"Hey." Cole said.
"Hey, stranger." Phoebe looked up and gave him the sweetest smile, the one she kept only for him. Her whole face lit up at his sight.
Cole smiled back at her. His eyes looked at her with affection and love and admiration.
She had changed him so much. He never smiled so genuinely or even cared about others before he met her. She opened his heart and warmed her way in. He didn't realize it at first, but as he kept seeing her, she was warmer and warmer till she became red hot and found a place in his heart, one that he would never, ever let her escape from.
She was the first woman he truly fell in love with. The way she made him feel surpassed anything he had ever felt before meeting her. She was the only person that would make him sacrifice everything in his life for, even his own, if it was necessary.
"What?" Phoebe chuckled embarrassingly as he kept staring at her.
"Nothing. Nothing," Cole shook his head, "Just... you're so beautiful." Cole told her leaning against the doorframe, his hands were in his pockets.
"Stop it." Phoebe smiled and blushed.
"It's the truth, baby." Cole told her.
"So, are you just gonna stand there?" Phoebe asked him smiling at him.
Cole smiled, looked down and moved towards her.
"How are you today?" Cole asked.
"Where's my kiss?" Phoebe asked.
Cole leaned down, cupped her face with his right hand and kissed her gently for five seconds. He pulled back and lingered for a bit close to her mouth. He saw her closed eyes and when she opened them he sat down next to her.
"Are you still working?" Cole asked her looking at her laptop screen.
"Almost done." Phoebe replied.
"How are you doing?" Cole asked.
"Better that you're here now." She smiled at him.
He grabbed her hand and brought it to his mouth and kissed it.
"How are the babies?" He asked looking at her stomach.
"They miss you." Phoebe said.
"Really?" Cole smiled.
"Yup, but not as much as I miss you." Phoebe told him.
"Sorry." Cole said.
"Cole, I'm fine. And so are our babies." She told him seriously.
"I just want to make sure that you will stay this way."
"You spend too much time down there." Phoebe said.
"I have to." Cole said and Phoebe pulled her hand back and just stared down.
"Have you found anything?" Phoebe asked playing with her long sleeves absentmindedly.
"Not yet." Cole said.
"Well, then maybe there is nothing to find." Phoebe looked at him and saw his firm expression.
"Maybe is not good enough." Cole said and Phoebe sighed, "I thought you understood why I'm doing this."
"No, actually I don't." Phoebe told him shaking her head.
"Phoebe, come on." Cole suddenly stood up.
"No, Cole. You, come on. I am safe and so are our babies. Being away from us all the time hurts me and the babies. It hurts us. When was the last time I woke up and you were next to me?" Phoebe asked emotionally.
"I'm here all the time." Cole told her.
"No, you are not. You come here, check in and then leave again. I can't do this anymore." Phoebe raised her voice back at him.
"I won't let what happened before happen again and if that means that you will be mad at me for being away for too long, then so be it." Cole told her.
"I can't believe this." Phoebe closed her laptop and stood up.
"Phoebe, please." Cole grabbed her hand, but she pulled it away and left the room.
Cole looked down hurt and shimmered off.
"Honey, what's wrong?" Piper asked seeing Phoebe in tears.
"I wish I knew." Phoebe said wiping her tears.
"Come here." Piper said.
"I can't keep doing this, Piper." Phoebe said sitting next to her.
"What did he do now?" Piper asked irritated.
"What he always does." Phoebe shook her head.
"I'm going to kick his ass." Piper stated.
"I don't know what to do anymore. What happened with the Seer and the Elders has become his sole obsession. He is always down there interrogating demons and I don't know what else he's doing." Phoebe said upset throwing her hands in the air.
"Did you try talking to him?" Piper asked.
"Yes. He doesn't care. He says, he needs to make sure, we're all safe." Phoebe said caressing her stomach gently.
"Honey, he loves you too much and he is scared." Piper told her.
"I know that, but he needs to understand how this makes me feel and how it affects me. Plus, he can't keep terrorizing the whole Underworld. What if everyone suddenly snaps and turns against him and he gets hurt, Piper? He's being stupid and Cole's never been that stupid." Phoebe said.
"Well, except for the time he was sent to kill us and instead he fell in love with you and killed the Triad and then the Source had all his minions after him and ordered to vanquish him. That was pretty stupid." Piper said.
"Thanks a lot." Phoebe said and Piper chuckled.
"Where is he now?" Piper asked.
"Where else... He lets his emotions cloud his better judgment." Phoebe sighed.
"Try again." Cole said.
"I'm telling you. I know nothing." The demon yelled.
Cole grabbed his neck and pinned him against the wall.
"You were working with the Seer and the Old Source. You are the only one who got away from the massive vanquish. You are always seeking for the greatest power, correct?" Cole asked.
"Correct." The demon said.
"Then, tell me. Who is rising?" Cole asked.
"No one. Everyone is still trying to regroup. Including me." The demon said.
"How are they and you exactly doing that?"
"Come on, Belthazor, don't be naive." The demon smirked, which made Cole even angrier and smashed the demon against the wall. "Ouch." The demon laughed.
