Disclaimer: I own none of these characters accept Arianna and seek to make
no money off of them.
Summary: See Chapter #1
Author's notes: ''= thoughts, ""= Dialogue
C.O.S. means Change of Setting
Reviews: Bring them on
Chapter #6: Setting: Normal Universe
The stunned silence stretched into the minutes as Cole digested what Piper said. Leo broke the silence:
"Who was that in the house back there?"
"She was my wife in the other timeline. We have two children together, Amelia, and Alexander. I don't know what might have happened to her. She's different." Cole said, casting his glance downwards.
"Different how?" Paige picked up.
"My Arianna was vibrant, and full of life. She loved the children. Just before you came in, I found Amelia's favourite teddy bear under the couch. My Arianna would never have left it. When she spoke it was in a cold flat tone devoid of all feeling." Cole answered.
"You speak in the past, aren't you still married?" Paige asked.
Cole sighed: "I had been out on a couple dates with the Phoebe of my universe. I was on my way home to tell Arianna that it was over between us when I got in a car accident. I woke up in the Penthouse here."
"Why were you breaking up with Arianna?" Piper picked up the thread.
"We were high school sweethearts that married young. I was working long nights, and we began to mature and gradually grew apart." Cole answered.
"Did you never have any signs of these abilities?" Leo asked, wanting to gauge how powerful he was.
"Yes. I showed signs of being powerful." Cole answered.
"So you should have some memory." Leo began.
"No I don't. I was a teenager when I began to notice these changes within myself. One day I experimented with a fireball. It was after classes behind the school. I threw it, just as Arianna was coming around the corner to walk home. She was scared and repulsed by it. She looked at me like I was a freak and made me promise to be 'normal' or else she would leave me." Cole answered. There was a pause as the sisters exchanged looks.
"Guys, can I talk to you for a second in the kitchen." Piper asked as she got up from her seat. Phoebe and Paige followed her in silence. They got to the kitchen and were silent as they got settled around the kitchen table.
"I never thought I'd hear myself saying this, but I think we should give this guy the benefit of the doubt. He's telling the truth." Piper told them.
"The truth?! You call that sop story the truth. It had lost children a broken home, all which would play at the heartstrings. Granted, there is something off about him I just don't think that's it." Paige offered. Both sisters looked at Phoebe who had been strangely quiet through the whole thing.
"It's your call Phoebe." Piper told her. Phoebe gulped still not knowing what to make of it all:
"Trust him. He seems to be innocent enough right now. We need to get to know him better." Phoebe offered.
"Majority wins I guess." Paige sighed.
"Okay, we have a plan. We get to know him better, while we figure out how to put him back in his timeline. We also teach him to better manage his powers. Now we should get back in there," Piper affirmed. They got up from their seats and Piper led the way and took her seat on the couch. She looked directly at Cole:
"You can stay here, up in the attic if you like for a while. You'll need some protection while you're getting used to your new powers." Cole's face took on a hopeful, thankful expression. As they walked up to the attic Cole said
"Thank you, I am very grateful."
"Don't thank us yet, wait until you're back in your own world." Piper said.
"Speaking of which, how do I get back to my own world?" Cole asked.
"We're working on that." Piper said. She turned and left him to get settled in. Cole sunk to the ground as the gravity of his situation finally began taking its toll.
He rose again, and turned towards the window where he began to examine his reflection. He didn't look different. His facial features were the same, even if his cheeks were a little more sallow than usual. The difference he realized was on the inside. He felt that ball of fire within himself stir again and to his surprise he felt alive. It was as if he had been missing a part of himself by ignoring those powers all those years. He realized then, that although his life with Arianna was to all appearances perfect, he had denied the true essence of who he was by not using those powers. And denied his children a part of their heritage. He thought with bitterness and regret over all the good he could have done by using them over the years, it was enough for him to sink again to the ground and weep. 'God forgive me' he whispered into the silence.
C.O.S.: elsewhere in the manor
"You've been strangely quiet tonight. Penny for your thoughts?" Piper asked Phoebe allowing the concern on her face.
"I want to get on with my life. I want this over I want to get past Cole. And I'm torn, I want to believe him, but part of me still thinks that this is an act put on for our benefit. That the real Cole is still in there, scheming to get me back at all costs including pulling such an elaborate charade." Phoebe answered allowing the frustration to show.
"I think it startled it you that you were the one he was using to cheat on his wife." Piper bluntly told her sister.
"That little revelation did startle me. You know I would never do that, never deprive children of their father, a wife of her husband. I am not some common whore." Phoebe replied angrily.
