Candy Corns and Pumpkin Shells (continued)

"Well, look who decided to make an entrance," Paige mouthed casually. "No. Wait. On second thought, don't look. You'll only give him exactly what he needs to come over here and try and start an intellectual conversation with us, conveniently fitting in the question of why it had to end the way it did. Forget I said that, okay?"

"You're rambling," Phoebe observed, as she hesitantly let her brown eyes gaze the length of the room. "Did you find him already?"

"Huh?"

"A guy? Usually you only do that when you're head over heels in love with a new proposition."

"Well, yeah. He's actually by the punch bowl dressed as Mickey Mouse. I plan to make an introduction, but in all honestly, his hotness factor is besides the point. I mean, Cole."

"He never was one to get into the spirit," she remarked softly, as she finally took him in in the far corner, a small mug clasped within his strong hands, his stare transfixing itself right on her at that very same moment. Blushing, she couldn't help but further study his attractive countenance with more than a little interest, settling on the slightly scruffy complexion upon his profile, the five o'clock shadow lingering in her memory, as her gaze traveled to his thicker lower lip, parted slightly from the top. His jeans hung loosely upon his well compacted frame, his hair having been cut a bit, resting at the top of his head rather undisturbed, a few unnoticeable faded curls clinging to it. She couldn't count the day- she couldn't even analyze the number of months they'd spent away from each other. She knew it was long, but the period of time literally escaped her then, as she just as rapidly shunned her frame of vision from him, turning back to her sister. "Matter of fact, I don't even care," she recited simply.

"Maybe he's still trying to decide what I'm going as," Paige suggested hopefully. "Which, by the way...this bracelet is starting to kill me. And if I don't take it off right now, I have a feeling it's going to leave one hell of a mark in the morning."

"I told you you couldn't hope to fit that thing around your wrist again. It's been a few years since-"

"Oh. Well, thanks for trying to make me feel better," Paige commented dryly, rolling her eyes. "You're a real lifesaver, Pheebs."

"Well, someone's going to need to save her life," a not so pleasant voice echoed then, as Elise made her way roughly through the crowd, her plain attire standing out more to Phoebe than she would have liked, as she threw on the best smile she could muster, greeting her boss with a now hopeful grin. Elise did not appear the least bit impressed by her employee's last minute attempt at friendship, as she indicated a single finger to the right side of the room. "That's Mrs. Davis. In case the word hasn't gotten around, she happens to be holding your column ransom this week."

"What are you talking about?"

"She called it, and I quote 'the unrealistic expectations of a moral-less meddling minor.' Not exactly the stuff dreams are made of for aspiring writers."

"But I-"

"Look, Phoebe, I don't care how you do it. But if she's not thoroughly convinced otherwise after tonight, it may just cost you your job."

"I wrote about love," she protested. "About finding your place, and getting back on your feet again. You saw it, and you said it was harmless. I've got nothing but the best response so far."

"And Mrs. Davis still wishes God had brought Mr. Davis back from the dead. It isn't-"

"So she's using her own grief to manipulate me?"

"Hardly. She's been a widow for over five years."

"It's an opinion," she stated. "No one's asking her to read it."

"And under normal circumstances, I'd keep my mouth shut. But it just so happens that she's one of San Francisco's most wealthy residents. Cole Turner helped her win a case against the terms of some-"

"Wait. Cole Turner?"

"Yes. He-"

"Dammit," she hissed. "I knew there had to be a reason why...." She nonchalantly set her glass of wine down upon the coffee table, as she picked up her dress with two shaky hands, her fingers threatening to slip right off the fabric. She pursed her lips. "Don't worry. I'll take care of it."

"Isn't he your husband?" Elise questioned oddly, throwing her a suspicious look.

"Which is why I said I'll take care of it. In fact, I'd say he's probably just waiting for a confrontation at this point."

"I don't think I need to warn you not to do anything that might jeopardize the lifeline of this company- because all of it depends on the customers. And if our customers aren't happy, I'm not happy. If the customers are pleased, then it works out great for both of us. Everybody’s meeting everybody halfway, and there's a mutual understanding."

"And with that said, I'm going to take this time to make a lasting impression on Mr. Punch Bowl over there," Paige concluded, her face a complete tabula rasa of the events unfolding in front of her. "This is not really my area of expertise, so..."

"Paige-"

"Good luck and all, but I'd rather not get on the really bad side of a former demon," she whispered under her breath.

"Fix it," Elise advised, as she began to head away, quietly shaking her head. "And Happy Halloween, hmm?"

"Paige," she hissed again.

"I'm sorry, Pheebs, but I just don't think it's my place to interfere with the inevitable," she added, shrugging, as she slipped a potato chip into her mouth, taking a quick sip from her drink of soda.

"Well, it's about time I quite delaying that inevitable then," she told herself, straightening up her composure, as she took a rather deep breath, carefully taking a step forward. Everything in her heart, in her entire being, was telling her to go back, to just forget about the whole thing and confront Mrs. Davis directly. But another part of her wanted to get it over with...wanted to make all of the hurt go away.