"If any of you even come close to my wife again, I'm gonna do worse than vanquish you and the rest of your buddies." Cole threatened.
"Your wife," the demon laughed, "How can you be so blinded by love? You know, you could be our leader again. Leave the witch and come join us."
"That will never happen." Cole said and let the demon drop down on the ground.
"You can't escape evil. How many times have you tried to? Every time you return back to it."
"Nothing you say, affects me."
"Really? Nothing?" The demon looked up at him, "Not even if I tell you how many times I've been fantasizing about banging your witch?" The demon licked his lips.
Cole growled and threw a fireball at him, but the demon managed to shimmer behind him, before it hit him.
"You're so emotional. You should check that." He said and shimmered away.
Cole breathed hard and gritted his teeth, "Damn it." He screamed in rage and threw another fireball at the wall.
It was after midnight, when he shimmered back to Phoebe's bedroom. She was under the covers, deep in sleep. He looked hurt and mad, but the moment he stared down at her face, his expression softened. He knew he didn't spend much time with her, but it was what he had to do right now. His first priority was to protect her and his babies. If the Elders brought back his son and told Phoebe how powerful he will be, then the Underworld must know that, too. He couldn't let the past repeat itself.
Cole took his shirt and jeans off and joined Phoebe under the covers. He laid his head on his pillow and as much close to Phoebe as he could. Her sweet scent sent his senses to overdrive and his eyes automatically closed. He buried his face in her hair and smiled. He wrapped an arm protectively around her and kissed her head lightly.
"Cole..." Phoebe mumbled and turned around.
"I'm here." Cole whispered to her. "Go back to sleep."
"You are here." Phoebe said lazily and smiled.
"I love you." Cole whispered to her, caressing her hair and putting some loose strands behind her ear.
"Good." Phoebe told him in a hoarse voice from sleep and Cole chuckled.
"That's it?"
"Uh-huh." Phoebe nodded.
Cole bit his lips awkardly looking at her face and she traced them with her fingers. He kissed them and Phoebe smiled a little.
"I miss you, too. All three of you." Cole told her.
"Good." Phoebe repeated staring at him.
She touched his cheek and he closed his eyes enjoying the sensation of her skin against his.
Phoebe sighed heavily and he opened his eyes.
"What?" Cole asked not above a whisper and she shook her head. "Tell me."
"How do you this?" Phoebe asked him.
"Do what?" Cole asked confused.
"Giving me butterflies everywhere." Phoebe whispered, which made Cole smile.
"Right back at you." Cole told her.
"Hmmm..."
"What are you thinking?" Cole asked her.
"What am I gonna do with you." Phoebe simply said and Cole frowned.
"You can't do much." Cole said.
"Oh, really?" Phoebe asked.
"Too late to run away." Cole told her.
"That's what you think I want to do?" Phoebe asked surprised.
"I don't know." Cole shook his head and Phoebe swallowed hard.
"You do the running away all by yourself." Phoebe told him and turned her back to him.
Cole frowned. He threw the covers and started getting dressed.
Phoebe tried to keep her tears from falling down her face and held her pillow so tight, her fingers turned white. She couldn't believe he was leaving her. Again.
"Yeah, just go ahead and prove me right." Phoebe jumped up and looked at him.
Cole froze in place and stared down at her.
"What do you want from me?" Cole asked her feeling defeated.
"If you leave now, just never come back again." Phoebe told him emotionally.
"What are you saying?" Cole asked, searching her eyes.
"Every time, you leave like that, you hurt me, Cole. You hurt me so much and I can't keep doing that. You are always so distant. It hurts me. So much. I can't take it." Phoebe let her tears fall, she couldn't hold them anymore.
"Baby, please..." Cole ran to her.
"Don't." Phoebe stopped him and wiped her tears.
"I don't understand." Cole told her.
"Just don't." Phoebe said.
"You won't let me touch you now?" Cole asked desperately.
"Your words hurt me. Your touch hurts me. Every day, you tell me how much you love me, but then you leave. Every night, same shit." Phoebe said not looking at him.
"What do you want me to do? Let them hurt you? I need to know what is going on in the Underworld. Everything can change at any given moment."
"That's insane. You are insane. You can't let this obsession going on and taking over your life. Our life." Phoebe told him.
"It's not an obsession. It's reality." Cole insisted.
"I talk, but you don't listen to me. It's like talking to a freaking wall." Phoebe said.
"Damn it, Phoebe. You are the one who doesn't understand." Cole yelled.
"Don't raise your voice to me." Phoebe told him.
Cole groaned and held his head grabbing his hair with frustration.
"What do you want me to do? Leave? Stay?" Cole asked her.
"Do whatever you want, Cole." Phoebe said bitterly.
He watched her with watery eyes, as she turned off her lamp and laid back down.
"I'm only doing this for you." Cole whispered and Phoebe closed her eyes hurting.
He shimmered away.
Phoebe looked back at the spot he was standing and started crying.
"Morning." Phoebe said.
"Good morning." Paige said.
"Hey, are you ok?" Piper asked.
