A/N:
Thanks for the reviews.
silver-star-0 thanks for the offering to help with my editing and I sent you a message about how we can do that.
sg90210 no problem I want to make Cole an active part of the family and even help when it comes to the demon fighting. I found a solution for the problem of him not having powers and it should work pretty well as we will see in coming chapters.
Chapter 29
Lousestone
Wyatt's screams shot through the house as his playpen was moving towards some kind of vortex that hovered above the ground. "Leo!" Piper yelled as she hung on for dear life to the door frame that went into the living room. The vortex was sucking everything into it; pillows, sofa cushions and baby toys were just some of the objects entering its mouth. Prue was also hanging on to the door frame on the other side as their feet hung helplessly in the air and they were now horizontal. "Wyatt orb!" Prue yelled as Phoebe and Paige ran down the stairs because of the commotion. A man wearing ancient Roman attire was standing next to the vortex. "Dammit I can't use my power without letting go!" Prue yelled over the sound of howling wind as Phoebe and Paige found themselves off their feet and hanging onto the staircase banister. Wyatt shield went up but he was still moving towards the vortex as Lousestone stood beside his creation with a pleased look on his face.
"No Leo dammit get down here!" Piper screamed at the top of her lungs as her son moved closer. Leo orbed in with Andy and near Lousestone but found themselves flying backwards and hitting the wall hard as Lousestone used some kind of lightning bolt on them. Both men were too dazed to get up quickly and Piper has no choice but to save her son on her own. She let go of the doorframe and went towards the vortex, grabbing hold of the playpen as she skidded on the floor. The sound of gunshots firing and Lousestone body jerking would cause the vortex to dissipate as Cole came in from behind him and kept firing a gun while walking towards the demon. The bullets exited his body along with streams of blood as he unloaded his entire clip into him. Lousestone went to his knees and shimmered away as Piper got to her feet and picked up her son, holding him close while the signs of hyperventilating were beginning to subside. The others also regained they composure and all of them went into the living room. Cole smiled wide at the fact that he stopped him and even blow on the tip of the gun as some white smoke came out of the barrel.
"I might not have powers but I can still kick some ass," He said while Leo and Andy were getting up slowly but were clearly hurt.
"Leo," Piper's voice was hoarse from yelling as she ran to him.
His left shoulder was bleeding badly and his clothes were still smoking from the lightning bolt that hit him and Andy. "Ouch," He said as his wife helped him up and onto the couch that was missing its cushions.
"What the fuck was that?" Phoebe said and got a stern look from Piper," Oh sorry baby."
Prue helped Andy up and could see a small gash on his forehead from hitting the wall.
"You guys need to be healed, can you orb?" Prue asks while helping Andy over to where Leo was.
"No," Both men answered.
"Paige could you take them up?" Piper asks and her baby sister nodded. Paige put one hand on Leo and one on Andy and they orbed away.
Piper started to pick things up but would not put her baby back in the playpen. Wyatt stopped crying and started playing with her necklace as she picked up a cushion for the couch.
"Cole where the hell did you get that?" Phoebe said as he put the gun back in his pocket.
"Hay I need to protect myself and you," He answered defensively.
"I don't like guns and we don't need it," She replied as she helped Piper.
"I don't know Phoebe if it wasn't for him, Piper and Wyatt would have went into the vortex," Prue chimed in defending Cole's actions.
"It was Lousestone and I would have been back in Rome, and trust me that is the last place I want to go back too," Piper said as she sat down on the couch.
Phoebe was in a dilemma, she hated guns for obvious reasons but her sisters seemed to be on the side of her boyfriend and in a way they were right.
"Cole I understand but bullets don't kill demons," She said as she moved a small table back to its rightful place.
Prue tilted her head a bit and blinked a few times until finally widening her eyes," No but potions can, what if we filled the bullets with potion?" She asks while raising her eyebrows.
"That's not a bad idea," Piper said as she pulled the necklace out of her son's mouth and he was not happy about it. He orbed it off her neck and into his hands," Wyatt no you will choke," She said and took it out of his hands.
"Oh here he goes," Phoebe said and readied herself for a piercing cry. Wyatt's eyes closed tightly as tears streamed out the small corners. There seem to be a delay between his tears and sounds as a few seconds passed and he started wailing. "Oh sweetie it's ok," Piper said and got up to find him something else to play with. She hated to hear him cry it reminded her of when she was away from him and it was paralyzing. Phoebe found a small plastic toy that looked like a dog and handed it to him but his cries continued. "Ok he wants the necklace," Phoebe said as she tickled his stomach but nothing would appease him except for what he truly wanted.
