SHOWDOWN AT HEAVEN'S GATES
Part 4 of "The Deads are walking the Earth"
In the throne room, there was a dark assembly and the new triad awaited their master fearfully. He had already stated that he wouldn't tolerate a single more failure. Yet, in the last week alone, two more demons had been swiftly vanquished by those accursed Charmed Ones.
The three of them were thinking that their time was counted if they didn't find an effective solution soon.
As their master entered the chamber, they bowed more out of fear then respect. He walked solemnly, without even bothering to acknowledge any of them.
However, the moment he reached his throne, he turned to them angrily and thundered:
"What do I have to do to get results? I gave you my most powerful demons and you sent them to the slaughter. You didn't even manage to put a dent in their resolve. Meanwhile they're even recruiting from our side. How pathetic is that?"
One of the Triad members dared looking up and saying:
"If we'd been in charge, it wouldn't have happened."
All it earned him was a glaring stare that sent a chill through him, as he took a step back and bowed anew.
"If you'd been in charge," The Source growled, "you'd probably be just as dead as the former triad."
The Source paused for a moment, as he stared at the Triad angrily. Then he went on:
"Belthazor was one of my most prized demons. If I ever get my hands on him again, I'll dismember him slowly as an example. This time he won't escape me…
For now however, I'd be satisfied with a witch kill," he added, while his red eyes glowed demonically.
"Find a way, or don't return. I'll have my kill, or kills, one way or the other." This was said with a chilling smile directed at his Triad. Without risking another word, they acquiesced and went out of the room while keeping their heads down.
Piper and Prue were hanging in the kitchen and Piper asked:
"Prue do you think the Source could be more pissed at us than usual?"
Prue responded sarcastically:
"You think?"
"The attacks are becoming even more vicious if that's possible. Frankly, I long for a break. And with Phoebe so close to term they're really choosing their time."
"Don't I know it?"
Phoebe walked in at that moment, more wobbly, if possible. The baby was very low and she complained often that if it didn't end soon, she wouldn't be able to move at all.
Hearing them talking about the demons, she added:
"Three demons in two weeks… that's way too much. I'm so sorry that I can't be of more help."
"You job is to deliver that baby safely," Prue said with a smile.
Then she became wary again.
"It's a good thing that Cole was there to help, because I'm not sure we'd have survived the last one… However there's still something that bugs me. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate his help…a lot. It's just that I've got the feeling that other than work, he's been avoiding us completely. Are you sure he's going to be ok?"
Phoebe's smile becomes visibly forced:
"He will be. It's just that he feels terrible about what happened."
Prue took her sister's hand.
"I hope he knows how lucky he is to have you."
Phoebe answered softly:
"I think he really does, don't worry. But you know what? I'm also lucky to have him. For all the trouble we've had, I've never felt so loved than with him."
Suddenly, Phoebe grimaced in obvious pain. The other two gathered around, half expecting the signal to go to the hospital, but Phoebe just motioned them off.
"It's ok, false alarm. He's got a mean hook that kid. My ribs feel like one big wound."
As she was saying this however, a contented smiled floated on her lips while she lovingly caressed her stomach.
"That's gonna be one worthy of the charmed ones." She said with a big grin.
"As tough as his mother…" Piper added.
"Or her, let's not forget that we don't know yet," Prue commented with a certain amusement. Actually I've got a feeling that we're gonna have pink rather than blue around here again."
In an unaccustomed joyous manner, Cole entered, while commenting on this:
"If she's half as beautiful as her mother, there won't be any complaints here." He kissed Phoebe softly before smiling toward the others. They reacted a little slowly at this and Cole newfound good mood slipped away as he read their hesitation.
Prue noticed his sudden change of attitude and tried humor to lighten up the atmosphere.
"Well look who's finally socializing?"
She had to make a big effort but it paid off as the tension somewhat went away in the room and Cole managed to smile anew. She even gave him a little pat of encouragement on the arm before heading toward the dining room. He was going to follow them when he realized that Phoebe was staying behind.
"You ok, Phoebe?" Cole asked with a hint of concern.
"Yes I'm ok. It's just that I'm not even as fast as an elephant, even if I look like one," she said with a grimace.
Cole wrapped his arms around her and playfully said:
"You're still the loveliest pachyderm I've ever known."
Phoebe slapped his shoulder lightly in the same playful manner.
"You're in a good mood today," she uttered.
As she looked up, she saw that the guilt he'd been expressing for the last two weeks threatened to return.
"Phoebe," he began more seriously, "I don't know how to apologize enough to you and your sisters for what I've done. It seems impossible."
Phoebe caressed his face tenderly:
"You know what they say? Love is never having to be sorry again."
Cole was still unconvinced.
"I don't think it really applies here, Phoebe."
"All I need from you right now is your love and support. No more apologies," she added softly while pulling his face toward hers and into a passionate kiss. When they parted, he smiled and whispered:
"You have that and more… I love you."
"I love you too," she whispered back as they kissed again.
Then, she grimaced comically.
"But if I don't sit down right this minute, I'm gonna start hating everyone."
Cole couldn't help a chuckle at her good humor as he escorted her to the dining room.
The Triad was in deep trouble and they knew it. They were still trying to decide on a plan.
One of them uttered somberly:
"Our number is diminishing and we haven't made a dent in their defenses. I think it's time to exploit our discovery to its full advantage… or we won't see another day."
Another one approved, albeit with some reservations.
"Yes it may be our only choice… but in order to reach the subject, we'll have to expose ourselves."
The first one to have spoken answered:
"If we succeed, it's gonna have been worth the risk. For the spoil will be even greater than our master imagines."
The third one, who had been quiet till then added:
"How can you be so sure that your source will pan out?"
"It will, I assure you. That one has succumbed completely. He'll open the doors to the heavens for us. And then our victory will be total."
In a rare occasion lately, after Phoebe went for a nap, Cole decided to stay behind with Prue and Piper. After a moment of uneasy silence, he let them know what was on his mind.
"I've got something to tell you. And I don't know how to bring it up without you starting to doubt me again."
Prue immediately went on the defensive:
"What are you talking about?"
Coughing with some embarrassment, he began:
"Well here goes: I've had some communications with a warlock in the last two weeks."
At hearing this, Prue became frankly hostile:
"How dare you?" She screamed. "After all Phoebe endured from you!"
Cole put his hands up, trying to stop the explosion of anger he elicited:
"HEY!" He exclaimed. "I never said I intended to return to their side. I just need you to hear me out. It's really important."
Prue was still very upset, but she forced herself to sound calmer.
"First I need to know what you were doing with them."
"She's not the only one," Piper added warily.
He glanced at both in turn, obviously appalled at how easily he had lost their trust. Then, resigned, he answered.
"Ok, I see that you need assurances of my loyalty. I don't know if I can ever really prove myself to you, but let me explain what happened."
"We're waiting," Piper interjected, not in the least softened by his words.
He took a deep breath and commenced:
"As you know, a couple weeks ago I got…lost," he uttered, pausing a little too long.
"What a euphemism!" Prue said then.
"All right I got your drift," Cole responded with a hint of irritation. "Anyhow," he pursued, while trying to ignore their animosity, "during that time, I reconnected with a few other warlocks who were chattier than most. They didn't know about my transformation and gave me the same respect and fear as before. So," he continues quickly since Prue was about to explode, "I used this to my advantage to obtain some valuable information. This is how I've been able to help you more efficiently with the recent vanquishings."
Seeing that they were still not convinced of his sincerity, he explained further.
"Look… when I returned to my old ways, I was very confused, and I assure you that I hit rock bottom. But difficult as it was for me to return to your side, I know for a fact now that nothing's going to make me evil again. I don't expect you to believe it on faith. All I want is a chance to prove it to you."
