CHARMED

"47 to Go"

by shel

© june 2006

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: one evening's glimpse of the newlyweds…

timeline: the night before the events of s4's 'bite me' begin…

archive: please don't without expressed permission…

notes: please let me know if you enjoyed my tale and why and, if not, why not…and, please, don't bother wasting your time or mine by sending any flames…

Phoebe set her eyeglasses on the desk and rubbed her eyes. She glanced at her watch and couldn't believe it was already dinnertime. Where had the day gone? She saved the document onscreen and contemplated shutting down but the stack of mail taunted her. Maybe one more hour. She unsuccessfully stifled a yawn. Maybe a short break first. She stood, walked around her desk to the center of her office and, back to the door, she stretched her arms up in the air and swung them in a large arc before raising them in the air again. She closed her eyes, slightly arched her back, and jumped when she felt two hands settle on her shoulders. "Cole!" she gasped as she brought a hand to her racing heart.

"Sorry," he apologized with a sheepish chuckle as he massaged her shoulders and kissed the top of her head, "but it was impossible to resist with you teasing me like that."

She couldn't help but grin and turned her head slightly to kiss the back of his hand, "Keep this up and you're forgiven."

Cole lightly swatted her bottom and pulled her down onto his lap as he sat on the sofa. "Ready to go?"

After wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him properly, she snuggled and sighed in contentment as she shut her eyes.

"You know, it's a bit discouraging for a new groom to get anything started when his bride keeps falling asleep on him."

She snuggled closer and murmured an apology as she lightly kissed up his neck. But when one of his hands brushed along her stomach, Phoebe stiffened and was then unable to cover her hesitancy from her husband.

Cole gently pushed her back and gazed into her eyes, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she replied with a forced smile as she loosened his tie and kissed him again.

But he wasn't having any of it and drew his head back, "You froze and Piper's not here so it must've been me."

"Of course not!"

"So you're not avoiding me because I'm not satisfying you?"

"Of course not!" she exclaimed again before revealing a hint of her passion for him in another kiss. "Did that feel like the kiss of an unsatisfied woman?"

"Then what is it?" He tried to keep the frustration from his tone, "I know I've been working late and you don't seem angry with me bu--"

"I'm not!"

But he continued all the while wondering if the lessened frequency of sex was due to the fact that she suspected he was the new Source, "I need to know what I've --"

"Baby, no, it's not you at all," she insisted as she pressed her lips to his for several quick kisses. He still seemed uncertain and she kissed him more deeply. "Nobody has ever satisfied me like you," she promised. "It's been a long day today, that's all." She quickly hugged him, "I'm sorry, Cole, it's just…I mean I think…that is, maybe…" His arms squeezed her tighter and she lost all confidence in admitting her suspicions that she was pregnant. She wasn't ready at all to deal with the possibility herself much less tell him.

"It's okay," he warily assured her. He didn't push and they sat quietly for a few minutes while he stroked her back in gentle, yet firm, strokes. "You know I'm worried about you, right? I don't know but it's different somehow now that we're married."

"I know," she smiled and kissed him tenderly. "I've just had a lot going on these days."

Source or not, he honestly admitted, "I don't want to lose you."

"You won't," Phoebe declared before resting her head once again on his shoulder. With a sigh, she told him, "It's probably just nervous jitters. It's all happened so fast, y'know, the way we got married, moving out of the manor, both of us working so hard at our new jobs."

"Speaking of which…"

"Don't start again," she warned with a poke to his chest to emphasize her point, "you know this job's important to me. I'm still sorting through Karen's old files but new mail keeps pouring in before I can really catch up."

"The price for being a popular advice columnist," he teased, nibbling her earlobe. "You know I'm proud of you, right?"

"I'm proud of me," she mumbled distractedly as she gave him better access to her neck.

He readily took advantage but chuckled into her neck when her stomach suddenly grumbled loud enough for both to hear. She buried her face in his chest in embarrassment so he kissed the back of her head and nudged her slightly, "Get your things and I'll walk you to your car."

"I'm not ready to go yet." Before he could argue, she kissed him and tugged on his suit jacket lapels, "Just another hour. One. I'll meet you at home and then whip you up something scrumptious to make up for it, 'kay?"

"I've got something else scrumptious in mind," he grinned as he pulled her close for a kiss. "Besides, it'll be take-out."

"I thought I was gonna cook for you tonight," she pouted.

He tapped the tip of her nose, "Didn't you just tell me how tired you are? Take-out and that's that."

She rolled her eyes, "Chinese…"

"I happen to like Chinese."

"I know you do," she sighed before pecking his lips in apology and pushing herself off his lap. "Now go on, scoot. I've got some things to finish up here before I head home. I'll call in the order if you don't mind picking it up."

Cole kissed her once more, "Don't be too long or I might not be so forgiving next time." And, as if to prove his point, he pinched her bottom.

She squealed before smirking at him and blowing him a kiss, "Promises, promises."

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Cole stood in the alley and brushed his hands on his pants with a grimace of disgust and muttered, "Filthy rat demons…should vanquish them all." His cell phone rang and he answered it with a curt, "Turner."

"Cole? You okay?"

"Yeah, sorry," he lightened his tone, "you on your way home yet?"

"I am, just had a quick side-trip to the drugstore."

He caught sight of shadows moving further down the alley and debated going after the demons to teach them a lesson about eavesdropping. "Everything okay?" he asked as he followed the shadows.

"Just needed to pick up a couple of things and since I knew you weren't home yet…Don't worry, I'll be there in a few minutes."

"What, me worry?"