"No he will choke on it Phoebe," Piper said trying to speak over her son's crying.
"Ok then he will do that for a long time, and i already have a headache," Prue said as she took the necklace out of Piper's hands.
"Prue."
"It will be fine Piper he will not choke," Prue replied as she handed it to Wyatt and he stopped crying but still sniffled a bit as he was trying to calm himself.
Paige with Leo and Andy orbed back in and were completely healed. Leo went to Piper's side immediately and the anxiety he was filling for being away from her was going away. Andy walked over to Prue and Paige sat down while looking at the mess," Oh screw it," She said and recanted the spell that's great for cleaning messes. Everything went back to the way it was before the vortex and not even Piper protested mostly because she was watching her son intensely as he played with the necklace. Leo put his hand on Wyatt's head and smiled lovingly. "You ok buddy?"
"Yeah he's a trooper," Phoebe said with a smile and headed for the kitchen," God I need a drink."
"So how do we vanquish him?" Cole asks.
"There is a potion in the kitchen that Darryl and a witch we helped a couple years ago made, I just forgot about while we were in heaven," Piper replied and followed Phoebe.
"We should just summon his sorry ass and kill him," Paige said as she followed everyone else into Piper's sanctuary.
"Wait he used lightning I don't remember him having that power in the book," Leo said as she rubbed his once injured shoulder.
"Ok then we summon his sorry ass and torture him until he talks," Paige chimed in as she sat down.
"When you guys were taken there was a witch that could sense portals, she walked around the house and said that Andy was first then Prue, but she also mentioned a W and a robe," Leo said.
Piper wrinkled her face trying to understand what that meant as she put Wyatt into the baby carrier on the kitchen island." Ok I think the W is an upside down M and we all know what that means, but for the robe I have no idea."
"What demon uses lightning?" Phoebe asks as she got a drink of water.
"None only elders," Leo replied and his stomach overturned.
"Elders?" Piper said as her did the same.
"Piper doesn't it mean anything, he could have gotten it from the source or something else."
"Right because they have never tried anything like this before," Piper replied and put her hands on her hips while looking up to the ceiling.
Prue put her hand on Piper's shoulder and was a little taken back at the comment," Piper they have never tried to kill us."
"They took Leo away from me why wouldn't they," Piper replied coldly as she looked into her older sister's eyes.
"Honey please don't go there I agree with Prue, they wouldn't do this it has to be something else." Phoebe said.
Piper just bit her lower lip and looked away from them and into Wyatt's red wet eyes as he played with her necklace.
"Well summon him and find out what he knows, I need to go to the club. I have a band that wants to play there next week and I need as many bands as possible to get back on our feet," Piper said and picked up the baby carrier.
"Piper we can take care of him while you're gone," Phoebe said and Piper left the room without saying a word.
"Leo I thought you were going to talk to her?" Prue asks.
Leo rubbed the back of his head and looked away," I did but she won't listen to me, listen I need to go with her if you need anything just call ok," He said and walked away.
Prue rolled her eyes and sat down and cradled her face with her hands on the table. "They both have serious separation anxiety."
"I know but we need to find out if he is working for anyone so we should summon him," Andy said as he rubbed Prue's back.
"I will get the crystals ready," Paige chimed in and headed for the attic.
"We got to get Piper to let go a little or we are going to have some big problems," Phoebe said as Cole stood next to her.
"I know, Cole while Paige is getting the crystals ready I will make some potions you can use in your bullets," Prue said and stood up to get to work.
"Thanks Prue," Cole said and pulled out an extra clip from his back pocket.
Phoebe felt uneasy about the whole gun situation but they needed all the help they could get right now. "I will help Paige," She said and grabbed the potion to kill Lousestone and headed for the attic as well.
"When does Paige start therapy?" Cole asks as he used a knife to cut away the bullets tip and poured out the black powder.
"Tomorrow thank god, but Piper keeps putting hers off and so does Phoebe," Prue replied as she got a pot ready.
"I need to go," Andy said as he kissed Prue on the cheek.
"Is a charge calling?"
"Yeah sorry honey but call me if you need anything ok?" Andy said and orbed away as Prue tried to kiss him back.
"Ok now I can see why Piper got a little irritated with that," Prue said as she put ingredients into the pot. Cole snorted as he remembered Piper's facial expressions whenever Leo would orb away in the middle of a kiss.
"You know the underworld knows about you now," Cole said as he took out another bullet.
Prue took in a deep breath as she stirred the contents in the pot." I know and it will either keep them at bay knowing there is four of us now."
"Or they will unite," Cole interrupted.
"Yeah and that's what scares me."