Prue seemed slightly mollified:
"And how do you intend to do that?"
"Simply by helping you the best I can. I have been since my return, and I intend to continue doing so... But now, there's this delicate matter I have to discuss with you. And you have to trust me on this. If you don't, the whole world might very well be in jeopardy."
Not too impressed by this, Piper said:
"The world's in jeopardy every day. We should know that!"
Cole became impatient again.
"Not like this, I assure you," he still uttered grimly.
"Come out with it," Prue said. "Then we'll decide what it's worth."
Sighing, Cole continued:
"One of the warlocks has been asked to be a go between."
"Between who and who?"
"Between The Triad and one he believed might very well be a whitelighter that wouldn't be too white anymore."
Dumbfounded didn't even describe the expression on the sisters' faces at that moment.
At first, they were simply speechless. Then Prue replied vehemently:
"And you expect us to believe you?"
A shadow crossed over Cole's expression, but he said:
"All I expect from you is that you at least check the story. Whether or not you trust my loyalty, you've got to believe that I'll do everything in my power to keep Phoebe safe. If a Whitelighter turned to evil, he might open heaven's doors to the Triad. This could spell the destruction of thousands of years of building the protection you're enjoying as witches. More than this, they might even manage to destroy the Elders. They are that powerful."
Prue was somewhat impressed by Cole's apparent conviction.
"Supposing that we believe you… what could we do about it? Whitelighters are chosen for their infinite goodness. They're humanitarians. The choice is most certainly not made lightly."
"I understand your incredulity. But believe me, spoken by one who knows the power of love, it can make you do things you never imagined you would…"
Piper seemed a little more interested.
"What are you saying?"
"Well, it'd seem that one of the whitelighters was assigned to a witch, who recently turned her back on the innocents. The Elders ostracized her and her whitelighter was reassigned. This happens occasionally, as you well know," he said, glancing at Piper, who couldn't deny her intimate knowledge of that fact, considering her own experience. "But that particular whitelighter was madly in love with his witch. Now he reproaches her problems to the Elders. I think she's convinced him that he'd come to see things her way. Or at least, she's closed to."
"Continue…" Prue uttered, as she saw the logic in his explanation at this point.
"Unfortunately, the warlock wasn't much more useful. As much as he feared me, he feared the Triad a lot more. Once he realized that I was a little too interested in what he had to say, he stopped talking and no amount of persuasion could make him tell me the name of the witch, or of the whitelighter for that matter."
Piper asked with a hint of suspicion:
"Persuasion?"
Cole seemed uneasy.
"I'm not proud of it… but the situation appeared to justify some hard measures. If you've got to know… no, I didn't vanquish him. I thought that if I kept him under some surveillance, he could bring us to the one I was looking for. Until now I haven't had any luck. It seems that the Triad's worried about exposing themselves. However, the recent onslaught of attacks tells me that they might be getting desperate. The Triad might be preparing to make their move even as we speak…"
"One last thing…why did you keep this from us, until now?"
"Let just say I expected your reaction. I was hoping that my information would be more complete by the time I told you. Unfortunately, that's all I know.
I'm afraid the only way to find out more, is to have a talk with Leo. But if I know anything about them, I know that they got strict rules about the affairs of other whitelighters. It's not gonna be easy to make him talk about one of them. Besides, I really didn't think he'd talk to me."
"Does Phoebe know anything about this?"
"No. And as much as possible I'd appreciate if you didn't tell her either. She's got enough to worry about right now."
"You might be right about this," Prue said. "Ok! We'll talk to Leo. Hopefully, he'll understand how important this is."
Cole simply answered:
"Good." Then he headed upstairs, leaving the sisters to mull over his revelations.
"I don't think that we've got any time to lose." Prue began right away.
"Are you sure? It's just that it all sounds so farfetched."
"Piper, you know that I'm the first one to doubt Cole, for obvious reasons. But what he said wouldn't give him any advantage. And we know how much he loves Phoebe. He wouldn't do anything to hurt her. This, at least, I believe."
"You're right of course. It's just that it's so incredible."
"Is it? Piper, Leo broke so many rules for you, it's a miracle they didn't cut his wings by now."
"I know, but Leo never turned to Evil…"
"What if you'd been evil yourself?"
Piper didn't really have an answer to that.
Out of arguments, she looked up and called for her husband.
Cole entered the bedroom he shared with Phoebe quietly, hoping not to wake her. However, this one still woke up, no matter how silent he had been. She'd been having problem sleeping lately, for obvious reasons, and would wake up at the slightest disturbance.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake up."
Phoebe smiled sleepily:
"What did I tell you about apologies?"
He returned her smile and came to lie on the bed by her side. She immediately cuddled against him.
"Besides, I enjoy being awake with you."
Cole replied with a knowing smile:
"So do I."
"Even now?" Phoebe questioned, as her eyes fell on her ample stomach.
Cole got her to look at him and smiled anew.
"Now, more than ever… You make me happier than you can even imagine. I can't wait to see our baby, that's true enough. But I'm happy just being with you."
"You're such a charmer! Never stop."
"I won't."
Changing the subject, Phoebe questioned while becoming more serious.
"Was there something the matter with my sisters?"
"Nothing that should concern you… As a matter of fact, I think that we're making progress…at least a little," he added belatedly.
"You've gotta give them some time."
"That's ok. Just as long as I have you, I got all I need."
She gazed at him with all the love she felt inside.
"You won't get rid of me."
"I'm counting on it."
Then they kissed passionately.
Down in the living room, Leo orbed in; he smiled at his wife.
"You called? Is something wrong?"
"Yes Leo," Prue answered for them, "something might very well be wrong." From their anxious expressions, Leo understood that it might be serious.
"Ok what is it?"
Prue had to be the one to ask, because Piper couldn't bring herself to.
"Ok first what do you know about your fellow Whitelighters?"
Right away, Leo became guarded.
"Girls, you know that I can't talk to you about this; the rules are clear."
Prue insisted:
"Still, we need to know something and be damned with the rules; this one might be the most important information we've ever needed from you."
Alarmed, Leo questioned:
"What do you mean?"
Cole was coming back downstairs just then and he decided to stay out of sight for the moment, while he listened intently.
"Well it's difficult to ask and we're not even sure we got it from the most reliable source…" Prue began hesitantly.
At this, Cole grimaced and wondered just what exactly the point of doing all of this for them was.
"Anyway," Prue said again, "we heard that it might be… That maybe…"
Leo showed signs of impatience.
"Would you come out with it please?"
"Ok…! Do you think it's possible that a whitelighter could turn to evil? I mean if he had a really good reason, you know?"
Leo seemed horrified at this suggestion.
"Never!" he exclaimed loudly. "Whitelighters are chosen for their humanitarian qualities and their desire to serve and help people. It's totally contrary to any evil purpose."
Hearing this finished convincing Cole that they very well might not act upon his news, and he took the decision to deal with this himself instead.
Discreetly, he headed out of the house, determined to resume his surveillance of the warlock. He was still hoping that it'd pay off and that he'd be able to bring them proof of what he'd told them.
However, Prue had given more credit than he thought to his story. She was now insisting with Leo.
"I know that it seems unthinkable, Leo. But you've got to hear us out here.
Remember when the Elders were against you and Piper being together?
How you broke the rules so many times for her sake?"
Leo was still very reticent.
"I never turned to evil because of it. I wouldn't have."
Prue went on as persuasively as she could:
"Maybe YOU wouldn't have, but what if another whitelighter had fallen for a witch who turned to evil?" Prue paused in order to let it sink in. "Isn't it possible that he might change for the love of her?"
