A/N: Okay, a few brief notes before we get started here. Notice that the title is ÔSecond Chances'. Second ChanceS, as in plural. So, since it is plural, would it be safe for the reader to assume that Cole/Phoebe might not be the only pairing in this fic? Yes, yes it would be safe for the reader to assume that. Secondly, I want to point out that this is set after the finale where big Chris is killed. (I've lost track of the number of seasons.) The sisters and everyone else is the same age as that season. (I've lost track of how old they are, too.) Oh, Phoebe and Jason moved back to San Francisco and Phoebe is living in the manor again. Paige still lives with Richard. Okay, I think that's it! Enjoy! (hopefully)
READ THIS NOTE: I have not seen all the episodes, or even all the seasons, so some of my information might be inaccurate. So think again before you flame me about my lack of correct content!
Disclaimer: If I owned Charmed, I would NEVER split up Cole/Phoebe and Leo/Piper. Obviously, I don't own it.....yet. : D
-Prologue-
Very few times in life are we given a second chance, most of the time because we don't deserve or really need one. But even those few times that fate does throw us a bone, we usually don't see it or don't want to see it. However, when we do see it, and take that second chance, even then we have to be careful. For if we make one mistake, we could end up worse before.
But if we do make the right choices, usually we come to realize that all we needed in life to be truly happy, was a second chance.
-.-.-.-
Phoebe levitated quickly as the demon came charging at her, barely making it out alive. The demon, recovering from his stumble, snarled and threw an energy ball at her.
Paige, seeing her sister in danger, called, "Energy ball!" The energy ball orbed to her and she in turn threw it at the demon. The demon smirked at her and easily reflected it right back at Paige lightning-fast. The force knocked Paige back against the wall, meeting several pieces of furniture on her way.
"Paige! Phoebe! I found it!" Piper ran downstairs with the Book of Shadows in her hands, reading as she ran. She looked up and saw the situation. "Oh god." Piper froze the demon in time before the energy ball it just fired could reach her. Piper ran over to Paige, worried. "Paige, you're bleeding!" Piper exclaimed as she saw the blood seeping through Paige's shirt.
"I'm fine, I'm fine. Let's just vanquish this guy's sorry ass!" Paige insisted as she struggled to stand up. All three sisters crowded around the Book and read:
"Hear these words of witches gone, vanquish this soul of evil's spawn, let his soul and body in flame disappear, let his evil deeds die with him here.
The demon screamed as flame engulfed his body, vanquishing him in a matter of seconds.
Paige gasped as a wave of pain coursed through her body. She slowly allowed herself to collapse on the floor as her sisters crowded worriedly around her.
"Phoebe, take her to the couch, quick! I'll call Leo. Leo!" Piper called, getting angry when her cry was met with no response, "Leo! Hello, sister dying here!" Again, no response. Piper was sure that a few blood vessels were popping from her anger. "What the hell?! LEO!!"
Seconds later, the familiar blue lights announcing a whitelighter's arrival appeared, and Leo with them. "You called?
Piper couldn't suppress her anger, "Yeah, about five minutes ago! In case you haven't noticed, Paige is dying! What the hell were you doing that it took you this long to get here?! Don't your charges mean anything to you?!--" Piper would've continued ranting about Leo's incompetence had he not interrupted her.
"Piper, healing first, yelling at me later. Where's Paige?
"On the couch. Go!" Piper shoved him towards the living room.
Leo rushed over to the couch and laid his hands over the wound. The warm yellow glow of his healing spread through the wound, effectively curing it. Leo and the sisters sighed in relief as Paige sat up, unharmed.
Phoebe hugged Paige, "I'm so glad you're okay sweetie. I was wondering if you were going to be for a second there." Phoebe stressed the last sentence and directed it towards Leo. "I'm with Piper on this one, Leo, what took you so long?
Leo looked around, guilty, "Sorry, I don't get your calls as well now that I'm not officially your whitelighter. In fact, I was giving some last minute instructions to your new whitelighter when you called.
Piper looked at him strangely, "Our new whitelighter? Funny, I thought that's what you were for.
"Well, I can't come as often now that I'm an Elder too, and now since Chris is...gone," Leo choked on the word Ôgone', "we've agreed to assign you a new whitelighter. I'm more of a temporary or back up whitelighter now." Leo looked up and said, "Well, speak of the devil, here he comes now!