"Well. What is it this time? Coffee...penny for your thoughts...boxing match- winner take all?"

"You bastard."

"Not...exactly the response I was hoping for. But then again, you always were unpredictable, weren't you?" Cole regarded her with a slow, amused smile, running his hand the length of his stubbled complexion, as he gestured toward her briefly with his mug. "Some party."

"You're one to talk, you lying little backstabber. Great way to get back at me, Cole, wasn't it? I mean, in all honesty, if I was still taking self pity on myself like some people I know, I'd at least be a little less obvious."

"I'm sorry?"

"You can play dumb all you want. And maybe you can actually take comfort in the fact that the only reason I'm talking to you right now, is because-"

"And just for the record, I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about."

"Oh really?"

"Truth be told, I was invited tonight through the firm. Some guy from Jackman, Carter, and Klein helped an employee in your vicinity with some trouble concerning a case with her estate, and the rights her husband still possessed over the property. They were pretty close to a divorce, and it damn near cost her her job. All I'm doing, is accepting those kind words on behalf of that firm. If you still have a problem with it, I suggest you take it up with your boss."

"You must have known I'd be here," she insisted. "You and that...old hag that's pining to have me fired. But you know, I guess you two make a great team. You've got the whole subtle brooding thing down, and she's got the more direct approach. I mean, I truly did not ever think you'd sink so low. Old habits die hard, don't they?"

"I really wouldn't know."

"Wouldn't you?"

"And that dress really brings out your eyes," he noted casually, as he threw her a slight smirk. Absentmindedly covering his bottom lip with the top, he softly shook his head. His blue eyes looked about the crowded house again, his eyebrows perfectly arched. "You may or may not believe this, but contrary to what you've just assumed, I don't know any old hag- and even if I did, my private life remains private. I've never repeated a word of what went on between closed doors to anyone. Only that I regret-"

"Ever having loved me. Well, sure. Isn't that how you've always felt?"

"Dammit," he breathed. "Look. Would you please stop twisting my words around? It's chilidish, and so unlike-"

"Correct me if I'm wrong, Coleridge, but it wasn't even hard to see back then. Your priorities were everything but me."

"You've got some nerve," he whispered. "I'll give you that."

"You never loved me," she repeated. "And that's the end of it. I'm going to see that you go right down with me for this."

He sighed, moving closer to her, until their faces were no more than a few inches apart. "Is that really what you think?" he asked, his voice barely audible. "That we were nothing more than a mistake?"

"Cole, she's only after my column because of you. Nothing else could possibly explain a way around this. You sure as hell aren't going to admit it, but I will. And I'll be damned if I'm not going to be having the fun I promised myself tonight because of it."

"So it was you?"

"What?" she questioned, apparently confused. "What was me?"

"Alright. C'mon...I've had enough of this. We're going to cause a stir, if you're not careful." He gently took hold of her arm, as he calmly led her toward the stairwell, reluctantly taking her up the flights of steps with him, as he set his coffee cup down upon a nearby end table in the narrow hallway. Frowning, he knocked upon the closest door he could find, giving it three slight raps with his knuckles, as he awaited any kind of response. The silence that greeted them in return, propelled him to try the knob, as he tugged her inside the darkened space, the music now subsiding in value, as the catchy "Monster Mash" drifted up to them, the absurd silliness of it never ceasing to penetrate the rapid beat. Phoebe wasted no time in breaking herself away from him, as she carefully worked out the creases in her gown, her breathing having fully increased in her chest. "Mrs. Davis mentioned she was going to run a young woman by Elise- one that she had a few disagreements with."

"Yeah. I'm well aware of that, Cole. Especially since that young woman was me. I'm the 'moral-less, meddling minor.' "

"She didn't use those exact words, but if you insist."

"Elise told me you helped her out- with a case. She said you seemed cozy with her."

He shrugged. "And doting on your sorrows isn't making your situation any better in this. If you want, I'll talk to her. Obviously, she didn't know you were my wife."

"Even if she did, that old bat would and could make a hundred accusations."

"You're right. The fact that we're still married really holds no consequence for me anymore."

"Just tell me the truth," she urged.

"Truth? You want truth? God, Phoebe- truth is all we ever gave each other. If you think I could do anything in my power to ever contemplate hurting you in that respect...I'd kill myself before I'd even try. If your fears are clouding your judgment, then there's nothing I can even begin to say or do that will make everything okay again. You have to come to grip with that all by yourself, without a damn shouting match. I'm not the cause of-"

"Then why do I still feel this way?" she whispered. "Why can't I make it all just go away?"

"It's the same way I've felt since you left," he confessed. "Lucky for me, I've managed to hide it more than I would've liked."

"But you knew I'd come, didn't you?"

"Okay, so I had an idea," he surmised. "But even then, I knew it wasn't going to change anything. In fact, I half expected you to be carrying the divorce papers with you all along. Afterall, it'd be the perfect opportunity to get me to sign them, wouldn't it?" He took a deep breath. "So let's just get this over with so we can officially get by without the drama, alright? I'll go wait outside the manor, and you can bring them out to me. Should be a fairly painless process of sparing you the agony."

