Eternal Flame
epilogue (2)
the following day, the Halliwell manor, night "What? What is it?" Paige responded just as quickly, as she caught her sister's arms, abandoning the double layered-cake on the counter, as she let go of the can of remaining frosting in her hand. "What's wrong?"
"There is a big mess in the foyer, and somebody needs to clean it up before Andy and Prue get here."
"Where's Prue?"
"She's at the police station. Trying to get Andy his job back. And so help me, if this house is a wreck when they arrive...."
"Is the banner up?"
"Paige, I am not worried about a banner, when my kids, and...your kids have spilled snacks and play-doh on the floor."
"Um...last time I checked, I didn't have any kids," Paige mumbled, giving her an odd look. "Are you sure you're okay?"
"I'll handle it," Cole assured them, as his gorgeous complexion offered a smirk, an eyebrow raised out of perplexity. A dish towel already lazily draped across his bulky gray sweater, he rapidly made his way to the front of the house, immediately forgetting the plates he held in each hand, as he set them abruptly on a small table filled with an assortment of wild flowers, careful not to let them spill. His eyes caught the children spread out near the doorway, coloring books and crayons scattered, while a pile of mush sat in the very middle, taking up useless space, the colors blending together to form something of uneatable proportions. His smile widened, as he got down on his knees, surveying the damage with a soft laugh. "I hate to break it you guys, but this isn't exactly the key to getting along with one another. And Piper is going to have one massive attack in the kitchen if I don't get you all of out of here, pronto."
"Aunt Phoebe was supposed to be watching them," Melinda remarked, as she leaned her tiny frame lazily across the wall, crossing one leg over the other, as her hands went across her chest.
He looked up. "Where's Aunt Phoebe now?"
She shrugged. "It's been really crazy around here since we all got back, you know?"
"Melinda, where's Phoebe?" he asked again, worry nearly threatening to cover his tired profile, as he drew a hand to the back of his neck, tilting his head back to stretch it.
"Like I said, beats me if I know. But hey, is Uncle Andy's cake gonna be chocolate? Because I want some of it if it is."
"There isn't going to be any cake, if we don't get some order around this place," he whispered. "Think you can help me out here?"
She sighed in her little girl way, as if she were entirely fed up by the example her little sister had been trying to set, and had failed miserably. Frowning, she glanced briefly at Abby and Ben Jr. who had some of the doh stuck to their faces, as a pile of cookie crumbs dangled from it, their expressions eager and filled with laughter the minute Cole began to lift them into his strong grasp.
"I'll be back for her in a second. See what you can make of their little party there, would you?"
"Do I get money for babysitting?" Melinda asked curiously, as her Uncle turned around, giving her a solid gaze.
"Not unless you're over eighteen," he sided, heading up the stairs.
"Bummer," she mouthed, as she slowly bent down to the ground, making a face, as she reached for what was left of the doh, reluctantly scooping handfuls into her hands. "You know, Mom says I can teach you stuff. But you made a big mess here, and I don't know if you'll listen anymore."
Elizabeth Wyatt offered her older sister a wide stare as she threw her hands up in a gleeful gesture, giggling wildly.
"You really have no idea what you've done, do you?" Melinda concluded, shaking her head. "Bet I was never this much trouble as a baby."
A loud knock sounded at the door, and she jumped a few inches, picking herself up rather hesitantly, as she peeked her head into the kitchen. Paige was pulling trays out of the refridgerator, setting them neatly near the sink, while Piper struggled to reach into the cabinet a few feet away, having quite the dilemma with a stack of large plates. Taking a deep breath, she moved closer to the door, her hand starting to pull the knob. The figure on the other side drew her in with a profound familiarity, as he stamped out his cigarette on the doorstep, quickly throwing his hands into the pockets of his jeans, as he threw the small girl a hopeful smile. "Is your...Aunt Paige around by any chance?"
"Oh. It's just you," she mumbled, getting ready to slam the door right in his face, as she srunched up her nose. "What do you want?"
"I'd...like to talk to Paige," Nick Merrick repeated, his embarassment subsiding a bit, as the crimson hue faded from his features.
"You know, you shouldn't be smoking out there. Mom says it's bad, and my little sister is right in the same room."
