AN: Hey everyone! Boy have I been gone for a long time, and just when I promised to update soon.. hehehe oops...
Anyway here is the next chapter - this was actually both the second and the third chapter, but I felt that they were far too short (especially after such a long wait) so now you get a looong chapter instead! ;)
Reading all your lovely reviews was great, and has really helped me to update the story, as well as simply making my day :D So please tell me what you think about this one as well.
Phoebe
The following weekend Phoebe invited her family over for dinner. She had finally placed the last ornaments and knickknacks and hung the paintings on the wall and she was very satisfied with the outcome.
"This is wonderful sweetie!" Piper exclaimed as she entered through the front door.
"Yeah it is," Paige agreed as she walked behind her "you really made it homey."
Leo greeted her with a hug and gave her the flowers they had bought for her as a moving in gift. Chris and Wyatt were at her feet hugging her legs and for the few hours they were there the empty feeling in her chest disappeared.
It was great having her family visit and as they sat in the couch and armchairs enjoying each other's company and talking about their day and week, Phoebe found herself wishing that they would never leave.
But of course they had to. And when Chris and Wyatt started dozing off on Piper and Leo it was time for them to leave.
And she was once again left alone in the apartment with a bunch of work she had due soon and some dirty dishes she had to wash.
The next day she woke up feeling well rested and ready to face the day, something which she hadn't felt like in a long time so she swiftly got ready, grabbed her laptop and left her home to do her work elsewhere.
The Coffee Press was filled with people and activity as per usual. The nice thing about the shop was that that it was split in half; the noisy line of busy people waiting for their drink wasn't heard in the back of the café where the calm atmosphere ruled.
It was here in the corner next to the window that Phoebe so often escaped to do her work. She thought that it would have been done easily at home in the peace and quiet. But the silence turned out to be a nuisance instead of a blessing, so when she stepped into the shop a couple of days ago it was just like coming home.
She had been there for a little over two hours and had run out of coffee more than an hour ago; which was too long if she wanted to continue doing something productive.
So there she was waiting in line for the second time that day for a cup of coffee that was totally worth it.
Not only was this part of the café more loud, but it was also filled to the brim with people squeezing, pushing and struggling to get somewhere. It felt like the person behind her was trying to push her forward into the blonde who was ordering a cappuccino, but she was trying hard to keep a comfortable distance to her.
While waiting for her turn to order, she checked the clock on the wall. It was half past two and she had one more column left to write, it was due for the day after tomorrow but she felt she needed to get it done quickly to get on Elise's good side again.
"Next!" the barista yelled and the person behind her pushed her forward just as the blonde woman who had just gotten her drink turned to leave.
Her body collided with that of the young woman and she yelped as scorching warm liquid came into contact with her chest.
"Oh my God I am so sorry" She heard from someone beside her and was immediately handed a bunch of napkins which she took hurriedly and looked down to see the damage done to her shirt.
It felt like more than it really was, but the light brown stain was still very noticeable on her creamy blouse and unexpected anger surged through her body when she saw the damage.
She looked up into the face of the person who she's been pushed into ready to make them pay for her shirt when she froze; realizing that she knew the person in front of her.
"Billie?" She questioned, all anger leaving her body at the sight of the young woman she had nearly run down almost two weeks ago.
"Phoebe!" Billie exclaimed obviously just a surprised as she was.
It was without a doubt a happy coincidence, one that she was too pleased with to let go.
"D-do you have somewhere to be? Or can we sit and talk, maybe?" She worried it sounded too desperate, but when she saw the blonde's smile and her nod of consent, she knew that the nerves that were currently wracking her body were worth it.
With two new cups of warm beverages, they made their way to the table Phoebe had occupied most of the afternoon. Seeing the mess of papers on the table and chairs, embarrassed the Halliwell and she hurriedly gathered them all in her arms and squeezed them into her shoulder bag.
"Wow you're doing a lot of work huh?" Billie asked sitting on the now free seat across from Phoebe.
"Yeah"
"What exactly is it that you do? Work I mean." She asked taking a sip of her cappuccino.
"I work at the Bay Mirror as an advice columnist, sometimes I write articles too. It's ... not the greatest but I like helping people."
The last comment was unnecessary but she wanted the blonde to know more about her and it didn't feel forced or awkward.
"What about you? Well obviously you're in college but do you have a job besides that?"
Billie laughed at her slip but continued "I help out at the library, it's not much but I get by."
They talked for a couple of hours about everything and nothing at all. It was nice and the words flowed easily, the pauses were pleasant and not uncomfortable at all. Soon Billie's phone started vibrating and she admitted that she had to be at the library in less than half an hour.
They packed up their stuff, mostly Phoebe's, and walked out the café together.
"It was really nice seeing you again Phoebe," Billie announced as they stood outside the Coffee Press "and it was great talking to you." Her intense gaze was making Phoebe's heart pound and her mouth went dry.
"Yeah it was," She agreed giving Billie an encouraging smile "maybe we could do it again?" the witch held her breath hoping that the younger woman would agree.
"Sure." She said ending Phoebe's suffering and taking her phone out of her pocket.
Realizing what Billie was trying to do, Phoebe quickly grabbed her own cell phone and exchanged it for the other woman's and typed in her number.
They parted ways with a wave and a smile, each pleased with what had happened that day and what was sure to happen in the future.
It was always exciting for Phoebe to meet new people; some she would only know fleetingly, while others would become dear friends who'd remain in her life for a long time. And then there were those who were caught right in the middle; people whom she had the opportunity of getting to know better or letting them drift away.
The latter was the case as of right now... And Phoebe had no idea what she was going to do.
