Chapter 26 – Lost.

That afternoon, as Steffi and Cole walked back to her building after lunch, Cole wordlessly stopped her in the middle of the street. Steffi laughed nervously.

"You can't just stop in the middle of New York, baby. It's a busy city! Come into Starbucks." She pulled him into the coffee house and ordered two cappuccinos. Cole went up and got them, before coming back to his seat.

"Okay, stopping you there was pretty dumb, I'll admit," he said with a grin. "But there's something I want to ask you."

"Oh yeah? Go for it sweetie," Steffi said as she sipped her coffee. "I haven't got long, but Tom will understand. After all, you leave in two days."

"That's what I wanted to talk about."

"Look, if you want to stay here I won't let you. People like you belong in San Francisco, not New York."

"Well then, come with me." Steffi put her coffee cup down with trembling hands.

"I-I can't leave… Phil…"

"Phil works idiotic hours, orders you around and doesn't love you as much as I do. You're the one who's been sneaking around behind his back to be with me, aren't you?"

"Don't guilt trip me, Cole, please. I just want to get back to work now, if you don't mind." She stood up, ready to go and stroked Cole's cheek. He looked up at her, his dark eyes filled with sadness, and Steffi realised how much he wanted this. "Look, I'll talk to you about it tonight okay? I just need a little time to think about all this…" She bent down and kissed the top of his head gently. "I love you."

"Then come back to San Francisco! We can be together there, we could make it work!"

"I know you think we could, and I want to believe you, but Charmz is in San Francisco. And where there's a Charmz, there's no way."

"She's in LA now – there's no one to stop us anymore! Please, Steffi," Cole bent down on one knee and took her hand. "Just come back with me. Let us be together… or at least try." Steffi's cheeks started to go pink.

"Cole, people are staring. I don't like people staring at me in Starbucks… can't we do this somewhere else?" She heard someone in the crowd say, 'Oh just go with him!' and began to wonder whether she should. A police siren cut through her thoughts, and she looked outside.

Phil was racing down Fifth Avenue, in hot pursuit of a jewel thief in a hijacked car. The suspect stopped his car near the Rockefeller Plaza, and began to run towards the centre. Phil swerved the car over and leapt out, running after the criminal. He was pretty easy to spot, and as they rounded a corner Phil was aware of gathering crowds of people. Outside a Starbucks, he lost the suspect and radioed for back up to find him. He nodded modestly as the people cheered and clapped, then stopped dead when he saw two people inside the Starbucks he knew. They were locked in a tight embrace, and the girl looked as if she was crying. He definitely knew those people – that was his fiancée and her supposed 'friend' Cole Turner.

"I didn't mean to make you cry… come on baby, cheer up for me," Cole said as he rocked Steffi slowly.

"Oh God… I just feel so awful," she sobbed. "After all Phil's done for me, I can't just up and leave him, can I?" Cole pulled back and looked at her a moment, before gently kissing her tears away.

"That was a bit of a tall order, wasn't it? Look, forget I said anything. You don't have to come with me…"

"And she damn well isn't going to!" Phil said from the entrance of the café.

"Phil? It's not what it looks like…" Steffi said, desperately trying to wipe away her tears.

"I know, Cammy. It's this guy here who has the problem!" Phil narrowed his eyes at Cole and before Cole could move, he ran at him and took him out, leaving him sprawled over a coffee table. Cole got up slowly, and punched Phil in the mouth. There was a small tinkling sound as two of his teeth came out.

"Stop it!! Cole, if you love me you'll leave him alone!" Steffi screamed, and ran over to Phil, who had fallen to the floor unconscious. She propped his head up carefully, and smoothed down his hair, gently kissing his forehead.

"Steffi… you don't love him! You don't, you told me so…"

"It's none of your business whether I love him or not, Cole," Steffi said quietly, smiling at Phil who had regained consciousness. "You okay, baby?"

"Did you sleep with him?"

"I-what?"

"Don't lie to me Carmella, for the love of God don't lie to me. Did you sleep with him?"

"Look, Phil, I-"

"That's a yes then, is it?"

"Maybe it is," Cole said aggressively. "And so what if we did sleep together? It just means she loves me more than she loves you, doesn't it?"

"Shut up Cole!" Steffi's voice was razor sharp. "Phil, I would never hurt you… tell me you know that."

"I know you wouldn't… but I also know that you did," Steffi looked down, and Phil tilted her chin to look at him. "And I love you so much that I'm willing to forgive you if you just answer my last question – why did he call you Steffi?"

"It was a pet name he had for me a long time ago… that's all."

A/N and Disclaimer: Me no own 'Charmed' :(

938 words… I only hope the word count makes up for the bloody awful title. I really am so, so sorry about it. All together now; 'IT'S SHIT!!!'