"I was outside," he protested weakly, as he stepped into the manor, the door shutting tightly behind him.
"That doesn't count. My mom would still say it's bad."
"Is Paige around?" he persisted.
"Mmm hmm, she's getting stuff ready. Maybe you should come back another time," she suggested hopefully.
"I really have to talk to her. Have a lot to...get off my chest." He considered it a moment, eyeing her up suspiciously. "So how come I wasn't invited?"
"Maybe because she doesn't like you?" the petite girl told him, spilling a fine dose of sarcasm into her words. "And by the way, you've now got play-doh stuck on the bottom of your boot, Mr. Merrick."
"Excuse me?" he countered.
"Lin, honey, haven't I told you not to let strangers into the house on more than one occasion?"
"It's Nick, Mom. He wants to see Paige."
"Do you know a Nick?!" Piper called back into the kitchen a little too loudly- much to Paige's dismay, when her sister offered a tight groan, placing the last of the trays down, wiping her hands on a dish towel.
"See?" Melinda confirmed. "Told you she doesn't like you."
"You here for the party?" Piper continued, eyeing him up rather suspiciously yet, as she moved a few steps around him.
"Piper, I presume?"
"Halliwell-Wyatt, yeah, that's me. How do you know-"
"You have a very beautiful home," he murmured, gesturing with a calm hand, as he offered her a warm smile.
"Okay, buddy, what's your story?"
"I know your sister, and....your daughter," he explained. "From Egypt? I was the one who collected Chloe's soul?" He paused a moment. "Look, if it's any consolation, I also have to speak with Mr. Turner. And if I know you guys, I know he's gotta be here too. It's rather urgent."
"Oh," Paige scoffed from the kitchen. "I should have known I wasn't the only reason you came by. Hell, I'm not even the half of it, Nick."
"Now you know that's not what I meant!" he insisted, calling back to her, his face turning the slightest shade of crimson. "You're irresistible, you know that."
"And crush is right," Piper offered, grinning in his direction, an amused expression plastered on her face.
"You're getting too big of a kick out of this, aren't you?" he mused, rolling his eyes.
"No. I actually...I actually think it's kind of cute," she returned, still smiling.
"Paige and the soulman," he drawled. "Ha ha. Very funny."
"No, it is. Harmless, but cute," she repeated.
"Care to come and save me from a terrible and devastating fate?!" he pleaded.
"I'll be with you in a second!" Paige confirmed, her voice touching upon the slightest hint of further annoyance.
"How about if I just meet you in the kitchen?"
"No. No, just stay there!" she assured him. "I'll be out shortly."
"She wants me," he whispered, his blush deepening. "I can tell."
"Um...I wouldn't count on it," Piper quipped, throwing him another look, before she headed away, her attention span becoming preoccupied once again, as she reluctantly scooped up her youngest daughter into her arms, groaning at the mess she'd managed to accomplish, her gaze offering a frown. "Okay, where is Cole? Somebody should tell him he forgot one!"
Melinda just giggled, offering Nick a spot on the sofa in the family room, as she darted after her mom with a profound sense of curiousity, her socks collecting mindless dirt upon the floorboards.
few minutes later
"Okay, I need a cleanup on aisle two, and it isn't pretty!" Cole Turner called out, as he carefully brought the twins into the empty bathroom, setting them gently near the sink on the cleared countertop, quickly reaching over to turn on the faucet, as he grabbed for a washcloth. "You guys have really gotten yourself into some big trouble today, you know that? Can't exactly say that makes your dad all too pleased." He sighed, calmly dabbing the wet cloth against Abby's chin, as he moved to her hands, the little girl simply staring up at him while he worked, a quiet smile slanted across her tiny lips. "You think this is funny, do you?" he whispered, as he laughed softly, going over to his son, who was just as much to blame, his shirt coated with globs of food.
"Daddy's fun-ny," Abby sounded out, as she clapped her clean hands together happily. "Daddy's funny."
"Daddy," Ben echoed, grinning. "Fun-ny."
"Alright, that's enough. I won't tell your mom, if you won't. Deal?"
"Tell their mom....what, exactly?" came a quiet voice tainted with suspicion, as Phoebe peeked her head around the corner, her lips somewhat offering the briefest hint of amusement.
"Where've you been?" he returned.
