By the time Melinda came home she found her cousin in the living room
watching cartoons. She asked where her mom and dad were only to be told
that they were upstairs in the attic with his parents. Melinda climbed the
stairs to the attic only to be turned around once she got there by her
parents. She walked back downstairs and slouched down next to her cousin.
"What's going on up there?"
Dylan replied simply with, "Demon, what else did you expect?"
~ Attic ~
"So what exactly could we possibly do to stop him embracing his other half?" Piper asked Leo.
"I could go send for Prue so that the three of you come up with a plan together." Leo suggested.
"This does not involve the assistance of Prue. She is on her honeymoon which is a vacation she so desperately needed," Phoebe intervened.
"I will go check with the elders," Leo orbed out just as the phone began to ring.
"I'll get it," Piper headed for the door. "You guys keep checking the book."
"Let's get to work," Phoebe said.
"I'll continue to keep my distance if you don't mind." Cole began stepping away from the BOS.
"Fine, if it will make you happy I will just tell you if I find something interesting," Phoebe chuckled.
~ Downstairs ~
"Prue, I assure you there is nothing going on here. Yes, everything is just fine. Well your feeling that something was wrong was off this time. Bring me something back with you. Yes, Prue I will make sure I let you know if anything happens, I got to go. Love you too, bye." Piper hung up the phone with a sigh realizing how close she had come to letting Prue know how right on the money she was.
After Piper got off the phone with Prue she made finger sandwiches for Melinda and Dylan to snack on. She set everything out on the counter for them along with two apples and juice. "Hey you guys, I made you a snack." she walked into the living room. "Who the hell are you?" Piper inquired looking at the tall demon dressed in black.
"He just showed up mom, he said he has a gift to give to Dylan. Why can't I have a gift to?" Melinda asked her mother.
Piper walked over and stood in front of the children blocking the demon that stood before her from getting to them. She then began to tell him to leave only for him to rush over and attack her before she could react. Melinda tried raising the man but her powers weren't strong enough so instead she called upstairs for her aunt and uncle to help. Dylan by this time was already coming back down the stairs with his parents.
Cole rushed over to where Melinda and Piper was and saw that Piper was nearly blue. Melinda continued crying while trying to raise the demon off of her mother with her powers. Cole moved Melinda out of the way and began throwing energy balls towards the demon. Phoebe took one look at her sister unconscious and came to the conclusion that the only person that could help her would be Leo.
Suddenly as if to know he was about to be called, Leo appeared. Phoebe then ran over to help Cole who was now fighting with the demon to save his screaming son. Without thinking, Phoebe flung her hand toward the man hoping he would release his grip on her son. Instead of a ray of blue electricity protruding from her hand an electricity ball flew into the demon's chest at the same time Cole's fireball did making the guy explode behind Dylan.
Melinda tried placing her hands over her mother hoping that she could do like her father and heal her mother, but because she had not been encouraged to train as much as Dylan, Melinda's powers were not nearly strong enough to do what she wanted them to do. She turned to look at her father for help hoping to help him heal her mother's injuries. Leo took his daughter's hand and after a few minutes Piper started coughing much to Melinda's delight.
"I saved you, mommy! I saved you!" Melinda cried happily as she squeezed her mother's neck.
"Thank you, baby." Piper graciously hugged her daughter.
"Who was that guy," Leo wondered.
"He said he knew things about me and that he was going to let me know what it was before my next birthday." Dylan responded.
"Yeah, he said that it was the way things were suppose to be and that Dylan was be deprived of who he was," Melinda jumped in.
"Deprived of whom he is." Leo corrected.
"Deprived of whom he is," Melinda repeated.
"He probably was just trying to cause trouble like all the rest. Why don't you guys just go head to the kitchen where I have spread out stuff for you both to eat." Piper waited to speak until both children were in the kitchen. "What exactly is that little riddle suppose to mean?" Piper turned to see Phoebe still staring at her hand.
