Title: Emergent Qualities

Author: WickedRum

Disclaimers: the universe and characters are the property of the WB. I'm using them for fun only.

Rating: G.

Genre: minific/G. You can probably call it another anti-Phoebe fic.

Summary: the sisters need Cole's help again.

Set: sometime after Piper finds out about Cole in limbo.

Pairing: based on the past Cole/Phoebe relationship.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Paige asked Piper on their way up to the attic, "at least we could tell Phoebe about it. At least we should tell her we found out that the regent demoness who'd been giving us a hard time lately is Cole's mum?"

"We could, but it would be best Phoebe wasn't here when we summon Cole?" Her older sister went on with the convincing, "she would spoil it all. Cole'd have to get defensive, we lose the chance to harvest his blood for the vanquishing potion, Phoebe'd go ballistic..."

"Well, maybe that last argument you had..." Paige grudgingly gave her consent. "Maybe it wouldn't even work from limbo...but, if he appears, why do we need to talk to him? Just attack him and then send him back to where ever he is."

"Paige, I owe him that much after last time."

Her youngest sister sighed and stared the chant herself to show good will, "magic forces black and white,

reaching out through space and light,

be he far or be he near,

bring us the demon who was Balthazar here."

Cole found himself looking around bedazzled. "I thought you didn't want me haunting around here?"

"First of all I wanted to thank you for bringing me back in the land of living and with Leo..." Piper started. She stalled because what she was going to say wasn't easy.

Paige rolled her eyes. Of course she was glad to have her sister back, but was in no way convinced Cole's contribution was all that important. Piper was going to figure it all by herself if all she needed was to feel the love for Leo. Well, duh, those two were in a can't live with or without you relationship since she had known them.

Cole didn't buy it either, "why? What do you really want?" He asked bluntly.

"Maybe it'd better if you sat down so I can explain," Piper continued, "you asked the same from me, not so long ago, remember?" She added when she saw his hesitation.

"Don't tell me you don't know what's happening in this house," Paige gestured with her hands up high in the air, "Piper tells me you snoop around here and lot."

Cole slowly shook his head and sat on the small divan next to Piper as she sat herself, indicating the spot by her side, while Paige remained further away by the book, although she had stepped in front of it.

"Basically what it is, is that we need your blood," Piper started at the easy end, "for a vanquishing potion."

"A vanquishing potion that works with my blood," Cole was thinking it out loud, "who you wanna vanquish? Me? Again?" He raised his eyebrows. Then he thought on, "somebody who's blood would be similar to mine's. And there's only one person like that."

"Right," Paige seconded, not surprised. Even if he didn't know for sure about it before, Cole was always sharp. "Elisabeth Turner had tried to kill us three times over the last three days and Phoebe twice additionally above that. She might be doing the same out there as we speak," she used her last card of setting Phoebe up against Cole's mother in his mind. To her dismay, Cole found this amusing.

"Oh the victimization, you really are a dirty little..." He started.

"Shhh!" Piper interrupted, fearing having Paige along was such a dumb idea as having Phoebe would've been, "she didn't mean it that way. But...Elisabeth Turner...she did say it was revenge for what we did to you."

"Fair point?" Cole jumped up suddenly, making Paige growl.

"It's just that as far as we knew, you didn't really have a very good relationship with your mother?" Piper tried.

"And that's a reason why I should be keen on killing her?" Cole couldn't believe how far these witches would go to challenge him.

"Come on Piper," Paige pouted, "why do we have to convince him? Not as if he has any active powers, does he?"

"That is exactly why! We don't attack harmless people!"

"So what if I give you my blood? Does that mean I'm trusted," he turned to Piper, as Paige was a lost cause.

"Have no idea as far as Phoebe's concerned," Piper shook her head apologetically.

Cole walked over to the potion cooking pot and sliced his palm with his dagger over it, "my mother has died for me when she left me with Raynor. I've no clue why the sudden interest in me. As for Phoebe, I've got news for you. I've earned myself some pretty little reward in limbo and I won't be there for long. You won't be able to summon me with the same spell anymore."

"So what should we use? God forbid we do need you?" Paige asked sarcastically.

"Whatever you use to call people back from heaven," Cole disappeared by own accord in a white blur without Piper having the chance to thank him.

The End.