"I was on the phone with Prue. Strangely enough, Andy hasn't gone into shock yet."
"Yeah, well that makes two of us."
"Okay, what did you do?" she reasoned, lifting an eyebrow, as she offered him a thoughtful expression.
"So naturally you now assume it's suddenly something I did."
"Naturally," she mimicked, grinning.
"I'll have you know, Miss Halliwell, that I am perfectly capable of tending to their needs."
"But you're not perfectly capable of watching them, is that it?"
"Piper's kid was in on it too," he protested.
"That teeny tiny little girl down there? Hardly. She was an accessory to the mischief that these two started on her behalf. Trust me, I would know. If only for the fact that both of them take after their father."
"Good one," he mused, shooting her a playful smile.
"Yeah, I sure thought so," she concluded, sighing, as she gazed at him with soft eyes.
"And how is- I mean...is she doing okay?"
"Cole, it's not you."
"Phoebe, she still thinks this was my fault. You may not think so, and I may not think so, but deep down inside, she's struggling. And I-" He stopped a moment, studying her long and hard. "And I wish to God I could do something to make it all go away."
"She still loves you," she insisted. "That could never change in a million years. Take my word for it. I know these things."
"Yes, and your love almost slammed my hand shut in the door," he reasoned, pursing his lips.
"Speaking of...how are those hands of yours? Feeling a bit better?"
He inspected the gauze that still hung upon both of them, shrugging. "Nothing that I can't handle."
"So you want to tell me why she opted not to come to the party tonight, if she still loves me?"
"Cole..."
"Dammit, Phoebe, it hurts. I try not to let it, but it still hurts. She's the one thing that always allowed me to see. To really...see that there's much more to life than wallowing in my own damn despair."
"She'll come around."
"She's at my father's," he murmured. "She'd rather spend time with her grandfather, than me. And okay. So maybe I overreact. Maybe I shouldn't be as bent up as I am over this-"
"It's tough to be a Halliwell woman," she offered, shooting him a quiet glance.
"Technically, she's a Turner. Halliwell's in her blood, but she's of my line too."
"And that automatically qualifies to give her that notable Turner stubbornness," Phoebe commented slyly, laughing.
"I'll have you know I object to that entirely," he whispered.
"But you look so entirely gorgeous when you're thinking so hard."
"Is that right?"
"You're too modest, you know that?"
"I'm sorry?"
"You're worth more than you give yourself credit for," she murmured.
"Try telling that to Ally," he countered, a frown crossing his handsome visage. "She still thinks her dad is a bad hero."
"But there's no such things as bad heroes," Phoebe pointed out. "She knows that, Cole. The only hero you've ever been to her, is the hero you've been to me, if not more so."
"Is that a funny way of telling me I'm your knight?" he responded, raising an amused eyebrow at her. "Is there any shining armor in that picture by any chance?
"Mmm...maybe," she whispered. "Either way, I expect to find that out much later."
"Do you now?"
"I really do."
"You drive me crazy," he whispered back, a beautiful smile falling across his features then, as he gently scooped up the kids into his arms again, moving towards the door. "But I love you for it."
"I know you do," she concluded, like it was the most obvious bit of information to stem from their encounter, lightly scrunching up her nose, as he bent down to give her a soft kiss, his lips brushing against hers with tremendous care, as she began to follow him downstairs.
"You know what's worse than cleaning up a messy child?" Piper demanded, as she met them at the foot, a crying Elizabeth in her grasp, as she struggled to keep her grip on her, rolling her eyes. "A messy child that should have been cleaned up by her uncle, instead."
"I had my hands full," Cole quipped.
"Oh, I'm sure you did. Where's Prue?"
"According to what she told me on the phone, she should be arriving any minute now," Phoebe noted. "Hey, is that Nick Merrick I see making himself comfortable on your couch right now, or did I blink?"
"No, that's him alright," Piper muttered, glaring at the figure who now sat opposite Paige Matthews, his gaze focused completely on the focal point in front of him, laughing occasionally, as Paige mouthed something to him, his hand nervously scraping the material of his jeans, as he bent even closer to her to get an even better view. "The whole darn package."
