Faded Fragments
part 10
Marisa Schulman calmly jogged through the door that connected the adjoining rooms, failing to yield the ability to knock, as she took soft steps that quickly braced her lean frame against the sturdy wooden entryway, a bright smile plastered across her long face. Carefully pulling a strand of blonde hair out of her eyes, she blew out a deep breath, shutting her lids, as she came into contact with her friend, who sat idly picking away at a file with the poor excuse for a computer to her right, her legs perched casually upon the lengthy desk. "Pheebs, not to sound all giddy-high-school-overly-hormonal-chick on you, but there is a major hunk of a man waiting right outside your office, and he's insisting that he have a word or two with you. I nearly fell over when he walked through the lobby, and those blues are just to literally die for." She considered herself a moment when Phoebe Halliwell merely looked up at her with little to no change of interest, as she once again trained her gaze to the agenda in front of her. "You haven't by any chance put the goodbye kisses on Clay and snagged this honey on a permanent basis yet, have you? Because if that guy out there is still single, I am snagging him up like hot cakes."
Phoebe nearly laughed. "Last time I checked, Clay and I were pretty secure in...what....ever it is that we have. Which, speaking of, today I got dressed, took my shower, and thought- gee, I don't have nearly enough males in my life, so I think I'll snatch myself just one more."
"Oh." Marisa's expression fell as she slumped silently into the armchair to her left, her fingers tapping themselves listlessly against the cushioned material, slowly crossing her legs. A prolonged sigh escaped her lips, as she transformed her entire being into complete disappointment. "He sure is the epitome of tall, dark, and handsome...."
An eyebrow finally perked itself up. "Really?"
"Oh yeah. I think the temperature in the room just rose a few degrees."
"That kind of hot, hmm?"
"He didn't give me a name, but I think I've already got one picked out."
"Keep that up, and you'll be drooling on my office floor," she hissed, but managed a short grin. Her long brown hair was loosely pulled back and safely secured with none other than a single pencil to hold it in place, her big brown eyes widening past her monitor. "Did he say what it was about?"
"Well, if you insist on keeping him waiting, I'll be glad to tell him exactly what it was about."
"Marisa, that would get you fired, and you and I both know you value your work way too much here to let that happen."
She groaned, throwing her head back. "Yeah, and you always seem to have cause to be a real stick in the mud."
"Maybe that's because I just don't have the time for a new man in my life. With all due respect, I'm sure he's gorgeous to any woman who has eyes, but mine happen to be reserved for Clay, and only Clay. Okay?"
"Do you think he has kids? An ex-wife? I mean...I'm...just saying, because he is just one hell of a picture frame."
"Alright! Okay! I'm out, I'm out. Geez. One more minute, and you'll probably bring in flashcards to educate me on the anatomy of man."
"And wouldn't that be fun?" she argued. "I'd use those new colored pencils Gina bought me and we could have a real blast guessing what's what."
"So this is why they kicked you out of Kara's show and tell last Friday," Phoebe quipped, reasoning with herself, as she gently brushed past her friend, meeting her glance with a quick roll of the eyes. "Gee, silly me, I should have known."
"No." Marisa carefully shook her head, blonde curls swirling about. "I was trying to make out with her teacher. Which is hardly besides the point, because as it so happens, he was just getting over a major roadblock in his life that involved a not so pleasant breakup. I was simply trying to ease the pain for him."
"I'll bet you just were."
"I was. Besides, why else do you think they place such big closets in those classrooms?"
"You are unbelievable, you know that? Not to mention incredibly pathetic."
"Yeah, but I got up today, and I said, 'Marisa, you've been so overly generous to the male population in America these past few years, that God suddenly decided to do you a very nice favor, and bring that honey muffin out of hiding to play.' And being the upstanding citizen that I am, I fully accept those terms without any forthcoming objections."
"Well, if he's asking for me, it must be business related," she murmured. "Because unlike a certain someone here, I don't have a reputation that stands to overlap the professional realm."
"Of course. I mean, why else would any guy dare approach you when you're young and living the best years of your life?"
"Yeah, and if you don't mind, I'd like to do this alone. So take your overactive feelings and generate them into something more positive." She forced a large smile, as she entered the narrow hallway, offering a quick pat to her friend's shoulder. "Like work."
"What's that?"
"And this is exactly why you haven't been promoted yet, see?"
"I want details," she whispered. "Name, phone number, age, what he's wearing under those jeans-"
"Go," Phoebe instructed, pointing a finger to the right, struggling to maintain her own composure, as she fought to keep a straight face. "And do not come back unless you want me to tell the entire agency who your last honey muffin was in Douglas Hanson's office last Thursday."
