Chapter Three

The next morning, Clara was up before the rest of the family. As the others trudged into the kitchen, they realized Clara had made them all breakfast, including the boys.

"Oh, honey, you didn't have to make us all this." Paige said as she sat down next to Phoebe at the kitchen table. Clara set a plate of eggs and toast in front of each of her aunts, mother, and uncle and a bowl of oatmeal in front of each of her cousins.

"It was nothing, Aunt Paige. You guys have a lot to do today. Besides you should have something more than coffee every morning. Just a future tip." Clara poured coffee into all the mugs and sat down next to Phoebe.

"Honey, I have today off. Do you want to hang out later?" Phoebe asked.

"Yeah, that would great." Clara said excitedly.

"Cool." Phoebe answered as the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it." Leo said, putting his fork down.

"I wonder who could be at the door at this hour." Piper said as Leo entered in to the kitchen again.
"Phoebe, this may be a bad time, but there is a guy at the door for you." Leo said. Phoebe got up and hurried into the foyer. Clara rolled her eyes and smiled.

"I want to see how this goes." She said, sneaking into the dining room. She peeked around the corner and watched Phoebe accept flowers from the admirer. Her mother smiled as she closed the door. Clara turned to run back into the kitchen but ran right into Piper and Paige, who were also snooping. They all fell over and Phoebe stared at them.
"What are you all doing?" she asked setting her flowers on the table and reaching her hand out to her daughter. Clara grabbed it and got up.

"Well. Aunt Piper and Aunt Paige were spying." Clara said.

"And what were you doing?" Paige asked, putting her hands on her hips.

"I was…um, checking out Mom's boyfriend." Clara said, making up an answer. Piper and Paige smirked.

"He's just a guy from work. Nothing special… yet." Phoebe beamed, kissing her daughter and heading up stairs.

"So, does it get serious?" Paige questioned. Clara chuckled.

"Are you kidding? She dumps this dude for Dad. Besides, this guy, he ends up losing his job at the paper and running the ice cream truck on Maple." Clara said, going back into the kitchen as Piper and Paige continued to laugh. But they didn't know is that someone was listening.

Somewhere deep in the Underworld, a young warlock entered into the Coronation Hall of Demons. He checked to make sure the cost was clear before pulling a loose rock out of the cold stone floor. He pulled out a yellowing piece of paper. On the parchment, was written a resurrection spell from the Gremoir, the evil equivalent of the Book of Shadows, for the demon Belthazar. The warlock set out a circle of bones and began to chant in ancient demonic tongues.

"E Uba De Carth Vell Libt Agu Domin

Uba Sabia Wilum Um Le Delambta Demon Belthazar"

Huge flames erupted from the circle and as they died away, in the fire's place, stood the demon Belthazar in his human form.

"My liege, I have had spies running secretly through the Halliwell home for the last couple of days and it seems that your ex-wife , the Charmed One, had brought a future descendent of hers back in time. I figured after being vanquished by the witch, you might want to take your revenge upon the child." He knelt at Belthazar's feet cowardly. The demon grinned.

"Thank you, Barr. But please refer to me as Cole from now on. The last thing I need is the Council on my back." Cole smiled evilly and he shimmered away.

It was that evening after dinner when Clara decided to ask her mother the question she had been longing to ask.

"Mom, did you love Cole?" Clara asked bluntly as the two of them sat out on the patio. Phoebe quickly swallowed her tea before she answered.

"Why do you want to know?" Phoebe asked.

"Well, I asked Aunt Piper and she said that the two of you were really into each other and you two almost every night…" Phoebe interrupted her.

"Ok, enough about stuff I already know and I am slightly uncomfortable that my fifteen year old daughter knows about it." Phoebe answered. Clara chuckled.

"You still haven't answered my question." Clara said.

"Honey, Cole was the love of my life. It just seems like the magic died away when I was always choosing between him and my sisters. Then the lying about being the Source. It was too much."

Phoebe said.

"Do you think you two would still be married if he hadn't been the Source?" Clara asked.

"I don't know, sweetie. It was hard to bear with. So we vanquished him and then he found a way back, then I divorced him, and then Paige vanquished. He's been vanquished for over four years now." Phoebe informed her.

"Five years on Tuesday." A voice sounded throughout the yard, a voice that Phoebe knew all too well.

"What is this?" Phoebe asked, panicked. Cole walked out onto the patio, casting his shadow over them.

Phoebe jumped up and slid in front of Clara.

"Clara, this is Cole. Cole, this is my daughter." Phoebe said, angrily.

"Well, Phoebe, unless you had a child long before we were together, then that's not possible." Cole answered.

"From the future, doorknob." Clara mumbled. Phoebe gave her a look.

"Sharp tongue, just like her mother." Cole said, walking slowly toward them.

"Take one more step, Cole, and I swear I will send you straight back to Hell, mark my words." Phoebe sentenced.

"Phoebe," Cole said soothingly, "I have no intention of hurting you. I just want you back. Always have, and thanks to a loyal subject, I get that chance." Cole said.

"Never." Phoebe hissed.

"Well, we will see." Cole said. He shimmered and reappeared behind Clara. He grabbed her and wrapped his arms around her tightly.

"Come to me when you have come to your senses about us. I will take her with me." Cole smiled evilly. Clara struggled to breathe.

"Mom, help!" she shrieked with her last ounce of energy before she passed out.

Cole shimmered away just as Paige and Piper ran outside.

"What the…?" Paige asked as he disappeared.

"We need the book. Cole's back and he's got Clara." Phoebe said as calmly as she was able and the sisters ran up to the attic.