Chapter 9 Vanquishing Demons
AN: I am finally finished with this sorry you have had to wait so long for it. I just wanted to take this little moment to dedicate it to a good friend, Nat. Hope you enjoyed it. See you soon.
"I think it would be a very good thing if we all went home…now!" Phoebe said struggling to keep the panic out of her voice. Leo nodded and grabbed Piper's arm lightly. Piper however wasn't about to move.
"I think we might have more of a problem then that guys." Piper interjected.
"What? What else could be more important?" Cole asked distantly.
"Well Ethan the amazing disappearing boy for one. There are at least five people staring at us wondering where he went right now." Piper offered sarcastically.
"That's great they can chalk it up to alcohol. We need to go." Phoebe said struggling to escape Cole's grasp.
"True but that isn't the only problem we have." Cole said looking past the group at someone in the distance. "See that man over there in the corner." The group turned to where Cole had gestured with his head. "His name's Korac. He steals the souls of young women. Feeds on them to stay young."
"You two good friends?" Piper asked expectantly and Phoebe let out an exasperated sigh. If her sister didn't stop criticizing him soon she was going to take her out back and show her some of her new demon butt-kicking moves.
"Not good friends but yeah I've talked with him a few times." Cole said defensively.
"It doesn't matter it looks like he's got his next victim." Leo said interrupting and breaking up a potential fight as he gestured toward the demon exiting the building with a young woman.
It was thirty minutes and one vanquishing later when the group finally left P3. Giving Charlie plenty of time to make it to the manner ahead of them.
"She isn't answering!" Phoebe said not bothering to hide the alarm this time. Leo had been called and they were trying to keep Cole from shimmering as much as possible which hadn't been easy. Shimmering had been his first suggestion when Julie hadn't answered four phone calls ago. Both sisters looked at him now and he nodded shimmering out only arriving minutes before the sisters.
"Julie?! Ethan?!" Cole heard phoebe's voice ring out through the open door. He met her in the hall and wrapped his arms around her. "Where?" she squeaked out already knowing the answer. He pulled her closer hoping to lessen the blow with his body.
"I don't know. They aren't here."
Piper walked in on the two of them and saw the mess Charlie had left. There was stuff all over the place and a suspicious spot in the corner that looked like blood. She motioned for Cole to take Phoebe upstairs and away before she could see the damage.
Leo orbed in as the Cole led Phoebe upstairs.
"Do they?" Piper asked without turning around. Leo came up behind her and wrapped her in his arms.
"It's not Ethan's." Leo said referring to the blood. Piper shuddered in his arms.
"Do they know were he is? How can we find him?" Piper asked one question quickly following the other.
"No. But we will find him." Leo offered.
"I don't care what Phoebe says it's time to call Darryl." Piper said defiantly.
"I think she'd agree." Leo answered.
It was three heartbreaking days before any lead came to the sisters on Ethan's location. The lead was in the form of Ethan himself.
Phoebe was sleeping in Cole's arms on the couch when suddenly he astraled in front of them.
"Mommy!" he cried out waking Phoebe with a jump. She reached out to grab him and stopped suddenly as he started to disappear. Fighting back tears she called for him and Cole joined in with her.
"Ethan come back!" they pleaded. As in answer to their pleas he managed to materialize again.
"Miss you." He called out.
"Ethan where are you?" Phoebe tried in vain knowing that he couldn't answer because he wouldn't know.
"Zoo." He said before he left again. Phoebe flung her arms around Cole's neck giving him a quick hug and then she sprang out of his reach and ran into the kitchen to tell her sister.
"Are you sure he said Zoo?" Piper questioned.
"No it was more along the lines of the beach." Phoebe said sarcastically.
"Phoebe why don't you try getting a premonition?" Leo suggested trying to stop a potential fight. Phoebe went to work while Piper silently amended her question.
Three hours later they left with no luck. Brushing her hand along the outside of the fence on her way to the car Phoebe gasped as a premonition hit her.
