Chapter 5 - Still Married

"Hello, how may I help you?" Piper asked the tall, dressed-up man standing on the threshold of the Manor. He looked awfully business-like and she already started worrying and it was yet another detective working on their case or trying to get them to explain who they really were.

"Good afternoon, I am the legal prosecutor of the court, I am looking for Miss Phoebe Halliwell." the man introduced himself politely.

"Uh yeah sure, come on in." Piper said, leading him into the house and closing the door behind him. "Make yourself at home." she said as the man sat on the sofa in the living room. "I'll go get my sister, she'll be with you in two minutes."

As soon as she was out of the man's sight, Piper sprinted to Phoebe's room and almost crushed through her door while knocking. "Phoebe, open the door now!" she hissed.

Phoebe opened the door, looking extremely annoyed. "What now? If it's a demon, tell him to come back later."

"Whatever you've been doing in there, pull yourself together and get out of there, there's a legal prosecutor waiting for you downstairs." Piper said. "Hurry!"

"Wait, whom?!" Phoebe grew slightly panicked. "What does he want, did he say anything?"

"No, he only said he wanted to speak to you." Piper replied.

"Okay well, I'll be out in a minute." Phoebe said and suddenly, Jason appeared next to her, buttoning his shirt and still somewhat breathing heavily.

"What's the matter, Phoebe? Is there something wrong?" he asked as he looked at Piper.

Piper gave them both a disgusted look. "Yeah, Phoebe has to come downstairs now." she replied and pulled her sister by the hand, leaving Jason to rush after them.

As the three of them entered the living room, the man stood up. "Miss Phoebe Halliwell?" he asked and Phoebe nodded. "As your sister probably told you, I am one of the legal prosecutors of the court." he took out a file and handed it to Phoebe. "I have to talk to you about this."

Phoebe looked dumfounded when she saw what the file contained. "My divorce papers?" she asked. "I'm afraid I don't understand..."

"Let me explain." the man said politely. "To go through with a divorce, both parties have to sign the divorce papers and to present themselves no longer than one month after signing them in the court of law to conclude a divorce with their lawyers. Mr. Turner and yourself never appeared at the court after signing the papers, Miss Halliwell."

Phoebe felt her heart skip a beat. She could feel that whatever the man was about to say to her, it was going to affect her life a lot. "So what are you saying?"

"You have never officially divorced Cole Turner." the man said and Phoebe gasped. She leaned against the wall and closed her eyes, breathing heavily.

"Okay, come on... Come on, sit down, it's okay." Piper led Phoebe to the sofa.

"But how is that possible?" Phoebe whispered. "Piper, I had that marriage behind me, I can't do this again..."

"It's different now honey, it's okay." Piper said slowly. "Cole isn't gonna hurt you this time, we are sure of that, and I do believe he'll divorce you again if you just explain the situation to him."

"So, you are still married to your ex husband?" Jason asked, obviously as confused as Phoebe was.

"Jason, I swear I didn't know." Phoebe said quickly.

"It's okay, I understand. Do you have any idea where he lives now, can you contact him? You have to divorce him all over again now, don't you?"

"I don't think finding Cole is gonna be a problem." Piper said and gave him a don't-ask look.

"So, you are completely sure that you want to follow through this divorce?" the man asked after having given Phoebe enough time to grasp the fact that she is still married.

Phoebe looked away but her voice sounded firm and decided. "Absolutely. I just have to talk to... my husband." she said and left the room as quick as she could.

P

"We are what?!?" Cole dropped the papers he was holding in his hands.

"We're still married apparently which is why I need you to come over as soon as possible." Phoebe said, clutching her cell phone in her hand.

"Well I'm in the middle of the meeting now, is half an hour okay with you?" Cole asked, feeling his heart racing in his chest.

"Uh yeah, sure." Phoebe said quietly. "I'll see you then. Bye."

"Bye." Cole replied and hung up the phone. He gave it an odd look, halfway expecting for the handset to start laughing and say it was a joke. Since it didn't, he just shrugged. He knew better than to get his hopes up too high for something that isn't even certain. He wouldn't allow himself to feel fear, hope or relief before he talked to Phoebe. He just prayed that the meeting would be over as soon as possible. He had to go to the Manor. He has to realize what was going on.

P

"Okay, please tell me you didn't know about this." Phoebe rushed towards Cole as soon as he entered the Manor.

"About what? You didn't even tell me what is going on." Cole replied as they walked into the living room.

"Apparently, after signing the divorce papers, the former couple has to present themselves with their lawyers at the judge who deals with those cases and officially confirm their divorce." Phoebe said while handing Cole their divorce papers. She gave the nervous look to Piper who was standing by the grandfather's clock. "Seeing how you're an attorney, I'm kinda surprised you didn't know about that."

Cole raised his eyebrows. "Please don't start with that again, Phoebe." he said slowly. "I've never dealt with any of the cases of the citizens' court, especially not divorces. I've only learnt that stuff in college which was over a century ago and to be honest, I really don't remember."

