously when he is around," Jason smirked. "Do you believe in fate?" Jason asked out of the blue.

"I did," Phoebe said, "but I don't anymore. Why?"

"Maybe you should," Jason said enigmatically. Phoebe recognized that he wasn't looking at her but at something at her back. She turned round and almost squeaked.

Cole was standing right behind her. "Do you have any problems with this guy Phoebe?" he asked, looking at her and then back at Jason. Jason just smiled in reply. He had noticed Cole approach them before.

"No, no problem at all Cole. And if I had one, I could surely take care of it myself, thank you very much," she bit at him. Being caught between her two ex most significant others made her feel very uneasy – it reminded her of the other occasion were that had happened.

"Why don't you dance with him," Jason suggested, "I have to make a long distance call anyway." He winked at her conspiratorially and left the dance floor.

Phoebe stared angrily at Cole, "you chased him away".

"He didn't look bothered. Besides I was concerned for you Phoebe, you were arguing with him for some time. Everyone could see that you weren't at ease," Cole defended.

"What about a dance? You look like you are out of a partner," he suggested boldly, taking on Jason's lead.

Phoebe looked at him, pouting, but then gave in gracefully. "Would it look strange if I didn't want to dance with my bachelor?"

She stepped into Cole's arms and they started moving slowly on the dance floor. At first she tried to maintain the safe distance between their bodies but soon she snuggled into him and laid her head against his shoulder. It felt just unnatural to dance with Cole without feeling him.

"You never liked to dance," she observed, her voice muffled by his shoulder.

"I do make exceptions for you". He answered smiling, holding her small body tight.

tbc
small hint: much much Phoebe/Cole in the next chapter...