"I know that sweetie. I know. " Piper assured her, gathering her into a hug before continuing: But it also wouldn't hurt to give this Cole a chance." She advised. Phoebe nodded.
Piper led Phoebe to the linen closet and got out some blankets.
"You can start by taking these up to him to make him comfortable." Piper handed the blankets to Phoebe who turned and went on upstairs. She paused in the doorway to the attic.
'Handing blankets to the man shouldn't be this difficult. He's my ex- husband, emphasis on the ex. But look at him standing there, he just looks so lost, so helpless and defenseless. She let her gaze run over his physique as she noted every muscle emphasized on his back, his broad shoulders. Everything was just like the Cole we vanquished' she thought to herself. Sensing a pair of eyes on him, Cole turned around to find Phoebe standing at the top of the stairs.
"You know, I'm not the type of demon that will bite you know. At least I think I'm not." Cole made a weak attempt at a joke as he walked towards her. He reached down and took the blankets from her. One of his hands brushed her arm and she involuntarily recoiled. One of the blankets dropped to the floor in the front of him. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to recoil like that it's just." She left off as she bent to pick it up. "You and me, or you and he have a rather turbulent history." Cole finished as he picked it up for her. Phoebe smiled awkwardly:
"You'll forgive me then if I don't want to hang out." Phoebe told him shortly and turned to walk out. Cole reached out and grabbed her arm:
"I know he treated you rotten, but that is absolutely no reason to take it out on me. I would never treat you like that. To me our love is something to be prized above all else like a precious jewel. I don't know you very well, but I do know what I saw in that picture in the penthouse. What I saw was a vibrant beautiful woman who loved life, and whose eyes overflowed with the love she had for the man. And the man only had eyes for you Phoebe." Cole told her, his voice fading to just a whisper.
There was silence as the held each other's gaze. Finally Phoebe said:
"I can't do this with you right now Cole, I'm not ready." Phoebe yanked her arm back and stalked down the stairs leaving the blanket.
Well that's the end of this chapter.
AN: reading this over I realize that I am not exactly clear on the timeline of the AUCole's date w/ AUPhoebe. For clarification's sakes: the night before his car accident he had been out on a date w/Phoebe. He was on his way to tell Arianna it was over between them when he got in the car accident.
Let me know if you guys want this crazy little adventure to continue with your reviews. Peace out, and Happy reading: A.B.
Summary: See Chapter #1
Author's notes: ''= thoughts, ""= Dialogue
C.O.S. means Change of Setting
Reviews: Bring them on
Chapter #6: Setting: Normal Universe
The stunned silence stretched into the minutes as Cole digested what Piper said. Leo broke the silence:
"Who was that in the house back there?"
"She was my wife in the other timeline. We have two children together, Amelia, and Alexander. I don't know what might have happened to her. She's different." Cole said, casting his glance downwards.
"Different how?" Paige picked up.
"My Arianna was vibrant, and full of life. She loved the children. Just before you came in, I found Amelia's favourite teddy bear under the couch. My Arianna would never have left it. When she spoke it was in a cold flat tone devoid of all feeling." Cole answered.
"You speak in the past, aren't you still married?" Paige asked.
Cole sighed: "I had been out on a couple dates with the Phoebe of my universe. I was on my way home to tell Arianna that it was over between us when I got in a car accident. I woke up in the Penthouse here."
"Why were you breaking up with Arianna?" Piper picked up the thread.
"We were high school sweethearts that married young. I was working long nights, and we began to mature and gradually grew apart." Cole answered.
"Did you never have any signs of these abilities?" Leo asked, wanting to gauge how powerful he was.
"Yes. I showed signs of being powerful." Cole answered.
"So you should have some memory." Leo began.
"No I don't. I was a teenager when I began to notice these changes within myself. One day I experimented with a fireball. It was after classes behind the school. I threw it, just as Arianna was coming around the corner to walk home. She was scared and repulsed by it. She looked at me like I was a freak and made me promise to be 'normal' or else she would leave me." Cole answered. There was a pause as the sisters exchanged looks.
"Guys, can I talk to you for a second in the kitchen." Piper asked as she got up from her seat. Phoebe and Paige followed her in silence. They got to the kitchen and were silent as they got settled around the kitchen table.
"I never thought I'd hear myself saying this, but I think we should give this guy the benefit of the doubt. He's telling the truth." Piper told them.
"The truth?! You call that sop story the truth. It had lost children a broken home, all which would play at the heartstrings. Granted, there is something off about him I just don't think that's it." Paige offered. Both sisters looked at Phoebe who had been strangely quiet through the whole thing.