At this, Leo became visibly uncomfortable, as if a thought had just struck him.
Prue, seeing that she might've been getting somewhere, insisted:
"We know for a fact that love can push a person to incredible lengths. In this very house lives an ex-demon who risked his life more than once and turned his life around because he fell in love, you know that..."
Leo kept very quiet for a moment, obviously mulling over this. Then, he suddenly looked up and said:
"Who told you this?"
This time, the sister couldn't help showing a little embarrassment.
"Cole," Prue answered, and then she added quickly, "I know that it makes it look suspicious but can we take the risk?"
"I guess not. Ok," Leo admitted then with a sigh, "there might be something to what you're saying…"
Piper gasped:
"There is?"
Leo turned to her sadly:
"Yes…there's a Whitelighter, one who's been protesting vehemently against his charge's revocation of privileges. She used black magic for her own purpose and in doing so, broke the most important rules of the good side. After an attempt at convincing her to change her ways, she got angry and went even deeper into evil, which means that she's transforming into a warlock. However, her Whitelighter's reproaching it to the Elders. Still, I never would have believed that it could go this far…"
"Well, it seems that the information was accurate," Prue interjected somberly. She also had a pang of guilt at the way she'd treated Cole. She soon dismissed it however, more worried as she was with the problem at hand. "Now, what does it mean? And most importantly what can we do about it?"
"I'm not sure," Leo answered hesitantly, "but I'll consult with the Elders. As soon as I know more, I'll let you in on it."
Leo gave Piper a light kiss and immediately orbed up.
Prue went into action right away, not willing to wait for this.
"Let's go find Cole; I want him to tell us who is and where is that warlock."
Piper nodded in agreement and they went up to Phoebe's bedroom, convinced that he was still there with her.
They called ahead but didn't wait for an answer before going in.
Inside, there found only Phoebe. This one opened questioning eyes at them.
Prue asked without impatiently: "Where is Cole?"
Phoebe answered sleepily:
"He left a short while ago. Didn't you see him?"
Prue and Piper uttered at the same time:
"No…"
Piper continued for Prue:
"Do you think he went…?" Then she stopped, remembering that Phoebe was supposed to be kept out of it.
Of course this one still picked up on it.
"Went where? What's the matter?"
"Did Cole tell you anything?" Prue questioned rather than answering her.
"Just that he needed to check something further and would be back soon. Is he in trouble?" Phoebe asked anxiously.
"Nothing that should worry you… He probably just wanted to check a hunch he told us about," said Prue, trying to deflect her sister's suspicions. "You concentrate on getting some rest Phoebe. The time's near for you."
Phoebe was so tired that she hardly protested.
"By the way," Prue continued, "you do have the number for the hospital, do you?"
Phoebe became alarmed again:
"Yes… why?"
"Nothing bad, it's just that we're all gonna be out soon, and I'm worried that it you labor might start while we're away, that's all."
"I'll be fine, don't worry about me."
"Ok then," Prue replied with a forced smile, "try to get some sleep, and we'll take care of the rest."
After they had left the room, Prue turned to Piper.
"What do you think Cole's up to? Why didn't he say something?"
"Maybe he just figured that we didn't trust him completely and he went to get some proof?"
"No matter why, we've got to find him now. He's the only one who can possibly locate this warlock and maybe help us stop this madness."
"Scry?" Piper simply said.
"Yup!"
They hurried toward the attic.
In the underworld, the Triad was preparing for the big meeting.
"Are you sure it's safe?"
"Yes I do, the area has been scoured and no witch ever goes there.
Moreover, we'll take all the necessary precautions."
Another expressed doubts.
"I still think that it's a big risk."
"It's better than doing nothing, for we're sure to be destroyed if this plan doesn't work… Our replacements are already smelling demon's blood."
"Then, let's not lose any more time…"
In an isolated part of San Francisco, a man in a hooded tunic was waiting impatiently in an alley. He was looking around constantly, as if afraid of being surprised.
The man surveyed his surrounding one last time, and he suddenly began moving away, albeit hesitantly. Another large man's sudden apparition stopped him short. The newcomer had dark and severe features. He eyed the hooded man suspiciously then.
"Where are you going?"
The other hesitated, obviously shook by the tall man's presence.
"I… I thought that you weren't coming anymore."
The other threatened:
"You're not trying to get out of this, are you?"
"No, of course not," the hooded man said too quickly.
Cole, who had come here to wait for a sighting of the warlock, watched this exchange while remembering what got him there in the first place.
On one of his scouting trips, he had ended up near this place for no other reasons than its isolation had the same characteristics as many of the place he, himself, used to look for. A lucky break brought him there as those two, he could now see them in the alley, were meeting. It's the strange way in which the one he didn't know, was trying to hide his features and also seemed scared of the warlock that had attracted his attention more than anything else.
But then, when he had seen the hooded man orbing out, that had made it a priority. Questioning the Warlock had been easy enough. All he had to do was push him around a little. His reputation as a vile and dangerous demon still carried some weight in the uninformed circles. He simply hinted at the warlock that he might be interested in the scheme. It had still taken some convincing but in the end, the warlock had given him the highlights of the situation, along with a warning. He'd said he was working directly for the Triad and didn't want to get in trouble with them.
Now, watching them again, Cole wondered if he was in luck. This might be his chance to bring back better information to the Charmed Ones and who knew, maybe the Warlock himself.
Breaking his line of thought, the two men's tone of voice rose considerably, while Warlock closed in on the hooded man in a threatening stance.
"You've better not to be trying to trick me, Whitelighter… Or I'll rip you apart."
Then he grabbed the Whitelighter by the shoulder, shaking him. The Whitelighter tried shake off the Warlock's grasp and in doing so, the hood fell off. Cole could now see a dark haired man with handsome features. On his face, fear, at first, then anger and determination came in turn.
He added then:
"I'll keep my part of the bargain, but you better keep yours."
The Warlock answered smugly:
"No problem, little one. If you deliver what we asked for, you'll get your heart's desire and no trouble from us."
Then he pursued:
"I still don't understand how you're going to get one of them here though. Many of us have tried and failed with disastrous results."
At this, Cole really started paying attention, because he understood where this might be going.
His worst fears were soon confirmed, as the whitelighter morphed into Leo's likeness.
The warlock, puzzled, asked him what this new appearance was supposed to do to help.
The Whitelighter's answer sent a chill down Cole's spine.
"Don't worry… the witch's going to come willingly when asked to by her own whitelighter." And then he smiled, apparently very content with himself.
The Warlock smiled cruelly in turn as understanding dawned on him.
Piper and Prue had just located Cole in an isolated part of town and were preparing to depart when Leo orbed in.
He seemed very preoccupied.
"What's the news?" Although Prue guessed that it wasn't good at seeing his expression.
"We've lost track of him," Leo simply said.
This was enough however to get the girls' full attention. Leo pursued:
"A few hours ago, he just vanished from the radar completely.
I'm afraid that if we don't act now, we might be too late."
Prue didn't need any more encouragement.
"We figured out where Cole is. With a little luck, he found him already."
"Then, there's no time to lose, let's go." Piper said decisively.
They departed in a hurry, while leaving Phoebe alone at home….
Back in the alley, the Warlock was saying:
"It's time to do whatever you have to; they will be coming soon and expect their prize."
The whitelighter just asked:
"You're sure that nobody can detect me?"
"Absolutely sure! They've taken great care to shield you. Nobody'll know until it's too late."
Without waiting, the Whitelighter orbed out, ready to play his part.
