Epilogue

Monday, October 5, 2009…

Early Morning…

When Phoebe's hand found the empty space next to her in the bed, she opened her eyes. Squinting in the dark at the clock she discovered it was a little after two. "Cole?" she softly called out. She rolled over and peered into the bassinet that stood next to her side of the bed but it was empty and she figured Cole had taken the baby into the nursery. She sat up and reached for her robe but groaned as she did. Even five days after having the baby, she was still achy and moving at half-speed.

She gingerly made her way to the room next door and discovered him staring out the bay window, cradling the baby close to his bare chest. "Who'd've thought nine years ago that we'd be standing here, tonight, in the moonlight with our baby?" He seemed confused so she shook her head with a wry grin, "Such a guy thing to forget an anniversary."

"We've only been married three months," Cole frowned, trying to figure out what he'd forgotten. "And you're the one who doesn't want any acknowledgement of our first wedding."

"I'm not talking about that date," she said as she stepped in behind him and carefully wrapped her arms around his waist. "I'm talking about the night we met. Nine years ago tonight."

"Funny, I don't remember," he teased. She lightly slapped his back and he added, "Hey, a lot's happened. Nine years's a long time."

"This from the hundred-twenty-four year old demon," she retorted.

"Maybe you can refresh my memory," he suggested with a wink to the baby that Phoebe couldn't see.

"You came up to me and Prue and introduced yourself, 'Ladies, My name is Cole Turner…'" She sighed, unintentionally, remembering that exact moment so vividly. "And then you wanted to know if either of us knew what'd happened in the alley."

"That's right," he pretended to finally recall, "and I think that's when one of you raised your hand. Prue was it?"

She lightly slapped him again but, with his laughter echoing in the room, she squeezed him tight and let her lips lightly brush against his back. "Been up long?"

"About twenty minutes," he replied, gazing back into the baby's wide-open eyes. "Crying finally stopped a few minutes before you came in."

"You should've woken me," she chastised.

"I can handle the snack-time feeding," Cole unapologetically replied, without taking his eyes off the baby. "Besides, you still need sleep because you haven't recovered or you'd've woken from the cries twenty minutes ago."

"No need to be nasty," she snapped before apologizing by pressing a kiss to his back. "You're right," she murmured, resting her forehead against his cool skin, "I'm still a mess emotionally and the lack of sleep hasn't helped."

He mentally cursed himself for having inadvertently upset her. Her hormones were still out of whack and that she was still blaming herself for not having been able to make it to term didn't make things any easier. "It's not your fault," he once again assured her. "You followed the doctor's instructions to the letter, spending all that time off your feet until last month when you had no choice but to go on complete bed-rest." He felt Phoebe's shrug and he sighed, "There wasn't anything you could've done to stop the baby's impatience to join us."

"My head knows you're right…"

"Then it's time for your heart to get it straight too," he informed her as he turned around in order to face her. "The doctors wouldn't have let us take the baby home if there were complications. Not all preemies have health issues and ours is one of the lucky ones."

Phoebe gazed up at him, "You think it was because of the strength of your powers?"

"I don't know," he admitted, "maybe, maybe it's a combination of both our powers. Does it matter?" She shook her head and he continued, "So, in a few days, we take the baby for the mandatory check-up and we ask Leo to do one of his own again. Everything's fine, Phoebe, you'll see."

"I guess I thought the worrying would stop once the baby was born…"

"Is that what Piper told you?" Cole teased. "I've a feeling our worries have only just begun, especially if the baby decides again to disappear from your arms into mine."

"Thank God that didn't happen until today after we were released from the hospital," she groaned. "Can you imagine having to explain that to the nurses?"

Cole bent his head and kissed the top of Phoebe's, "I was just about to prepare a bottle but, if you're feeling up to it, how about we finish snack-time in bed?"

She reached out and lightly touched the baby's hand. Her vision blurred when tears filled her eyes as the tiny fingers automatically wrapped themselves around her index finger. She leaned forward and kissed the baby's head, inhaling the baby's sweet powder-fresh scent. She stepped back and simply gazed at the child who, only a few days earlier, had still been inside her growing and kicking up a storm.

Watching his wife react to the baby distracted Cole from the baby's squirms and he certainly wasn't prepared for the sensation when the baby's mouth suddenly latched onto his nipple.

Phoebe burst into a fit of giggles at the sight of their baby beginning to suckle. Cole's expression was priceless and, more than anything, she wished she had the power to call for their camera to capture the moment forever.

