liljdpegasuschic160: Thanks to everyone for the reviews! They really got me in the mood to write some more. Since I wasn't really sure where I was going, this chapter was a lot of fun to write. I just sat down, and whatever came out did! I hope you like the results. Oh, & pinkrockpunkcess, I had planned on doing something with the baby (I just couldn't forget the little devil now could I? no pun intended). Since you mentioned it, I made it the focus of this chapter.
Read, Review, & Enjoy!
Third Time's a Charm
Chapter 2: Serious Suspicions
Cole arrived in the kitchen the next morning a little after eight. Although relatively early for most people on the weekend, Cole liked the early hours.
Usually.
Upon entering, he noticed Phoebe sitting at the small, square table next to the window, still in her pajamas. Her hair was pulled back into a loose bun and stray strands fell randomly around her tired, stress worn face. The sharp rays of sunlight shot through the old lace curtains, giving her pale skin a soft glow.
'Phoebe is the only women in the world that could make morning sickness look good.' Cole thought to himself, smiling.
Her queasiness had to be the reason for her early start. Unlike him, Phoebe fought stubbornly for every last second of sleep. He had always been sure not to wake her when leaving for work in the past, to avoid her morning wrath.
He had hoped it was nothing too serious when he awoke to find her side of the bed cold and empty.
Last night, much to his protest, he and Phoebe had shared a bed...their bed, or at least their old one. After all the crazy events that had taken place, Phoebe had wanted to stay at the manor, at least for the night. Feeling slight tension still between them, he suggested he sleep on the couch, but Phoebe had insisted that it was for the best. After all, they were still married, and if they were ever going to have a trusting relationship again, they had to continue as they had before. They had to act how any other married couple, that wasn't a witch and a 'ex' demon, would act. The trust would come naturally with time. Once they remembered why they had fallen in love in the first place, possession and betrayal would become old history.
Cole poured himself a cup of coffee then sat down across from his wife, who was at the moment pretending to read the newspaper.
Her tired eyes were distant as she lost herself in a daydream.
He snapped her out of her reverie, placing his mug on the table with a loud click. Her dark eyes darted up to meet his, then left his face to survey the empty room.
Piper and Leo were enjoying their Saturday morning, still locked in their room, and Paige, who was even less of a morning person than she was, lay collapsed in bed, probably snoring.
She had tried to ignore her churning insides and fall back asleep, but her baby wouldn't let her. He was like an internal alarm clock.
From the fire throwing to the constant upset stomach, this baby was already a handful. She figured he already owed her multiple time outs. Even demon/witch children need discipline.
She sighed, running a set of slender fingers through her haphazard hair. She stared at Cole's cup of coffee enviously. In the last hour or so that she'd been awake, she hadn't managed to eat or drink a thing without feeling the need to bring it back up to the surface.
Her eyes roamed from the smooth white surface of the mug, to the smooth tan skin of Cole's fingers, gripping the handle tightly.
His hands...how she loved his hands. She smiled a little, realizing how strange a fetish it was, but it was the truth. She absolutely loved his hands. She loved when he held her hands in his, or when he placed one hand on the side or her face, or even just the touch of his fingertips as he brushed her hair back into place.
Cole watched silently, never taking his eyes off her, wondering what thoughts were running through her head. Every so often she'd smile or sigh, making it hard not to be curious.
As much as he enjoyed her silent company, he spoke, warming the room instantly with his voice.
"How are you feeling?" He knew the answer, but asked anyway out of politeness.
"Not so good. I've definitely been better. I tell ya, if this baby is causing this much trouble at only a month old, just think of all the things we'll have deal with when he's in his terrible twos, and I don't even want to think about when he's a teenager." She laughed in exasperation, her eyes growing wide.
"I just hope all this is normal, you know? I mean, it's not like I can go online and look up the tendencies of demonic witch children," Placing a hand on her stomach, she continued in a more serious tone, "And I know it sounds crazy because there really is no reason why anything should be wrong, but I feel like there is...something wrong. I just have a gut feeling that there's something about this baby that isn't quite right, and to tell you the truth...I'm scared."
Cole took a deep breath, not sure how he should respond. Reaching across the table, he found her hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze.
"Phoebe," he said, as calmly as he could, "There's something I need to tell you...about the baby."
As he spoke, fear spread across her face, and she was unsure if she wanted him to go on.
"When I was possessed by the Source, the Seer came to me with the news that she had foreseen the future...our future."
"And?" She urged on, warily.
He paused, trying to remember her words exactly.
"She told me the day before our wedding that we were going to have a son. And not just any son. She said that he would be the most powerful magical child the world has ever seen."
Phoebe's eyes widened, looking down at her belly as if expecting something to happen.
"And that's a bad thing?" She asked, looking more anxious by the second.
