Chapter 4
Simon entered the room carrying an even larger silver tray than the last one with a pot, six cups, cream, and sugar--all in the best china--as well as a glass filled with scotch.
Simon: My, it seems to have become very quiet in here all of a sudden.
As Simon began passing cups around and filling them, Psyche stood and went to stand by the fireplace staring at the enormous portrait.
Psyche: Well, you said you came for answers, so what are your questions?
Piper: We wanted to know more about Uncle Patrick and why we were never told about him.
Psyche: I see. Well, unfortunately, that will not be a short tale. There is a lot of information that I will be giving you on that subject. Some you may not be able to handle. Much of it is difficult for me to talk about so you will have to bear with me. Simon, could you bring us some cookies or something. They have been traveling.
Simon: Absolutely. I will be right back.
Simon turned and left. Just as quickly, he returned with a tray full of pastries and cookies. He then poured himself a cup of coffee and sat down in the recliner opposite of the one that Psyche had vacated.
Phoebe: We understand that this will be difficult but it is also difficult for us too. In a matter of a few short months, we have lost our eldest sister, as well as discovered that we had a younger sister, and now to top it off, an uncle and cousin that we were not informed about. We ask that you bear with us, too.
Psyche turned and gave Phoebe a measuring look. She then went back to her seat and began sipping her coffee that Simon had already fixed for her.
Psyche: Very well, then. We shall begin. This story starts with Grams, when she was still a young witch and yet madly in love...during one of her many marriages.
This received a low chuckle from around the room.
Psyche: Grams soon became pregnant and of course had Patricia. However, due to complications during childbirth, she never knew, nor would she know that she had given birth to two children that day. Twins. A boy and girl. The doctors, believing that the boy would die, did not tell her about him and released her with her daughter. However, the boy grew stronger and lived. To avoid a law suit of immense proportions they then adopted the baby out as an orphaned child. Now you know why you were never told. As far as I know Grams never found out before she died. Luckily the midwife had realized the importance of the twins and the talents that they may someday wield so she saw to it that the infant was settled into a Wiccan home and having witnessed the naming of the infant girl thus named him Patrick. Young Patrick grew up and learned to wield his powers carefully and skillfully. As the years went by, he vanquished many demons as well as flourished in the business world until one
day he met a woman. A woman with many secrets. To this day I still do not know her name, nor do I care to. Upon meeting this woman, my father had decided to give up the good fight and devote his time to what he hoped would be his family. He had fallen under her spell and they were married within a month. Shortly after that she became pregnant. After having me, however, my mother started becoming restless and leaving quite a bit, sometimes for long periods of time. During these times, my father would devote many hours to research on bloodlines and histories of witches and demons to eventually help me when my time came to fight and in case others needed to know such information. Then one day, when I was only five years old, the truth came out. In doing some research on a famous statesmen that had died mysteriously in 1888, he came across an old wedding photograph. The woman in the picture was my mother.
Phoebe: Wait! Did you say 1888?
Psyche: Yes, I did.
Phoebe turned and looked at Cole, who had suddenly grown very still.
Phoebe: That's the year...
Cole: ...my father died. Yes, I know.
Phoebe: But then that would mean...
Psyche: ...that Cole is my half-brother. Very good, Phoebe.
Cole: That's impossible.
Psyche: Is it?
The room was very silent. No one even dared breathe as Cole let the unimaginable sink in. He quietly rose, and went to stare out the huge bay window.
Psyche: May I continue?
The question was directed at Cole, and after a moment's hesitation, he nodded.
Psyche: My father, after having realized the implications, immediately called for his whitelighter, Simon, of whom he had not called in five years. Simon orbed in and then was bombarded by questions from my father.
Simon: He wished to know who the statesman had really been and why his wife had chosen him and then later Patrick. I told him that I did not know. All I knew of it was that they had had a son together and then she later killed Statesmen Benjamin Turner using her demonic powers.
Psyche: My father was furious. He had been tricked in the worst possible way and now he knew that I was not just a witch but also half-demon.
It took a moment for this to be truly taken in.
Piper: Oh, my God!
Paige: Half-witch, half-demon!?!
Phoebe: Cole, are you all right?
Cole slowly turned from the window and looked at the woman he loved.
Cole: I had no idea. You must believe me.
Phoebe rose and went to hug him.
Phoebe: Of course, I believe you. Now come sit with me. We will get through this together as we have everything else.
