CHARMED
"Alumni Reunion"
By J. B. Tilton (a.k.a. NoAzMale) and Teri Thibeault (a.k.a. Teri)
Rating: K+
Disclaimer: "Charmed" and all related characters and events are the property of the WB television network, except for those characters specifically created for this story. This is a work of fan fiction and no infringement of copyright is intended.
(Authors note: This story takes place between season 3 episodes "Exit Strategy" and "Look Who's Barking".)
After retrieving his father's soul and vanquishing Raynor, Cole goes to release the soul and winds up facing vengeance from his past.
ONE
Cole shimmered into what appeared to be a toilet stall of a public restroom. He was carrying a small metal case with him. He paused for a moment and listened. There was no sound in the room. Cautiously he opened the door to the stall and looked out. The room was empty.
That was good. Shimmering into public was always risky even if he had chosen a secluded location. Walking out of a supposedly empty room could present problems of its own. It was the reason he had chosen this particular room.
He left the stall and walked to the door and opened it, peering out into the area beyond. The area beyond was bustling with activity. Mostly people in their late teens or early twenties moved hurriedly through the hallway beyond. They were all carrying either books or book bags and there was a low roar as everyone seemed to talk at the same time.
Cole stepped out of the restroom and blended in with the moving throng. Well, blended in was probably not exactly the right term. He was obviously older than most of the people he was passing. But he wasn't the only one. Moving sporadically through the crowd were some men and women who were much older than most of the other people.
He moved a door to the outside and looked around. By all accounts this appeared to be a university. Students moved across the ground heading for their classes. Intermingled with the dozens of students were older people, probably professors and a few older students.
It was obviously a university. And from the looks of the buildings it was a very old university. Most of the buildings were decades old, none of the prefab, modernistic buildings that a lot of the universities had. Only this was no ordinary university, not to Cole. It was Chasington University, Cole's alma mater.
He hadn't been here in many years. In fact, he had never returned since he had graduated in 1952. Class reunions had never been high on his list of priorities. He had only attended the university to get a degree and blend in better with human society. After World War II he had attended college here, gotten his degree, and then moved on to get a law degree. And in the 51 years since he hadn't given the university a second thought.
Now he was back on an errand of mercy. Raynor had destroyed Phoebe's love for him and had paid for it with his life. His life with her was over and he couldn't change that. But at least he had been able to pay Raynor back for his treachery. He wasn't sure how the rest of the Brotherhood would react to Raynor's vanquishing. One member of the Brotherhood had never vanquished another before.
But he couldn't worry about that now. There was one task he had to complete before he could consider any other course of action. He glanced down at the case he was carrying. Once he had completed this particular task he would never have to worry about anyone using his father's soul to control him again.
He looked around at the students and staff moving across the grounds. His father's soul had to be released to move on to its final reward. Ordinarily all he had to do was break the orb the soul was in to release it. That was the easy part. But releasing it so it could actually move on – without being intercepted again – that was the tricky part. He had to make sure that it moved on before another demon could capture it and use it against him as Raynor had.
He had spent a great deal of time and effort to make sure that never happened. Tracking some magical beings was easy. Others were much more difficult. Tracking this one particular type of magical being was practically impossible.
Practically, but not completely. It had been difficult to locate the one magical being he needed. But the time and effort had been worth it. The magical being he was looking for was located somewhere on this campus. Now all he had to do was find it and his task would be completed.
If his information was right, finding the being he was searching for should be easy. Normally, that being could only be seen by certain individuals. But as long as Cole had his father's soul, he would be able to identify that being among the thousands that were on the campus.
He could feel the being nearby. It was like the draw of a magnet. The being was very nearby. Cole would have to hurry if he wanted to complete his task before the being moved on. As he moved through the throng of people he could feel himself moving closer to the being.
Suddenly he stopped and looked around. The being he was looking for was very near. Near enough that Cole reasoned he should be able to see it. As he scanned the crowd around him his gaze came to rest on a young woman standing near a tree looking around. She didn't appear any different from the other students passing by her but Cole could tell she was the being he was searching for.
Nonchalantly Cole moved across the campus toward the tree where the young woman stood. She apparently didn't notice him as she continued to scan the students passing by. Cole moved up to the tree and stood next to the woman who continued to ignore him. Cole set the case he was carrying down on the ground between them.