Cole had been tempted to go warn the others right away, but now he thought better of it. He raged against his inability to blink however, which he'd lost for good a couple weeks [prior. Renouncing evil had been the best thing he ever did, granted. However, some of the rules were somewhat hard to understand. For the first time in his life, he really felt helpless and that was a terrible sensation.
The girls and Leo were driving fast toward the other side of town, as Leo filled in the blanks in the Whitelighter' story.
"His name is Zach. And up until a few months ago, he was a caring man who took great care of his charges. I considered him my friend and we talked many times. But lately, I noticed a change in him. So did a few of us. But we'd never have imagined it'd go that far."
"What exactly do you think he could do?"
"In a nutshell, a single act of true evil on his part might open a rift into our realm. One which the demons could use to enter, and then wreck havoc all the way to the Elders. As we speak, the Elders are taking precautions and assembling as many whitelighters as they can up there. They're preparing for war."
The girls couldn't help but shivering at the thought.
Prue said then:
"Let's try to stop it before it ever happens."
"Let's hope we can." Leo replied anxiously
In the alley, the Warlock had moved into a dark corner, seemingly to hide from something he expected to come at any moment.
Cole had made up his mind to try and overpower this one before the whitelighter's return. However, he stopped cold when a dark hole opened in the ground not far enough from him for comfort. One by one, the familiar robed figures of the Triad came out from the hole. A wave of despair washed over Cole, as he realized that no matter what, he couldn't fight them by himself, not with the little power he had left from his transformation.
The Warlock approached them cautiously himself, while bowing respectfully. He greeted them and then waited for them to talk.
"Where is she?" One of them asked in a somewhat chanting tone of voice, which was in no way less threatening.
Keeping his eyes to the ground, the Warlock assured them that it wouldn't be much longer. The whitelighter was already at work and should be bringing them the witch at any moment.
"We can't stay here for long… if we don't get what we came for, and the result we expect, you can be sure that you'll pay for it."
The Warlock didn't take the threat lightly and stepped away from them. This, while again assuring them that there wouldn't be any mistakes.
Cole tried to reassure himself that the girls would surely figure out the trick and not be taken. As time went by his hope was growing, that is until the whitelighter's familiar chime was heard in the alley, and in he came with Phoebe. She looked around at first, dumbfounded not to find her sisters. Then when seeing the ones who were in the alley, her curious expression quickly turned to one of terror.
At that moment, a dark cloud seemed to appear out of nowhere in the otherwise blue sky. A cloud that enlarged for every moment that passed. The Whitelighter was pushing Phoebe toward the Triad. And although she was usually feistier, right then a sharp pain in her back close to paralyzed her. On some level, she realized that of all moments to start, her labor just had.
Cole jumped out of his hiding place without thinking and he screamed her name, while throwing a lightning ball toward one of the Triad's members. Unfortunately his scream alerted them and this one blinked out of the way. He reappeared behind Cole and quickly planted a knife between Cole's shoulder blades. For a moment, Cole seemed like suspended, as he stared directly at Phoebe with an expression of intense surprise. Then, he simply dropped to the ground face first. Phoebe screamed: "NO!"
Then she finally reacted by kicking the whitelighter to the ground and trying to run toward Cole. However, the Warlock who delivered her, screaming and kicking to the Triad, quickly overpowered her.
Tears were now rolling freely down her cheeks and she didn't even pay much attention to the pain returning in her back, or to the Triad member who'd grabbed her for that matter. This one was visibly pleased with his catch. All Phoebe could do then was staring at Cole's inert body in despair.
In the car, silence had fallen between the three, as they were nervously nearing their destination. Piper looked out the window and realized that something was amiss suddenly. She asked around.
"Do you see this?" She was pointing at a large dark cloud interspersed with lightning strikes.
Piper continued:
"The rest of the sky's blue and calm except for this spot… what do you think?"
Leo immediately reacted to this:
"It's happened! That's the beginning of a rift!"
Then to Prue he said:
"Pull over, I'll orb you the rest of the way. We've got to find out what is happening and stop it!"
The moment the car halted, Leo orbed them to the alley. They reappeared next to Cole, who was still unconscious. However, they had no time to react to this since they saw that The Triad was there and pulling Phoebe toward a dark hole in the ground. Leo orbed next to them and picked Phoebe up and out of their grasp, orbing her behind Prue and Piper. One of the Triad members uttered a growl and threw a fireball in their direction, which Prue deflected at the last moment. Without too much hope for it to work, Piper attempted to freeze them. The surprise on her face was genuine when she realized that it had worked.
Seeing the hole still opened in the ground, Prue simply tkd them one by one in it and then they fell rapidly out of sight. The moment they were all in, the hole closed on its own, and in the sky, the rift seemed to shrink rapidly, as they were all watching. The Warlock, forgotten in the struggle, simply blinked out. However the whitelighter seemed to be frozen in place. He looked as if he just realized what he had almost done. Nevertheless, they all ignored him, as they finally paid attention to Phoebe's cries. Turning toward it, they found her hugging Cole's body. His face was very pale, but he was still breathing and Phoebe called to Leo for help.
"Please hurry!"
Leo bent over Cole and turned him around to have a better look at the wound.
He reassured Phoebe that he'd be able to heal him. Her face expressed a deep relief as she saw the wound receding under Leo's magic touch. The moment it was done, Cole coughed and woke up as they help him on his back again. The look of surprise on his face was almost comical. Almost…
"I guess I shouldn't try to understand what happened?" He said then.
"Suffice to say, the Triad is back in its hole. At least for the moment…" Prue answered for all of them.
Then Cole grabbed Phoebe and pulled her to him with all his might. It almost took her breath away, but at this point, she didn't mind at all. As soon as they were all reassured that Cole was ok, they returned their attention toward the whitelighter.
This one still looked exactly like Leo. One glance from his fellow Whitelighter told him that the sinister masquerade was over and he went back to his own appearance quickly. Leo went to him without a word, and signaling to the others that he had to go, he orbed out with the traitor, presumably to bring him to his judgement.
Those still in the alley stared at each other in relief. However, Cole noticed Phoebe's sudden cringe.
"Did they hurt you?" He asked, concerned anew.
Phoebe was trying to get back her bearings between contractions and she finally joked without laughing:
"They didn't, but you did."
Alarmed, Cole tried to figure out what she meant.
Phoebe managed a chuckle before adding:
"You dope, like nine months ago!"
Cole still seemed puzzled and was staring at her, clueless. Then, as the truth dawned on him, he exclaimed:
"Oh! What do we do?" Cole asked nervously.
Phoebe responded calmly:
"I think calling a cab and a trip to the hospital would be in order right now."
Prue and Piper, who heard this exchange, became all excited, and they forget all about the recent events. Prue used her cell phone to call the cab.
Later in the labor room, Phoebe suddenly remembered something between two contractions. She pulled Cole to her and said while still panting from the pain:
"No matter what happens here, we're going to have a talk about not telling me important stuff."
He answered while depositing a light kiss on her now sweaty forehead:
"I promise… no more secrets."
Then, she could no longer speak, as the next contraction came.
A while later outside the labor room, the girls were waiting impatiently for some news.
"You know what?" Prue uttered as she paced the small room impatiently, "I'll take vanquishing a demon any day rather than this waiting."
"I hear you." Piper said from her seat while she watched the door to the room no less nervously. Leo entered normally through it then, not wanting to alert anyone, and asked if there was any news.
However, before they could give Leo an answer, a proud daddy came in with his child in arms. Cole told them with a sweet smile:
"She's as pretty as her mother…" This gave them the answer to their question.
Then, they all moved around him to admire the new member of the family, while speaking softly.
They all had tears in their eyes, as they doted over the beautiful baby girl.