"It's your call Phoebe." Piper told her. Phoebe gulped still not knowing what to make of it all:
"Trust him. He seems to be innocent enough right now. We need to get to know him better." Phoebe offered.
"Majority wins I guess." Paige sighed.
"Okay, we have a plan. We get to know him better, while we figure out how to put him back in his timeline. We also teach him to better manage his powers. Now we should get back in there," Piper affirmed. They got up from their seats and Piper led the way and took her seat on the couch. She looked directly at Cole:
"You can stay here, up in the attic if you like for a while. You'll need some protection while you're getting used to your new powers." Cole's face took on a hopeful, thankful expression. As they walked up to the attic Cole said
"Thank you, I am very grateful."
"Don't thank us yet, wait until you're back in your own world." Piper said.
"Speaking of which, how do I get back to my own world?" Cole asked.
"We're working on that." Piper said. She turned and left him to get settled in. Cole sunk to the ground as the gravity of his situation finally began taking its toll.
He rose again, and turned towards the window where he began to examine his reflection. He didn't look different. His facial features were the same, even if his cheeks were a little more sallow than usual. The difference he realized was on the inside. He felt that ball of fire within himself stir again and to his surprise he felt alive. It was as if he had been missing a part of himself by ignoring those powers all those years. He realized then, that although his life with Arianna was to all appearances perfect, he had denied the true essence of who he was by not using those powers. And denied his children a part of their heritage. He thought with bitterness and regret over all the good he could have done by using them over the years, it was enough for him to sink again to the ground and weep. 'God forgive me' he whispered into the silence.
C.O.S.: elsewhere in the manor
"You've been strangely quiet tonight. Penny for your thoughts?" Piper asked Phoebe allowing the concern on her face.
"I want to get on with my life. I want this over I want to get past Cole. And I'm torn, I want to believe him, but part of me still thinks that this is an act put on for our benefit. That the real Cole is still in there, scheming to get me back at all costs including pulling such an elaborate charade." Phoebe answered allowing the frustration to show.
"I think it startled it you that you were the one he was using to cheat on his wife." Piper bluntly told her sister.
"That little revelation did startle me. You know I would never do that, never deprive children of their father, a wife of her husband. I am not some common whore." Phoebe replied angrily.
"I know that sweetie. I know. " Piper assured her, gathering her into a hug before continuing: But it also wouldn't hurt to give this Cole a chance." She advised. Phoebe nodded.
Piper led Phoebe to the linen closet and got out some blankets.
"You can start by taking these up to him to make him comfortable." Piper handed the blankets to Phoebe who turned and went on upstairs. She paused in the doorway to the attic.
'Handing blankets to the man shouldn't be this difficult. He's my ex- husband, emphasis on the ex. But look at him standing there, he just looks so lost, so helpless and defenseless. She let her gaze run over his physique as she noted every muscle emphasized on his back, his broad shoulders. Everything was just like the Cole we vanquished' she thought to herself. Sensing a pair of eyes on him, Cole turned around to find Phoebe standing at the top of the stairs.
"You know, I'm not the type of demon that will bite you know. At least I think I'm not." Cole made a weak attempt at a joke as he walked towards her. He reached down and took the blankets from her. One of his hands brushed her arm and she involuntarily recoiled. One of the blankets dropped to the floor in the front of him. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to recoil like that it's just." She left off as she bent to pick it up. "You and me, or you and he have a rather turbulent history." Cole finished as he picked it up for her. Phoebe smiled awkwardly:
"You'll forgive me then if I don't want to hang out." Phoebe told him shortly and turned to walk out. Cole reached out and grabbed her arm:
"I know he treated you rotten, but that is absolutely no reason to take it out on me. I would never treat you like that. To me our love is something to be prized above all else like a precious jewel. I don't know you very well, but I do know what I saw in that picture in the penthouse. What I saw was a vibrant beautiful woman who loved life, and whose eyes overflowed with the love she had for the man. And the man only had eyes for you Phoebe." Cole told her, his voice fading to just a whisper.
There was silence as the held each other's gaze. Finally Phoebe said:
"I can't do this with you right now Cole, I'm not ready." Phoebe yanked her arm back and stalked down the stairs leaving the blanket.
Well that's the end of this chapter.
AN: reading this over I realize that I am not exactly clear on the timeline of the AUCole's date w/ AUPhoebe. For clarification's sakes: the night before his car accident he had been out on a date w/Phoebe. He was on his way to tell Arianna it was over between them when he got in the car accident.
Let me know if you guys want this crazy little adventure to continue with your reviews. Peace out, and Happy reading: A.B.