Cole took a quick sip of his coffee.
"Well, yes...At least to The Source it was. You see, our son would've been the most powerful force of good, and of course The Source couldn't have that, not if he wanted an heir to
his throne. So..."
"So?" Phoebe echoed, her voice faltering.
"So, the Seer created a tonic that when consumed would make a women fertile to demon seed. Granted, in order for it to work, she would have to become pregnant during the full moon, but if that was the case, any chance of a normal child being conceived..."
"Would be slim to none," She finished for him.
Rising from her seat, she made her way over to fridge, looking in for a second before shutting the door, realizing it was a meaningless action meant to distract her.
"But still, even if this potion did exist, I never took any of it. Our baby shouldn't be affected." Her voice had no conviction whatsoever, and she barely believed herself. She knew whatever Cole was about to say would destroy all hope.
"There's a reason why we took our honeymoon on the night that we did."
Refusing to make eye contact, he stared blankly at his still full mug.
"The full moon..." She whispered, remembering. "But still, the tonic..."
"Remember the chocolates I bought you that morning?" He asked, cutting her off. "The ones I was a little too eager to make you eat."
"Oh, my God," She said, burying her head in her hands, then moving both slowly to back to her stomach. "I'm carrying the source's demonic spawn. Cole, what are we going to do?"
"We don't know for sure if it's the source's heir or not...only time will tell."
"Why didn't you tell me this before?" She demanded, raising her hands in an uproar.
"Because I wasn't sure, and I didn't want to worry you."
"Worry me? Cole, I could have the devil himself growing inside of me! That's something I think I deserved to know! Worrying me is the least of your problems!" Covering her mouth with her hands, she inhaled deeply.
"Look, like I said, I wasn't sure, and I guess like you, I didn't want to listen to my gut instinct that something could be wrong. I wanted to believe that this child could actually be ours, and that we could have a happy family together. Is that such a bad thing to want?"
He turned towards her, his eyes full of regret.
"No, no of course not, Baby," Phoebe said after a moment, walking over to his side and stroking his hair in consolation.
Standing, he took her into his arms, resting his chin on her head as she snuggled against his broad chest. She sighed, taking in the scent of the black turtleneck he was wearing, spicy and woody with a touch of musk. A scent that was undeniably Cole. A scent she would take to her grave. Hopefully, she wouldn't have to anytime soon.
"If the baby is...you know, the Source..."
"I know it's hard, but try not to think about too much for now. We'll figure it out soon enough, and when we do, we'll decide what to do then. Whatever happens I promise you we can get through this together. We've been through worse."
Looking down, he smiled at her for comfort, more than out of joy. Standing on her tip toes, she pulled him down into a passionate kiss, holding his head in place. When they finally came up for air, Phoebe leaned against him, her eyes half shut, their noses touching.
"You're right. We've had to deal with all sorts of demons in this family. We've even had a demon in the family," she said, playing with the fabric of his shirt. "But when I vanquished you, even though it was fake, it was hard...really hard. I love this baby, and I don't know if I can vanquish someone I love again, especially if it's for real...even if he is demonic I..."
"Who's demonic?" Paige asked, walking briskly into the kitchen.
Phoebe turned to face her younger sister, surprised by her entrance.
"Oh, uh it's nothing," Phoebe lied, "Just a little husband and wife chit chat."
Paige stopped in her tracks, tilting her head to the right, "You guys don't do that weird talk-about-each-other-in-third-person thing...do you?"
"No," Phoebe chuckled, shaking her head.
"Good, because I thought for a moment you were talking about Cole."
"No, most definitely not," Phoebe assured her, "Cole is not a demon."
"Are you sure? Because if he is I'd like to know now. Last time Cole was demonic I had to find out the hard way, and everyone thought I was nuts."
"Well you are," Cole teased, wrapping his arms around Phoebe from behind.
Paige shook her head. "You know Cole, your superb sense of humor never ceases to amaze me." She looked at her sister with raised brows, "Where ever did you find such a catch?"
"At night, in an a San Francisco alleyway."
She and Cole exchanged glances, remembering the moment.
"And that wasn't a dead giveaway? If there's one thing I've learned being Charmed it's that evil likes nothing more than to lurk in back streets of the city."
Phoebe rolled her eyes. "Well it wasn't like I found him as Balthazor attacking an innocent. He was posing as the ADA on the crime scene."
"Why does everyone in the legal system work for the bad guys?"
"Because we're all so charming and smooth-tongued," Cole answered, giving Phoebe a quick squeeze.
It was Paige's turn to roll her eyes.
"You know, Paige, I think he might be right," Phoebe said, adjusting herself to face Cole once more. "Not so much the charming part," she admitted, crinkling her nose, "But smooth-tongued," She smiled mischievously, "Definitely."