Part 4 of "The Deads are walking the Earth"
In the throne room, there was a dark assembly and the new triad awaited their master fearfully. He had already stated that he wouldn't tolerate a single more failure. Yet, in the last week alone, two more demons had been swiftly vanquished by those accursed Charmed Ones.
The three of them were thinking that their time was counted if they didn't find an effective solution soon.
As their master entered the chamber, they bowed more out of fear then respect. He walked solemnly, without even bothering to acknowledge any of them.
However, the moment he reached his throne, he turned to them angrily and thundered:
"What do I have to do to get results? I gave you my most powerful demons and you sent them to the slaughter. You didn't even manage to put a dent in their resolve. Meanwhile they're even recruiting from our side. How pathetic is that?"
One of the Triad members dared looking up and saying:
"If we'd been in charge, it wouldn't have happened."
All it earned him was a glaring stare that sent a chill through him, as he took a step back and bowed anew.
"If you'd been in charge," The Source growled, "you'd probably be just as dead as the former triad."
The Source paused for a moment, as he stared at the Triad angrily. Then he went on:
"Belthazor was one of my most prized demons. If I ever get my hands on him again, I'll dismember him slowly as an example. This time he won't escape me…
For now however, I'd be satisfied with a witch kill," he added, while his red eyes glowed demonically.
"Find a way, or don't return. I'll have my kill, or kills, one way or the other." This was said with a chilling smile directed at his Triad. Without risking another word, they acquiesced and went out of the room while keeping their heads down.
Piper and Prue were hanging in the kitchen and Piper asked:
"Prue do you think the Source could be more pissed at us than usual?"
Prue responded sarcastically:
"You think?"
"The attacks are becoming even more vicious if that's possible. Frankly, I long for a break. And with Phoebe so close to term they're really choosing their time."
"Don't I know it?"
Phoebe walked in at that moment, more wobbly, if possible. The baby was very low and she complained often that if it didn't end soon, she wouldn't be able to move at all.
Hearing them talking about the demons, she added:
"Three demons in two weeks… that's way too much. I'm so sorry that I can't be of more help."
"You job is to deliver that baby safely," Prue said with a smile.
Then she became wary again.
"It's a good thing that Cole was there to help, because I'm not sure we'd have survived the last one… However there's still something that bugs me. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate his help…a lot. It's just that I've got the feeling that other than work, he's been avoiding us completely. Are you sure he's going to be ok?"
Phoebe's smile becomes visibly forced:
"He will be. It's just that he feels terrible about what happened."
Prue took her sister's hand.
"I hope he knows how lucky he is to have you."
Phoebe answered softly:
"I think he really does, don't worry. But you know what? I'm also lucky to have him. For all the trouble we've had, I've never felt so loved than with him."
Suddenly, Phoebe grimaced in obvious pain. The other two gathered around, half expecting the signal to go to the hospital, but Phoebe just motioned them off.
"It's ok, false alarm. He's got a mean hook that kid. My ribs feel like one big wound."
As she was saying this however, a contented smiled floated on her lips while she lovingly caressed her stomach.
"That's gonna be one worthy of the charmed ones." She said with a big grin.
"As tough as his mother…" Piper added.
"Or her, let's not forget that we don't know yet," Prue commented with a certain amusement. Actually I've got a feeling that we're gonna have pink rather than blue around here again."
In an unaccustomed joyous manner, Cole entered, while commenting on this:
"If she's half as beautiful as her mother, there won't be any complaints here." He kissed Phoebe softly before smiling toward the others. They reacted a little slowly at this and Cole newfound good mood slipped away as he read their hesitation.
Prue noticed his sudden change of attitude and tried humor to lighten up the atmosphere.
"Well look who's finally socializing?"
She had to make a big effort but it paid off as the tension somewhat went away in the room and Cole managed to smile anew. She even gave him a little pat of encouragement on the arm before heading toward the dining room. He was going to follow them when he realized that Phoebe was staying behind.
"You ok, Phoebe?" Cole asked with a hint of concern.
"Yes I'm ok. It's just that I'm not even as fast as an elephant, even if I look like one," she said with a grimace.
Cole wrapped his arms around her and playfully said:
"You're still the loveliest pachyderm I've ever known."
Phoebe slapped his shoulder lightly in the same playful manner.
"You're in a good mood today," she uttered.
As she looked up, she saw that the guilt he'd been expressing for the last two weeks threatened to return.
"Phoebe," he began more seriously, "I don't know how to apologize enough to you and your sisters for what I've done. It seems impossible."
Phoebe caressed his face tenderly:
"You know what they say? Love is never having to be sorry again."
Cole was still unconvinced.
"I don't think it really applies here, Phoebe."
"All I need from you right now is your love and support. No more apologies," she added softly while pulling his face toward hers and into a passionate kiss. When they parted, he smiled and whispered:
"You have that and more… I love you."
"I love you too," she whispered back as they kissed again.
Then, she grimaced comically.
"But if I don't sit down right this minute, I'm gonna start hating everyone."
Cole couldn't help a chuckle at her good humor as he escorted her to the dining room.
The Triad was in deep trouble and they knew it. They were still trying to decide on a plan.
One of them uttered somberly:
"Our number is diminishing and we haven't made a dent in their defenses. I think it's time to exploit our discovery to its full advantage… or we won't see another day."
Another one approved, albeit with some reservations.
"Yes it may be our only choice… but in order to reach the subject, we'll have to expose ourselves."
The first one to have spoken answered:
"If we succeed, it's gonna have been worth the risk. For the spoil will be even greater than our master imagines."
The third one, who had been quiet till then added:
"How can you be so sure that your source will pan out?"
"It will, I assure you. That one has succumbed completely. He'll open the doors to the heavens for us. And then our victory will be total."
In a rare occasion lately, after Phoebe went for a nap, Cole decided to stay behind with Prue and Piper. After a moment of uneasy silence, he let them know what was on his mind.
"I've got something to tell you. And I don't know how to bring it up without you starting to doubt me again."
Prue immediately went on the defensive:
"What are you talking about?"
Coughing with some embarrassment, he began:
"Well here goes: I've had some communications with a warlock in the last two weeks."
At hearing this, Prue became frankly hostile:
"How dare you?" She screamed. "After all Phoebe endured from you!"
Cole put his hands up, trying to stop the explosion of anger he elicited:
"HEY!" He exclaimed. "I never said I intended to return to their side. I just need you to hear me out. It's really important."
Prue was still very upset, but she forced herself to sound calmer.
"First I need to know what you were doing with them."
"She's not the only one," Piper added warily.
He glanced at both in turn, obviously appalled at how easily he had lost their trust. Then, resigned, he answered.
"Ok, I see that you need assurances of my loyalty. I don't know if I can ever really prove myself to you, but let me explain what happened."
"We're waiting," Piper interjected, not in the least softened by his words.
He took a deep breath and commenced:
"As you know, a couple weeks ago I got…lost," he uttered, pausing a little too long.
"What a euphemism!" Prue said then.
"All right I got your drift," Cole responded with a hint of irritation. "Anyhow," he pursued, while trying to ignore their animosity, "during that time, I reconnected with a few other warlocks who were chattier than most. They didn't know about my transformation and gave me the same respect and fear as before. So," he continues quickly since Prue was about to explode, "I used this to my advantage to obtain some valuable information. This is how I've been able to help you more efficiently with the recent vanquishings."
Seeing that they were still not convinced of his sincerity, he explained further.
"Look… when I returned to my old ways, I was very confused, and I assure you that I hit rock bottom. But difficult as it was for me to return to your side, I know for a fact now that nothing's going to make me evil again. I don't expect you to believe it on faith. All I want is a chance to prove it to you."