Blue lights glittered into the room, and with them came the person they all least expected. ÔSpeak of the devil' was definently the right phrase to use.
Piper was the first to recover and spoke, "Leo, please don't tell me our new whitelighter is Balthazar?
Phoebe looked confused, shocked, and...well...just plain confused. Balthazar, as in vanquished infamous demon, was a whitelighter? And even more, he was the Charmed Ones' whitelighter! It was astonishing enough for the Elders to make Balthazar a whitelighter, but to leave him in charge of the safety of the Charmed Ones? Were the Elders becoming senile, or were they just plain stupid?
"No, Piper, Balthazar isn't your whitelighter. Cole Turner is." Leo corrected.
"Leo," Piper began, trying very hard to be patient, "Balthazar and Cole Turner are one and the same. Paige knows that, Phoebe knows that, I know that, so why the hell don't you and the Elders know that?!
"We do, we just thought Cole," Leo emphasized Cole, "deserved a second chance.
The three sisters looked at Leo, then to Cole, and then back to Leo, even more confused than ever. Okay, since when had Leo and the other Elders starting standing up for Cole?
Phoebe couldn't hold it back any longer and exclaimed, "For what?!
"Oh, I don't know," Leo began sarcastically, "just saving the whole of witchkind.
The sisters looked at him, shocked into silence. Paige was the first to regain her voice and said, "You're joking, right?
Leo gave her Ôthe Elder look'.
"Okay, so he's not joking." Paige amended.
Piper took her turn to speak, "Leo, you really need to work on giving all the information at once instead of being all dramatic. And would it kill you to explain things once in a while?!
Leo looked up and then said apologetically to Cole, "Sorry, you're going to have to explain it to them yourself, the Elders are calling." And with that, Leo orbed out.
Piper groaned in frustration, "Why does he ALWAYS do that?!" She rounded angrily on Cole, "Okay, you've got thirty seconds. Explain, now!
Phoebe couldn't help but laugh inwardly at Cole's bemused and terrified expression. He just looked so....cute like that. Phoebe mentally kicked herself. ÔStop it!
Cole put his hands up in defense, "Okay, Piper, calm down. Just try to refrain from blowing me up until I tell my story." Cole took a deep breath and continued on, "In my family, there is a powerful demonic spellbook, written by our ancestors. In the book is a spell that, when read, has the capability of destroying all witches and whitelighters on Earth, those Ôup there' included. But the spell has horrible side effects that take place as soon as the demon begins reading the spell. By the time the demon is only halfway through, the effects get so bad that the demon is vanquished. So, my ancestors created a potion that would allow the demon who drank it to read the spell safely. But the potion's ingredients are very rare, and the potion itself has to set for 2000 years before it can be drunk safely. And, only a member of my family can drink it. Last year was the 2000th year the potion had been setting, so it was now safe to drink. My mother insisted that I do it, so I could redeem myself by destroying all of witchkind. She gave me the potion and the spellbook, but had to leave for an emergency. I never found out what the so-called emergency was. I stood there for a few minutes and just thought. You cannot imagine the power I felt then, the desire I had to drink the potion and read the spell. But I didn't. Instead I smashed the potion against the floor and burned the spellbook. After that, I shimmered out to where I had been hiding. I realized that after that day, I wanted nothing to do with being a demon anymore. So, I made a power stripping potion and shimmered to the mausoleum where I took the potion. I planned to live a mortal life again, in peace. But it didn't last long. I had no idea that so many demons knew about the potion and spell, or how many of them knew my human name and features. They tracked me down and, though I must have fought and killed hundreds of demons, they eventually killed me.
Next thing I knew, I was in the presence of the Elders, who had learned what I'd done. They offered me a chance at being a whitelighter, to fully redeem myself as good. I accepted, and well, here I am.
The sisters stared at him in shocked silence, utter disbelief written all over their faces. Piper finally spoke up, "And you expect us to believe that story? You expect us to be so gullible to believe that you, Balthazar, turned down the chance to destroy all witches and whitelighters? Ha! Good one, Cole! Now, really, how did you weasel your way into the Elders' favor?
Cole looked at the sisters and said quietly, "I've changed, Piper. For the better.