The others had taken this exchange in with sympathy and concern. Leo had put a comforting arm around his wife and she snuggled closer into him while holding Paige's hand to give her support.
Cole and Phoebe shared a silent moment, drawing comfort from each other in a gentle, yet passionate kiss. Then together they walked back and regained their seats looking to Psyche to continue the story, who acknowledged this with a nod.
Psyche: Upon questioning Simon further as to the fate of their son, Coleridge Turner, he discovered that my mother had taken her son to the Underworld to be raised by the Source and other demons and was now known as the mighty Balthazar. Regardless, of the fact that he now knew I was half-demon, my father still loved me, if not more. He vowed to never let me share the same fate and then upon her return, he confronted her.
It was now Psyche's turn to stand and stare out the window.
Psyche: I hid in the closet and listened...and watched. My father told her that he knew what she was, knew her plans, and would have no part in it--even if it cost him his life. She laughed. I remember that laugh and still hear it in my nightmares to this day. It chilled me like a bucket of ice never could. She said that there was nothing he could do to stop her and when she went to shoot an energy ball at him...I screamed. I came out of hiding just in time to see my father deflect it back at her and to see her vanquished.
Psyche turned back to the stricken room.
Psyche: She was surprised. She had had no idea that my father was a witch.
Paige: Then your mother wasn't the demon that murdered Uncle Patrick?
Simon: No. He wasn't.
Psyche: And now you know why I said we do not talk about her in this house. My father continued his research devoting all of his energy to learning everything he could about Benjamin Turner, his son, and the main agenda in all of this. Then suddenly it came to him and again he called for Simon.
Simon: He demanded to know every witch that I had ever been a whitelighter to and I refused. It was against the rules.
He looked to Leo for confirmation. However, Piper was the first to speak.
Piper: Believe me, we all understand that rule. Leo and I had a wonderful fight about why I wasn't allowed to know what he did on whitelighter time.
There was shared laughter around the room at the joke, which helped to relieve some of the building tension.
Leo: So what did the stubborn Halliwell say to that, Simon?
Simon: Nothing. He simply handed me an old photograph of me and Benjamin that I didn't even know existed. I had no choice then but to tell him the truth. That I had been his whitelighter.
Cole: But wait! Then that would mean that I'm...half-witch, as well!?!
Simon: Yes.
Paige: Wait. I don't understand. Cole's demonic powers have been stripped. Wouldn't he have had some sign of this? You know a new witchy power or something?
Simon: Not necessarily. Cole's demonic half buried the other for over a hundred years. It may take some time for them to finally resurface, if at all.
Piper: What do you mean, if at all?
Cole: He means, if the potion didn't strip them as well. Right, Simon?
Simon couldn't look Cole in the eye.
Simon: Right. I'm not trying to give you false hope, Cole, but there is a chance. Your father, like Patrick, had the power of deflection as well as teleportation.
Piper: What the hell is teleportation?
Leo: The ability to move from place to place with your mind. It may explain how he came into his talent of shimmering so quickly and efficiently.
Suddenly Cole jumped up and began pacing across the room in front of the window.
Cole: This is ridiculous. I would have known. I...
Suddenly there was a tiny energy ball flying over Leo's head and directly at Cole. In an instant he had raised his hand and a blue, sparkling light in the shape of an oval reflected it back towards a lamp sitting on the side table next to Psyche. As it fell and crashed on the floor, Phoebe's scream finally left her throat as she leapt from the couch.
Phoebe: Where the hell did that come from?
Psyche, who had not moved an inch from her chair except to raise her hand, lowered it now and calmly studied Cole, who's face was stricken with surprise as he stared at his own hand.
Psyche: Me.
Phoebe: Are you insane? You could have killed him.
Psyche: Not hardly. That energy ball was so low-voltage it would have barely killed a fly. Yet, as you can see, Cole has now discovered his power of deflection.
Cole: Damn! That was amazing!!
Paige: So much for "mortal status", Cole.
Cole came back to stand next to Phoebe who threw her arms around him and then settled back down on the couch with his urging, but without letting him go.
Phoebe: You still could have warned us.
Psyche: No one knows better than you or your sisters that a witch's powers are usually caused by their emotions and instincts. Cole was agitated and upset, as well as daring to believe in the possibility that what I said could be true. It was the perfect opportunity. I'm sorry if it startled you. Perhaps we need a break. Why don't we take a stroll outside? The weather is quite beautiful today.
Leo: I think that sounds like a great idea.