Piper gave Phoebe a slight nod and retreated to the salon which was the quickest way out of the living room.

Phoebe looked at Cole apologetically. "I'm sorry, I was just so relieved to put all that behind me. That marriage was one of those things that I couldn't wait to get off my back, to feel free and now it turns out I'm still in it."

Cole sighed. He felt his heart sink as he looked down at the divorce papers in his hands. "We'll do this." he said. "I can re-schedule all my meetings and we can go the first thing in the morning."

"Thank you." Phoebe said, approaching him only to take the papers back. She suddenly backed out as if he was going to burn her.

Cole slipped her a small smile, though Phoebe could tell with just one look that he didn't mean it at all. "I have to go, okay? I'll see you in the morning. Do you want me to pick you up or to meet me there?"

"I'll meet you there." Phoebe replied slowly, guilt written all over her face. She knew that divorce caused him even more pain than it did her and her saying that it was their marriage that was keeping her from feeling free didn't help much, either. "Do you really think lawyers are necessary?" she asked. "I mean, I'm not gonna speak to you through my lawyer or anything, we're not at war."

Cole nodded. "I'm glad you feel that way. I think it will be easier for us both without extra parties involved."

Phoebe nodded and looked at him slowly. "Do you want to do this, Cole?" she asked, already knowing the answer.

Cole looked away. "This isn't just about me, Phoebe." he said and walked out, leaving her wrecked with guilt.

P

"Hey." Phoebe greeted Cole in polite voice the following morning. She was hoping she was dressed formal enough because she actually had to change outfit three times, thinking of what the citizens' court judge would like best.

"Hey, you look great." Cole said honestly. "Oh and don't take this the wrong way, I just said that to ensure you that all the changing outfit thing was worth it."

Phoebe gave him a suspicious look. "How'd you know about that?"

Cole smiled. "Like it or not, I am still your husband and I still know you like the palm of my hand."

Phoebe looked around. "Cole, if you don't wanna do this, we can just..."

Cole raised a hand to make her stop talking. "I am not keeping you trapped in this marriage. There is nothing between us anymore, Phoebe. What kind of marriage would that be for us?"

"I don't wanna hurt you." Phoebe said quietly.

"It's not you, Phoebe, it's me. It is I who hurt you first." Cole said honestly. "You know that I still love you with all my heart. I always will. But just as you said, it is over between us."

Phoebe gently reached up and touched his cheek. He leaned into her touch slowly, it felt so natural that he didn't even give himself time to think about it. She touched his lips with her fingers and then traced them down his jaw. She slipped him a small smile which he returned.

"Mr. and Mrs. Turner?" a man asked as he approached them. He was wearing a suit, his blonde hair was neatly combed and he was carrying quite a lot of papers in his hands. "My name is Tom, I am assigned to lead your case of divorce. Would you follow me to the office please?" he asked and smiled at them, more at Phoebe than at Cole.

"Yes of course." Cole replied and eyes the guy as soon as he turned his back on them. He didn't want to distract Phoebe at that moment but he really didn't like Tom. He wasn't sure if he was sensing something about him or if it was just the way that guy smiled at Phoebe. Either way, he knew they had more pressing issues to deal with at the present moment so he decided not to push it.

"Please, have a seat." Tom said as soon as he closed the door of his office and sat in the big leather chair behind the desk. "So... You are Phoebe Halliwell and Cole Turner, is that correct?" he asked.

"Yes, that's correct." Phoebe briefly replied and the guy flashed a smile at her again. Phoebe squeezed Cole's hand under the table and Cole let out a sigh of relief. He knew that she, too, didn't like the signals that man was sending her.

"So you have signed for divorce seven months ago but have never divorced since you have never presented yourselves at the court of law?"

"Yes." Cole replied. He hated guys like Tom. They were giving lawyers a bad name. It wasn't just about interrogating people or smiling at their wives, it was about actually trying to understand them and keeping them as entertained as possible.

"Okay..." Tom made a note at one of the papers. "So, what is the official cause of your divorce?"

"Uh..." Phoebe looked at Cole. That was a tough question there. "We just..."

"Did you not love each other, was it an abusive marriage..." Tom started guessing.

"No!" Phoebe said in a surprised tone. She couldn't possibly imagine Cole doing anything to her against her will. It sounded so wrong, even if it was just a guess. "We loved each other, we really did. It just... It couldn't work out. We were too different."

"Different? How different?" Tom asked, unable to hide his curiosity.

"Does it matter?" Cole cut in sharply. He may not have been too familiar with the citizens' court but he knew that a question like that wasn't the one somebody should be asking.

Tom grinned broadly, looking at Cole as if she had just noticed he were there. "No, of course not." he replied silkily and got back to his papers.

"Mrs. Turner, is there a possibility that you are pregnant? Because in that case, the law cannot conclude the divorce until the child is born and until the custody is decided." Tom said.

"No, of course not. We were separated over seven months thinking we were divorced." Phoebe replied.