Prue seemed slightly mollified:
"And how do you intend to do that?"
"Simply by helping you the best I can. I have been since my return, and I intend to continue doing so... But now, there's this delicate matter I have to discuss with you. And you have to trust me on this. If you don't, the whole world might very well be in jeopardy."
Not too impressed by this, Piper said:
"The world's in jeopardy every day. We should know that!"
Cole became impatient again.
"Not like this, I assure you," he still uttered grimly.
"Come out with it," Prue said. "Then we'll decide what it's worth."
Sighing, Cole continued:
"One of the warlocks has been asked to be a go between."
"Between who and who?"
"Between The Triad and one he believed might very well be a whitelighter that wouldn't be too white anymore."
Dumbfounded didn't even describe the expression on the sisters' faces at that moment.
At first, they were simply speechless. Then Prue replied vehemently:
"And you expect us to believe you?"
A shadow crossed over Cole's expression, but he said:
"All I expect from you is that you at least check the story. Whether or not you trust my loyalty, you've got to believe that I'll do everything in my power to keep Phoebe safe. If a Whitelighter turned to evil, he might open heaven's doors to the Triad. This could spell the destruction of thousands of years of building the protection you're enjoying as witches. More than this, they might even manage to destroy the Elders. They are that powerful."
Prue was somewhat impressed by Cole's apparent conviction.
"Supposing that we believe you… what could we do about it? Whitelighters are chosen for their infinite goodness. They're humanitarians. The choice is most certainly not made lightly."
"I understand your incredulity. But believe me, spoken by one who knows the power of love, it can make you do things you never imagined you would…"
Piper seemed a little more interested.
"What are you saying?"
"Well, it'd seem that one of the whitelighters was assigned to a witch, who recently turned her back on the innocents. The Elders ostracized her and her whitelighter was reassigned. This happens occasionally, as you well know," he said, glancing at Piper, who couldn't deny her intimate knowledge of that fact, considering her own experience. "But that particular whitelighter was madly in love with his witch. Now he reproaches her problems to the Elders. I think she's convinced him that he'd come to see things her way. Or at least, she's closed to."
"Continue…" Prue uttered, as she saw the logic in his explanation at this point.
"Unfortunately, the warlock wasn't much more useful. As much as he feared me, he feared the Triad a lot more. Once he realized that I was a little too interested in what he had to say, he stopped talking and no amount of persuasion could make him tell me the name of the witch, or of the whitelighter for that matter."
Piper asked with a hint of suspicion:
"Persuasion?"
Cole seemed uneasy.
"I'm not proud of it… but the situation appeared to justify some hard measures. If you've got to know… no, I didn't vanquish him. I thought that if I kept him under some surveillance, he could bring us to the one I was looking for. Until now I haven't had any luck. It seems that the Triad's worried about exposing themselves. However, the recent onslaught of attacks tells me that they might be getting desperate. The Triad might be preparing to make their move even as we speak…"
"One last thing…why did you keep this from us, until now?"
"Let just say I expected your reaction. I was hoping that my information would be more complete by the time I told you. Unfortunately, that's all I know.
I'm afraid the only way to find out more, is to have a talk with Leo. But if I know anything about them, I know that they got strict rules about the affairs of other whitelighters. It's not gonna be easy to make him talk about one of them. Besides, I really didn't think he'd talk to me."
"Does Phoebe know anything about this?"
"No. And as much as possible I'd appreciate if you didn't tell her either. She's got enough to worry about right now."
"You might be right about this," Prue said. "Ok! We'll talk to Leo. Hopefully, he'll understand how important this is."
Cole simply answered:
"Good." Then he headed upstairs, leaving the sisters to mull over his revelations.
"I don't think that we've got any time to lose." Prue began right away.
"Are you sure? It's just that it all sounds so farfetched."
"Piper, you know that I'm the first one to doubt Cole, for obvious reasons. But what he said wouldn't give him any advantage. And we know how much he loves Phoebe. He wouldn't do anything to hurt her. This, at least, I believe."
"You're right of course. It's just that it's so incredible."
"Is it? Piper, Leo broke so many rules for you, it's a miracle they didn't cut his wings by now."
"I know, but Leo never turned to Evil…"
"What if you'd been evil yourself?"
Piper didn't really have an answer to that.
Out of arguments, she looked up and called for her husband.
Cole entered the bedroom he shared with Phoebe quietly, hoping not to wake her. However, this one still woke up, no matter how silent he had been. She'd been having problem sleeping lately, for obvious reasons, and would wake up at the slightest disturbance.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake up."
Phoebe smiled sleepily:
"What did I tell you about apologies?"
He returned her smile and came to lie on the bed by her side. She immediately cuddled against him.
"Besides, I enjoy being awake with you."
Cole replied with a knowing smile:
"So do I."
"Even now?" Phoebe questioned, as her eyes fell on her ample stomach.
Cole got her to look at him and smiled anew.
"Now, more than ever… You make me happier than you can even imagine. I can't wait to see our baby, that's true enough. But I'm happy just being with you."
"You're such a charmer! Never stop."
"I won't."
Changing the subject, Phoebe questioned while becoming more serious.
"Was there something the matter with my sisters?"
"Nothing that should concern you… As a matter of fact, I think that we're making progress…at least a little," he added belatedly.
"You've gotta give them some time."
"That's ok. Just as long as I have you, I got all I need."
She gazed at him with all the love she felt inside.
"You won't get rid of me."
"I'm counting on it."
Then they kissed passionately.
Down in the living room, Leo orbed in; he smiled at his wife.
"You called? Is something wrong?"
"Yes Leo," Prue answered for them, "something might very well be wrong." From their anxious expressions, Leo understood that it might be serious.
"Ok what is it?"
Prue had to be the one to ask, because Piper couldn't bring herself to.
"Ok first what do you know about your fellow Whitelighters?"
Right away, Leo became guarded.
"Girls, you know that I can't talk to you about this; the rules are clear."
Prue insisted:
"Still, we need to know something and be damned with the rules; this one might be the most important information we've ever needed from you."
Alarmed, Leo questioned:
"What do you mean?"
Cole was coming back downstairs just then and he decided to stay out of sight for the moment, while he listened intently.
"Well it's difficult to ask and we're not even sure we got it from the most reliable source…" Prue began hesitantly.
At this, Cole grimaced and wondered just what exactly the point of doing all of this for them was.
"Anyway," Prue said again, "we heard that it might be… That maybe…"
Leo showed signs of impatience.
"Would you come out with it please?"
"Ok…! Do you think it's possible that a whitelighter could turn to evil? I mean if he had a really good reason, you know?"
Leo seemed horrified at this suggestion.
"Never!" he exclaimed loudly. "Whitelighters are chosen for their humanitarian qualities and their desire to serve and help people. It's totally contrary to any evil purpose."
Hearing this finished convincing Cole that they very well might not act upon his news, and he took the decision to deal with this himself instead.
Discreetly, he headed out of the house, determined to resume his surveillance of the warlock. He was still hoping that it'd pay off and that he'd be able to bring them proof of what he'd told them.
However, Prue had given more credit than he thought to his story. She was now insisting with Leo.
"I know that it seems unthinkable, Leo. But you've got to hear us out here.
Remember when the Elders were against you and Piper being together?
How you broke the rules so many times for her sake?"
Leo was still very reticent.
"I never turned to evil because of it. I wouldn't have."
Prue went on as persuasively as she could:
"Maybe YOU wouldn't have, but what if another whitelighter had fallen for a witch who turned to evil?" Prue paused in order to let it sink in. "Isn't it possible that he might change for the love of her?"