She walked over to her and wanted to know if she was physically hurt, but all Phoebe could do was stand silent as she continued to look down at her hand. Piper continued to call out to a non-acknowledging Phoebe until finally deciding to shake her out of whatever it was she was thinking about. Phoebe looked up at Piper then back down at her hands to say, "I only asked for electro kinesis not electricity balls. How did that happen?"
Leo stepped in to remind Phoebe that she asked for electro kinesis and the level of her emotions is what caused the electricity ball to form in the first place. "So it was basically your willingness to save Dylan and Piper that caused you to throw an electricity ball." Leo happily shared with the rest. "If you work with that more, then you will be surprised at the things you could do with this new power," Leo continued.
"Right now, I think we need to concentrate on figuring out what exactly that demon meant and how to stop whatever it is that is going to happen," Phoebe headed up the stairs to the attic once again.
"Wait you won't find what you are looking for in the book," Cole shouted up the stairs hoping Phoebe would hear. After hearing her footsteps make their way back down the stairs Cole repeated himself only this time telling her about what happens to those who don't know who they are by their eighth birthday.
"So let me see if I get this straight," Piper wailed in. "There is nothing we can do to help Dylan because what he hasn't learned before his eighth birthday he automatically has to find out by default? How does that work?"
"What I mean is that if by any chance someone informs him before his eighth birthday that he is part demon then he will automatically have his forty- eight hour window in which he can decide how he wants to use his powers. That is more than likely what that demon was here to tell Dylan.."
"So that he could start the forty-eight hours without our knowledge," Phoebe finished.
"Why haven't you guys informed him before now?" Piper looked towards her sister and brother-in-law.
"Well, when he asked us before we just told him that Cole learned to teach Dylan how to fight like a demon by pretending to befriend demons so they could teach them everything they knew. Dylan just thinks that his dad is a witch as well and we have never said otherwise. How do you think it would be telling him the truth? 'By the way Dylan your daddy is a half demon but that shouldn't stop you from training to fight demons." Phoebe mocked.
"It would be a lot easier than what we have to deal with now. Now we have to worry about when or if somebody tries to steal my nephew so they can turn him into something that he doesn't even know how to be." Leo reminded her. "Piper and I have always been honest with Melinda.."
"Sometimes it is best just to hide the truth, it causes less problems." Cole protested.
"We hopefully have ten months and in that time I expect that we try to do everything in our power to protect him from the truth." Piper jumped in trying to stop the arguing. "Prue was right on the money when she said something was wrong. And look at my couch, now I have to get it fixed!"
Piper walked over to the couch and picked up the part of it that used to be the armrest of the chair. Then she looked over at the wall where there use to be a Grandfather clock only to find it into millions of pieces. She pointed at the clock in such a way to let everybody know that she now had to get the clock fixed yet again. Instead of continuing to hear Piper fuss about all the things that were broken in the house, Cole waved his hand and the room was back to the way it should have been, even the Grandfather clock.
"Consider it a little thank you for helping to save my son," Cole smirked.
"I would have done that regardless, Cole, for two reasons. One, I am not going to let an innocent child die without trying to protect him or her because that is my job to protect the innocent. Reason number two, I am not going to sit back and watch my nephew get killed when I could have done something to protect him, it's that simple." Piper then took a look at the Grandfather clock before announcing, "Thanks for fixing the clock though. Didn't know how I was going to explain that one to the shop guy after just getting it out."
"I think we had better go, it really is getting late and I am sure Piper wants to at least have a normal evening at home with her family." Phoebe added.
"No, the only thing I had planned was inviting Buffy over for dinner tonight. Spike is out of town for the past week and Buffy has been so lonely. I figured afterwards we would go to P3 together since I have some things I need to take care of there," Piper let her sister know. "So if you call here and I am not home that's where I will be."
~ Penthouse ~
"So we have decided that maybe it might be a good idea to place you within that school we checked out today," Phoebe let Dylan know over dessert.
Dylan dropped his spoon full of ice cream. "Why do I have to switch schools?"
"Given the latest situation and the fact that we can't always watch over you everyday while we are at work or you are at school it may be a good idea if we changed your school." Cole responded.