Phoebe snorted and said sarcastically, "Really? Again? Let's see, you started out evil, then you turned good, then evil, then good, then evil before we finally vanquished you. Or, at least, we thought we had.
"Yeah, and how do we know you didn't just kill a whitelighter and steal their powers, hm?
"Yeah, and what I want to know is, if your story really is true, why did you turn down that chance? Sudden change of heart? Or are you just lying?
Cole was annoyed by now, "As hard as it might be for you to understand, Phoebe, I did it because of you!" Cole stopped to take in Phoebe's shocked face before continuing, "As much as I wanted to, I couldn't take that potion. I knew that if I did, it would kill you too, and I could never live with myself if I did that." Cole paused, continuing in a quieter tone,"Whoever said that evil can't love was wrong; dead wrong.
The intense silence in the room was broken by Leo orbing in. He looked to Cole and said, "We need to go, Cole.
Without looking away from Phoebe, Cole asked, "Where?
"Elders.
Cole finally managed to tear his gaze away from Phoebe and nodded his head, "Let's go, then." And with that, both Leo and Cole orbed out.
After they were gone, Phoebe sank back onto the couch and put her head in her hands. She couldn't believe this. This could not be happening to her!
Piper kneeled down across from Phoebe and asked, concerned, "Pheebs, are you okay?
"What do you think?" came Phoebe's muffled reply. She raised her head up out of her hands and continued, "Piper, it took me a long time to get over Cole, to accept that I would never see him again in this lifetime or the next. And now, I'm going to have to see him every day. How do you think that makes me feel?" Just then, Phoebe's cell phone rang. She answered with a false cheery voice,"Hello?....Jason, hi!....No, I didn't forget about our date....Something came up. Family emergency......Okay, so, see you Saturday?......Great!...You too, bye." Phoebe got up from the couch and turned to her sisters, "I think I just need some sleep. See you in the morning." She gave a weak smile to her sisters before heading upstairs.
Paige turned towards Piper, "Well, I better get going too. Love ya, sis." Paige gave her sister a hug before orbing back to Richard's.
Piper sighed as she headed upstairs. Just another typical Monday in the lives of the Charmed Ones.
-.-.-.-
So, whaddya think? I myself am thinking of burning it -holds up torch- but that's just me. If you guys want me to keep on writing this, there's a good chance I will. Otherwise.... -holds up torch- I'm not gonna write something that no one reads. So, tell me. Continue? Don't continue? It's up to you, folks.
READ THIS NOTE: I have not seen all the episodes, or even all the seasons, so some of my information might be inaccurate. So think again before you flame me about my lack of correct content!
Disclaimer: If I owned Charmed, I would NEVER split up Cole/Phoebe and Leo/Piper. Obviously, I don't own it.....yet. : D
-Prologue-
Very few times in life are we given a second chance, most of the time because we don't deserve or really need one. But even those few times that fate does throw us a bone, we usually don't see it or don't want to see it. However, when we do see it, and take that second chance, even then we have to be careful. For if we make one mistake, we could end up worse before.
But if we do make the right choices, usually we come to realize that all we needed in life to be truly happy, was a second chance.
-.-.-.-
Phoebe levitated quickly as the demon came charging at her, barely making it out alive. The demon, recovering from his stumble, snarled and threw an energy ball at her.
Paige, seeing her sister in danger, called, "Energy ball!" The energy ball orbed to her and she in turn threw it at the demon. The demon smirked at her and easily reflected it right back at Paige lightning-fast. The force knocked Paige back against the wall, meeting several pieces of furniture on her way.
"Paige! Phoebe! I found it!" Piper ran downstairs with the Book of Shadows in her hands, reading as she ran. She looked up and saw the situation. "Oh god." Piper froze the demon in time before the energy ball it just fired could reach her. Piper ran over to Paige, worried. "Paige, you're bleeding!" Piper exclaimed as she saw the blood seeping through Paige's shirt.
"I'm fine, I'm fine. Let's just vanquish this guy's sorry ass!" Paige insisted as she struggled to stand up. All three sisters crowded around the Book and read:
"Hear these words of witches gone, vanquish this soul of evil's spawn, let his soul and body in flame disappear, let his evil deeds die with him here.
The demon screamed as flame engulfed his body, vanquishing him in a matter of seconds.