As soon as the kids were on the ground and running wild again, Cole stood up to face the other man, his eyes narrowing with the faintest trace of doubt, as he crossed his arms over his chest, entering the room with some caution in his step as he reached the two of them, clearing his throat rather loudly, as he shifted a cold gaze at Merrick. "Nice of you to make yourself at home, Nick."
"Turner, how are you doing, man? Nice to see you again." He grinned briefly at Paige. "And you're right. This could just be my home in a few years...I mean, if I'm lucky."
"Don't bet your life on it," Paige returned through clenched teeth, but managed to return the smile.
"And if I know you, you love to mix business with pleasure. So if...Paige is the pleasure, where's the business?" Cole prompted.
"You're good, Turner. Really good. I see you manage the future, just as well as you manage the past."
"Outside. Now."
"You're giving me orders on my own turf?"
"Merrick, you don't have a turf. A speck of an existence, maybe, but no turf."
"So what do you think? Have we got a shot?" he asked then, turning to Paige, as The Charmed One nearly felt her eyes bulge out of her head, as she turned the same color red he'd been only moments earlier.
"We'll....we'll see," she managed as best she could, all too aware of the eyes that surrounded her. "It's a very strong maybe."
"Glad to hear it."
"But you've gotta give up the smoking first," she reasoned, bestowing upon her a rather serious expression. "I mean it."
"And you really do dig me, don't you?"
"I think I'm going to be sick," Cole muttered, as he gestured toward the door. "I haven't got all night."
"No, that would mean you'd have no time to please Mrs. Turner just right, would it?"
"It's all in a day's work," Paige quipped.
"What's also in a day's work, is that firm I was telling you about before," Nick mused, chuckling softly. "In fact, they're so wrought on getting their vengeance for Celia's death now, that you may just have a new enemy on your hands."
"What are you talking about?" Phoebe spoke up, her gaze drifting immediately to Cole, as it filtered back to Nick, her face a complete mask of surprise. "What firm? What is he talking about?"
"It's interesting, really. I mean, you do a good thing, they do a bad thing. At this rate, we could almost bump heads with them a little too soon down the road- if you know that I mean. But hey. You didn't hear any of this from me, did you?"
"No. I heard it exactly from you," Cole stated, his mouth drawn in a tight line. "What do you know?"
"It's complicated. They're still out there, and they want your blood."
"And he sure knows how to spoil a good evening," Piper added, frowning at him, as she threw up her hands. "You're not being a very good guest, Nick, and as of now, I have half a mind to freeze you solid for it."
"I'm not taking you for an idiot," Nick confirmed, ignoring her, as he looked directly at the former half demon instead. "And with me on your side, you stand less of a chance of butting horns with them."
"I traded in my so called horns a long time ago, but thank you for your concern," Cole drawled.
"Does this mean you can keep them under control?" Paige asked him, among those who remained strangely confused.
"They don't do their bidding on behalf of the Source, so I'd say it's a strong possibility you can have their world come crashing down on them."
"What do they want with- why me?" he whispered. "What have I got that they need so badly?"
"It's not what. It's how. Remember when they asked you to work there in an official capacity? There was more to it than meets the eye."
"And it's ridiculous," he muttered.
"Look, they will try to smother you, and they will try to win. They may try and bury you headfirst into the damn ground. They'll try to take everything you have, if you let them. Trust me, I know."
"So how do we fight it?" Phoebe pressed. "I mean, given our knowledge, there has to be some way around it, right?"
"It's not important," he muttered. "They're at bay for now. They don't desire their blood quota just yet. But they will. You took away one of their most prized possessions."
"Oh, Celia's hardly what I'd call a prize," she noted, rolling her eyes. "Much less any kind of possession."
"She was of great value to them, as they did form that alliance. She made a deal in the very blood they later want to spill."
"So what you're asking me, is if I'm game?" Cole sided. "I mean...that is the whole solution to your problem, right? Throw me in there and let me have a crack at them?"
"Perhaps your real stength remains to be tested, in a different way," Nick managed, shrugging, as he saw the door creak open out of the corner of his eye, two figures entering with friendly conversation, their voices cheerful and full of warmth.
"Well, it's about time!" Phoebe called out, as Piper laughed, catching sight of her older sister.
"Prue's been trying to fill me in on as much as possible, but I can tell it's going to take longer than a few days," Andy commented, trying to take in his welcoming committee as best he could, his composure still not up to its full strength yet.