Simon entered the room carrying an even larger silver tray than the last one with a pot, six cups, cream, and sugar--all in the best china--as well as a glass filled with scotch.
Simon: My, it seems to have become very quiet in here all of a sudden.
As Simon began passing cups around and filling them, Psyche stood and went to stand by the fireplace staring at the enormous portrait.
Psyche: Well, you said you came for answers, so what are your questions?
Piper: We wanted to know more about Uncle Patrick and why we were never told about him.
Psyche: I see. Well, unfortunately, that will not be a short tale. There is a lot of information that I will be giving you on that subject. Some you may not be able to handle. Much of it is difficult for me to talk about so you will have to bear with me. Simon, could you bring us some cookies or something. They have been traveling.
Simon: Absolutely. I will be right back.
Simon turned and left. Just as quickly, he returned with a tray full of pastries and cookies. He then poured himself a cup of coffee and sat down in the recliner opposite of the one that Psyche had vacated.
Phoebe: We understand that this will be difficult but it is also difficult for us too. In a matter of a few short months, we have lost our eldest sister, as well as discovered that we had a younger sister, and now to top it off, an uncle and cousin that we were not informed about. We ask that you bear with us, too.
Psyche turned and gave Phoebe a measuring look. She then went back to her seat and began sipping her coffee that Simon had already fixed for her.
Psyche: Very well, then. We shall begin. This story starts with Grams, when she was still a young witch and yet madly in love...during one of her many marriages.
This received a low chuckle from around the room.
Psyche: Grams soon became pregnant and of course had Patricia. However, due to complications during childbirth, she never knew, nor would she know that she had given birth to two children that day. Twins. A boy and girl. The doctors, believing that the boy would die, did not tell her about him and released her with her daughter. However, the boy grew stronger and lived. To avoid a law suit of immense proportions they then adopted the baby out as an orphaned child. Now you know why you were never told. As far as I know Grams never found out before she died. Luckily the midwife had realized the importance of the twins and the talents that they may someday wield so she saw to it that the infant was settled into a Wiccan home and having witnessed the naming of the infant girl thus named him Patrick. Young Patrick grew up and learned to wield his powers carefully and skillfully. As the years went by, he vanquished many demons as well as flourished in the business world until one
day he met a woman. A woman with many secrets. To this day I still do not know her name, nor do I care to. Upon meeting this woman, my father had decided to give up the good fight and devote his time to what he hoped would be his family. He had fallen under her spell and they were married within a month. Shortly after that she became pregnant. After having me, however, my mother started becoming restless and leaving quite a bit, sometimes for long periods of time. During these times, my father would devote many hours to research on bloodlines and histories of witches and demons to eventually help me when my time came to fight and in case others needed to know such information. Then one day, when I was only five years old, the truth came out. In doing some research on a famous statesmen that had died mysteriously in 1888, he came across an old wedding photograph. The woman in the picture was my mother.
Phoebe: Wait! Did you say 1888?
Psyche: Yes, I did.
Phoebe turned and looked at Cole, who had suddenly grown very still.
Phoebe: That's the year...
Cole: ...my father died. Yes, I know.
Phoebe: But then that would mean...
Psyche: ...that Cole is my half-brother. Very good, Phoebe.
Cole: That's impossible.
Psyche: Is it?
The room was very silent. No one even dared breathe as Cole let the unimaginable sink in. He quietly rose, and went to stare out the huge bay window.
Psyche: May I continue?
The question was directed at Cole, and after a moment's hesitation, he nodded.
Psyche: My father, after having realized the implications, immediately called for his whitelighter, Simon, of whom he had not called in five years. Simon orbed in and then was bombarded by questions from my father.
Simon: He wished to know who the statesman had really been and why his wife had chosen him and then later Patrick. I told him that I did not know. All I knew of it was that they had had a son together and then she later killed Statesmen Benjamin Turner using her demonic powers.
Psyche: My father was furious. He had been tricked in the worst possible way and now he knew that I was not just a witch but also half-demon.
It took a moment for this to be truly taken in.
Piper: Oh, my God!
Paige: Half-witch, half-demon!?!
Phoebe: Cole, are you all right?
Cole slowly turned from the window and looked at the woman he loved.
Cole: I had no idea. You must believe me.
Phoebe rose and went to hug him.
Phoebe: Of course, I believe you. Now come sit with me. We will get through this together as we have everything else.