At this, Leo became visibly uncomfortable, as if a thought had just struck him.
Prue, seeing that she might've been getting somewhere, insisted:
"We know for a fact that love can push a person to incredible lengths. In this very house lives an ex-demon who risked his life more than once and turned his life around because he fell in love, you know that..."
Leo kept very quiet for a moment, obviously mulling over this. Then, he suddenly looked up and said:
"Who told you this?"
This time, the sister couldn't help showing a little embarrassment.
"Cole," Prue answered, and then she added quickly, "I know that it makes it look suspicious but can we take the risk?"
"I guess not. Ok," Leo admitted then with a sigh, "there might be something to what you're saying…"
Piper gasped:
"There is?"
Leo turned to her sadly:
"Yes…there's a Whitelighter, one who's been protesting vehemently against his charge's revocation of privileges. She used black magic for her own purpose and in doing so, broke the most important rules of the good side. After an attempt at convincing her to change her ways, she got angry and went even deeper into evil, which means that she's transforming into a warlock. However, her Whitelighter's reproaching it to the Elders. Still, I never would have believed that it could go this far…"
"Well, it seems that the information was accurate," Prue interjected somberly. She also had a pang of guilt at the way she'd treated Cole. She soon dismissed it however, more worried as she was with the problem at hand. "Now, what does it mean? And most importantly what can we do about it?"
"I'm not sure," Leo answered hesitantly, "but I'll consult with the Elders. As soon as I know more, I'll let you in on it."
Leo gave Piper a light kiss and immediately orbed up.
Prue went into action right away, not willing to wait for this.
"Let's go find Cole; I want him to tell us who is and where is that warlock."
Piper nodded in agreement and they went up to Phoebe's bedroom, convinced that he was still there with her.
They called ahead but didn't wait for an answer before going in.
Inside, there found only Phoebe. This one opened questioning eyes at them.
Prue asked without impatiently: "Where is Cole?"
Phoebe answered sleepily:
"He left a short while ago. Didn't you see him?"
Prue and Piper uttered at the same time:
"No…"
Piper continued for Prue:
"Do you think he went…?" Then she stopped, remembering that Phoebe was supposed to be kept out of it.
Of course this one still picked up on it.
"Went where? What's the matter?"
"Did Cole tell you anything?" Prue questioned rather than answering her.
"Just that he needed to check something further and would be back soon. Is he in trouble?" Phoebe asked anxiously.
"Nothing that should worry you… He probably just wanted to check a hunch he told us about," said Prue, trying to deflect her sister's suspicions. "You concentrate on getting some rest Phoebe. The time's near for you."
Phoebe was so tired that she hardly protested.
"By the way," Prue continued, "you do have the number for the hospital, do you?"
Phoebe became alarmed again:
"Yes… why?"
"Nothing bad, it's just that we're all gonna be out soon, and I'm worried that it you labor might start while we're away, that's all."
"I'll be fine, don't worry about me."
"Ok then," Prue replied with a forced smile, "try to get some sleep, and we'll take care of the rest."
After they had left the room, Prue turned to Piper.
"What do you think Cole's up to? Why didn't he say something?"
"Maybe he just figured that we didn't trust him completely and he went to get some proof?"
"No matter why, we've got to find him now. He's the only one who can possibly locate this warlock and maybe help us stop this madness."
"Scry?" Piper simply said.
"Yup!"
They hurried toward the attic.
In the underworld, the Triad was preparing for the big meeting.
"Are you sure it's safe?"
"Yes I do, the area has been scoured and no witch ever goes there.
Moreover, we'll take all the necessary precautions."
Another expressed doubts.
"I still think that it's a big risk."
"It's better than doing nothing, for we're sure to be destroyed if this plan doesn't work… Our replacements are already smelling demon's blood."
"Then, let's not lose any more time…"
In an isolated part of San Francisco, a man in a hooded tunic was waiting impatiently in an alley. He was looking around constantly, as if afraid of being surprised.
The man surveyed his surrounding one last time, and he suddenly began moving away, albeit hesitantly. Another large man's sudden apparition stopped him short. The newcomer had dark and severe features. He eyed the hooded man suspiciously then.
"Where are you going?"
The other hesitated, obviously shook by the tall man's presence.
"I… I thought that you weren't coming anymore."
The other threatened:
"You're not trying to get out of this, are you?"
"No, of course not," the hooded man said too quickly.
Cole, who had come here to wait for a sighting of the warlock, watched this exchange while remembering what got him there in the first place.
On one of his scouting trips, he had ended up near this place for no other reasons than its isolation had the same characteristics as many of the place he, himself, used to look for. A lucky break brought him there as those two, he could now see them in the alley, were meeting. It's the strange way in which the one he didn't know, was trying to hide his features and also seemed scared of the warlock that had attracted his attention more than anything else.
But then, when he had seen the hooded man orbing out, that had made it a priority. Questioning the Warlock had been easy enough. All he had to do was push him around a little. His reputation as a vile and dangerous demon still carried some weight in the uninformed circles. He simply hinted at the warlock that he might be interested in the scheme. It had still taken some convincing but in the end, the warlock had given him the highlights of the situation, along with a warning. He'd said he was working directly for the Triad and didn't want to get in trouble with them.
Now, watching them again, Cole wondered if he was in luck. This might be his chance to bring back better information to the Charmed Ones and who knew, maybe the Warlock himself.
Breaking his line of thought, the two men's tone of voice rose considerably, while Warlock closed in on the hooded man in a threatening stance.
"You've better not to be trying to trick me, Whitelighter… Or I'll rip you apart."
Then he grabbed the Whitelighter by the shoulder, shaking him. The Whitelighter tried shake off the Warlock's grasp and in doing so, the hood fell off. Cole could now see a dark haired man with handsome features. On his face, fear, at first, then anger and determination came in turn.
He added then:
"I'll keep my part of the bargain, but you better keep yours."
The Warlock answered smugly:
"No problem, little one. If you deliver what we asked for, you'll get your heart's desire and no trouble from us."
Then he pursued:
"I still don't understand how you're going to get one of them here though. Many of us have tried and failed with disastrous results."
At this, Cole really started paying attention, because he understood where this might be going.
His worst fears were soon confirmed, as the whitelighter morphed into Leo's likeness.
The warlock, puzzled, asked him what this new appearance was supposed to do to help.
The Whitelighter's answer sent a chill down Cole's spine.
"Don't worry… the witch's going to come willingly when asked to by her own whitelighter." And then he smiled, apparently very content with himself.
The Warlock smiled cruelly in turn as understanding dawned on him.
Piper and Prue had just located Cole in an isolated part of town and were preparing to depart when Leo orbed in.
He seemed very preoccupied.
"What's the news?" Although Prue guessed that it wasn't good at seeing his expression.
"We've lost track of him," Leo simply said.
This was enough however to get the girls' full attention. Leo pursued:
"A few hours ago, he just vanished from the radar completely.
I'm afraid that if we don't act now, we might be too late."
Prue didn't need any more encouragement.
"We figured out where Cole is. With a little luck, he found him already."
"Then, there's no time to lose, let's go." Piper said decisively.
They departed in a hurry, while leaving Phoebe alone at home….
Back in the alley, the Warlock was saying:
"It's time to do whatever you have to; they will be coming soon and expect their prize."
The whitelighter just asked:
"You're sure that nobody can detect me?"
"Absolutely sure! They've taken great care to shield you. Nobody'll know until it's too late."
Without waiting, the Whitelighter orbed out, ready to play his part.