Stunned, Cole felt a shiver travel down his spine as he watched his child with awe. Was this what it was like for Phoebe? But when her giggles became louder, he stood at attention and he took them like the demon he was. He stared her directly in the eyes but, before he could warn her about the penalties for blabbing, the baby began to cry. Though silent at first, angry hoarse shrieks soon filled the air and, with a sheepish smile to Phoebe, he transferred the squalling baby into her arms, "Guess the news is out that mine are empty."

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Nestled between his legs on her side of the bed, Phoebe carefully eased herself back against Cole's chest while cradling the baby. Cole adjusted her nightgown and, within moments, the baby was nursing with low, lip-smacking sounds. His arms were wrapped around her waist and she sighed contentedly when Cole nuzzled her neck.

Resting his chin on her shoulder, he watched the baby drink enthusiastically and he lightly fingered the mop of soft light brown hair. "She'll look like you," he predicted.

Phoebe didn't care one way or the other. That the baby was healthy was all that mattered. After a few quiet moments, she hesitantly asked, "Are you disappointed?"

He lifted his chin in surprise, "With what?"

She gazed at their daughter, "That my instincts were right and we had a girl."

"Look at her, Phoebe," he demanded, "she's perfect and is everything we could've hoped for. How could I be disappointed? Unless this's your way of telling me you're disappointed…"

"Absolutely not," she retorted.

"Then I guess the only one disappointed is Piper," he decided.

"Piper?"

"Didn't she spend the entire pregnancy reminding you how her Melinda turned into Wyatt and Chris?" He kissed her bare shoulder, "You ask me, I think Piper's jealous you had the next girl in the family."

"Don't be ridiculous," Phoebe uttered, raising her shoulder, not caring if she'd hit him in the nose, and she sat up straight.

He'd struck a nerve and momentarily wondered just how much truth there'd been to his tease. But he didn't want to get into her sisters' lingering resentments and he sighed, "Why are we arguing again?"

"Because," she snapped, "you said I was disappointed about the baby when all I was was…Oh, never mind, it's stupid…"

"No secrets," he immediately reminded her as he sat up behind her.

Phoebe lightly grasped the baby's hand, "Five years ago, when I had the premonition about being pregnant, I didn't know who the father was and…well, when it turned out to be you, from a time when you were invincible…"

"You were afraid of having a boy," Cole acknowledged, "because of our first baby. That's why you kept insisting it had to be a girl. You were afraid of a repeat of what happened with that first pregnancy." He kissed her neck, "I'm not the Source, not even with all my powers, and the baby's innocent, Phoebe, even if she would've been a boy."

"Told you it was stupid," she whispered as she caressed her daughter's cheek.

Cole leaned back against the pillows, gently pulling her along with him, "Do you remember our wedding?"

"Every moment," she promised as she immediately thought of the morning three months earlier when Cole had driven her home from the hospital and surprised her with the gift of the house next door to the manor. Her sisters, pushing aside their own issues for her sake, had been waiting for her return and had even helped decorate the backyard for the ceremony Cole had planned. He'd first nervously shown off the house by carrying her from room to room, making sure she was off her feet. And later, despite her protests, he'd held her in his arms throughout the entire ceremony. It had been a small intimate affair but it couldn't have been more perfect.

Cole smiled when he realized that Phoebe was lost in memories of that day. Her sisters hadn't managed to dampen his spirits and not even the Elders had dared interfere. Their wedding had been as perfect as he'd hoped it would be for Phoebe…for himself. Next to the day his daughter was born, it had probably been the best day of his life. Better than even his first wedding to Phoebe that, in spite of the Source's presence, still held such meaning for him. Clearing his throat, he kissed the back of her head, "Then you remember what we vowed to one another in front of family and friends."

She nodded and promised, "We'll keep them because this time we'll last forever."

"Because we'll be honest with each other about everything," he agreed. "No matter how big or insignificant the issue, we will talk about whatever bothers us even if we're afraid it'll upset the other person."

"And we always make up after a fight," she added with a smile, "because there's nothing wrong with arguing or fighting as long as we don't lose track of what's most important."

"Love," Cole whispered in her ear. "No more giving up or turning our backs on it."

"Even during the dark times six years ago, even when I might not've consciously thought about you during these past six years, even now when I'm in your arms, I can't imagine it having been any other way. I do love you, Cole," she assured him, "with all that I am."

"It's no more than I love you," he declared, cupping the baby's head with his hand and lightly stroked her head with his thumb.

"If you were filled with any more love," Phoebe snorted, "I'd probably explode." He chuckled but made no apologies and she turned serious as she twisted slightly to look at him, "Thank you for giving me this house, for memories of a wedding I will always treasure, for giving me, giving us, another chance…for giving me this beautiful baby."