Prue put the pot on the burner as Cole continued his process of readying the empty shells to receive the potion once it was complete.
Up in the attic Paige was putting the crystals in a circle as Phoebe stood behind the book of shadows. She watched her baby sister move around the room," God Paige please talk to me," She thought. Paige has not said anything to them about what happened to her, and whenever they would ask she would just close up and walk away. Paige looked older, her face had so many emotional scars on them that if there were visible she probably would not have a face at all. Paige started her temp job yesterday and came home in the middle of lunch and just ran past them to her room. They tried to talk to her but she just locked herself in the bathroom and took a long shower. She went back to work afterwards and said she spilled coffee on herself and needed to clean up. But Phoebe could tell she was lying as she would not look into her eye's a family trait unfortunately.
"Ok all done," Paige said and Phoebe looked at the summoning spell for him.
"I think we should wait for Prue."
"Why?"
"We might meet her power Paige," Phoebe replied.
Paige folded her arms and stood off center and did a slight roll with her eyes," fine."
"Paige what's wrong?"
"Nothing I just think we can do this on our own."
"And I don't."
"Well I do."
Phoebe let out a sigh as she closed the book." Paige I know that you are new to this but we can't take any chances."
"First of all I'm not new at this I have been a witch for two years and I know what I am doing," Paige replied as her face flushed.
"And I'm not saying you don't but we have been at this longer, we wait for Prue," Phoebe said firmly as footsteps could be heard from outside.
Prue walked in with Cole in tow," Ok let's do this," Prue said and Paige moved away from Phoebe. Prue could see that Paige was upset about something but it would have to wait.
Piper was cleaning the bar at the club as Leo played with Wyatt. There was dust everywhere and some tables and chairs were turned over. She opens next week and she only had one band that would play on Saturday. She also put an ad in the paper for hiring waitresses and bartenders as well as a new manager. It was like starting all over again but at least she didn't have a lawsuit to deal with. She felt bad about accusing the Elders for trying to kill them, but the truth of the matter was she never really forgave them for taking Leo away from her. She almost died from that and although she never told her sister's that she even contemplated suicide when it happened, that fear would always be there. The Elders would do what they want especially if it was for the greater good, no matter what they did to her or the family. She could hear Leo laughing as he lifted his son over his head and swirled him around. Wyatt's laugh was contagious and she could not help but join in. Leo walked over to her as she smiled wide at him and he put Wyatt on the bar in a sitting position.
"What will it be buddy?" She said as she wiped off the counter.
"We will have a bottle of your best milk and a beer for me smitty," Leo replied.
"Smitty?" Piper asks confused.
"Yeah that's what I used to call all bartenders when I was in the war," Leo replied.
"Are you going to tell me all your woes?" Piper asks and put her arms on the counter while tilting her head.
"No smitty not today," Leo replied and leaned in for a kiss. Piper returned his gesture and went back to cleaning after she got a bottle of milk for the baby and her husband a beer. It was nice to have these moments back in her life a sense of safety and normalcy that she desired so much. But the problems they were facing were more crippling then they all originally thought. She knew that she had a problem stepping away from her son and Leo had a problem stepping away from her.
"You have an appointment tomorrow, we both do," Leo said as he feeds his son.
"I know," She replied and felt anxious already.
Back at the manner Phoebe read off the spell and Lousestone materialized in front of them apparently still tending his wounds but for the most part he was healed.
"Shit," He said as he looked at the three sisters and the man who shot him. Cole had his hand on the gun but did not have it out.
"You bet," Prue said and walked over to the invisible cage that he was now standing in.
"You can't hurt me," He said and put his hands out to use his power but an electrical shock went through him as Prue put the crystal back down and he went to his knees in pain.
"Listen we don't have the patience so just talk, who sent you for me, Andy and my sisters?" Prue demanded and kept her hand on the crystal. He looked at her with both fear and loathing.
"They will kill me," He answered.
"Hay dumb ass so will we," Paige chimed in.
"How did you get that power?" Phoebe asks.
"What power?"
Prue pulled out the crystal and pushed it back causing him to get electrocuted again, he screamed out in pain and was now on all fours.
"The lightning bolt," Prue asks as she kept a vigilant eye on him.
"You have no idea what you're up against," He answered and was engulfed in white flame.
"Prue what are you doing?" Phoebe asks.
"Nothing it's not me," Prue replied and he was gone. All that remained was ashes in the crystal circle.
"Ok we have never seen a white flame before," Cole said as he looked at the spot that once held Lousestone.
"What did he mean we have no idea what were up against?" Paige chimed in.
Prue stood up and sat down." Well let's just say it's never good."
To be continued...