Paige gasped as a wave of pain coursed through her body. She slowly allowed herself to collapse on the floor as her sisters crowded worriedly around her.
"Phoebe, take her to the couch, quick! I'll call Leo. Leo!" Piper called, getting angry when her cry was met with no response, "Leo! Hello, sister dying here!" Again, no response. Piper was sure that a few blood vessels were popping from her anger. "What the hell?! LEO!!"
Seconds later, the familiar blue lights announcing a whitelighter's arrival appeared, and Leo with them. "You called?
Piper couldn't suppress her anger, "Yeah, about five minutes ago! In case you haven't noticed, Paige is dying! What the hell were you doing that it took you this long to get here?! Don't your charges mean anything to you?!--" Piper would've continued ranting about Leo's incompetence had he not interrupted her.
"Piper, healing first, yelling at me later. Where's Paige?
"On the couch. Go!" Piper shoved him towards the living room.
Leo rushed over to the couch and laid his hands over the wound. The warm yellow glow of his healing spread through the wound, effectively curing it. Leo and the sisters sighed in relief as Paige sat up, unharmed.
Phoebe hugged Paige, "I'm so glad you're okay sweetie. I was wondering if you were going to be for a second there." Phoebe stressed the last sentence and directed it towards Leo. "I'm with Piper on this one, Leo, what took you so long?
Leo looked around, guilty, "Sorry, I don't get your calls as well now that I'm not officially your whitelighter. In fact, I was giving some last minute instructions to your new whitelighter when you called.
Piper looked at him strangely, "Our new whitelighter? Funny, I thought that's what you were for.
"Well, I can't come as often now that I'm an Elder too, and now since Chris is...gone," Leo choked on the word Ôgone', "we've agreed to assign you a new whitelighter. I'm more of a temporary or back up whitelighter now." Leo looked up and said, "Well, speak of the devil, here he comes now!
Blue lights glittered into the room, and with them came the person they all least expected. ÔSpeak of the devil' was definently the right phrase to use.
Piper was the first to recover and spoke, "Leo, please don't tell me our new whitelighter is Balthazar?
Phoebe looked confused, shocked, and...well...just plain confused. Balthazar, as in vanquished infamous demon, was a whitelighter? And even more, he was the Charmed Ones' whitelighter! It was astonishing enough for the Elders to make Balthazar a whitelighter, but to leave him in charge of the safety of the Charmed Ones? Were the Elders becoming senile, or were they just plain stupid?
"No, Piper, Balthazar isn't your whitelighter. Cole Turner is." Leo corrected.
"Leo," Piper began, trying very hard to be patient, "Balthazar and Cole Turner are one and the same. Paige knows that, Phoebe knows that, I know that, so why the hell don't you and the Elders know that?!
"We do, we just thought Cole," Leo emphasized Cole, "deserved a second chance.
The three sisters looked at Leo, then to Cole, and then back to Leo, even more confused than ever. Okay, since when had Leo and the other Elders starting standing up for Cole?
Phoebe couldn't hold it back any longer and exclaimed, "For what?!
"Oh, I don't know," Leo began sarcastically, "just saving the whole of witchkind.
The sisters looked at him, shocked into silence. Paige was the first to regain her voice and said, "You're joking, right?
Leo gave her Ôthe Elder look'.
"Okay, so he's not joking." Paige amended.
Piper took her turn to speak, "Leo, you really need to work on giving all the information at once instead of being all dramatic. And would it kill you to explain things once in a while?!
Leo looked up and then said apologetically to Cole, "Sorry, you're going to have to explain it to them yourself, the Elders are calling." And with that, Leo orbed out.
Piper groaned in frustration, "Why does he ALWAYS do that?!" She rounded angrily on Cole, "Okay, you've got thirty seconds. Explain, now!
Phoebe couldn't help but laugh inwardly at Cole's bemused and terrified expression. He just looked so....cute like that. Phoebe mentally kicked herself. ÔStop it!