In that moment, Cole knew it had all been worth it. The past six lonely years with all his secretive planning for returning to Phoebe and their baby, purchasing and renovating the house, organizing a backyard affair that was both simple and elegant, spending three months worrying with Phoebe over the risky state of her pregnancy…everything…it had all been worth it for this one moment of truth. He kissed Phoebe's temple, "She's our miracle, Phoebe. She's why we fell in love and she's what's made all our grief worthwhile. We needed to lose everything in order to reach this point of gaining it all back. And now we'll be better parents to her than we could've ever been to our son, if things had been different, because this time around we know how truly precious love is."

"We knew it then too," she murmured as she snuggled back against him. The baby had fallen asleep so she carefully detached the baby from her breast and wiped the tiny milky lips. "We knew it then, Cole, but there was too much going on that distracted us. And you were so new to love, hell, I was new to love, and neither of us knew, really knew, how powerful true love could be."

"I do now," he promised.

Phoebe sensed his regret and…his guilt. "You were hurt, Cole. You'd been through so many traumas and I wasn't there for you in the end."

"You were there," he said, "but I wasn't willing to accept what you wanted to give." He shook his head, "When I think of how I nearly destroyed all this by my madness back then…"

"Shhh," she soothed as she carefully shifted position again to face him, "look at her, Cole. You haven't destroyed anything. We survived, all three of us."

Cole could barely look her in the eye, "No thanks to me…"

Cradling the baby in one arm, Phoebe caressed his cheek, "Thanks to you, we have a chance at being a family."

He shook his head, "Another stupid risk on my part. I could've jeopardized our daughter's life because again I couldn't let go. When will I learn?"

"No more," she whispered, her heart breaking at the depths of his shame, "no more looking back. No more regrets. Yes, Cole, we made mistakes. Big ones, ones we can't ever change. But we're starting over now, starting fresh. And I'm sure we'll make new mistakes but we will never come as close to losing what we had because we're stronger now. We make each other strong and we'll make our daughter strong."

Unable to truly believe how fortunate he was to have earned back her love and trust, he barely managed to hoarsely tell her, "I love you."

"I believe in us, Cole," she smiled, hoping to make him smile too, "and I believe in our future and, right now, that future should be placed back in her bassinet so that her mommy and daddy can get some sleep."

But Cole stopped her from sliding to the edge of the bed. "Not yet…"

"We all need to get some sleep," she gently argued.

"In a few minutes…Right now," he quietly told her, "all I want to do is hold the two most important girls in my life."

Sensing his desperate need, Phoebe tried to lighten his mood by teasing, "Better watch out, Cole, or you'll be wrapped around her finger without even knowing it."

He leaned forward and admired his sleeping daughter. "She's got ten adorable ones to choose from."

"You're impossible," Phoebe shook her head but indulged him by carefully turned back around and snuggling once more against his chest. She straightened the baby's blanket and smiled lovingly at her daughter. "Alicia Colleen Turner…named for the two beautiful souls who made her possible."

"Not exactly," he chuckled. "Maybe Alicia's portal allowed me to learn the truth and find closure with you but I believe you had a lot more to do with our daughter's existence. At least the way I remember it."

"Oh," she challenged, "and how do you remember it?"

Tenderly kissing her temple, Cole promised, "Give me a clean bill of health in another six weeks and I'll show you…"

"I'm gonna hold you to that," she warned, even as her weary body tingled with anticipation.

He tightened his arms around her waist and whispered to his daughter, "Lesson number one, my Licia: Always keep your word."

Phoebe smiled but didn't say anything, simply content to be held by the man she loved, holding the daughter they'd created in love. Minutes later, she sensed that Cole was relaxed and she glanced at the clock. She carefully inched to the edge of the bed and settled the baby down on the bassinet's cushion. Her daughter had barely stirred and she smiled watching Alicia sleep. She leaned over, lightly kissed the baby, and whispered, "And, Licia, on your first night home, lesson number two: Daddy is only almost always right."

Cole decided to give the moment to his wife and held his tongue when Phoebe smugly turned back to him. He patted the bed and grinned when she slid under the covers and snuggled in his arms. After a few tender kisses, she'd finally closed her eyes and, when she sighed contentedly, Cole finally closed his own eyes. But then he changed his mind and murmured in her ear, "Daddy is always right."

Phoebe stifled a yawn, wriggled in his embrace, and, not to be undone, murmured back to her husband, "Or so he thinks."

And, within minutes, on their first night in their home as a family, the three Turners slept in the security of each other's presence, safe in their own little universe…

The End…