Confessions

Disclaimer: My offerings to the tv faeries haven't paid off; ownership of the tv show Charmed still eludes me.

A/N: As per usual, thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone who reads, has read, and/or reviewed this story. It means the world to me, you guys giving my work a chance.

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(The manor. Paige walks down the hallway, enters her room. Henry is walking around, trying to get Melinda to sleep.)

Henry: (singing) Hush, little baby, don't say a word, Uncle Henry's gonna buy you a mocking bird. And if that—

Paige: (smiles) You never told me that you could sing.

Henry: You never asked.

Paige: (goes and sits on the bed) I'm sorry I woke you up for nothing.

Henry: (shrugs) No harm done. Besides, better safe than sorry. (He joins her) Is Phoebe okay?

Paige: (strokes Melinda's hair) I hope so. I mean, Phoebe's always been a little...

Henry: Wacky? Crazy?

Paige: I was going to say unconventional. (She scoots closer to Henry, leans her head on his shoulder) But this...this is unusual. Even for her.

(They sit for a moment. Henry rocks Melinda.)

Paige: You're so good with her.

Henry: (smiles) Thanks.

Paige: (bites lip) Henry, I have something to tell you.

Henry: (notices her face) What is it?

Paige: I...I'm...I'm not on my birth control pills anymore.

Henry: (confused) You're not? Paige, how long have you been off the pills?

Paige: Six months. (She plays awkwardly with the edge of the bedspread.) Silly me, I thought all I had to do was stop taking them, spend some quality time with you, and voila! Pregnancy. Guess it doesn't always work that way.

Henry: Oh Paige! (Henry shifts Melinda in his arms, takes Paige's hand) Is that why you get so huffy whenever I bring up the subject of kids?

Paige: (guilty) Yeah.

Henry: C'mere. (He pulls Paige in for a kiss) I love you.

Paige: I love you too.

Henry: Thank you for telling me.

Paige: (relieved) You're welcome.

Henry: (gazes at her for a minute) Well, maybe we aren't parents yet because we still need some prep time. We'll just play with little missy here, and practice being sleep deprived.

(Paige flings her arms around his neck, gives him a big kiss. They start to fuss over Melinda. Scene fades to black.)

(Camera to the attic. The morning sun is shining through the windows; Phoebe lies on the couch, starting to wake up. Phantom Phoebe appears next to her, sitting on a chair. Real Phoebe looks up with a start)

Phantom Phoebe: Trouble sleeping? You know, Piper's little pep talk last night should have made you feel better. But it didn't, did it?

Phoebe: (annoyed) Don't you mean 'we?' I thought you and I were one in the same.

Phantom Phoebe: We are. We're two versions of the same soul.

Phoebe: (Phoebe groans, lies back down, pulls a blanket over her head.) What do you want?

Phantom Phoebe: To save us. To save our family.

Phoebe: And what do we need saving from, exactly?

Phantom Phoebe: (gravely) Our mistake.

Phoebe: You know, this cryptic 'mistake' crap is really getting old. Especially since I—we, whatever, haven't made any mistakes.

Phoebe: Yes we have. We still are. Your version of us, anyway.

Phoebe: Just what would this terrible mistake be?

Phantom Phoebe: (sighs) You still don't get it? Even after what you saw yesterday? You think that they were just visions?

Phoebe: Um, yeah. I saw. I visualized. Hence the word, 'vision.'

Phantom Phoebe: Those weren't visions Phoebe; that was real. You traveled.

Phoebe: Traveled?

Phantom Phoebe: Yes, traveled. You went back. (Dreamy smile forms on face) Back where we belong.

Phoebe: Excuse me!

Phantom Phoebe: (smile vanishes, her voice turns desperate) I can't do it much longer, Phoebe. Not alone. Ever since the Avatars messed with your dimension...it changed everything. I've done my best, but it isn't enough anymore. (Imploring) Please. We need to be together, our souls joined, if our family is going to make it.

Phoebe: (scared) Is something bad going to happen?

Phantom Phoebe: Yes. To our husband and child.

Phoebe: Coop and Melinda?

Phantom Phoebe: (shakes head) No, Phoebe, no. Cole...and our son, Warren.

Phoebe: (pales, clutches throat) I...I want you to leave. Right now. Go. Get Out!

Phantom Phoebe: (voice raised, impatient) We don't have time for this, Phoebe. They don't have time—

Phoebe: Leave me alone! (She grabs a lamp by the couch, hurls it at Phantom Phoebe)

Phantom Phoebe: (frowns as lamp glides through her) I'm not giving up. (She fades away)

(Phoebe is standing alone in the attic, shaking. She grabs the blanket and wraps herself in it, when she has a vision)

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(Phoebe is dressed in work clothes, standing in a doorway to a nice house. She's holding Warren, speaking in baby talk:

Phoebe: And you're going to be such a good boy for daddy today, aren't you? Ooh, aren't you so cute! Maybe mommy'll stay home with you and daddy today after all—

(Cole walks up. He looks tired but happy and has a baby blanket over his shoulder)

Cole: (interrupts) Phoebe, don't even think about it. You have to go to work)

Phoebe: (whines) But I don't want to!

