I am very, VERY sorry it's been so long since I've updated. Real life, as well as writer's block, kind of got in my way. If I still have any readers, please let me know what you think! This story IS winding down, and I think my writer's block is broken now so I should be able to finish it up soon. Again, all apologies for the delay!!!!
"Okay -- I think that's everything." Hannah says, setting a large box down on the floor in her and Nicholas' new condo. "Wow -- we're really doing this."
"You're not sorry are you?" Nicholas asks.
"Not one bit." Hannah says, pulling Nicholas into a kiss. "It's gonna take some getting used to. I mean -- the only other person I've ever lived with is Diana, back when we were in college. I've pretty much been on my own ever since -- I'll try not to be too much of a pain."
"You could never be a pain." Nicholas tells her. He takes Hannah into his arms and pulls her down onto the sofa, kissing her the entire time.
"Hello! Anybody home?" Phoebe asks, peeking her head in the door several minutes later.
"Ever hear of knocking, Mom?" Nicholas asks as he and Hannah sit up. "I know it's not that common of a practice in our family, but it's still considered good manners."
"Sorry." Phoebe says. "So, did you get everything moved in?"
"I think so. I took the weekend off so that I could unpack and get the place organized." Hannah says.
"Well, I'm here to help, whatever you need me to do." Phoebe tells them.
"Where's Dad?" Nicholas asks.
"He's -- at home. With the twins." Phoebe tells him.
"Figures. You know Mom, you need to tell him to just get over it already. Hannah's living with me now. And if he wants any kind of relationship with me, he's just going to have to accept that." Nicholas tells her.
"He's trying, Nick. Give him time, he'll come around." Phoebe says. "So, where do we start?"
"All of these boxes go upstairs." Hannah says.
"Well, I'll get started then." Phoebe says, and she picks up a box and heads up the stairs.
"Nicholas, I don't know what I've done to make your dad hate me. I've been nothing but nice to him." Hannah says.
"He doesn't hate you. It has nothing to do with that at all." Nicholas says. "He's just -- not happy with ME about something, and he's taking it out on you. I'm sorry."
"I don't want to cause friction in your family Nick, and --" Hannah begins, but Nicholas puts his finger up against her lips to quiet her.
"This is NOT your fault. This is between me and my dad. And I'm sorry that you're caught in the middle." Nicholas says.
"I better get started with the unpacking, if it's not done this weekend I don't know when I'll have time." Hannah says, heading up the stairs. She passes Phoebe, who is coming down the stairs to grab another box.
"I'll be up to help in a minute, honey." Nicholas tells her as she leaves the room. Phoebe glares at him a bit. "DON'T start, Mom."
"Nicholas -- I have never once told you how to live your life or what choices to make. But you CANNOT continue this charade, especially now that it's obvious where your relationship with Hannah is going. You have to tell her the truth about yourself." Phoebe insists.
"No, Mom. I LOVE her. And if she finds out what I really am, then -- she's going to hate me. She is the ONLY woman I've ever been with that truly understands me -- that really knows what it's like to have the abilities that I have. We fit together, Mom. Just like you and Dad."
"The only difference is, your father and I were open and honest with one another from day one. I knew who and what he was from the first time we went out together. He trusted me enough to believe that I wouldn't pass judgment on him -- that I would accept him for the kind, loving man he truly was. You haven't even given Hannah that choice. You must not have any faith in her at all." Phoebe says.
"It's not that simple." Nicholas says.
"It was that simple when the two of you first started seeing one another. The only reason it's complicated NOW is because you've been living a lie. And lies always have a way of catching up with us, Nicholas, no matter how hard we try to cover them up. Hannah IS going to find out the truth someday Nicholas. If you had told her the truth right from the beginning, and she rejected you, then I would say that she was a fool, and it was her loss. But now -- if she rejects you now once she finds out -- you have no one to blame but yourself."
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"It's all there. If you don't trust me, go ahead and count it yourself." Cole says to the man standing in his kitchen as he hands him a bag. The man looks in the bag.
"And when do I get another payment?" the man asks.
"When you have something WORTH paying for." Cole says.
"I could get executed for this, you know -- assisting a traitor." the man says.
"Like that's ever bothered you before." Cole tells him, just as Stella enters the room.
"Well -- who is this lovely young lady?" the man asks, moving toward Stella. Cole grabs the man forcefully and shoves him against the wall.
