Disclaimer: I don't own Charmed.

Aftershock

"What?"

"He's not alive. But, he does technically exist. He's stuck in a limbo, where he can see and hear Phoebe, but not be with her. It's like the ultimate punishment for him. Plus, he's too good for 'down there', but not good enough for 'up there'."

"Woah, wait, Piper! What are you talking about? How do you even know this?"

"He was the 'old friend' that helped me out when I went into a coma after being attacked by the thorn demons. And, I think he was the one who sent Drake to help Phoebe believe in love. That was kind of his reason for making me believe in love."

Paige stared at her big sister in shock, her brown eyes getting even bigger. "Are you kidding me? How could you call him a friend? And, why are you just now telling me this?"

"I didn't want to re-open old wounds before, but since Phoebe saw him-"

"So she really did see him?"

"I think so. There was this moment, when I was in limbo with him, that he quoted Shakespeare to Phoebe, telling her how beautiful she is. It was as if she heard him. She looked straight at him. So, since they do seem to still have that intense connection, maybe, if he did watch her wedding from his plane, she would be able to see him, too. At least for a second."

"He can watch us? What if he tries to come back and kill us again? What if-"

"Paige, you really have to calm down. You're only five months along. We don't want the twins joining us before they're ready."

Sitting down on the bed, Paige placed a hand on her rounded belly. "You're right. But, could you please tell me why the heck you're so calm about this?"

"I don't think he wants to come back. He still loves her but I think he's accepted his fate and is content to live out eternity there. I think Cole feels he deserves it because of his past."

"He does!"

"You weren't there when Cole became a part of this family, Paige. I don't think you were as hurt by what happened with the Source and everything. And, I think he felt the same way about you. That's why he always targeted you more. But, I forgave him along time ago. And I agree with Phoebe that what happened wasn't all his fault. And, he's sorry, anyway. I truly think he's remorseful. You have to let go of this grudge."

"Sorry. I'm still too angry at everything he did to Phoebe, to me."

"I understand," Piper shrugged. "But you're gonna have to work on that because I think we should call him for Phoebe. They need to talk. They both need closure, if nothing else. I'm going to write a summoning spell to call a soul out of limbo."

"Coop? Coop are you here?"

There was a pause before, "In here."

Phoebe headed to her bedroom. "Hi, sorry about before. Post-wedding cold-feet, I guess. So, about our hone..." Her sentence trailed off as Coop came into view. He was sitting on their bed, a suitcase next to him and an opened cardboard box on the floor at his feet. "Where did you get that?" Phoebe whispered.

"When I was grabbing my clothes out of the closet to pack, it fell."

"Why, why were you packing?"

"Because I'm leaving. You haven't given your whole heart to me and I can't take any less. It hurts too much. I'll speak to the Angel of Destiny about making our marriage null and void. It shouldn't be too hard to do."

"An annulment? That's crazy. I've given you, and only you, my entire heart. I love you, Coop. I know I hurt you when I said Cole's name like that, but it didn't mean anything, I swear. I really am ready to let him go."

Coop shook his head, "Are you trying to convince me or yourself?"

Avoiding the question, Phoebe turned her attention back to the box at her husband's feet. "Did you look in it?"

"Everything spilled out. I had to pick it up."

"I want you to put it back where it came from."

Coop pulled Phoebe down next to him. He took her hands in his. "Listen, Phoebe. I was really hurt when I realized the feelings attached to his name when you said it. No, don't interrupt. I never read those feelings before in you. I only read your love for me. It didn't even cross my mind to suspect that you still cared that much for him and the only reason I couldn't see it was because it was a love involving a demon, which I can't get reads off of. Heck, even when I did hear it, I still thought that it was only a recent development that you realized you were still in love with him. When I found that box... you have no idea how much pain I experienced finding out that your subconscious had never stopped loving him. The recent development turned out only to be a conscious one because I helped get rid of that shield you'd put up after him."

"I don't wanna hurt you."

"I know," Coop assured her, wondering if she noticed that she hadn't denied still loving Cole. "But, see, I've been thinking since I found it. I know that I'll always love you, but you're not ready to be in love with me, or anyone else for that matter. You've been blocking him out for so long that you haven't really mourned him. You haven't made the decision to take the love the two of you had, have, with you to the next part of your life, to a happily ever after. It's okay to bring him with you. And, someday someone will be okay with sharing your love. It's just not me. I don't have experience in actually having a relationship and I just can't handle it. You weren't meant to have that happy ending with me. I really am here just to help you move on. I think you need to completely face the past, more so than you already have, in order to do that. You haven't looked in that box since you packed away have you? And I'm assuming that was after his first vanquish, after his possession."

"What does it matter?" Phoebe refrained from looking at the said object. "Cole is dead."

"But your feelings for him aren't."

She looked at the box, but only for a moment, before she turned back to Coop. "Why are you doing this? We were married by an Angel of Destiny. We are destined to be."

"Maybe we were, Phoebe. At least, I'd like to believe we were. But were is the operative word. The second you dreamed of him at our wedding, we were destined to fail."

"So it's my fault! I can't help who I'm in love with, Coop!"

"You're admitting you're still in love with him? Isn't that what I've been trying to tell you?"

Phoebe faltered, "What? No, I never said that."

"You know, Phoebe, pain is a part of life. We need the bad times in order to have the good. I know it hurts dealing with it, but you have to, or you'll never go on happily."

"What if I don't want to go on without him?" Immediately after she said it, Phoebe clapped a hand over her mouth. She had not meant to say that.

"Who knows? Maybe you won't have to. Magic is a very powerful thing."

"He doesn't exist." As much as I wish he did.

"Just look in the box, Honey. Just admit it and strive for your happiness. You deserve it."

She glanced at it again. "Are you gonna go through it with me. I might need the support."

"No, I think I'll let you do this one on your own. I've done my part in pointing you the right way. I think I got a bit over-involved last time," Coop answered with a wry smile. "Look in the box. I'll call after I speak with the Angel."

Phoebe slowly crawled to her knees on the ground. With shaky hands, she lifted out of the box a dark blue shirt that Cole had worn on many of their nights out. It had been one of his favorites. She lifted it to her face and breathed in the scent. How can it still smell like him after all this time? she thought with a wistful smile.

Coop surprised even himself by giving a genuine smile to Phoebe's back. She would be okay. And, like he'd said, you never knew with magic. Maybe she would get to be with who she really wanted after all. And if she didn't, at least she'd be able to use their love to find a new happiness. He was about to vanish from the room when he heard her softly say his name. Looking back at her, Coop saw that Phoebe now held a framed picture of herself and Cole, lovingly gazing into each other's eyes. The two's wedding bands and her engagement ring were available for his sight, too, as their cases lay open beside her.

"I'm sorry," was all she said. And he knew that she was. A red heart started to glow over Coop's chest as he faded out in a white swish.