Cole put his hands up in defense, "Okay, Piper, calm down. Just try to refrain from blowing me up until I tell my story." Cole took a deep breath and continued on, "In my family, there is a powerful demonic spellbook, written by our ancestors. In the book is a spell that, when read, has the capability of destroying all witches and whitelighters on Earth, those Ôup there' included. But the spell has horrible side effects that take place as soon as the demon begins reading the spell. By the time the demon is only halfway through, the effects get so bad that the demon is vanquished. So, my ancestors created a potion that would allow the demon who drank it to read the spell safely. But the potion's ingredients are very rare, and the potion itself has to set for 2000 years before it can be drunk safely. And, only a member of my family can drink it. Last year was the 2000th year the potion had been setting, so it was now safe to drink. My mother insisted that I do it, so I could redeem myself by destroying all of witchkind. She gave me the potion and the spellbook, but had to leave for an emergency. I never found out what the so-called emergency was. I stood there for a few minutes and just thought. You cannot imagine the power I felt then, the desire I had to drink the potion and read the spell. But I didn't. Instead I smashed the potion against the floor and burned the spellbook. After that, I shimmered out to where I had been hiding. I realized that after that day, I wanted nothing to do with being a demon anymore. So, I made a power stripping potion and shimmered to the mausoleum where I took the potion. I planned to live a mortal life again, in peace. But it didn't last long. I had no idea that so many demons knew about the potion and spell, or how many of them knew my human name and features. They tracked me down and, though I must have fought and killed hundreds of demons, they eventually killed me.
Next thing I knew, I was in the presence of the Elders, who had learned what I'd done. They offered me a chance at being a whitelighter, to fully redeem myself as good. I accepted, and well, here I am.
The sisters stared at him in shocked silence, utter disbelief written all over their faces. Piper finally spoke up, "And you expect us to believe that story? You expect us to be so gullible to believe that you, Balthazar, turned down the chance to destroy all witches and whitelighters? Ha! Good one, Cole! Now, really, how did you weasel your way into the Elders' favor?
Cole looked at the sisters and said quietly, "I've changed, Piper. For the better.
Phoebe snorted and said sarcastically, "Really? Again? Let's see, you started out evil, then you turned good, then evil, then good, then evil before we finally vanquished you. Or, at least, we thought we had.
"Yeah, and how do we know you didn't just kill a whitelighter and steal their powers, hm?
"Yeah, and what I want to know is, if your story really is true, why did you turn down that chance? Sudden change of heart? Or are you just lying?
Cole was annoyed by now, "As hard as it might be for you to understand, Phoebe, I did it because of you!" Cole stopped to take in Phoebe's shocked face before continuing, "As much as I wanted to, I couldn't take that potion. I knew that if I did, it would kill you too, and I could never live with myself if I did that." Cole paused, continuing in a quieter tone,"Whoever said that evil can't love was wrong; dead wrong.
The intense silence in the room was broken by Leo orbing in. He looked to Cole and said, "We need to go, Cole.
Without looking away from Phoebe, Cole asked, "Where?
"Elders.
Cole finally managed to tear his gaze away from Phoebe and nodded his head, "Let's go, then." And with that, both Leo and Cole orbed out.
After they were gone, Phoebe sank back onto the couch and put her head in her hands. She couldn't believe this. This could not be happening to her!
Piper kneeled down across from Phoebe and asked, concerned, "Pheebs, are you okay?
"What do you think?" came Phoebe's muffled reply. She raised her head up out of her hands and continued, "Piper, it took me a long time to get over Cole, to accept that I would never see him again in this lifetime or the next. And now, I'm going to have to see him every day. How do you think that makes me feel?" Just then, Phoebe's cell phone rang. She answered with a false cheery voice,"Hello?....Jason, hi!....No, I didn't forget about our date....Something came up. Family emergency......Okay, so, see you Saturday?......Great!...You too, bye." Phoebe got up from the couch and turned to her sisters, "I think I just need some sleep. See you in the morning." She gave a weak smile to her sisters before heading upstairs.
Paige turned towards Piper, "Well, I better get going too. Love ya, sis." Paige gave her sister a hug before orbing back to Richard's.
Piper sighed as she headed upstairs. Just another typical Monday in the lives of the Charmed Ones.
-.-.-.-
So, whaddya think? I myself am thinking of burning it -holds up torch- but that's just me. If you guys want me to keep on writing this, there's a good chance I will. Otherwise.... -holds up torch- I'm not gonna write something that no one reads. So, tell me. Continue? Don't continue? It's up to you, folks.