The others had taken this exchange in with sympathy and concern. Leo had put a comforting arm around his wife and she snuggled closer into him while holding Paige's hand to give her support.
Cole and Phoebe shared a silent moment, drawing comfort from each other in a gentle, yet passionate kiss. Then together they walked back and regained their seats looking to Psyche to continue the story, who acknowledged this with a nod.
Psyche: Upon questioning Simon further as to the fate of their son, Coleridge Turner, he discovered that my mother had taken her son to the Underworld to be raised by the Source and other demons and was now known as the mighty Balthazar. Regardless, of the fact that he now knew I was half-demon, my father still loved me, if not more. He vowed to never let me share the same fate and then upon her return, he confronted her.
It was now Psyche's turn to stand and stare out the window.
Psyche: I hid in the closet and listened...and watched. My father told her that he knew what she was, knew her plans, and would have no part in it--even if it cost him his life. She laughed. I remember that laugh and still hear it in my nightmares to this day. It chilled me like a bucket of ice never could. She said that there was nothing he could do to stop her and when she went to shoot an energy ball at him...I screamed. I came out of hiding just in time to see my father deflect it back at her and to see her vanquished.
Psyche turned back to the stricken room.
Psyche: She was surprised. She had had no idea that my father was a witch.
Paige: Then your mother wasn't the demon that murdered Uncle Patrick?
Simon: No. He wasn't.
Psyche: And now you know why I said we do not talk about her in this house. My father continued his research devoting all of his energy to learning everything he could about Benjamin Turner, his son, and the main agenda in all of this. Then suddenly it came to him and again he called for Simon.
Simon: He demanded to know every witch that I had ever been a whitelighter to and I refused. It was against the rules.
He looked to Leo for confirmation. However, Piper was the first to speak.
Piper: Believe me, we all understand that rule. Leo and I had a wonderful fight about why I wasn't allowed to know what he did on whitelighter time.
There was shared laughter around the room at the joke, which helped to relieve some of the building tension.
Leo: So what did the stubborn Halliwell say to that, Simon?
Simon: Nothing. He simply handed me an old photograph of me and Benjamin that I didn't even know existed. I had no choice then but to tell him the truth. That I had been his whitelighter.
Cole: But wait! Then that would mean that I'm...half-witch, as well!?!
Simon: Yes.
Paige: Wait. I don't understand. Cole's demonic powers have been stripped. Wouldn't he have had some sign of this? You know a new witchy power or something?
Simon: Not necessarily. Cole's demonic half buried the other for over a hundred years. It may take some time for them to finally resurface, if at all.
Piper: What do you mean, if at all?
Cole: He means, if the potion didn't strip them as well. Right, Simon?
Simon couldn't look Cole in the eye.
Simon: Right. I'm not trying to give you false hope, Cole, but there is a chance. Your father, like Patrick, had the power of deflection as well as teleportation.
Piper: What the hell is teleportation?
Leo: The ability to move from place to place with your mind. It may explain how he came into his talent of shimmering so quickly and efficiently.
Suddenly Cole jumped up and began pacing across the room in front of the window.
Cole: This is ridiculous. I would have known. I...
Suddenly there was a tiny energy ball flying over Leo's head and directly at Cole. In an instant he had raised his hand and a blue, sparkling light in the shape of an oval reflected it back towards a lamp sitting on the side table next to Psyche. As it fell and crashed on the floor, Phoebe's scream finally left her throat as she leapt from the couch.
Phoebe: Where the hell did that come from?
Psyche, who had not moved an inch from her chair except to raise her hand, lowered it now and calmly studied Cole, who's face was stricken with surprise as he stared at his own hand.
Psyche: Me.
Phoebe: Are you insane? You could have killed him.
Psyche: Not hardly. That energy ball was so low-voltage it would have barely killed a fly. Yet, as you can see, Cole has now discovered his power of deflection.
Cole: Damn! That was amazing!!
Paige: So much for "mortal status", Cole.
Cole came back to stand next to Phoebe who threw her arms around him and then settled back down on the couch with his urging, but without letting him go.
Phoebe: You still could have warned us.
Psyche: No one knows better than you or your sisters that a witch's powers are usually caused by their emotions and instincts. Cole was agitated and upset, as well as daring to believe in the possibility that what I said could be true. It was the perfect opportunity. I'm sorry if it startled you. Perhaps we need a break. Why don't we take a stroll outside? The weather is quite beautiful today.
Leo: I think that sounds like a great idea.