CHARMED

"Believe"

by shel

©may 2005

disclaimer: the charmed ones, cole, and leo, and the rest of the cast of characters we've come to know and love, belong to spelling television, inc. and possible other copyright holders. i intended no true infringement on their copyrights; i only wanted to borrow these marvelous characters for a short time in my own scenarios and hopefully return them no worse for wear; the only things i've gained from this story are the satisfaction and pleasure of having written it and in knowing that others may have enjoyed it too…

rating: pg-13

summary: cole's plan to make phoebe believe in love again worked…or did it?

timeline: six weeks after the end of season 7's, 'the seven year witch'…

archive: please don't without expressed permission…

notes: couldn't help it - the plot, seeing cole again, it all just begged the muse for a fic...so, here goes...'come dance with me' lyrics by s. cahn/j. van heusen...and, please, don't bother wasting your time or mine by sending any flames…

"Look, I liked Drake too," Paige paced in the kitchen, "and I know I thought Phoebe was falling for him but they knew each other for three weeks, he's been gone twice that, and she's still in the dumps."

"Sometimes," Piper replied as she spoon-fed Chris part of his lunch, "it's not the quantity but the quality."

"And sometimes it's something else," Paige mused, "or should I say someone else?"

"Let it go, Paige," Piper warned in a sing-song voice so as not to upset her son who was finally eating the strained peas.

Paige spun in mid-stride and strode to the table, dropping in a seat next to Piper in annoyance, "I know you told us that Cole helped you. Fine, great for him. One less crime to atone for. But Phoebe hasn't been the same and I'm beginning to wonder just which demon she's mourning."

Piper set the baby spoon on the tray and turned to her younger sister, "Does it matter? Like you said, she was falling for Drake and now he's gone. And as for Cole, she never really mourned him."

"Of course she did."

"Before he returned from the Wasteland and went crazy," Piper mentioned as she began feeding Chris again. "But after you told us about his vanquish in the other reality?" Piper shook her head, "Phoebe never mourned him. She shut the book on him. Big difference."

"She moved on," Paige declared. "I know it hasn't been easy for her but she's moved on. What about Jason and Leslie?"

"Don't you have to be back at Magic School?"

"Why aren't you more concerned?" Paige wondered with exasperation.

"Because I know Phoebe," Piper calmly replied. "And I know that Phoebe has never had an easy time with love. Just ask Cupid."

"What?"

"Never mind," Piper shook her head. "Trust me on this, Phoebe needs to make her peace with Drake's leaving but even more so with Cole's. It's the only way she'll truly be able to move on, and isn't that what we all want for her?" Paige considered her with an odd look. "What? Do I have peas on me or something?"

"I think you've died just one too many times."

"What?"

Paige frowned, "Just what happened this time that suddenly you're Cole's best friend?"

Piper sighed, "I told you everything that happened." Paige didn't seem convinced so she tried to explain, "Cole was in our lives for a year before we met you. We got to know him, got to watch Phoebe fall in love with him, got to watch him fall in love with her. We accepted him into our lives."

"Until you found out he was the demon sent to kill you," Paige reminded her.

"Yeah, that was a bit of a bump in the road," Piper nodded awkwardly. "The point is, they tried so hard to overcome everything thrown their way. And they almost succeeded."

"Until the Source came along," Paige commented. "But Phoebe put it all behind her. She understands that she and Cole never stood a chance. Demons aren't meant to be good."

Piper kissed Chris's pea-encrusted fingers and grinned at him before replying to her sister, "What about Drake? He spent his whole demonic existence doing his best to avoid being evil. He spent the last year of his life as a human. He died a good soul."

"So he was an exception," Paige acceded. "But we'll also never know for sure if he would've remained good. Maybe he was afraid of the temptations that living would offer and decided to take the easy way out. Maybe that's the real reason he refused to let us find a way to save him."

"You don't honestly believe that, do you?"

Paige slumped back in her seat, "No…But I'm still worried about Phoebe. Did you see her column yesterday? So upbeat and full of witty replies about believing in the power of love."

"Almost like she's trying to convince herself," Piper reluctantly agreed, "rather than her readers. She's just going through a rough patch now. Give her time."

