Disclaimer: Any character you recognize isn't mine. That about covers it.

Summary: See chapter 1

Authors Notes: 1. Yeah, I know it's been a long time; it's because of writers block.

2. "" Dialogue, '' thoughts

3. C.O.S.: Change of scenery

Lessons Learned: Chapter #8- Our universe

Phoebe paused at the doorway to the attic room and gazed at Cole. He was standing staring out the window. She wondered if the same calculating mind was inside him. She walked up and stood beside him in silence for a while.

"What are you thinking about?" She asked him.

"I'm thinking how easy it would be to forget about 'my world' as it were and to be perfectly content here and now with you. I'm thinking how easy it would be for me to get used to this new sense of empowerment and self-confidence I feel right now, and not go back. I'm thinking about how easy it would be to ignore my family and my friends and stay here." Cole answered.

"Were you that unhappy with your wife?" Phoebe asked him.

"I was beginning to be in a way. I still love Arianna, but somehow that love is changing. I gave it all up for her- the whole supernatural thing. She wanted a normal life, away from all of it. She couldn't accept it when we first met in high school, and never got used to it. She made me choose, either it was these new talents, or it was a life with her, free of magic and all manner of it. I was young, and optimistic- I thought that once she got to know me, she would accept all of me. I was wrong. Then we had Amelia and Alexander, and even though I knew it was denying a part of them I still didn't use my powers. Gradually, I settled into an ordinary family life and began to think of my powers less and less. It wasn't until I met Phoebe that I began to feel them again.

Phoebe shrunk physically and began to back away from where she was standing. She still wasn't used to that part- the fact that she was the one that was breaking his marriage up. It made her feel dirty. She knew she had done some not so nice things in the past for guys, but one thing she never do was get in the middle of a marriage. She began making her way towards the door; Cole noticed her sudden awkwardness and spoke up:

"Did I say anything to…"

"No it wasn't you. Trust me when I say it wasn't you." Phoebe cut him off, and smiled weakly.

"Dinner will be ready in 10 minutes." She tossed over her shoulder as she began making her way downstairs. He re-took his place by the window, wondering if she really did mean that it wasn't him.

Phoebe made her way into the kitchen and began counting out silverware and plates, then took them and set them around the dinning room table. She made her way back to the cabinet where the glasses were kept and counted those out as well.

"You're strangely quiet all of a sudden, is there anything wrong?" Piper observed, while she was mixing up the salad.

"No, nothing's wrong, I just feel like being quiet." Phoebe replied, setting the glasses around the table. Piper was silent; she knew that if she pushed Phoebe, she wouldn't talk.

"Why do I let him do this to me? Why do I let myself like him? After all he has done to me, done to my family; any normal person would hate the man. But no, not me. I have to fall in love with him; I have to break up his marriage." Phoebe finished ranting.

"Oh sweetie, that's what this, is about. You didn't break up his marriage. I know you wouldn't do a thing like that. You have to remember that he's not this Cole, and it always takes two, he chose to cheat on his wife. The fact that it was you was just a coincidence." Piper glanced at the oven and said:

"Now I think our dinner is done. Let's eat it's not nice to keep a pregnant lady away from her food." Phoebe cracked a smile and carried the salad into the dining room table. Leo made his way to the oven to take out the lasagna. He took into the other room and set it down on the table, then sat down next to his wife at one end of the table Phoebe sat down across the table next to Paige.

Cole came in and took the remaining chair. They ate in silence for a while.

"So Cole are you comfortable? Leo asked in an effort to make conversation. Cole swallowed his bite of food, before answering:

"Yeah I am. I just want to thank you for being so patient with me, and helping me out like this." He made eye contact with Piper, and Phoebe. Paige just glared at him. Piper was the first to respond:

"Well you considering the circumstances, you are right now an innocent and our job is to protect the innocents." At that comment Paige briefly turned her glare from Cole to Piper and back. The rest of the meal passed in silence. At the end of it, Cole rose from his seat and picked up his plate and made his way into the kitchen where he found Phoebe putting the leftovers into containers.

"You know I never meant to hurt…" Cole began.

"I know, trust me when I say it's not you. It's just…" Phoebe broke off trying to consider her words. She made direct eye contact with him:

"It's hard for me, to look at you right now. You look like Cole- the Cole that has threatened to kill me numerous times, the one that would do anything to keep me with him. To look at you, and to see you being so kind, so gentle, it's just hard for me to put the two together." Phoebe finally explained.

Cole was silent as he thought back to the picture in the penthouse, of the two people so in love. His thoughts drifted to him and his Phoebe. His voice grew quiet as he said:

"If the worst happens, and for whatever reason I am not able to go back to my timeline, I could be the man in the picture, I could fall in love with you Phoebe." She smiled weakly in response:

"I know."

Later that night…

As Phoebe was getting ready for bed, she pulled out a box of old photos, from when she and Cole had been happy. She took one out, in a solid frame and peered at it. They were so happy together, so in love with each other. She hugged the photo to her as she thought to herself: What happened to us Cole?

She then placed it tenderly on the dresser and went to bed.

Well that's it for this installment

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Happy reading

A.B.