"Cole not putting out?" Paige asked sarcastically.
"Paige, I'm in no mood for your smart remarks right now." Phoebe snapped.
"Sorry..." Paige said taken aback.
"No, I'm sorry." Phoebe touched her head.
"Honey, what happened? Cole?" Piper asked.
"Yeah..." Phoebe said.
"I'm gonna find him and put some sense into his mind. Enough is enough." Piper said frustrated.
"I was the one who told him to leave, but I..."
"You did?" Piper asked confused.
"He just... he stood up to leave again and then when he tried to comfort me..." Phoebe said annoyed, "I told him not to touch me. So, he just... I pushed him away."
"He needs to get his priorities straight." Paige said.
"I can't do this anymore." Phoebe said shaking her head.
"Sweetie, please don't cry. It's bad for the babies." Piper hugged her.
"I know... I can't help it, Piper." Phoebe cried.
"Shhh..." Piper held her in her arms.
Paige left the room and orbed out.
"Cole!" Paige yelled walking around his condo. "Cole!"
"What are you doing here? Is Phoebe hurt?" Cole asked worried.
"Yes, she is." Paige said.
"What? What happened? Where is she?" Cole went crazy.
"You hurt her." Paige told him.
"Paige..." Cole yelled frustrated.
"She is physically ok, but you hurt her every day and I can't let this go on. You promised that you wouldn't hurt her ever again. What kind of a man, are you?" Paige pushed him.
"She doesn't understand. No one does." Cole said.
"Right... You have to protect her." Paige said.
"I won't let anything happen to her or my babies again." Cole told her firmly.
"Cole, don't you understand that what you are doing is what hurts her?" Paige asked.
"Well, last night, I went to her, ok? I was intending to stay till she woke up in the morning. I wouldn't leave, but she had to yell at me and tell me how I'm running away, which is so not what I'm doing." Cole said. "And why am I even explaining myself to you?" Cole said annoyed dismissing her.
"Because, she is my sister and I won't let you hurt her anymore, you idiot!" Paige yelled.
"Better to be alive and mad at me than dead and content with me." Cole said soberly.
Paige stared at him for a minute, "Cole, I understand what you went through, what we all went through was hard and heavy and awful and scary, but she is back now. She is back and she needs her husband and your children need their father." Paige told him calmly.
Cole stared at the floor with tears in his eyes.
"I can't lose her again." Cole said.
"You won't lose her. We will all make sure. Just come back to the manor and talk to her and stop this Underworld madness." Paige told him.
"I'm scared." Cole whispered.
"Love trumps over fear." Paige said and Cole stared at her.
Phoebe heard a knock on her door and stood up to open it.
She came face to face with Cole. They stared at each other for one long second, which seemed like an eternity to her and before she could open her mouth to speak, his lips were on hers. He hugged her tightly and kissed her like there was no tomorrow.
Phoebe moaned in protest, but Cole closed the door and laid her down on their bed. He touched her wet face and pulled back.
"Please, don't cry." Cole whispered to her.
"Why are you doing this to me?" Phoebe cried.
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I'll never leave again. I promise, baby. I promise. I'm sorry. Please, don't cry." Cole cupped her face and kissed it everywhere.
"You won't leave again?" Phoebe asked him in disbelief.
"I won't. I promise." Cole told her.
"How can I believe you?" Phoebe asked him.
"Trust me." Cole whispered to her and wiped her tears with his fingers.
She kissed him and he deepened the kiss. Kissing her long and hard, but taking his time, showing her his love and passion for her. He pulled away from her mouth to take a breath and saw her eyes looking at him hypnotized. He kissed her again and then nibbled her neck eliciting moans from her. He caressed her thighs and his hands slipped under her night dress and took off her underwear. He went in between her legs, as Phoebe struggled to take his pants off.
"Cole..." Phoebe moaned feeling him against her.
"I love you and I am here for you. I'm not going anywhere, baby." Cole said kissing her body everywhere till he reached her belly. He gave her small kisses and then went southern kissing her inner thighs.
Phoebe moaned and brought her arms to her face biting her lips. She hadn't felt him kissing her like that for a long time.
Suddenly, flashbacks from all the other times they fought and then had makeup sex came to her mind and got mad at herself. It came down on her like a bucket of iced-cold water. She snapped her eyes open and pulled back from him.
"What?" Cole stared at her confused.
"We can't do this." Phoebe said breathless and leaned her back on the headboard.
"Why?" Cole asked breathless, too.
"Because, Cole. This is what we always do after a fight and we think that everything is resolved, but it never is." Phoebe told him sadly.
"What are you saying?" Cole let her legs and moved up to her, holding his weight with his arms between her on its side of the bed.
"I'm saying we have more talking to do." She said and slipped underneath him.
He watched her taking her nightdress from the floor putting it back on and heading to the bathroom. He sighed and let his body fall back on the bed. He stared at the ceiling confused.
Hi everyone or no one... haha I don't know if you keep reading this or even like it, since I haven't gotten new reviews, but I'm just writing for fun, so if you read this, I hope you enjoyed it!