Cole had been tempted to go warn the others right away, but now he thought better of it. He raged against his inability to blink however, which he'd lost for good a couple weeks [prior. Renouncing evil had been the best thing he ever did, granted. However, some of the rules were somewhat hard to understand. For the first time in his life, he really felt helpless and that was a terrible sensation.
The girls and Leo were driving fast toward the other side of town, as Leo filled in the blanks in the Whitelighter' story.
"His name is Zach. And up until a few months ago, he was a caring man who took great care of his charges. I considered him my friend and we talked many times. But lately, I noticed a change in him. So did a few of us. But we'd never have imagined it'd go that far."
"What exactly do you think he could do?"
"In a nutshell, a single act of true evil on his part might open a rift into our realm. One which the demons could use to enter, and then wreck havoc all the way to the Elders. As we speak, the Elders are taking precautions and assembling as many whitelighters as they can up there. They're preparing for war."
The girls couldn't help but shivering at the thought.
Prue said then:
"Let's try to stop it before it ever happens."
"Let's hope we can." Leo replied anxiously
In the alley, the Warlock had moved into a dark corner, seemingly to hide from something he expected to come at any moment.
Cole had made up his mind to try and overpower this one before the whitelighter's return. However, he stopped cold when a dark hole opened in the ground not far enough from him for comfort. One by one, the familiar robed figures of the Triad came out from the hole. A wave of despair washed over Cole, as he realized that no matter what, he couldn't fight them by himself, not with the little power he had left from his transformation.
The Warlock approached them cautiously himself, while bowing respectfully. He greeted them and then waited for them to talk.
"Where is she?" One of them asked in a somewhat chanting tone of voice, which was in no way less threatening.
Keeping his eyes to the ground, the Warlock assured them that it wouldn't be much longer. The whitelighter was already at work and should be bringing them the witch at any moment.
"We can't stay here for long… if we don't get what we came for, and the result we expect, you can be sure that you'll pay for it."
The Warlock didn't take the threat lightly and stepped away from them. This, while again assuring them that there wouldn't be any mistakes.
Cole tried to reassure himself that the girls would surely figure out the trick and not be taken. As time went by his hope was growing, that is until the whitelighter's familiar chime was heard in the alley, and in he came with Phoebe. She looked around at first, dumbfounded not to find her sisters. Then when seeing the ones who were in the alley, her curious expression quickly turned to one of terror.
At that moment, a dark cloud seemed to appear out of nowhere in the otherwise blue sky. A cloud that enlarged for every moment that passed. The Whitelighter was pushing Phoebe toward the Triad. And although she was usually feistier, right then a sharp pain in her back close to paralyzed her. On some level, she realized that of all moments to start, her labor just had.
Cole jumped out of his hiding place without thinking and he screamed her name, while throwing a lightning ball toward one of the Triad's members. Unfortunately his scream alerted them and this one blinked out of the way. He reappeared behind Cole and quickly planted a knife between Cole's shoulder blades. For a moment, Cole seemed like suspended, as he stared directly at Phoebe with an expression of intense surprise. Then, he simply dropped to the ground face first. Phoebe screamed: "NO!"
Then she finally reacted by kicking the whitelighter to the ground and trying to run toward Cole. However, the Warlock who delivered her, screaming and kicking to the Triad, quickly overpowered her.
Tears were now rolling freely down her cheeks and she didn't even pay much attention to the pain returning in her back, or to the Triad member who'd grabbed her for that matter. This one was visibly pleased with his catch. All Phoebe could do then was staring at Cole's inert body in despair.
In the car, silence had fallen between the three, as they were nervously nearing their destination. Piper looked out the window and realized that something was amiss suddenly. She asked around.
"Do you see this?" She was pointing at a large dark cloud interspersed with lightning strikes.
Piper continued:
"The rest of the sky's blue and calm except for this spot… what do you think?"
Leo immediately reacted to this:
"It's happened! That's the beginning of a rift!"
Then to Prue he said:
"Pull over, I'll orb you the rest of the way. We've got to find out what is happening and stop it!"
The moment the car halted, Leo orbed them to the alley. They reappeared next to Cole, who was still unconscious. However, they had no time to react to this since they saw that The Triad was there and pulling Phoebe toward a dark hole in the ground. Leo orbed next to them and picked Phoebe up and out of their grasp, orbing her behind Prue and Piper. One of the Triad members uttered a growl and threw a fireball in their direction, which Prue deflected at the last moment. Without too much hope for it to work, Piper attempted to freeze them. The surprise on her face was genuine when she realized that it had worked.
Seeing the hole still opened in the ground, Prue simply tkd them one by one in it and then they fell rapidly out of sight. The moment they were all in, the hole closed on its own, and in the sky, the rift seemed to shrink rapidly, as they were all watching. The Warlock, forgotten in the struggle, simply blinked out. However the whitelighter seemed to be frozen in place. He looked as if he just realized what he had almost done. Nevertheless, they all ignored him, as they finally paid attention to Phoebe's cries. Turning toward it, they found her hugging Cole's body. His face was very pale, but he was still breathing and Phoebe called to Leo for help.
"Please hurry!"
Leo bent over Cole and turned him around to have a better look at the wound.
He reassured Phoebe that he'd be able to heal him. Her face expressed a deep relief as she saw the wound receding under Leo's magic touch. The moment it was done, Cole coughed and woke up as they help him on his back again. The look of surprise on his face was almost comical. Almost…
"I guess I shouldn't try to understand what happened?" He said then.
"Suffice to say, the Triad is back in its hole. At least for the moment…" Prue answered for all of them.
Then Cole grabbed Phoebe and pulled her to him with all his might. It almost took her breath away, but at this point, she didn't mind at all. As soon as they were all reassured that Cole was ok, they returned their attention toward the whitelighter.
This one still looked exactly like Leo. One glance from his fellow Whitelighter told him that the sinister masquerade was over and he went back to his own appearance quickly. Leo went to him without a word, and signaling to the others that he had to go, he orbed out with the traitor, presumably to bring him to his judgement.
Those still in the alley stared at each other in relief. However, Cole noticed Phoebe's sudden cringe.
"Did they hurt you?" He asked, concerned anew.
Phoebe was trying to get back her bearings between contractions and she finally joked without laughing:
"They didn't, but you did."
Alarmed, Cole tried to figure out what she meant.
Phoebe managed a chuckle before adding:
"You dope, like nine months ago!"
Cole still seemed puzzled and was staring at her, clueless. Then, as the truth dawned on him, he exclaimed:
"Oh! What do we do?" Cole asked nervously.
Phoebe responded calmly:
"I think calling a cab and a trip to the hospital would be in order right now."
Prue and Piper, who heard this exchange, became all excited, and they forget all about the recent events. Prue used her cell phone to call the cab.
Later in the labor room, Phoebe suddenly remembered something between two contractions. She pulled Cole to her and said while still panting from the pain:
"No matter what happens here, we're going to have a talk about not telling me important stuff."
He answered while depositing a light kiss on her now sweaty forehead:
"I promise… no more secrets."
Then, she could no longer speak, as the next contraction came.
A while later outside the labor room, the girls were waiting impatiently for some news.
"You know what?" Prue uttered as she paced the small room impatiently, "I'll take vanquishing a demon any day rather than this waiting."
"I hear you." Piper said from her seat while she watched the door to the room no less nervously. Leo entered normally through it then, not wanting to alert anyone, and asked if there was any news.
However, before they could give Leo an answer, a proud daddy came in with his child in arms. Cole told them with a sweet smile:
"She's as pretty as her mother…" This gave them the answer to their question.
Then, they all moved around him to admire the new member of the family, while speaking softly.
They all had tears in their eyes, as they doted over the beautiful baby girl.