"The school I am at now is good, although the principal is so uptight about everything," Dylan's frustration was beginning to show as be began thinking that his pleads were going to go unheard.
"Sticking you in the same private school that Melinda is at will be good for you. You guys could hang out and maybe you wouldn't get into so much trouble. Besides it's a lot more secure than any public school that we could place you in. Then there are the uniforms, which are an added bonus," Phoebe rambled on.
"Mom, uniforms! Are you kidding me? Why do I have to wear a uniform? Why do I have to go to the same school as Melinda? Why do I even have to switch schools at all?"
"Because it is the best thing for you," Cole began picking up the ice cream bowls "please don't argue anymore about this, okay? We are only looking out for your well-being," he said before looking down at his watch to check the time. "Speaking of well-being I think somebody should be getting ready for bed."
When all was said and done Dylan new that he would not be able to escape his fate and as soon as everything was worked out he would be attending a catholic private school instead of the school he was currently attending. After Phoebe had tucked Dylan into bed he began to once again plead with his mother not to make him go to the same school Melinda was already attending. He feared that people would prejudge him based on the character of his cousin.
"I am sure people will look into your sparkling blue eyes and fall instantly in love with you," his mother said jokingly as she ran her hands through his dark hair.
"You are suppose to say that."
"Why is that?"
"Because you are my mom and you want me to give into your ways."
"You are going to do that regardless, baby. Remember it is two against one," Phoebe grinned.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Well I just hope people don't assume that I am like Melinda because she is related to me," the young boy admitted.
"What you need to do is just be yourself and I am sure that within a day you will be coming home telling me about all the wonderful new friends you have made," Phoebe kissed her son's forehead and proceeded to walk out of the room.
"Mom, wait," Dylan cried out.
"What is it? Did you not want me to turn off the light?"
"I was just wondering something."
"What would that be?" Phoebe walked back over and sat down on Dylan's bed.
"Are you and dad ever going to have anymore kids?"
Phoebe had been caught off guard by her son's questioned and wished that he would have asked her any other question but the one that he kept bring up lately. She told him that they would have to see what happens and that he really should be sleeping right about now because he had a busy day of chores to do. Cole came in to wish Dylan good night before closing the door behind Phoebe and walking out into the bedroom.
"He never seems to want to drop that question lately. It's like it is implanted into his brain. What exactly am I suppose to tell him, Cole?" Phoebe plopped down on the bed.
"I couldn't begin to tell you. Although we could tell him the truth although I am not sure if he would be willing to accept that, besides I didn't think that it bothered you anymore."
"No, not really I was just thinking maybe it would be great if we could at least try so that we could add on to this place and give Dylan somebody to play with," Phoebe glared up at her husband hoping he caught on to what she was saying.
"I like that idea, "Cole grinned as he walked over to where Phoebe now was.
With that, Cole leaned forward and captured Phoebe's lips with his own. Longingly, insistently, Cole's tongue parted Phoebe's lips and she opened eagerly for. He used his height as an advantage to attack her neck from above making Phoebe feel the reaction from head to toe as he began peeling her clothes off of her body. Cole caught Phoebe around the waist and lowered her below him, and immediately went to driving her crazy by teasing and kissing her stomach, nuzzling her belly button as Phoebe ran her fingers through his hair.
Moaning, Phoebe yanked on the buttons of the Cole shirt. "You're wearing way too many clothes for my liking, Mr. Turner."
Exhausted hours later, Phoebe laid her head down on Cole's chest, craving this time with him after being deprived of it do to work and dealing with Dylan's behavior. As Phoebe ran her fingers through Cole's hair, he suddenly got up and carried her from the bed. He shut the shower door in the master bathroom and adjusted the temperature of the water after setting Phoebe down on the bathroom counter. She jumped off the counter and walked into the shower to begin distracting her lover with tender kisses that she planted around his neck and shoulders.
Phoebe shrieked as Cole lifted her up and pushed her back up against the wall of the shower under the stream of hot water. Slowly they began to slide down to the basin of the shower where they commenced in their activities. Each kiss seemed to be more fiery hot than the one before in the steam created by the shower water that was now cascading down onto their bodies.
