Disclaimer: Don't own Charmed

Chapter 11: The Plot Thickens

"Ooof," Phoebe exclaimed as she landed hard on her butt. She sat there dazed for a moment, unsure of what had happened. After a few moments, Phoebe noticed her sisters and Cole were also moving out of their dazed stupor to her right.

"Anyone have any idea where the hell we are?" Paige asked, getting to her feet.

"Valhalla," Cole answered, helping Phoebe up. "Follow me; we'll go to palace."

"Palace?" Piper asked, falling in behind Cole. "I don't remember there being a …Palace." The last word was said with awe, as the sisters came into sight of a large Parthenon like building.

The Valkyrie Palace was completely crafted out of marble. It sparkled in the moonlight like a giant pearl. The sisters stood for a moment, just staring.

"It's beautiful," Piper sighed. "Why didn't I see it last time I was here?"

"It's the home of the royal family," Cole explained. "Regular warriors generally aren't invited for a few years."

"Cole!" a voice cried. A young woman, dressed in a long white satin robe, ran up to Cole and wrapped her arms around him. "I was worried about you. Where have you been?"

"Tarayna," Cole began, "meet the Charmed Ones. This is Piper, Paige, and Phoebe."

"Phoebe," was all the Tarayna said.

"Yes." The look in Cole's eyes was one of pleading. Tarayna knew that they would talk about it later, so she dropped the subject.

"I'm Tarayna; Cole's wife." The revelation hit Phoebe like a ton of bricks. While she still held a lot of anger against Cole, there were still some good feelings there too. "Let's go inside. We can talk in there."

"Shouldn't we be getting back," Paige interrupted. "I mean, leaving those three to their own devices with the Book of Shadows seems like a bad idea."

"No," Piper said, "we need a plan first. Those three are going to be a real force to be reckoned with."

"Then it's settled," Tarayna broke in again, "you'll leave in the morning. Come, we need to talk."

The inside of the palace was even more magnificent than the outside. The palace was mostly open air, with drapes around the outside, in case of rain. The furniture was all made out of light white linen that gave a cool spring feeling. Tarayna led the sisters to a side room that overlooked the ocean. In one corner sat a basinet.

"Maria has missed you," Tarayna told Cole as she moved to the basinet.

"Who's Maria?" Phoebe asked, still stung from the previous conversation.

"Our daughter," Cole told her, looking slightly abashed. "Listen, why don't you three get some rest, and we can talk in the morning." Cole looked at Tarayna, hinting she should take the sisters. She stood firm. Cole snapped his fingers, calling for one of the Valkyrie's male slaves. "Take these two to the rooms in the east wing; then come back for Phoebe."

The sisters left, and Cole and Tarayna had a serious staring contest. "I should check the rest of the warriors. I'll be back." It was obvious that Tarayna and Cole would be fighting later.

"You're dating a Valkyrie?" Phoebe asked, for lack of a better question.

"She's half witch, but yes. We met when I was exiled here." There was a long awkward pause, before Cole broke the silence. "I did love you."

"Did?" Phoebe was shocked by his use of past tense.

"It wasn't meant to be. I couldn't take care of you. You deserve someone better. I have a life here now. I'm sorry."

"She's beautiful," Phoebe changed the subject, as she stared into the basinet. Deep down she was thinking of her and Cole's demon child, the one that had been vanquished. She wanted a daughter so bad, and now Tarayna was the mother of the child that should be hers.

"She's a real mutt," Cole laughed. "One quarter demon, one quarter Valkyrie, one quarter witch, and one quarter human. It'll be interesting what kind of powers she develops."

"I should get some sleep," Phoebe announced.

"Yeah," Cole agreed, knowing how painful this was for her. "We'll make the plans in the morning.

Wyatt woke up about an hour after Chris and Bella had left. He rose up from the ground, rubbing his head. "What have I done?" he muttered, gazing around at the room.

"Made a great mistake," Alpha stated, moving toward Wyatt. "Your brother seems to have taken a bit too well to the temptation of evil. He, along with his girlfriend, is now a great threat; even more so than when he was good. You must find a way to turn him back, even if it means working with the Charmed Ones."

"How would I convince them to do that? There's no way they would trust me." Wyatt was pacing the attic, trying to find a way to fix things.

"Give them a day to see the havoc your brother can reach. After that, they'll be begging you for your help. I must return to the collective. It's nearing time for the transformation. You must get your brother and the girl back to the future quick. Goodbye."

"Time to fix this," Wyatt decided, and orbed away, hopefully to Valhalla.

Bella and Chris were in the lowest level of a parking garage on the farthest side of town. The two stood over a witch pleading for her life.

"Please," the young witch pleaded. Her face was streaked with tears, and she was covered in blood. It was apparent that the duo had been torturing her. She had hundreds of tiny scratches littering her body, and a large burn mark on her upper right thigh.

"Can I kill her yet?" Bella asked hungry for the kill.

"No," Chris ordered, putting out a restraining arm, "I will. It's the only way to solidify Wyatt's spell. Chris advanced on the incapacitated witch, choking her telekinetically.

"Wait," Bella said, in Andy's voice. She grasped his arm, and her grip tightened as a pain shot through her body. Bella doubled over due to the pain. Slowly, Bella began to shrink to her normal size, and transform back to Andy. "Don't kill her."

"Bella," Chris yelled, grabbing both her shoulders. "You can fight it. Give in to your desires. Let all the pain fuel your power. Let go."

Andy tried to fight to remain in her body, but was soon overwhelmed. Bella regained control of her body, but Andy had accomplished her purpose. While Chris was occupied in trying to regain his demon, the witch had escaped.