Disclaimer: I do not own Charmed!
Suddenly, tearing the witches from their miserable situation, Cole appeared with Parker by his side.
"Mom!" Said Parker running as close as the barrier between the two would allow him to get. Phoebe longed to hold her son but settled for seeing his smiling face once again.
"You okay baby?" She asked, leaning against the wall.
"Yeah I'm fine." Parker said cheerfully. Phoebe smiled at her son then turned to Cole.
"Thank you Cole." Cole remained silent but nodded a silent 'you're welcome'.
"Get us out of here Cole." Piper said impatiently as she watched Phoebe and Cole gawk at one another a while longer.
"Right." Cole made a quick, almost unseen, gesture with his hands and the box was gone. Phoebe immediately grabbed Parker and pulled him into a long hug. Piper and Paige stood awkwardly not sure of how to address Cole.
"So what now?" Asked Piper, bravely breaking the silence. "Where do we go from here? How do we stop this whole thing?" No one answered her question, no one knew how. Suddenly, Leo orbed into the center of the room. He was surprised at first to see Paige, Piper, and Phoebe released from their unseen prison. He was also a little shocked to see Cole and Parker back in the underworld.
"What did you find Leo?" Phoebe asked, glancing at Cole from the corner of her eye.
"A lot actually. I know how to end it." Leo spoke more solemnly than any of the witches had expected, he almost had regret in his voice.
"Well how?" Asked Paige eagerly. Leo looked at Cole guiltily before speaking.
"I know Leo, just tell them." Cole said looking at Leo and then again at Phoebe.
"What is it?" Asked Phoebe, suspicious of Cole's glance.
"Parker," Leo began, "it's actually you that has to uh, do it." Leo looked at Parker and then at the floor, it was obvious to all of them that Leo didn't want to tell Parker what he was going to have to do.
"What uncle Leo?" Asked Parker, eager to know his duty. Leo hesitated.
"You have to vanquish me." Cole said finally. Parker furrowed his brow again and looked at his uncle for confirmation. Leo nodded silently and looked at Phoebe for help.
"No one can vanquish Cole." Phoebe said to Leo, a bit bewildered by it all. No one answered, no one had to. The Elders didn't lie; everyone in the arena knew what had to be done.
"I don't want to." Parker said looking at his mother pleadingly. Phoebe didn't know how to answer her son's desperate plea.
"You don't have a choice." Said Cole calmly.
"But--" Parker began.
"Parker, a lot rests on your shoulders. You've got to do it, sooner rather than later." Leo said urgently.
"I don't know how." Parker said, stalling for the inevitable.
"You do." Said Cole who averted his gaze from Phoebe to Parker. "You just have to try." Parker looked up at the father he just met and hated the choice he was about to make.
"Fine." He said solemnly, looking at the ground. Cole breathed heavily and walked further away from the group of them. "Whenever you're ready." Phoebe watched him and couldn't for the life of her figure out how Cole was so calm. Parker backed into his mother and aunts who stood clumped together.
"What do I do?" Parker asked solemnly.
"Just concentrate, do it the same way you make fire." Cole said not looking up from the ground. Parker stared intently at Cole, the built up tension made Phoebe blurt out,
"Cole wait, I..." She paused for a moment reassessing the statement she had initially intended to say. Cole looked up from the floor, his face filled with sorrow. He longed for her to say those three simple words; the words he felt and he knew she did also. He didn't want to leave this life. He had a son he wouldn't see grow up and woman who would never know his true feelings, or would she? "...I... I wanted to thank you." She said finally, calming her emotions. Cole remained silent for a moment. He smiled weakly at Phoebe.
"Me too." He said hoping she would understand. She smiled and looked at the floor, she understood, she understood everything. Parker looked at his mother and then at Cole. He concentrated hard, the same way he did when he wanted to make fire. Within seconds a brilliant blue flame had engulfed Cole's body. He closed his eyes briefly, but then opened them again to catch one last glimpse of his son and the woman he loved. Parker stared at his father being eaten by the flames and then turned away, burying his head in his mother's stomach. Phoebe's eyes were locked with Cole's. As he closed his eyes for the last time, Phoebe closed hers only to release a single strand of tears. Then it was over. Cole was gone and the world was saved, thanks to the Charmed ones.
A/N: The End! What did you think?? Please review and tell me what you thought of the ending. I was thinking about doing a sequel, I already have an idea but I want to know what you guys think first. Should I go on or just leave it here? Thank you all so much for reading my story and thank you again to all of those who took the time to review. It was you that helped me finish this story. And to those who haven't reviewed, please do, it only takes a second and you don't have to be a member of fanfic.net to review, everyone can!