~ Two weeks later ~
~ Prue's house ~
"I have a question that I would like to ask you," Prue initiated to a half sleep Andy.
"What would that be?" Andy walked over to pour a cup of coffee.
"You know how I would do anything for my sisters right?" Prue sat down next to Andy at the kitchen table.
"Yes, so what about it?"
"I was talking to Phoebe the other day and it seems she and Cole really want to have another child, but she can't. Do you remember when she was taken and tortured while we were trying to help save Cole? Then after she escaped and made her way back to the manor she was found but we were able to protect her but in the process she had rolled down the stairs after being thrown into a wall and knocked unconscious?" Prue reminded him.
"How could I forget, the department still keeps asking me questions about that one. How am I suppose to explain that our criminal was vanquished and so was evidence to the kidnapping?" Andy sighed.
Prue leaned in to kiss her husband before continuing. "I am so sorry, honey. I didn't mean to put salt in those wounds but I was just trying to get you to remember to I could see how you would feel if I were to agree to help my sister out by carrying a child for her."
Andy was now choking on the coffee he had just sipped. The realization of what she was saying was quite surprising to actually think about. Prue was sitting next to him telling him that she wanted to have his permission for her to give birth to a child for her sister. After a few minutes of sitting silently he looked over at Prue to see that she feared he might say no.
"Do you know what you are getting yourself into? I mean we are talking a serious commitment here for the next nine months and then what if you get attached? Do you really think this is a good idea?" The question just spewed forth one right after another.
"I have thought about all that and if you say yes then Friday I will go hopefully be able to make my sister's dreams a reality." Prue smiled.
"Are you sure about this? I mean if you are then there really is nothing I could do to stand in the way, but I just hope that one day when you have a child it could be, you know, ours." He chuckled.
"There will be plenty of time for that, believe me. I just want to do this for my sister. If she is not happy then I am not fulfilling the promises that I made to mom and grams when I told them that I would make sure both Piper and Phoebe were as happy as they could possibly be." Prue informed Andy.
"Then you have my blessing," Andy told her as he leaned in to kiss her forehead before heading off to work.
Prue immediately phoned Phoebe to let her know she now had Andy's approval. That Friday Prue had the long procedure done hoping to make all of Phoebe's dreams come true. After a few weeks Prue phoned her sister to tell her in on some very exciting news only to get the answering machine.
"Well, I guess I will just have to go and see if she is across the street at Piper's," Prue hung up the phone and headed out the door.
~ School ~
"Class I would like to tell you what a pleasure it has been today for all of us to spend the day getting to know one another. I am sure we are going to share many great times together."
"Mr. Baner, will you be our teacher for the rest of the year?" Called out a voice from the class.
"As a matter of fact I will be." Mr. Baner walked slowly in front of Dylan's desk. "I expect us all to become great friends," he half smiled Dylan's way.
~ Manor ~
"Melinda, I am sure Dylan is not causing trouble at school and blaming it on you. He really is trying to fit in which is not a really easy thing to do." Leo reminded her. "I remember when you started at that school you were always crying and running to the office so that your mother or I would come and pick you, do you remember that?"
"Yes, but daddy Dylan is purposely ruining my good name because he doesn't want to be at this school! He told one of my teachers that I goof off in the hallways when all I was doing was going to get a drink of water after I went to the bathroom. He is trying to ruin me!" Melinda threw up greatly exaggerating as she continued. "My life is over daddy!"
"Dylan is having a really hard time fitting in with the rest of the kids and adjusting to a new school. Why don't you at least tell him what he is doing wrong and help him fix it first, then if things still don't turn around then your mom and I will have a talk with your aunt and uncle." With that Leo kissed Melinda's head and went to go answer the door.
"Is Phoebe here," Prue asked.
"No, she and Piper went to P3 so that they could get the place ready in time for Garbage to perform." Leo replied.
"Well, I guess I could wait here." Prue walked in and sat down on the sofa in the living room just in time to see her niece run in from the kitchen screaming her name.