"You're one hell of a trooper, Trudeau," Darryl Morris rang out, as he entered behind them, calmly shoving his police radio into a belt loop, slowly clapping his hands together. "Heard there was food, and boy am I starving."
"Haven't changed one bit, Morris, have you?" he concluded.
"Nope."
"Think I might like working those unsolved cases again with you. Only this time I think they'll be a little easier to solve and pretty much already to our advantage."
Prue smiled. "No pressure."
"None taken. I just...I guess it's still new. And where we left off...."
"Don't worry about that for now," she whispered. "Just try and make yourself at home."
"Can't be that hard, considering I don't have a home of my own to go to anymore," he responded, nodding. "Phoebe....Piper, and-" His eyes hesitated on Cole a moment, not sure what to make of him. His eyes narrowed only slightly, as he felt a strong hand clasp into his.
"Cole Turner," he offered. "Phoebe's-"
"My man," Phoebe finished, completely glowing, as she gave Cole a soft pat on his chest.
"Husband," Cole intervened, grabbing her playfully around the waist.
"Never pegged you as the marrying kind," Andy sided, smiling.
"Yeah, well, things change."
He nodded. "Tell me about it."
"And there is lots to tell," Prue told him, still holding her smile. "And with time, we might be able to cover all of it."
"Time," he murmured. "I used to think we lost so much time before. I mean...you and me. It was always kind of an afterthought, but something that never...well...."
"I died too," she breathed, his surprise overwhelming, as he continued to glance at her with such astonishment, his eyes never desiring to leave her face. "I...I mean it was in battle, but I was brought back." She paused a moment. "For a second chance. So were you."
"I'm honestly trying to get that," he assured her. "I'm still not quite following though."
"It's all ready," Leo interrupted, as he indicated a thumb towards the kitchen. "Just need some help getting it out to the-"
"You always need help," Piper muttered, as she excused herself, yanking him away by a tug of the hand, as she urged the rest of them to follow her. "There's plenty for everyone, so eat up."
"Which also means possible leftovers for the ride home," Phoebe remarked casually. "Saves me cooking, at least."
"I thought we already established the fact I do most of the cooking," Cole slyly teased her, as he slug an arm around her shoulders, the blue shining through in his eyes.
"But you know what? Take-out is even better."
"Mmm, I thought you might say that." Still, he couldn't help glancing at Nick out of the corner of his eye, as he watched him let an arm fall around Paige's waist, falling right into step beside her, as they made their way out to the other room. A part of him knew it wasn't over yet, but he strangely enough took a great comfort that his choices had managed to spring two innocents loose from their deaths, providing them with a second chance at life, and with each other. It was all too familiar to him. The danger would never pass, but he still had the woman he loved. He wasn't a pile of ashes, and she hadn't vanquished him for her take of perceived thoughtlessness on his part. He was still very much alive, and her love had kept him there. It wasn't like what Piper and Leo had, or even what Prue and Andy were to work on rebuilding with time gone by. It was a special love that transcended all he'd ever known, giving him three beautiful children and a beautiful affection for the woman who had helped him welcome those children into the world. He respected her with all his heart, and all he could ever give her was his heart. He was a broken man who had taken the good over the bad each time, striving to make himself into something he was comfortable with, never failing to doubt himself from time to time.
Turner residence, night Phoebe Halliwell stood behind him, as he helped her shrug out of her coat, grinning from ear to ear, as she turned around to brush his cheek with her lips. "Even now, you still enjoy insulting her to death."
"I'm just saying...."
"You're just saying," she noted, holding her smile.
"It was odd seeing her with someone she supposedly cared so much about- and look...this is serious okay. I'm genuinely happy for her and her...bringing herself back to life, courtesy of the Elders."
"You do know she and Paige are going to be quite the handful for you, don't know?"
"Mmmm....I thought about it." He took her close, lightly trailing a series of kiss down her neck, as he pulled himself out of his own coat. "Which is why you need to start talking dirty to me, so I can brush up on my insults."
"You two have a good time?" Benjamin asked, as he sauntered up to them, the tv remote clothed in his hands, a smile working its way onto his face.
"Was she any trouble, Dad?"