"You really suck the fun out of friendship, you know that?"
"Yes, and you'll be thanking me later." She watched her reluctantly mope her way back to the adjoining offices, a hint of a smile creeping out beneath the orderly facade, as she took a deep breath, rounding the corner to the small waiting complex that branched out near the lobby, soft elevator music filtering through the speakers above her head as she saw him.
He was casually thumbing through a magazine he most likely had no current interest in pursuing for the life of him, and a strong hand lay casually draped across a wide, beige boot on one foot, the matching laces threatening to come undone, as his eyes- the most intense and yet entirely softened blue she'd ever seen, lightly skimmed the pages. His complex bore a well defined scruffy visage that outlined a pair lips that lay slightly parted in an amused smile as he scanned the article in front of him. Okay, she thought. So maybe there's a little interest there- watching as the fingers of his hand loosely gripped the pieces of paper. But the poor guy really did seem bored to tears with the subject matter he'd chosen in front of him. Or so she just kept assuming. But maybe that was the whole problem. His thick gray sweater lay rolled up at his elbows, as he reached up to lightly scratch his chin, his mind seeming entirely preoccupied. Stubborn as she was, she was finding herself surrendering to those good looks, and found herself completely helpless as to what to attempt next. She crossed her arms neatly over her chest, but found them slanted upon her hips only minutes later, fumbling repeatedly with a particular gesture to approach him with. Finally clasping her empty hands together, she took a step toward him, her heart beating rapidly against her chest, despite the fact that she hadn't yet targeted him in a romantic sense, knowing all too well that she was spoken for, and this man probably didn't intend for her to mean a damn thing to him.
"Hi," she offered warmly, holding out one of those hands that had strangely begun to shake a lot more than she'd expected, much less planned on. "Phoebe Halliwell. What can I do to you- I...I mean, for you? What can I do for you, Mr. ...."
He stood up, an entire foot taller than she, as he greeted her with the warmest of grins, a short bout of laugher escaping him. "Yeah, hi. Cole Turner," he concluded, shaking the palm she'd given him.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, Mr. Turner. I've kind of been behind schedule, so I was looking to make a deadline-"
"Actually, I've got one of my own," he murmured, his hand still residing warmly in hers, the sheer impact of it overwhelming him.
"One of what?"
"A deadline," he managed, finally parting with her touch, as he tossed the magazine he'd been holding aside. "Matter of fact, I've been looking all over for you."
"You...have a slogan?" she tried.
"I'm sorry?"
"Why don't we take this in my office?" she suggested. "Then you can tell me all about what brought you out this way, alright?"
"Well, see, that's the problem. I'm actually not sure yet."
She stopped, her eyes latching onto his once again. "I...I'm- what precisely do you mean by that?"
"Look, if I'm keeping you from anything, I apologize, but I just....I just had to find you. I realize that may sound strange, and that I'd probably be better off just staying out of your life right now, but I just had to see it for myself. See you....for myself." He was tripping over his words now, and it shamed him to know that all he really wanted to do right now was be able to touch her again like he used to. To be able to actually feel the love that had once been present there, even just a little- to relinquish the hope that she might still be his. But he knew he had to maintain his distance and it was nearly killing him to contain himself to respect it. To respect her. "I know it probably doesn't mean a Goddamn thing to you, and believe me, I get that. Guess I just thought I'd give it a shot, anyway, you know? Try to...regain what I think I've already lost."
"Um...have we met?"
"You really don't recognize me, do you?" he asked her softly, his heart nearly falling in his chest, as he took another step closer to her, watching as she mechanically took one a bit further back.
"Should I?"
"And now I'm suddenly getting the impression that you're even a little afraid of me."
"When male visitors are allowed on the premises, they usually don't start off by making a pass at me," she cited rather bluntly.
"Is that what you think this is?"
"Well, for a minute there, I actually thought a guy like you might be interested in what I do for a living. But seeing as that seems to have slipped right out of your memory as soon as you saw me, I guess I can take that as a no."
"A guy like me."
"Charming, funny, nice looking- my goodness, Mr. Turner. You must be too good to be true," she offered, mockingly fluttering her lashes at him.
"Okay, look. I'm not trying to make any passes at you, and seeing as your little assistant wasted no time falling all over me back there, I'm sure I wouldn't have any trouble snagging her, if the only thing I was after was a quick fling for old times sake. Believe it or not, I'd probably even call a zillion times over after spending a night with you."