She helped Melinda finish her homework while Leo cleaned up the mess that Melinda had made since she had gotten home. The last thing he wanted Piper to do was freak out when she saw all of Melinda's papers, pencils and crayons scattered all over the kitchen floor. Once Melinda was done with her homework she went to go ride her bike with a friend through the neighborhood giving her dad and her aunt a chance to talk. Leo was the first person to find out the news she had been dying to tell her sister all day long. The first expression to grace Leo's face was one of utter shock and then one of concern.
"What is it now? What is the problem?"
"What are you talking about, Prue?" He tried hiding his expression from her.
"You are worried about something, what is it?" Prue crossed her arms and then started tapping her foot on the floor.
"You know I thought we got rid of that empathic ability of yours," Leo grinned trying to throw Prue off to his true emotions.
"Very funny, what is it? What do you have a problem with?" She glared at him as her foot tapping seemingly grew louder.
"Prue I hate to remind you of the obvious but you are now overloaded with powers." Leo whispered. "Did you ever consider that when you decided to carry a child for Phoebe? I mean that was really sweet, but still. What if you can't handle what this child has to dish out?"
Prue thought for a moment before speaking, "I hadn't thought about that, but I am sure Phoebe can fill me in. She did after all give birth to Dylan."
"Have you even thought about if you get attached? What happens when the time comes for you to give this child up, Prue?" Leo scolded.
"Give it a rest, Leo! I know I am going to have some kind of attachment it is my nephew or niece after all."
"I hope you know what you have gotten yourself into," Leo ended his speech noticing that it had no effect on Prue at all.
Prue decided to hang around the manor knowing that sooner or later Piper and Phoebe would show up. At suppertime she heard the front door to the manor open only to find that it wasn't her sisters but her nephew and brother-in-law. Dylan was telling his dad about how is teacher had gotten mysteriously ill and now he had a new male teacher who seemed really nice to him. The minute Dylan saw his aunt he ran over to her and began squeezing the life out of her before taking her advice and going to get something to eat with Melinda in the kitchen.
Prue pulled Cole aside and told her she had great news that she wanted to tell both him and Phoebe at the same time but she couldn't exactly do that if Phoebe was still at P3 with Piper. Cole told her that he could drive her over there if is was important because he knew how much she hated to shimmer with him. To his surprise Prue insisted on him shimmering them there instead of him driving there.
~ P3 ~
"Well I don't think they will need that much space, Piper." Buffy proclaimed.
"Well another thing is if you bring the stage out that far then some of the people who are sitting in the booths won't be able to see the band that well," Phoebe commented.
"Fine, I guess I will leave things the way they are. It has just been such a long time since we have had such a well known band playing here," Piper began only to feel someone tap her on the shoulder. "Prue, when did you get here? Are you here to help us out?"
"Actually I came to talk to Pheebs."
Phoebe looked at Prue and then notice Cole was standing behind her. She became hysterical thinking of why Prue need to talk to her. "Is something wrong with Dylan?" Her eyes locked on Cole's.
"He is fine and in good hands, I left him with Leo and Melinda. They are eating dinner right now." Cole pitched in. "Prue just has some news she said she wanted to share with you and me and it couldn't wait long enough for me to drive here, so I shimmered us here."
"I wish Spike could do that. Paris is nice this time of year," Buffy responded noticing nobody was paying attention.
"Well what is it Prue? What was so important that it couldn't wait?" Piper wondered.
"I waited all day!" Prue protested. "Isn't that good enough?"
"Prue, please get to the point. I am freaking out here. What is wrong?"
"Who said anything was wrong? Everything is just right." Prue stop herself realizing she was starting to ramble again. "In nine months I expect to have loads of pictures of my niece or nephew," Prue grinned.
The room suddenly got quiet when Prue made her announcement. Phoebe hastily ran to her older sister and began crying in her arms. The celebration was short lived though when Piper got a call from Melinda saying that there was trouble at the manor and Leo wasn't able to help out. Cole shimmered them all accept Buffy back to the manor.
