~Part Five~
"Leo!" shouted Phoebe as he orbed in.
"Hey." Said Piper.
"Come on, Phoebe, let's go." Said Leo.
"Ok." Phoebe replied.
They orbed out.
"Now THAT was strange!" said Piper, "What do you think that they are up to?"
"Who knows?" Prue answered, "Maybe they're planning a secret wedding gift.."
Piper and Prue considered this idea, and decided to accept it as the truth. Prue left to go to work and Piper went to the club to set up for that night's band.
Meanwhile, Phoebe and Leo had orbed to the training island. Cole was sitting in the cabin that was there. Phoebe looked around the island. There were tracks, a pool, all sorts of balls, tennis courts and other sports equipment. There wasn't any visible way off, and there wasn't any visible way on. The island was up in the clouds to prevent mortals from getting up there and it was high enough that no planes could fly near it. It was apparently set up to work any demon like antics that remained in the person out of the person. Cole limped out to where Leo and Phoebe stood. He had obviously had the demon personality beaten out of him. But there was a new instinct in his eyes. It wasn't to kill whoever got in his way. He looked hurt.
"What's going on?" asked Phoebe.
"This is the mortal-demon training center. When a demon wants to go mortal, he asks the council for help, as you saw earlier. He is then sent here where physical activity works the last bit of demon out of him. It works, trust me." Leo put in after he saw Phoebe's worried face.
"So why am I here?" asked Phoebe. "It's not like I have any demon to work out of me."
"Yes you do. Phoebe, you'll figure it out eventually, but still, you need to be here to help Cole. You needed him back in your life. You love him. You need to go through this with him."
"Ok, lets get started. But what do you mean 'I'll figure it out eventually?'" asked Phoebe.
"Like I said, that's for you to figure out." Leo answered. His voice had that 'end-of-discussion' tone to it. Phoebe decided not to question further.
~~
Later that week, Phoebe watched on as Cole ran another lap around the track. She knew she would see him later that night, but she didn't actually see any reason for her to be there at that moment. Leo was coaching Cole.
"Come on, remember, once you reach the limit, your body will break. You'll become fully human. It's going to happen. If you want to push yourself to the limit, then go ahead. You'll get there faster. Come on. One more lap tonight. That's all you have to do. Once more around that track." She watched as Cole pushed himself even more. He strained his muscles and made it around the track one last time.
"Alright, you're done." Leo put in. Cole sighed in relief. They had about six more weeks of this to go through.
Cole came over sweating to Phoebe. She wordlessly handed him a towel and looked away as he dried himself off. "I'm doing this for you." He told her. He told her that a lot.
"I know." She turned around smiling. "The council orbed Leo out earlier. They said that you are making good progress, and you might be let out earlier."
Cole wrapped his strong arms around her. "That's good news. I can't wait to get back into a real society. I'm going to have to watch my back. But once I'm a mortal, the Source won't be able to track me anymore."
"Cole, they didn't tell you?"
"Tell me what? My powers have been removed. I'm nothing anymore."
"No they weren't. They removed your harmful powers. You'll still be able to shimmer. I think they added something too. Something for self-defense."
"What?" Cole questioned further.
"You're going to be a mortal with powers. I believe that they call them Mortal-Witches. Don't ask I didn't come up with the name, but they're powerful witches that are mortal. They're usually demons who have turned good and gone through the process you're going through now." Phoebe explained.
"Oh." Was all Cole put in.
"Leo!" shouted Phoebe as he orbed in.
"Hey." Said Piper.
"Come on, Phoebe, let's go." Said Leo.
"Ok." Phoebe replied.
They orbed out.
"Now THAT was strange!" said Piper, "What do you think that they are up to?"
"Who knows?" Prue answered, "Maybe they're planning a secret wedding gift.."
Piper and Prue considered this idea, and decided to accept it as the truth. Prue left to go to work and Piper went to the club to set up for that night's band.
Meanwhile, Phoebe and Leo had orbed to the training island. Cole was sitting in the cabin that was there. Phoebe looked around the island. There were tracks, a pool, all sorts of balls, tennis courts and other sports equipment. There wasn't any visible way off, and there wasn't any visible way on. The island was up in the clouds to prevent mortals from getting up there and it was high enough that no planes could fly near it. It was apparently set up to work any demon like antics that remained in the person out of the person. Cole limped out to where Leo and Phoebe stood. He had obviously had the demon personality beaten out of him. But there was a new instinct in his eyes. It wasn't to kill whoever got in his way. He looked hurt.
"What's going on?" asked Phoebe.
"This is the mortal-demon training center. When a demon wants to go mortal, he asks the council for help, as you saw earlier. He is then sent here where physical activity works the last bit of demon out of him. It works, trust me." Leo put in after he saw Phoebe's worried face.
"So why am I here?" asked Phoebe. "It's not like I have any demon to work out of me."
"Yes you do. Phoebe, you'll figure it out eventually, but still, you need to be here to help Cole. You needed him back in your life. You love him. You need to go through this with him."
"Ok, lets get started. But what do you mean 'I'll figure it out eventually?'" asked Phoebe.
"Like I said, that's for you to figure out." Leo answered. His voice had that 'end-of-discussion' tone to it. Phoebe decided not to question further.
~~
Later that week, Phoebe watched on as Cole ran another lap around the track. She knew she would see him later that night, but she didn't actually see any reason for her to be there at that moment. Leo was coaching Cole.
"Come on, remember, once you reach the limit, your body will break. You'll become fully human. It's going to happen. If you want to push yourself to the limit, then go ahead. You'll get there faster. Come on. One more lap tonight. That's all you have to do. Once more around that track." She watched as Cole pushed himself even more. He strained his muscles and made it around the track one last time.
"Alright, you're done." Leo put in. Cole sighed in relief. They had about six more weeks of this to go through.
Cole came over sweating to Phoebe. She wordlessly handed him a towel and looked away as he dried himself off. "I'm doing this for you." He told her. He told her that a lot.
"I know." She turned around smiling. "The council orbed Leo out earlier. They said that you are making good progress, and you might be let out earlier."
Cole wrapped his strong arms around her. "That's good news. I can't wait to get back into a real society. I'm going to have to watch my back. But once I'm a mortal, the Source won't be able to track me anymore."
"Cole, they didn't tell you?"
"Tell me what? My powers have been removed. I'm nothing anymore."
"No they weren't. They removed your harmful powers. You'll still be able to shimmer. I think they added something too. Something for self-defense."
"What?" Cole questioned further.
"You're going to be a mortal with powers. I believe that they call them Mortal-Witches. Don't ask I didn't come up with the name, but they're powerful witches that are mortal. They're usually demons who have turned good and gone through the process you're going through now." Phoebe explained.
"Oh." Was all Cole put in.