Her cheeks flushed slightly, as she abruptly turned away. "Yeah, and we have a strict policy here on clients," she hissed. "So unless you want me to get security down here, file some nice harrassment charges, you'll come into my office and we'll discuss this like adults."
"Fine by me. You always were direct and to the point. Of course, not that you could actually recall any of those times you teased me relentlessly, just so you could get me into the bedroom, and out of my-"
"Okay, you know what?" Grabbing him by the front of his sweater, her fingernails digging into the tuft of fabric, she yanked him back down the hallway, tossing him roughly into her office, her eyes burning with perturbed aggravation. Slamming the door shut behind her without hesitation, she quickly locked the adjoining one, approaching him face to face, as she shoved at his chest, sending him tumbling back a few steps. "I don't know who the hell you think you are, but if you ever think we had anything together, you are sadly mistaken. So if you've come here trying to blackmail me into giving up my position here at the company, you can just tell Jake's guys that I'm through playing around, and it's payback time. Alright?"
"It would actually help if I know who Jake was then, wouldn't it?"
"Listen, you son of a bitch, if I have to get you removed from this building, I will. I'm not in the mood to deal with this right now. I'm finally getting on with my life. I've got a great boyfriend who loves me with everything he has, I've got a great job where I finally feel like I'm fitting in, I'm about to go through the presentation of a lifetime in about an hour, and I sure as hell don't need you screwing it up."
"And you want me to leave," he added quietly, nodding.
"I just don't want any trouble."
"Is that why you gave it up? Because you got yourself in trouble- all three of you?"
"What?"
"Your powers," he brought forth simply.
"I have no idea what you're talking about."
"No?"
"If you were smart, you'd get out of here and you wouldn't try to see me again. In fact, you'd stay as far away from me as you can."
"Phoebe, look, I-"
"Don't you get it? I said I don't want you here."
"Dammit, you are not going to push me out of your life again."
"Yeah, and tell me, Turner. How exactly is it that I can push you out, when I never took the opportunity to invite you in?"
The words stung more than he'd wanted them to, his emotions wrestling themselves to the brim as he fought another battle to keep them in tact. He winced rather sharply, as he threw his hands into the back pockets of his jeans, his bottom lip overlapping the top, as he offered a small sound low in his throat. "My mistake," he whispered.
"Look, I'm sure you're a great-"
"Do you even know what else you gave up?" he countered, cutting her off. "What...other things you just decided to leave behind on such a whim?"
"If this is about my sisters and what they've filled your head with, save it. I made my decision, and I'm not about to go back in time to change it. Besides, contrary to what you may have heard, they could honestly care less about what I'm doing right now."
"Yeah, well, maybe a lot could be said for going back to change things then," he muttered.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
He shrugged. "I don't know. Figure it out."
"I've never even seen you before today. I don't even-"
"If I brought back a project for you to look at, would you consider seeing me again?"
She raised an eyebrow. "Depends on what the project is."
"Oh," he mused, two eyebrows of his own arching atop his forehead, "I can almost guarantee it'll be worth your while. Trust me."
"Just like that?"
"Sometimes you just know...in your heart, that certain choices can't be overlooked because you think they've lost their drive for passion," he added softly. "Maybe I should show you the next time I make an appointment."
She merely stared after him as his hand lingered ever so briefly upon the brass doorknob, carefully letting himself out the way she'd forced him in, tossing it closed behind him so abruptly that her heart literally caught in her chest, her mind half wondering if it had fallen to shattered pieces without her knowledge of a man she never knew.
**********
"Aunt Paige, how long do we have to be here?"
"Alex, as soon as your dad gets things straightened out with-"
The little girl quickly shook her head, cutting her off. "No. He won't. Because Mommy won't know him, either. You know she won't, so why do we have to keep pretending?"
"Sweetie, is that what you think we've been doing all this time?"
"I'm telling you, it has to be those guys. Daddy knows they're bad news. They did something to us."
"Until we know that for certain, we can't just go and-"
"But why not? They're trying to hurt us."
"Let him handle it, okay? You know as well as I do that he can do this on his own."
"I'm not so sure about that," a deep voice filtered into view, as Nicholas Merrick eerily stepped forth into the manor's patio, the light surroudning him almost opening itself to the shadows, as he pulled himself into view, hands clasped tightly behind his back, a solemn expression quietly crossing his handsome face.
"My God, where've you been?"