"She was surprisingly well behaved," he murmured. "Seemed a little sad, but other than that, she wasn't a problem at all."
"Is she asleep?"
"No," he mused. "Homework. The new teacher she's got must really be something. She's been at it the entire time."
"And first grade will never be the same," Cole sided, raising his eyebrows, as he offered a short laugh.
"Now's your chance," Phoebe told him. "Get up there and talk to her."
"Phoebe..."
"No, I mean it. Go. Despite what she says, I know she'll be happy to see you."
"Oh, you mean, as opposed to giving me the silent treatment under normal circumstances?"
"Now whose being the child?"
"It's bad enough my wife kicked me out- I don't need my daughter to do the same."
"Do you think Paige will do okay with the twins?"
"We needed the break," he assured her, as he began to climb the stairs.
The little girl's room was still brightly lit, her small form laying peacefully upon the matress, a long pencil enclosed in her petite hand, as her breathing echoed in short sighs, notebook full of numbers scrawled across the fine paper, a textbook opened to her right. She turned over with the faintest movement, as she fell over onto her stomach, the object falling from her grasp and landing flawlessly onto the carpeting below without so much as a single sound.
He hesitated a moment, before he entered, carefully kneeling down to the floor, as he gently picked up the fallen utensil, laying it just as quietly onto her nightstand table, his fingers closing the sheets of paper, as he positioned it atop her alarm clock, taking the book right along with it.
She opened one of her eyes, catching him in a blurred speck of vision, as she let the other find him with an even greater curiosity. She didn't speak at first, her expression unreadable, as her lips parted ever so slightly. "Daddy?"
"Hi," he whispered. "Didn't mean to wake you."
"You didn't," she insisted. "I was still awake."
He laughed. "Your eyes looked pretty closed to me."
"Did they?"
"Yep. And you were even snoring."
She crinkled up her nose. "I don't snore."
"Your grandpa said you were pretty busy while we were gone. Anything I can help with?"
"We're just writing stories," she concluded. "Stuff that isn't true. We have a book to kind of show us how. Sentences..." she trailed off, as she let out a brief yawn.
"Sounds like fun," he managed, his heart still breaking for her.
"Not really. Catrina's was way better than the first one I wrote. Mine sucked. I got mad and told her her mom probably helped her. She always thinks she knows so much."
"Catrina is just trying to get on your nerves," he explained. "Maybe her parents will get smart and finally let her into a college soon, hmm?"
"I still miss Miss Franklin though, Daddy." She looked at him with a saddened complexion. "Is that a bad thing?"
"No," he whispered. "It's never a bad thing to miss someone who's gone."
"I really liked her. She always helped me at school and she was kind of funny."
"And you have no one to blame for her death," he told her, her face cloaked in a mask of seriousness. "No one, Ally. She knew it was her time, and nothing could change that. Not even the strongest amount of love...or...or even hope."
"Do you think she went to heaven?"
"Even better. I think she went to a place that will take really great care of her."
"The place Aunt Prue went," she whispered back.
"Yes. The place where Aunt Prue went."
"I'm glad you didn't die, Daddy," she continued on an impulse, her eyes growing wide. "I'm glad you're still here. I couldn't say it before, but now I can. I would have missed you even more than Miss Franklin."
"Ally, I'm not going anywhere, trust me. I'd never go away on you."
"That's good. Because I finally figured it out."
"What's that?"
"There are no such things as bad heroes, because the good heroes make sure they don't exist."
"Sweetie-"
"No, I mean it. You are a good hero, Daddy. You always have been."
"Thank you," he breathed, as he felt a tear softly trickle down his cheek, gathering both of her hands in his, as he gave them a gentle squeeze. "You know how much I love you, right?"
She nodded. "Even more than magic itself."
"Did your mother tell you to say that?" he questioned then, shooting her a grin.
"Maybe."
"How about you get into your pj's and call it a night?"
She sighed. "Okay."
"And Ally?"
"Yes, Daddy?"
"You're really not mad at me anymore?"
She smiled. "I can't stay mad at you. You always make me laugh. Like I told you before- I already know I have the greatest dad on the planet."
"The greatest magical dad on the planet," he corrected, returning the smile.
"Are you gonna come back and say my prayers with me?"
