Charmed. Cole and Phoebe Guardian series. To know Phoebe is too...

Charmed. To know Phoebe is to... Chapter 24

Part 3:Keeping it in the Family

Chapter 24

As Paige needed some hair from the two people to make the potion, after lunch they shimmered and orbed off to the gaol where Cole used his time slow power while Paige sniped some of Eddie's hair and they did the same think to Harold Carter. Neither man had the slightest idea what had happened

Cole offered to drive Paige home and she said snappily "I can orb. "

"If you want" he said casually.

"Why are you getting so weird about using your powers?" Paige asked curiously.

Cole shrugged. "I'm not being...weird." he mimicked. "I use them when they make things easier and I don't when they complicate thing. Mostly they just complicate things."

Paige put her hands on her hips "Is that some sort of advice?" she demanded . "Learn from your mistakes?"

"It wasn't meant to be." Cole answered sweetly "but if you think you can learn from me go ahead ." Paige orbed off before she heard the finish of the sentence.

"I just love Phoebe's family." Cole said out loud.

He was in court the rest of the afternoon and then had a late meeting with the client and Phoebe worked late as deadlines were starting to loom. They met at the hotel, had a very quick make shift supper in the room and Cole told Phoebe what he was getting Paige to do. A very long emotional week was taking its toll on Phoebe and she was never very good when she was over tired. She was already in bed curled up against the pillow, as Cole put the breakfast order on the door

"Why didn't you ask me?" she demanded.

"Because it complicates things too much." Cole answered straining to be reasonable. Phoebe was not in a mood to be reasonable

"I don't think you ought to hang around with my little sister." she said petulantly, "or my family for that matter."

Cole muttered "Jeez in the last few days I've had Leo tell me off, Victor warned me off and Paige orb in and insist I help her, no thanks offered. And I can hardly wait to find out whatever reason Piper will have for hammering on my door. If you can tell me how I'll be glad to not hang around with them." he went into the bathroom.

Phoebe sat up glad he did not see her smile. "That'll get him thinking about how he'll deal with my family." she thought pleased with herself.

"And while I'm on it" she added "How come you always called Paige to say you were all right and not me?"

He came out of the bathroom and stood at the end of the bed looking down at her.

"You really are in a mood tonight aren't you honey?" he asked barely hiding his amusement.

Phoebe looked up at him with a shy little girl smile. "I'm over tired and I'm cranky, and I'm sick of trying to be nice and good and I want to be a bitchy?" she said.

"You're getting their honey" he said lying down beside so she could snuggle into him. "But you're not going to get a fight out of me so stop trying. There's nothing you can do or say that is going to ruin this week for me. This week I'm going to be happy."

"Betcha you never thought you'd be this happy to have me bitch at you." she added almost asleep.

"You'd lose. I often thought I'd be this happy." he said softly.

"Well just don't tell me you know me. "she said snuggling in closer and determined to get the last word in.

"But I do know you Phoebe." Cole said stroking her hair when she fell asleep.