"Cute, Turner…"

"I know I am." He smiled when she chuckled, "Turns out I still have a few loose ends to take care of…"

"So it was good I wanted that extra hour to work, huh…"

"Phoebe…" He kept his eyes on the shadowy creatures.

"Now you won't have to worry 'bout making it up to your bride that you worked so late…again."

Repeating her own phrase, even as he formed a fireball in his hand, he teased, "Cute, Turner…"

"I love you, Cole. Don't be too long."

He aimed at one of the shadows and grinned, both from the resulting pile of ash and his wife's request. "Won't take but a few more minutes. Anything you want me to pick up since I'm out?"

"Just dinner…Number forty-seven, don't forget. Last time we got stuck with someone else's Moo Shu Pork and I --"

"Number forty-seven," he interrupted. "Got it, love you," he hurriedly assured her before disconnecting the call and turning to the demons that hadn't yet had the sense to scatter.

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Cole stood at the counter and checked his watch again with a frown. "Hey, it's been fifteen minutes," he called out.

The employee who'd told Cole to wait for the order stuck his head out from behind the swinging door to the kitchen, "'Nother ten minutes…"

Cole's hand clenched into a fist and he felt the heat flowing through it, though not actually materializing as a fireball, "You told my wife ten minutes, thirty minutes ago."

"Busy night, sorry."

Cole glanced around the crowded seating area and willed his hand to relax. "Sure," he commented as he composed himself, "I understand. Busy night all around."

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Phoebe just finished lighting the candles on the table when the phone rang. "Hello?"

"Hey, babe, another ten minutes. They're pretty busy tonight."

"It's okay, I've been getting ready anyway," she told him as she smoothed her silk nightgown and glanced around the dimly lit room.

"Getting ready, huh…"

"Uh, huh," she smiled, suddenly energized despite her last-minute dash to the pharmacy, her mad rush to shower, set the table with their good china, and then change outfits several times before settling on the gown she knew he loved on her. Or off her. "This's one bride who won't be falling asleep on her groom tonight," she promised.

"If I can feed her first."

She laughed, "Hey, did I just hear them call forty-seven?"

"About time. Gotta go. You realize we'll be deleting them from our speed-dial, right?"

"See you soon," she chuckled.

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Cole set the paper bag on the table and took in the ambience that Phoebe had arranged.

"See anything you like?"

He spun at the sound of her voice and was breathless for a moment as her beautiful image registered in his brain. "Maybe," he teased in a hoarse voice as he strode towards her and yanked her into his arms for a kiss. "You don't do this for all delivery guys do you?"

"Just the ones I'm in love with," she teased as she pressed herself closer and wriggled slightly in his arms while unbuttoning his dress shirt. "Some tip, huh," she commented while covering his chest with several light butterfly kisses.

"I'll show you a tip," he mumbled, his lips traveling down her neck.

Panting slightly, she pulled back for some air and, as he began peeling her out of her matching robe, she wondered distractedly, "What about dinner?"

"Later, I'll warm it up later," he uttered, his lips once again claiming hers.

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Phoebe sat on the sofa, her feet curled beneath her, and wrapped her hands around the still-warm cup of tea. She almost wished she'd thrown up instead of having this queasiness for the past two hours. At least she hadn't woken Cole.

"Phoebe?"

Oops. She glanced at her disheveled pajama bottom clad husband and smiled with desire until a wave of nausea caused her to grimace. She took another sip of the tea.

He approached her and lightly brushed her cheek as he sat next to her, "What's wrong?"

"An upset stomach," she replied with a patient pat to his arm that he was already using to draw her closer to him, "nothing to worry about."

But he was concerned and wearily rubbed his face. "I didn't mean to pressure you, Phoebe. If you're not --"

"It's an upset stomach, Cole," she assured him, "that's all."

"It was the Chinese, wasn't it," he glumly commented as she set the mug on the coffee table. "You didn't want it tonight. We should've ordered something you wanted."

"I got something I wanted," she assured him with a kiss.

"I'm serious, Phoebe. If we hadn't ordered from --"

"I like their food and I've never reacted before," she interrupted, snuggling closer. "We just ate dinner late." She lifted her head and warned with a smile, "And before you start, I've got no complaints about why we ate so late."

"I should've gone somewhere else after the first delay," he muttered while shifting her slightly to a more comfortable position. He ran his fingers lightly up and down her arm and kissed the top of her head when she burrowed closer.

"You're deleting them from the speed-dial, remember?" she teased.

"Damn right." Glancing down at her, he asked in a softer voice, "How long have you been up?"

"A little while," she murmured with a yawn.

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

"You need your rest too," she countered, "'specially after your little workout tonight."

He smiled, "Still…"

"I'm feeling better now," she sighed. Being in his arms always made her feel better. "Honest."

"Then let's get back to bed," he suggested as he disentangled himself, stood, and then scooped her into his arms.

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Cole waited in the alley next to the back door of the take-out place. He glanced at his watch and vowed to leave if that guy didn't come out with the trash in the next three minutes. He didn't dare stay away longer in case Phoebe woke up again and discovered him missing.

Suddenly the door opened and Cole waited for the guy to throw the two large bags into the dumpster. "Hey," he called out. The man looked back at him in surprise and, without another word, Cole sent a fireball flying at him. "Consider yourself deleted."

Satisfied, without an ounce of remorse, he flamed back to the penthouse and slid under the covers, spooning with his wife's sleeping form.

"Love you," she mumbled, tugging his arm tighter around her waist.

Realizing she hadn't truly woken, he still acknowledged her comment in kind as he nuzzled her neck. Demon or human, no one would hurt her. He'd make sure of it. And with thoughts of paying more romantic attention to his wife, Cole finally fell asleep.