He lightly fingered the bruise his jaw had taken, as she gathered him into a warm hug, pressing her face against his jacket, quickly shutting her eyes, her grip tightening at his back. "Let's just say Nick ran into a little trouble on the way here, but that he's entirely grateful he did."
She pulled back, her face failing to mask the intense worry. "What do you mean?"
He laughed, throwing himself down onto the nearest chair, folding his hands crisply in front of him, as he calmly tilted his head to the side. "The only good thing about working for an ignorant ass, is the fact that the benefits come through even after they're fired your useless butt. Yeah, as it turns out, I'm here because they had nothing better to do with me. Consider yourself lucky."
"Piper doesn't remember anything," she whispered. "And Cole's up in arms about Phoebe. We don't know what to-"
"Paige, are you even listening to me?"
"Huh?"
"Kellerman offered me a deal," he told her firmly. "He wanted me to make sure the world stays as is, and in turn I'd be rewarded my position again, and I'd be able to prosper from their victory. It's your usual crappy run of the mill sob story, because they don't have what it takes to bring Turner and the pretty wife down."
"You think Phoebe's pretty?"
He brushed a hand in front of him, as he rolled his eyes. "Not exactly the point of my lecture here, sweetheart."
"What did he do?"
He eyed her a moment, his gaze slightly narrowing. "Don't you even want to know whether or not I took it?"
"Took what?"
"Paige, work with me here. Turner's about to spend eternity in la la land, if I don't turn this thing around. And seeing as he's most likely smitten by the idea that his lovely still remembers him, we're going to have a lot of trouble on the way."
"The Power of Three no longer exists," she countered. "You want to talk trouble, I'm your girl."
"Did I ever tell you how much I love it when you decide to help me and stop yelling at me?"
"Nope."
"Well, I'm saying it now." He leaned forward, crossing his feet at the ankles.
"So how about the bruise?"
He smiled. "I decided to have a little fun with security on my way out of the building. But, with all due respect, they still think I'm all too willing to help them."
"Which means you'll have access to the inside, which will in turn allow them to reverse the spell."
"No, actually, that isn't the half of it. Because....this little mumbo jumbo thingy they worked on him? I guess you could say it's kind of like a curse."
"A curse?" She shook her head, flopping down beside him. "I'm not following."
He pursed his lips. "Remember Cinderella and her fairy godmother?"
"Yeah, what about it? It's one of Phoebe's favorite stories from when she was a little girl. It's harmless, Nick."
"Look, either way, you can't tell Turner. If I know him, he's going to want to do this the right way. And any interference, could just take us off the map. Follow ne now?"
"Do you always talk in riddles to your girlfriends to keep them out of the loop?"
He raised an eyebrow. "Um...you make that sound like I have more than one."
"Oh, yeah, and wouldn't that just be every girl's dream," she mumbled.
"Geez. Was is it about you Halliwell women? For the love of God, Paige. I try to tell you how it is and how you can help, and the first thing you want to do is run your mouth off about what I think of the elite crime fighting sister witches."
"That's your opinion of us?"
"Joking," he added, holding his hands up.
"Yeah, and I'm not officially a Halliwell. I'm a Matthews," she retorted with a smug smile.
"Glad to hear it."
"So you remember me then? Us? I...I mean, everything we've done? What we have yet to do? Your head...didn't like...pop out a few screws?"
He gently took one of her hands, as he neatly pulled it toward him, offering it a small squeeze. "I'd remember you if I was donned in shackles and freezing in hell."
"And you're such a romantic," she drawled sarcastically.
"That's the idea."
"Yeah, whatever. Point being, you better give me all you have, and you better give it to me now."
"If he doesn't make her fall in love with him all over again by Kellerman's deadline, we stay here, and they own us," he replied simply, leaning back again.
"Yeah, and that's not so romantic."
"Can't have it all, can you?"
"So the question is, what do we do about it?"
"Well, see, that's why I came. I think I'm really going to enjoy working as a team again."
"Oh, please. You just want to get on Cole's nerves, and-"
"It won't help," Alex pressed, as she spoke up. "You can't bring her back to me. No one can, except Daddy."
"I guess this is the flaw?" Nick countered.
"Flaw?" the little girl prompted. "Well, just because Aunt Paige likes you and thinks you're cool, doesn't mean I have to. You wanted to hurt Daddy when you first met him."
"And if I wanted you dead, sweetie, I'd have killed you by now."
Glaring at him, she merely shrunk back into the pile of cushions at her back, her tiny arms winding themselves across her chest. "I just want her to know me again," she whispered.
"Like father, like daughter," he concluded.