Ethan was being lead by Julie along the fence and down an alleyway into a side door. Charlie had his knife pressed against Julie's back and Julie was bleeding.
"This way." Phoebe cried out as she burst into a quick trot and disappeared down an ally. When the group caught up with her she was standing in a doorway with a knife held to her throat and an angry Charlie holding them back with his intent.
"I knew you'd come home to me." Charlie said forcing her to lean further into him or be cut.
"Where is Ethan?" Cole demanded sending Phoebe a look telling her it would be ok.
"Who are you again?" Charlie asked unconcerned. Cole started toward him but stopped as Charlie threatened further damage with the knife he held to Phoebe's throat.
"I think you should tell your friends to leave Phoebe." Charlie said taking his free hand and stroking her cheek as a tear slipped out. Phoebe remained quiet and blood started to flow under the blade of the knife.
"Go!" she cried out hoarsely. Piper nodded defiantly.
"Let her go Charlie." Piper said warning him. Freeze him. The thought ran through her mind but she couldn't do it. She couldn't risk blowing him up. And what if it didn't work at all. True Phoebe had known to come here but was it because she had had a premonition. She hadn't been able to get one at the zoo or any other time she had tried. If it didn't work then they would be in worse shape.
"You're right she isn't worth it." Charlie said removing the knife from her neck turning her around forcing a kiss on her then stabbing her in the stomach.
"No!" Cole cried out as he watched her slide to the ground. Charlie turned to run, Piper reached out to freeze him, and a shot rang out piercing Charlie between the shoulders and forcing him to the ground.
Cole ran to Phoebe with Piper and Leo trailing close behind.
"Is she gonna be ok?" a voice asked as Leo started to heal her. Piper turned to see Darryl and nodded in confirmation. Charlie tried to move and Piper froze him. Yeah she still had it. She smiled in satisfaction.
Cole left Phoebe's side as she sat up disoriented. He wandered into the building to see a frightened Ethan and a bound Julie. Phoebe followed him in and Ethan ran to them throwing himself at the two of them. Leo and Piper followed the two in and made their way to Julie freeing her from her captivity.
A week later the group stood on the Halliwell's front stoop saying their goodbyes.
"You can visit anytime you want." Julie offered. A black eye and scar on her right arm were all she had left from the experience. Leo had offered to heal her when they had let her in on the secret but she had declined saying she'd rather not.
"I think we will take you up on that." Cole said hugging Ethan goodbye. Phoebe nodded pulling the boy closer to her and placing a kiss on his cheek.
"Now you be good and remember what we said about your 'trick'." Phoebe ordered the little boy who solemnly nodded.
"Bye bye. Aunt Piper and Uncle Leo." He said waving as he ran to chase a bug.
"It was good to see you again." Phoebe offered giving the older woman a hug.
"And it was good to meet you." Piper added taking her turn.
"Well I better get going. See you around." Julie said with a wave. The group watched as the two visitors got in their car and rode away.
"Well one good thing has come out of this." Leo offered.
"Besides the world being short a guy like Charlie?" Piper asked. Charlie hadn't made it to the hospital alive and no one really felt very sorry about it. It was lucky Darryl had taken the day off to spend some time with his family at the zoo.
"Yeah besides that." Leo answered.
"I give up." Piper finally said.
"Well we won't have to run around the house trying to save Kit from the microwave any more." Leo finally said. Piper smiled.
"Yeah I'm sure Kit's grateful for that one." She added.
"I'm pooped." Phoebe announced. "Goodnight." She said passing everyone on her way in the house with Cole tagging along.
"Well looks like things are back to normal." Piper said to Leo as the two of them walked into the house.
A lone woman standing on the sidewalk with long dark hair smiled as a cat with a funny symbol on its collar brushed up against her leg. Watching the two people walk into the house she turned and closed the door for them, then continued on her way down the street with the cat following.