Cole returned her grin before planting another steamy kiss on her lips.
Paige made a face in disgust.
"When will you two learn that nobody finds that appealing?"
She turned away, embarrassed for her sister. When she was sure they were finished, she turned back around, grabbing a bagel out of the fridge and popping it into the toaster.
"Oh, c'mon Paige. It's nothing you haven't seen before...or done before." Phoebe added, still cuddling Cole.
"My point exactly. I've seen it one too many times."
She grabbed a plate out of one of the cabinets.
"And as far as me doing it? Well that's different..."
"I don't see how." Phoebe argued, playfully.
"All I'm saying," Paige continued, grabbing a knife out of a drawer, "Is that the make out routine is getting a bit old."
"Make out routine? Who's got a make out routine? Is it that club down the street, because let me tell you they are into some pretty kinky stuff."
Both sisters watched as the oldest of the Halliwell witches made her way to the fridge in search of something edible.
"No Piper," Phoebe said, "Paige was just...scoldingCole and I for...being in love." She finished, giving Cole a quick kiss on the lips.
Piper stared at them, mouth slightly agape. "Right...I'm not going to even comment on that."
Paige gave Phoebe an 'I told you so' look.
Just then, a soft thunk sounded.
Turning, Paige grabbed one crispy bagel half out the toaster, plopping it onto her plate.
"I gotta get outta here," Paige said, taking a bite of her breakfast and glancing at the clock.
"Where are you going? I thought you had the weekends off." Piper inquired, pouring some orange juice into a glass.
"I know," Paige sighed, "But everything at work's been in overload lately, and I have to get the paperwork together to write up some assessments. It's not a full day's work. I promise I won't be gone long."
"Take your time, there's no rush. Now that The Source is dead, hopefully for good this time, demonic activity should be at a record low." She looked to Cole, "Right?"
He nodded, stepping away from Phoebe to grab his mug off the table, taking another small sip.
"With The Source gone, the Underworld will be in chaos. It will take them a while to regroup and choose a new leader. If they ever do. The Source left no heir, so they'll have to vote in new one, and as you can imagine, demons aren't very open to the concept of democracy."
"Well thank God for that. I'd prefer they didn't elect a new leader at all, but if it takes longer...I'm just glad he left no heir. I'm not sure if I could deal with another Source right away, and the last thing we need is an attacking demon baby that's too cute to vanquish."
Phoebe knew her sister was joking, but it worried her nonetheless.
"Not that there's anything wrong with demon children." Piper added, noticing Phoebe's awkward smile.
She tried to shrug it off. "It's ok. No offense taken."
She glanced at the clock, searching for a reason to leave the house she had been so eager to live in again.
"Paige is right, it's getting late," She said, turning to Cole. "We'd better get going."
"Late? It's not even nine." Piper said, checking the clock herself. "Since when are you a morning person, especially on a Saturday?"
"Since the thing growing inside me decided it'd be fun to make mommy sick, so she'd wake up."
"Thing. That's a little harsh," Paige said, jokingly "I mean, I know it's Cole's kid, but it's not like it's the Source's evil spawn."
Cole let out a snort, trying not to spew his coffee.
"You ok?" Piper asked, moving closer.
Phoebe stopped her with a staying hand. "He's fine." She said, quickly. "We just really need to be going. I mean, I'm not even dressed, and Cole's wearing the same clothes from last night. We should really be getting home."
"Ok," Piper said, suspicious of her sister's unusual behavior. "I'll have Leo orb you guys home."
"You don't have to go get Leo. I can do it." Paige said, finishing off her bagel and tossing the plate in the sink. "I have time for one quick trip to the penthouse."
She stepped forward, holding out her hand for Phoebe to take, she did. Cole finished off his drink, placing the empty mug back on the table and entwining Phoebe's hand with his.
"Ready?" Paige asked.
Phoebe nodded and all three watched as Piper and the room faded from view in a bright blue haze.
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"Was it just me, or was Phoebe acting weird this morning?" Piper asked Paige, who was sitting on the couch reading the newest edition of Vogue. Piper herself sat in a white whicker chair opposite her sister, enjoying the sunlight that streamed through the large stain glass windows.
"If you consider her sudden urge to get out of the house and away from us weird, than no, it wasn't just you."
Piper sighed, "Maybe it's just her pregnancy hormones kicking in. I don't want to look too much into it."
"I don't know," her sister said, flipping ahead a few pages, "My instincts tell me something isn't right. I can't just ignore them. You know what happened the last time I thought something was wrong."
"I know, I know, but I think I might have just hit a nerve when I mentioned demonic offspring."
Paige closed her magazine, making eye contact with Piper for the first time in the conversation.
"Yeah, well, it's not your fault she had to go and get pregnant with Cole's baby."
Piper shook in head in disapproval.