Cole: (kisses her forehead) Baby, you've used up almost all of your sick days. You have to go in.

Phoebe: (looks down at Warren) But what about her call this morning? You might need me.

Cole: Honey, we've taken all the precautions. She's even going to hang out with us this afternoon. It'll be fine. (He takes Warren) Now get going.

Phoebe: But you two really don't get along.

Cole: (roles eyes) Don't I know it. But I'll do it. For War's sake.

(Phoebe hesitates, kisses him and Warren)

Phoebe: I'll see you at dinner?

Cole: (smiles) At dinner.

(Phoebe smiles back, waves, and walks out the door. When the door shuts, vision is over.)

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(Camera to Phoebe on the couch. She wakes up, sees Coop sitting next to her)

Phoebe: (surprised) Hi.

Coop: Hi. (He reaches out and plays with her hair.) The meeting let out early. I got your note and came over; Piper sent me up here.

Phoebe: That's nice.

Coop: (smiles and starts playing with her hair) You're so beautiful. Especially when you're muttering in your sleep like that.

Phoebe: (snaps to attention) What?

Coop: Talking in your sleep. It's adorable.

Phoebe: (fearful, trying to say calm) Um...what did I say in my sleep?

Coop: (shrugs) Not quite sure. (Phoebe tries to hide relief. Coop continues) I couldn't make out exactly what you were saying; but that must have been some dream. All the love and affection that was in it.

Phoebe: (startles) Love and affection?

Coop: Yeah, it was amazing to feel. I—

Phoebe: (pushes his hand away) Feel? Coop..were you using your powers on me?

Coop: (eyes widen) Oh. I did. Phoebs, I'm sorry, I—

Phoebe: (gets up, angry) How dare you.

Coop: Honey, it was an accident, I—

Phoebe: (interrupts) Do I go around using my empath powers to see what's going on in your head? No! I don't!

Coop: Phoebe, please—

Phoebe: We made a pact. You wouldn't use your sensing powers on me; I wouldn't use mine on you. We were going to have the perfect marriage. A marriage based on love and faith. I gave you that empath-blocking potion at our wedding to prove that I trusted you, that I didn't need to see into your thoughts to feel secure. That I had faith in you.

Coop: Phoebe—

Phoebe: Uh-uh. My turn to talk.

Coop: PHOEBE! (Phoebe looks at him, he lowers his voice) Honey, I never drank that potion. I never wanted to. I love you just the way you are. You don't need to prove yourself to me—

Phoebe: (voice deadly quiet) You never took the potion. That's interesting. So I keep up my end of the bargain not to use my powers in our relationship and not only do you use your powers on me, but you lie to me about the potion as well.

Coop: (trying to maintain composure) Phoebe, baby, I'm sorry. I swear to you that I have not used my powers on you one single solitary time in all of our marriage, until last night when you didn't wake up when Melinda started crying—

Phoebe: You used your powers on me yesterday too? (She turns around and storms out of the room. Coop follows)

Coop: Well, it was more around twelve thirty, oneish, so I guess it sort of counts as today-

Phoebe: (as she walks down the hallway) You had no right.

Coop: Phoebe, I was worried about you. You were acting so strange—

Phoebe: Well, if you were so worried, you should have asked me about it.

(Coop and Phoebe are now on the second floor. Phoebe opens the door to Piper and Leo's room, and seeing it empty, walks in)

Coop: I did ask you about it. And you yelled at me and refused to comfort your screaming daughter.

Phoebe: (yanking the door to the closet open, she searches until she finds some of Piper's non-maternity clothes) Well maybe it was a touchy subject that I didn't feel like talking about right away, and I didn't want Melinda to be upset by my bad vibes! (She walks back into the hallway, opens the door to the linen closet and grabs a towel)

Coop: Please, honey, (he takes her shoulder, turns her to face him) Let's just go talk about this. Calmly. Rationally. Someplace that isn't in the middle of your sisters' house's hallway.

Phoebe: No. You betrayed me. I can't even look at you right now. (She walks away) By the way, Grams left this house to all of us. So it's my house too! (She walks into the bathroom and slams the door shut. Coop looks on, frustrated)

(Camera to the bathroom. Phoebe drops her stuff and sits on the side of the tub. A baby starts to cry in the distance. With a sigh Phoebe gets up and walks to the door. Phantom Phoebe appears in front of her.)

Phoebe: (woodenly) Move. I have to go feed Melinda.

Phantom Phoebe: (seriously) Melinda isn't the one crying. Warren is.

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Bad Coop! Telling Phoebe that he drank the potion when he actually didn't... Poor Coop, he didn't mean anything by it. He didn't drink it because he trusted Phoebe...Oh well. That was his secret. The potion and using his powers on Phoebe thingy.

Next scene, which I will post as soon as I possibly can: Coop tells the others what happened; Paige and Piper and the rest of the gang are now seriously, seriously spooked. Phantom Phoebe makes one last desperate plea.