"If you ever so much as LOOK at my daughter again, it will be the last thing you ever do." Cole says, gritting his teeth as Stella backs away nervously.
"I'll be in touch then." the man says, and he shimmers away.
"Daddy -- who was that?" Stella asks.
"A demon." Cole replies.
"I got that much. WHY was he here?" Stella asks.
"I hired him to look for clues about what happened to your mother." Cole says.
"You hired a DEMON? You really have gone off the deep end." Stella remarks. "What if he turns on you?"
"Surgat won't turn on me -- he's a rogue demon. He doesn't answer to anyone but himself. He's a lower level demon who will play for the highest bidder, always. Trust me, even as a witch I'm far more powerful than he is and he knows it." Cole tells her.
"Witches don't make deals with demons, Daddy. If you ever want the elders to accept you as one, you should know that." Stella tells him.
"The elders have had twenty-three years to acknowledge me, and it still hasn't happened. You think I give a damn what they think?" Cole asks. "If they were of any use, they'd be able to tell me what happened to your mother."
"Some things even THEY can't control Daddy, you know that." Stella says. "Where are Skye and Sara? We're supposed to have a training session today."
"They're not here." Cole replies.
"I figured that much when I went to their rooms and they were gone. Where are they?" Stella asks.
"I told them they could spend the weekend at Ben's." Cole says.
"Daddy, we have SO much work to do, they KNEW that we were going to --"
"Of course they knew. Why do you think they asked to LEAVE here this weekend?" Cole says, an angry tone in his voice.
"Daddy, we have GOT to restore the Power of Three. Skye still hasn't developed her powers fully, and Sara is too busy gushing over boys to even CARE." Stella tells him.
"They're just KIDS, Stella. The Power of Three wasn't supposed to be your destiny until all of you came into adulthood. It's too much to ask of them. They're already having a hard enough time as it is, dealing with their mother's disappearance. They don't need you constantly harassing them." Cole says sternly. "You talk about me going off the deep end, Stella? You're teetering on the edge there just as much as I am. This constant obsession of yours with training and boosting your powers -- it's gone beyond anything your mother or your aunts EVER did. If you're not here working out, you're at the gym."
"I make good money as a personal trainer, Daddy." Stella tells him.
"But what about your career, Stella? What about college? What about Robin?" Cole asks.
"College will have to wait. And I told you -- it's over with Robin. It never would have worked out anyway." Stella says.
"So that's why I hear you crying in your room at night? Because it never would have worked out?" Cole asks, and Stella says nothing. "You're turning into her."
"Who?" Stella asks.
"Prue. You're letting Prue take over. I guess it's easier than dealing with your life -- just let the past one have a go at it."
"I don't know what you're talking about." Stella says, and Cole grabs her forcefully and stares straight at her.
"You already had your chance at life, Prue. You need to stop being such a controlling bitch and let my daughter deal with things on her OWN! You can't fix everything!" Cole screams at her, and Stella waves her hand and throws him forcefully against the wall with the kind of force Prue would have used with her powers.
"Oh my god! Oh Daddy, I'm so sorry, are you okay?" Stella asks, rushing to Cole's side and helping him stand up.
"Still don't think Prue's influencing you? Since when have you had THAT power?" Cole asks.
"I -- I don't know how I did that." Stella says.
"You didn't. Prue did. Look, I know that you and your Aunt Prue had this little bonding experience when you almost died, but you can't let her push you around. This isn't her life -- it's yours." Cole says.
"What if she's right, though? What if my soul really is destined to be -- alone?" Stella asks.
"Your Aunt Prue was never one to see the bright side of things, Stella. You've never been like that. And you're not alone, honey. But you will be if you keep pushing everyone who loves you away." Cole tells her. "Or do you want to end up just like your Aunt Piper?"
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"Why have you summoned me here?" the Shaman asks, appearing in Piper's house.
"I need your help. I understand from my research that you can provide me with a soul catcher." Piper tells him. "My daughter -- her soul is lost. I want her to come back to me. I want her to join me."
"I can help you." the Shaman says. "For the right price."
"I will pay whatever you ask." Piper says.
"You do understand that once I have obtained your daughter's soul, she will need a vessel in which to reside. I assume you prefer it to be a human vessel." the Shaman says. "That will cost extra."
"I understand. I want my daughter back -- and I will do whatever it takes to make that happen." Piper tells him.