"In here it says that you have confirmed to being pregnant when you presented yourself at the local police station in San Francisco to report the disappearance of Mr. Turner." Tom said and gave them both a curious look.

"Yes, that was a big misunderstanding. Cole wasn't missing, we just thought he was at the time. I'd rather not get into details." Phoebe said and winked at Cole as soon as Tom looked away. Cole smiled at her.

"Of course. But what happened to the baby?" Tom asked.

"I lost it." Phoebe replied in a shaky voice and felt Cole taking her hand in his again under the desk. She inhaled deeply and calmed down slightly.

"I'm sorry about that." Tom said as tried taking her hand that was on the desk but Phoebe quickly pulled it back. Cole beamed at her silently but she could feel it and smiled.

"Please, proceed." Cole said and raised his eyebrows at Tom.

"Yes, let's see..." Tom cast his eyes back to the papers again. "Are you completely sure you both want to do this?" he asked and eyed them slowly.

Cole and Phoebe exchanged a look only they could understand. They were both having second thoughts, each for their own reasons. "Can we get a minute, please?" Phoebe asked and Tom nodded and left the room pretty unwillingly.

Cole and Phoebe both stood up. "Sorry, I just had to ask him to leave for a minute. I don't like him." Phoebe said honestly.

"I don't either." Cole said. "Although we might not feel that way, you are still my wife and it's pretty shameless of him to flirt with you while we're still married."

"Yes but I'm sending him such clear signals that I'm not interested that I cannot believe he doesn't get it." Phoebe said and leaned against the wall.

"Oh he does get it, believe me. He's just acting like he doesn't. Either that or he thinks you are interested but don't wanna flirt in front of me."

Phoebe laughed. "That's ridiculous."

Cole smiled. "I know."

As soon as they both fell silent, they felt the big question lingering in the air. "Do we wanna do this, Cole?" Phoebe said it out loud first.

"I want to do this for you. You know that." Cole replied.

Phoebe closed her eyes. "I'm not even sure I wanna do this. I know it's stupid and I know this marriage would have no future because, as you said, there is nothing more between us but..."

Cole put his hand under her chin, looking into her eyes. "How about we just postpone this?" he asked. "That way, you would have more time to think. Now we are both too pressured to decide."

Phoebe smiled slightly. "Thank you."

Cole sighed. "Anything for you." He glanced at the door. "Brace yourself, I'm inviting the scumbag back in." he alerted her.

She chuckled slightly and sat back into her chair while Cole looked out the door and invited Tom back in.

"So what have you decided?" Tom asked cheerfully, laying his eyes on Phoebe.

"We've decided we'd like to postpone this for now." Phoebe replied, imitating his cheerful tone which only Cole noticed. He chuckled slightly and Phoebe nudged him under the table. "See, we're not really sure if we want to divorce or not. So sorry for wasting your time but we really need more time to think about this."

"Right, well..." Tom was certainly not pleased with the information. "I need to know your current residence and phone numbers."

"Is that really necessary?" Cole asked, hating the thought of Tom having Phoebe's address and number.

"Yes, Mr. Turner, it is." Tom replied, this time dropping the false cheerfulness.

"Fine." Phoebe replied and gave Cole a sign to be quiet and that she had a plan. "Here's the address - 1329 Prescott Street, San Francisco. I'll write down the phone number for you."

"And yours, Mr. Turner?" Tom asked while observing Phoebe closely.

"Oh, his is the same as mine." Phoebe cut in before Cole could say anything. Tom gave her a confused expression and she smirked. "We still live together. It's an old Victorian house so there's plenty room for everyone."

"Okay well, that's it then." Tom said. "I hope to see more from you soon." he smiled, obviously referring to Phoebe.

"I, on the other hand, hope not." Cole said in a low voice. "We might actually decide to stay together, you know..."

Phoebe slipped Cole a small, meaningful smile as they left Tom alone in his office. She immediately began laughing.

"I cannot believe you told him we live together." Cole whispered.

"I can't believe you told him we might stay together." Phoebe whispered back. laughing.

Cole grinned. "You want me to shimmer you home?" he offered.

Phoebe hiccoughed herself back to being serious. She remembered that, legally or not, this was still her ex husband and they weren't nearly as close as they appeared to be with Tom. Cole noticed her sudden change of attitude and felt his muscles tense. Whenever he got a little closer to her, she pulled away even further than she was before.

"No, thanks." Phoebe replied as casually as possible. "I drove here so I gotta drive the car back anyway."

"Ok well then..." Cole sighed.

"I'll see you later." Phoebe said uncomfortably.

"You'll see me tonight." Cole replied.

Phoebe frowned slightly. "Come again?" she asked, not believing he was actually asking her out.

"The training, remember?" Cole raised his eyebrows.

"Oh yeah..." Phoebe remembered and gave herself a mental kick. She felt so stupid for thinking he was actually going to ask her out. He knew it was over. So did she.

"So I'll... see you then." Cole said and walked down the hall and out of her sight without another word.