"Cole-"

"Look, I understand. I didn't before, but I do now. Seeing you here tonight...knowing you can still smile, knowing that you just seemed so content around all of those people- I really think there's hope for you yet. You were certainly more than brave enough to confront me to secure your job. It means a lot to you, and that's a perfectly logical reason-"

"I don't have any divorce papers," she cut in. "I never did."

"I'm sorry?"

"To be honest, I never gave it the serious thought it deserved."

"Phoebe, listen to me-"

"I always wanted to be like Cinderella, you know? I really wanted you to be that handsome prince who would be able to rescue me, sweep me off my feet...save me from the love I lost in myself. I wanted that to be you so badly. I mean...Cinderella went to that ball, despite her step-mother's wishes. I came here tonight, against the wishes of myself, no matter how hard I worked to disprove that. Because to say that I feel absolutely nothing for you, would be a damn big lie. All along, Cole...all along you were that guy. You were that special something I needed in my life to make it whole again."

"And I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I'm not the guy with the glass slipper. If anything-"

"I don't...."

"Cinderella had the perfect man. I'm as imperfect as they come. I can't promise you to be the embodiment of what he was to her in that fairy tale. Nor could I ever possibly hope to achieve something that's deliberately out of my reach. I mean, I'm not an-"

"Angel?" she countered, as a quiet smile crept across her pretty face. "Yeah. I think we got that part covered a few years ago. And just to let you in on a little secret, I'm no Cinderella, either. But it does feel good to pretend sometimes, doesn't it?"

"Does this mean I have to go out and buy you a pair of glass slippers right now?"

"No," she said simply, as she gingerly took his face into her hands, letting her fingers run across his stubbled profile, as she lightly placed her lips upon his, wholeheartedly taking the plunge, losing herself completely in his touch. "I wanna pretend for just a little longer," she breathed, as she shut her eyes, feeling his strong hands brush up rather hesitantly against the small of her back.

Then you can mash Then you can monster mash
The monster mash And my graveyard smash
Then you can mash You'll catch on in a flash
Then you can mash Then you can monster mash

"So what exactly did you have in mind for Mrs. Davis?"

"How does, 'lonely lady with no life- how a mindless widow copes with an array of pointless rejection' sound?"

"Actually, I think moral-less, meddling elder has a much better ring to it," Cole offered, as he managed a straight face.

"You think?"

He pressed his nose up against hers, as he nodded. "Either way, she owes me a favor. So if you currently have no objections, I'd love to intervene."

"Well, I don't know...are we..."

"Oh. Yeah. I know," he added, immediately pulling away. "You're not too sure about us yet, and I'm still overstepping my- it was a bad move on my part, and it won't happen again. It's Halloween. We're both a little on edge. I...I just came up here to explain myself, so....at this point, I think it might just be best if we head back down before anyone suspects anything. I'll find her and talk to her..." He paused a moment, regarding her with a meaningful look.

"Is that what you think we just did?"

"I'm going to move on," he added. "Dammit, Phoebe, I have to. Because if I have to see you like this....see what we could have been, it shatters all the hope I previously held on to. I know it's a lot harder for me, but I guess I just need more time. When...you're ready to bring those papers, let me know, all right? My office door's always open."

"Are you crazy?"

"I'm honestly not sure right now."

"Then why- what's gotten into you?"

"Thank you," he added. "For everything. I don't think I've been able to smile that much in weeks."

"And I never wanted you to go.....I don't want you to go. Not now, not tonight, not ever. Least of all to think that what we just did was something of horrifying proportions. We kissed because we love each-"

"Wasn't it?" he sided. "Phoebe, you've been out of my reach for months now. Do you think I'm just going to take tonight as if we never had a disagreement in our lives? Because if we're still being honest, that's just bull. You've changed, and so have I. We both want different things."

"And all I ever wanted since the first time I saw you, was only you," she admitted sheepishly, as she felt the blush creep back into her cheeks, the anger consuming her face. "I don't care at all about that other stuff anymore, Cole. Not about your powers, the Source, Belthazor....none of that matters when all I'm left with is you. You can deny that as much as you want, and blame me as much as you want- but honest to God, that's the truth. And if you really don't want me right now...right here...I'll walk right out that door and you'll never see me again. But I'll be damned if I'm going to lose you again to half the things I almost did before."

He could only stand there, his gorgeous blue eyes focused on her entire being, on all she'd just poured out to him with all her heart....as if he could see the very soul which existed beneath the surface, having been gifted with a beautiful spirit that he'd never before known in his entire lifetime. "You don't have to say-"

"Yes, I did. For my own sake. I've been lying to myself more than I realized." She calmly traced her fingers down the length of his cheeks, as they slowly came to a halt upon his lips. He easily clasped two firm hands upon her wrists, as he slowly kissed her with everything he had, finally drawing her into a full embrace, accepting her for all she was and had been worth to him. He'd come home at last.

The End