"It may take some time. Obtaining your daughter's soul won't be a problem, but finding just the right vessel -- that may prove to be difficult." the Shaman tells her. "I assume you prefer another female. Ideally, she will be near your daughter's age, and some connection to the magical world would be preferred. If you wish for her to stay with you -- it would be much easier to find a vessel that is easily swayed toward evil."
"This -- vessel? What will happen to her?" Piper asks.
"I will give her an ancient drug from my ancestors -- one that induces a death-like sleep. A sleep that will eventually lead to her death if she is not given the potion to remedy this state. Just at the brink of death, at the moment her soul leaves her body, your daughter's soul will take her place. The vessel's soul will then be the one that is wandering. She will probably be angry, so it is wise to immediately trap her soul so that she won't cause you any harm."
"Sounds perfect. And I don't think you'll have to look very hard to find just the right vessel. I think I know exactly who it should be." Piper tells him. "In fact -- I think I have a picture." Piper goes to a photo album and pulls out a picture and hands it to the Shaman. "Find her -- and bring her to me." Piper says. It is a photo of Elena.
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"Hi! Come on in!" Hannah says, as Elena and Shawn enter the condo, with Dusty in tow. "Nick is changing, he'll be right downstairs. So -- you like it?"
"It's great, I love it!" Elena says, looking around the room. "So when are you and Nick gonna come down to see the house I'm renovating? Not that I'm trying to get a job or anything, but -- there's plenty of room for expansion in this place."
"Thanks. We'll keep that in mind. And I'd love to see the house you're working on. I promise, next day off that I have, I'll be there." Hannah says.
"She's doing a beautiful job, Dusty and I go over there almost every day after work." Shawn says. Dusty lets out a loud bark.
"Oh, I'm sorry Dusty, I didn't mean to ignore you." Hannah says, bending down and giving the dog a big hug. "She's such a sweetie. You know, you might have a friend soon Dusty. Nicholas has been talking nonstop about wanting to get a dog."
"Yeah, he always wanted one growing up, but my mom wouldn't let us have one. She said we didn't have time to take care of one. I don't know what she was worried about, he can talk to them, that should make the housebreaking much easier." Elena says.
"Hey, did you guys just get here?" Nicholas asks, coming down the stairs. Dusty starts to bark happily, and quickly rushes over to Nicholas. "Hey, girl! Is that right? How cool!"
"What is she telling you?" Elena asks.
"Oh, she's just all excited about the new toy you bought her today. She really likes it." Nicholas tells them.
"You know, it just amazes me that you can do that. You should be on television." Hannah teases.
"Nah. It's just a gift I have. Besides, you know I hate being the center of attention." Nicholas says.
"So -- has Dad come to see the place yet?" Elena asks.
"Not yet." Nicholas says, sitting down and obviously trying to avoid the question.
"Elena, maybe you can help me. What am I doing wrong with your father? Every time he's around I just get the impression that he doesn't think I'm good enough. He didn't like Shawn at first, but -- they seem to be getting along better now. Why am I having such a hard time?" Hannah asks.
"I don't know. Dad is hard to read sometimes, and you know how judgmental whitelighters can be." Elena says.
"But you're not like that." Hannah says. Elena shoots a glare at Nicholas.
"Daddy will come around. Just give him time." Elena says.
"I hope so." Hannah says. "Well -- I better finish getting dinner ready."
"I'll help." Nicholas says, starting to stand up.
"Actually Shawn, why don't you go help? I need to talk to Nick about something for a minute." Elena says.
"Sure, no problem." Shawn says, and he follows Hannah into the kitchen.
"DON'T start, I already got an earful from mom a few days ago." Nicholas says.
"Well good, then you can get another one from ME." Elena says. "Nicholas -- you have GOT to tell her the truth. I'm sick and tired of helping you perpetuate this charade! We all are!"
"Why is it so much for me to ask of all of you to just let me be HAPPY for once? You don't know what it's like, Elena. Hearing every damn thought of every person you come into contact with. Sure, over the years I've learned how to tune it out a bit, but -- it's not easy. Hannah is the only person I've ever met that has even the slightest comprehension of what it's like. She makes me happy, Lena. She's smart, she's funny, and she's a good person, and I love being with her. Neither of us have ever fit in anywhere else or with anyone else -- we're the same, don't you get that? We belong together."
"You're NOT the same, Nick. She needs to know the truth about you, she needs to know that you're a warlock!" Elena insists, saying these words just as Hannah enters the room . . . . . .