"I've never forgotten, have I?" He turned back with a smile.
"I'm going to say a prayer for Miss Franklin then. I'm going to hope she's safe."
He held his smile. "I think she'll like that very much."
twenty minutes later Cole Turner smiled, his entire face lighting up, as he let his blues wander over his wife with a gentle care, slowly nodding. "Mmm...once or twice."
She shuddered, as his hand traced along the full length of her body, his touch calm against her completely bare skin, as he casually lay above her, entirely relaxed, their bare flesh coinciding in a deep filled warmth that left her breathless. She lightly fingered his bruised face, planting a soft kiss upon them, as she sighed rather intently. "I missed this."
"I missed you," he told her softly, his hands falling into her hair, as he gingerly pressed his lips to hers, his stubble ever so faintly brushing her cheek.
"We should have more moments like this."
"Oh?" He faked surprise, a hand going to his bare chest as he raised two curious eyebrows at her. "You mean to tell me it's not simply an excuse to see me without any clothes on, Mrs. Turner?"
"Well, you know how I can never complain there," she sided, smiling. "You always look absolutely wonderful without them."
"You think so, do you?"
"Oh, I know so, Mr. Turner."
He was silent for a moment then, his gaze holding hers once more, his features dipping into a soft frown, as he cleared his throat, a hand perched itself directly above her waistline, as he felt her shiver somewhat unnoticeably beneath him.
"What is it? What's wrong?" she murmured.
"I really felt sorry for her. I mean, after all the anger wore off, I was deeply distraught that her life ended so badly. And already, they're hell bent on revenge. How is that possible? She was evil, Phoebe. There was no good that even remotely possessed her."
"Who?" she whispered.
"Celia. She was a lost soul...even as far back as her day. She hadn't allowed herself to feel love. She'd cut herself off."
"Maybe not. Maybe it was just never in her to begin with."
"But that's not possible, is it? I mean, look at me."
"Yes," she drawled plainly, her face brightening. "Look at you."
"I'm serious."
"I know, and you are one of the rarities in this world that sought redemption and won it. All in the name of love."
"Yeah, and it's not going to end," he murmured. "The danger. It's only going to keep on coming."
"I know. And we'll keep on fighting."
"Mmm...we might just be helpless against it again."
She lightly kissed his forehead, as she felt him tickle her bare body, her eyes shutting tightly, as she giggled. "But you'll fight it. You say you won't, but inside your heart....you know you will."
"Phoebe...."
"No, Cole. You're strong. You can tell yourself otherwise, but it's only-"
"But I've already won in more ways than you know."
"How's that?"
"I won you, Phoebe. I won all of you. Hell, you'd still be the most beautiful treasure there was, if you'd brought me back in a full body cast from Ancient Egypt."
She laughed. "You really think I would have pummeled you back there if you tried to kiss me again?"
"You were upset, of course you would."
"And you're extremely stubborn, so I never doubted you'd try."
"You know me too well."
"That's definitely true."
"What do you say, we take just a little more time to ourselves tonight, hmm?"
"Afterall," she proclaimed, "we've definitely earned it."
"Now that I could never doubt."
"Come here," she whispered, as she gently pulled the covers over their heads, her remaining hand quickly flipping off the light.
"Okay. What is that?"
"What?" she asked innocently, as he felt a slight chill envelop his body- a cold substance washing over his chest.
"Phoebe..."
"I have no idea what you're talking about," she added, once again faking surprise.
"Alright, what did you do?"
"And you assume it's something I did?"
"So help me-"
"Didn't I tell you there'd be a little payback in the works?" she offered nonchalently, as she calmly giggled, staring up at him through the darkness.
"It's pumpkin," he murmured. "You just put pumpkin all over me."
"Precisely," she whispered, as he softly gathered her lips with his, returning the favor, as the orange soon spread onto her own body, her protest a muffled groan, as he laughed softly through the kisses.
The End
"Paige, do you have a towel?!" Piper Halliwell called out impatiently, her eyes darting to and fro as she raced into the kitchen, frantically searching through the drawers, her mouth having drawn itself into a worried line. "I need a towel, people!"
"Was it just me, or is it actually possible for Prue to care for a man she doesn't want to kill?"
"Did I ever tell you how much I love you?"