"I know you and Leo've got this all-powerful love," Paige hesitantly said, "and I'm thrilled for you that you've found the love of your life and will get your happily ever after…"

"But…" Piper warily encouraged.

"But do you think Phoebe maybe had a point about us not finding love?" Paige reached out to shake Chris's hand, "Given our family history, do you really think Phoebe and I will ever find a love like yours? A love that won't end in tragedy?"

"Of course I do," Piper quickly answered as she hugged her youngest sister. "The right men are out there and you'll find them, I promise," she added as she crossed her fingers behind Paige's back.

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"I'm glad you invited me," Victor smiled to his youngest daughter, "because it's been too long since you and I've had any quality time together."

Phoebe hugged her father as they walked to the benches that faced the playground swings. "I miss you too, Dad. It's nice out today, isn't it?" She pointed to the youngsters racing around the playground and shrugged, "It's spring and it's a time of…never mind."

"It's a time of renewal and love." Victor draped his arm around Phoebe's shoulders as they found a clean bench and sat down. "It was your mom's favorite season, you know."

"Really?"

"Really," he nodded. Concerned when the spark in her eyes at the mention of her mother faded almost immediately, he admitted, "I've been worried about you girls."

"We're okay," she assured him. "Piper and Leo are gonna be fine. They're so much in love."

"Except now that Leo's human, you're in more danger," he worried.

"He figures the Elders'll assign us another Whitelighter," Phoebe assured him. "But they know they're not exactly number one on our list of favorite people right now so they're backing off us for a bit."

"Not exactly how Paige put it when I stopped by the house this morning."

Phoebe couldn't help but smile at the thought of Paige's choice words. But the smile quickly faded, "They didn't play fair, Dad. They said they'd test Leo and it would be his free will but they didn't leave it up to him. They were afraid he'd choose Piper and they intervened. How are we supposed to trust them?" She abruptly stood and crossed her arms as she gazed longingly at the children on the swings. "How are we supposed to believe in anything good when the ones who are supposed to be the epitome of good keep turning out to - never mind, they're probably listening…"

"What, you're not allowed to be angry or hurt by what they've done?" Victor said with annoyance as he stood too. "Just think of what they've put you through for the past seven years. They've doled out their advice and their help when it suited their purposes, not yours."

"You really do hate magic, don't you," Phoebe sadly realized.

"They used you, Phoebe," he raged, "you and your sisters and your mother. All in the name of good, as if that excuses everything else they've done. Two of them died, Phoebe. How is that good?" But when he saw the tears in her eyes, he immediately reached for her, "I'm sorry, baby…" When she entered his embrace, he hugged her tightly, "I don't hate the magic, Phoebe. But I do hate the way it's been used."

"I don't want to lose you," Phoebe whispered.

"Oh, baby," he promised as he kissed the top of her head, "you will never lose me."

"You left before…because of magic."

"Because I was grieving and bitter and angry," he apologized. "I loved you girls with all my heart but I couldn't compete with the magic and with the life your grandmother was offering."

"And you went anyway," she complained.

"I came back," he countered. "I tried to make up for it, start again."

But Phoebe wasn't listening as she continued in an agitated tone, "Everyone goes away. They either die or they leave and we're left alone. I'm always left alone."

"I'm not leaving you ever again," he swore. "You girls, the boys, you're everything to me." He held her tightly and continued to make soothing promises while she slowly calmed. "Talk to me, Phoebe, what's really going on?" She shook her head but he requested, "Please, talk to me. I know I haven't been the most encouraging when it comes to magic but I'm still your father and I want to help even if it means that all I can do is listen."

"I lied," she sniffled before she pulled back slightly, "I lied to Drake."

"The demon who worked at Magic School, the one who died?" When she nodded, he asked, "Okay, so what'd you lie about?"

"He was about to die and I told him what he wanted to hear…I told him I believed in love…" She couldn't stop her tears and couldn't continue.

Victor led her back to the bench and sat with his arms around his baby girl, "But you don't?"

She shook her head and mumbled, "But he wanted so badly to hear me say it. So I lied."

"You meant well," he quietly told her, hoping to alleviate her guilt. "But he's not wrong. You have to believe in love, Phoebe. It's the only thing worth living for."

"Or dying for," she sobbed.

"Let it out, baby," he murmured as she buried her face in his chest, "let it out."

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