"He is her husband Paige. It's not like she was sleeping around with some random guy."
"I know, but I still don't like it. Cole's never given me the best vibes."
"Yeah, well you haven't exactly been open to them, have you?"
Paige glared at her older sister, arms folded across her chest.
"He hasn't been human for more than a day," She argued, "If he manages to stay un-demonic for a month or two, then I'll start to consider the possibility of friendship, but until then..."
For awhile, the only sound was the rustle of the Paige's magazine and the occasional noise of approval from the young witch when she saw something of interest.
Piper was looking out the window, deep in thought.
"I still feel like there's something she's not telling us," Paige said, unintentionally. It was just a random thought that had managed to form words.
"I feel the same way," Piper responded, still looking out at the yard
Standing, Paige placed the magazine down on the low, rectangular table in front of her. "Should we call her on it?" She asked, stretching.
Piper shook her head, standing as well.
"No, we'll just end up pushing her away. If something's really wrong she'll come to us in time."
"But what if it's too late by then?"
"Phoebe will let us know if it's really that serious. I promise." Piper said, placing a hand on Paige's shoulder. "Let get outta here and do something fun for a change."
"Piper? Wants to have fun? And I thought Phoebe was the one acting strange."
Piper gave Paige a playful smack, but realized her sister was right. Lately, she'd been so busy being the oldest sister and running a household and a club, that she'd forgotten to take time off to enjoy little things, like a day of shopping with your sister. All the Source incidents and Phoebe moving out had made it that much harder to find time for fun, but now was the perfect opportunity. Hopefully, a day on the town would help her put her at ease about the Phoebe situation. She figured she would find out soon enough, probably sooner than she'd like.
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Halfway across town, Phoebe paced nervously past the fireplace. She had changed out of her pajamas and into a white, form fitting, long sleeved shirt and a pair of light wash jeans. Her feet were bare, making little noise on the sand colored carpet.
Cole sat at the glass table next to the balcony doors, his briefcase open, exposing hoards of legal documents that he needed to attend to. Good thing his job hadn't been just a cover, or they'd be living back at the manor. It took a good deal of money to rent the penthouse, but it was worth it. Before, privacy was nonexistent. Sure, he had nothing to hide anymore, but having Phoebe all to himself was not something he wanted to give up anytime soon.
"Do you think they suspect something?" Phoebe asked, after the silence had become unbearable.
"Who honey?"
"My sisters."
Cole continued to work, listening.
"I mean, wasn't it weird how they didn't even ask us to stay, and Piper didn't offer to make us breakfast, and it was awfully nice of Paige to orb us here instead of Leo, and they kept mentioning demons and babies and the source, and..."
"Ok, you know what?" Cole said, standing. "I think you need to calm down."
"You're right," She sighed, plopping down on the tan, suede armchair close by. "I'm just really worried about the baby. I know you told me to forget about it, but it's kind of hard to forget something like that. You just can't forget about a baby growing inside you, especially when that baby has the potential to turn you and your family evil."
By now, Cole had made his way across the room. He stopped in front of her chair and extended his arms, offering to help her up. She accepted his offer, wrapping her arms around his waist and resting her head on the dark blue sweater he now wore.
He rocked her gently back and forth, speaking softly into her ear.
"Now you listen to me. No one's going to turn this family evil. I'll make sure of that."
"You said that in order to find out about the baby we'd have to wait and see." She pulled back a bit, so she could look up at him without straining. "What exactly are we waiting for? What are the signs?"
He thought for a moment. "Well, anything out of the ordinary I guess."
"Throwing fire is ordinary? There's something about pregnancy you don't hear everyday." Her voice was joking, but her face remained serious.
Cole didn't answer. He knew she was right that something was wrong. He could deny it no longer. When she had first told him of her new demonic power, he brushed it off, assuming that when he was in utero he'd done the same thing. That of course was impossible since he didn't develop his powers until later. He was at least five or six. Besides, fire throwing was an upper level power, not something someone only a quarter demon would have. As much as he hated to admit it, this baby was not his.
This baby was The Source.
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Liljdpegasuschic160: Cliffhanger!!! Sorry, but I thought it'd be a good place to stop. I won't be updating for a while. Nothing drastic like a month or anything, but proabbly a couple of weeks. Summer vacation will be over before I know it, and I'm only half way through 'Grapes of Wrath', I haven't even bought my second summer reading book yet, and I haven't done any of the questions! So, school unforunately comes first...even in the summer. sigh Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I'm trying hard to stay in character and true to the Charmed Universe, so I've been watching a bunch of episodes lately for reasearch (or atleast that's what I tell everybody). People that write out of character is one of my pet peeves, so if I'm doing just that I'm sorry. Ok, well keep the reviews coming and the next chapter will be up before you know it!