If she did in fact contact Billie the possibilities of what would happen were many and frankly she had no idea why the blonde had even given her her number. Was she just looking for a friend or did she actually want something more than friendship?
That was another question entirely, for had she been reading too much into the blonde's actions? Had she imagined the long gazes and the warm touches? She very well could have, sometimes it seemed like she could fall in love with anyone who smiled her way.
And was she a pervert for even thinking this over? For God's sake! She was probably more than ten years older than Billie, she had seen couples like that before and it could seem really creepy.
Sighing loudly, she put the phone down in the counter and laid her head in her hands out of sheer frustration.
"You okay sweetie? Seems like your trying to figure out the meaning of life" Piper said jokingly as she entered the kitchen.
The brunette took a deep breath preparing to tell her sister about her inner conflict, but exhaled again afraid that she'd take her to the nut house.
"It's ... nothing."
"You know Phoebe, one of the greatest things about being a mother is all the enhanced skills you develop. Like your hearing, it becomes so much sharper, and so does your ability to react! But the most useful one ... is that you can tell when someone lies. And you definitely look and sound troubled so I'm not buying your 'nothing's wrong' attitude okay?" When she got the nod of consent she continued in a much softer tone.
"So please tell me what's wrong Pheebs. I can't help you if you won't tell me." Piper said and sat down across her younger sister.
Taking a deep breath again she decided to tell her everything.
"I ... I met someone a while ago, or I mean I practically ran her over but that's beside the point" She forced out, not noticing Piper's confused expression.
"The problem is that I really want to see her again but I'm not sure if I should."
The fact that Phoebe was talking about a girl in a romantic way was new for Piper, of course she had known about Phoebe's experiments when she was younger and the other Halliwell would sometimes announce if she found a person of the same sex 'hot' or 'cute' in a way that was clearly not straight.
But she had never spoken about any of the women she had had a fling with, and Piper realized that Phoebe was more serious about this one.
"That was really cryptic Phoebe" She frowned.
The person in question was having an inner argument whether to make a run for the door or stay and talk it out with her sister. It was a tough choice, but she figured she wouldn't make it to the door in time.
Sighing, she finally surrendered and began to talk.
"Her name is Billie and I met her about two weeks ago. I was headed for work and was waiting for people to pass at one of the pedestrian crossings, when I thought it was clear I started the car and nearly hit her when she emerged from the crowd and tried to cross the street."
At Piper's shocked face she paused "No don't worry, nothing happened, I didn't hit her" she quickly assured.
"I gave her a lift and that was it. Then a couple of days ago I ran into her at the Coffee Press, quite literally," she added and laughed nervously.
"We talked for hours and then when she had to leave, we exchanged numbers." She finished and Piper could see the inner turmoil in her brown eyes.
"I have a feeling that's not all of it." She said carefully and placed a comforting hand on Phoebe's bare arm.
"She's young." Phoebe admitted and hid her face in her hands.
"How young?" The suspicion was clear in her sister's voice.
Sounds came from behind closed hands, but it was naught but a mumble to Piper.
"What did you say?"
Removing her hands from her face she prepared herself for the incoming onslaught.
"She's college young."
Piper did not disappoint.
"What! You're lusting for a teenager? Phoebe!"
"She's not a teenager okay?" She replied defensively their voice getting higher with each word.
"Yeah? Well how old is she then?"
"I ... I don't know, early twenties maybe. I never asked."
It was probably the defeated look in her sister's eyes that calmed Piper down, it wasn't everyday that Phoebe told her she'd found someone she actually liked and wanted to get to know better.
"Okay, let's make a deal," She said after a moment of silence. "You call her and arrange a meeting and if you discover that she is 21 or older, then you do whatever it is you want to do. But if not ... then maybe it's best not to get involved."
The proposal was simple and she found it agreeable, now she just hoped that Billie was older than she looked.
They decided to meet at the Coffee Press again - intended and planned this time - and Phoebe was a nervous wreck. Not only was she anxious but she was also the first to arrive, something which seemed horrible because sitting there by herself only gave her so much more time to start doubting her decision to see Billie again.
She didn't have to wait long though; soon the blonde woman entered the café and set her eyes on Phoebe almost immediately. Their greeting was slightly awkward; a handshake felt too foreign but a hug was far too familiar and they weren't there yet. Instead they settled for a touch on the shoulder and a smile.
Like their last meeting they started talking immediately about anything that came to mind; they talked about their everyday life and about their interests – some which they shared. Phoebe told Billie about her sisters and her new apartment and conveniently left out the part of her being a witch. And when Billie wasn't just listening in on Phoebe, she talked about school and her job at the library.
As their first meeting became a subject of discussion, Billie told Phoebe that she wasn't the first person to almost hit her with a car, "It was a couple of months ago actually, about a week after my twenty-first birthday, a friend and I had been out drinking..."
And just like that, Phoebe's question was answered.
AN: To the reviewer who asked whether Billie will be a witch or not... Well, to be honest I don't know hehe. I mean, I fell in love with the idea of the two of them meeting as humans, that's why I am/was so invested in the story, because I felt that no one had tried that before (at least not what I know of). The story can go in two directions based on whether Billie is magical or not. But that's a storyline for later, and I would like to build up a relationship before I get into everything else. I hope that is enough of an answer for now :)
Thanks for the advice on which words to use from the last chapter, it's definitely something I'll correct later (when I have the time lol).
Aaaand on the question about bumping it up to M rated heheeh. Eeeh I'm not sure. I mean you're certainly going to notice/know when they have sex, but I don't know how explicit it will be. I've never written smut before soo...