The minute they got there they found Leo trying his hardest to beat up the demon before them. Prue started to chuckle for a few seconds before pointing towards Leo trying to go-rounds with a demon he couldn't possibly defeat. Piper walked over after watching him throw Leo against a wall to blow up the demon, until she felt herself being pushed onto the staircase. Once she fell onto the stairs Piper noticed Dylan standing right in front of her trying to protect her from the fireball that was soaring towards the demon.
"That was cool, can you do that again aunt Prue?" Dylan smiled towards Prue.
"My entertainment center! I blew up my entertainment center." Piper freaked.
"Not again, Piper!" Cole sighed waving his hands once more.
"Uh oh!" Was all Prue could say, "Did I do that?" Prue pointed to where Leo had been fighting valiantly near the kitchen door.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
This chapter is just one that is setting the groundwork for the next so if things don't make sense in this one that is why. As always I really would like to know what you guys think so feel free to review. Sorry this took so long but school kind of gets in the way of a lot. I will try not to have it take this long to update again. Thanks!
"What's going on up there?"
Dylan replied simply with, "Demon, what else did you expect?"
~ Attic ~
"So what exactly could we possibly do to stop him embracing his other half?" Piper asked Leo.
"I could go send for Prue so that the three of you come up with a plan together." Leo suggested.
"This does not involve the assistance of Prue. She is on her honeymoon which is a vacation she so desperately needed," Phoebe intervened.
"I will go check with the elders," Leo orbed out just as the phone began to ring.
"I'll get it," Piper headed for the door. "You guys keep checking the book."
"Let's get to work," Phoebe said.
"I'll continue to keep my distance if you don't mind." Cole began stepping away from the BOS.
"Fine, if it will make you happy I will just tell you if I find something interesting," Phoebe chuckled.
~ Downstairs ~
"Prue, I assure you there is nothing going on here. Yes, everything is just fine. Well your feeling that something was wrong was off this time. Bring me something back with you. Yes, Prue I will make sure I let you know if anything happens, I got to go. Love you too, bye." Piper hung up the phone with a sigh realizing how close she had come to letting Prue know how right on the money she was.
After Piper got off the phone with Prue she made finger sandwiches for Melinda and Dylan to snack on. She set everything out on the counter for them along with two apples and juice. "Hey you guys, I made you a snack." she walked into the living room. "Who the hell are you?" Piper inquired looking at the tall demon dressed in black.
"He just showed up mom, he said he has a gift to give to Dylan. Why can't I have a gift to?" Melinda asked her mother.
Piper walked over and stood in front of the children blocking the demon that stood before her from getting to them. She then began to tell him to leave only for him to rush over and attack her before she could react. Melinda tried raising the man but her powers weren't strong enough so instead she called upstairs for her aunt and uncle to help. Dylan by this time was already coming back down the stairs with his parents.
Cole rushed over to where Melinda and Piper was and saw that Piper was nearly blue. Melinda continued crying while trying to raise the demon off of her mother with her powers. Cole moved Melinda out of the way and began throwing energy balls towards the demon. Phoebe took one look at her sister unconscious and came to the conclusion that the only person that could help her would be Leo.
Suddenly as if to know he was about to be called, Leo appeared. Phoebe then ran over to help Cole who was now fighting with the demon to save his screaming son. Without thinking, Phoebe flung her hand toward the man hoping he would release his grip on her son. Instead of a ray of blue electricity protruding from her hand an electricity ball flew into the demon's chest at the same time Cole's fireball did making the guy explode behind Dylan.
Melinda tried placing her hands over her mother hoping that she could do like her father and heal her mother, but because she had not been encouraged to train as much as Dylan, Melinda's powers were not nearly strong enough to do what she wanted them to do. She turned to look at her father for help hoping to help him heal her mother's injuries. Leo took his daughter's hand and after a few minutes Piper started coughing much to Melinda's delight.
"I saved you, mommy! I saved you!" Melinda cried happily as she squeezed her mother's neck.
"Thank you, baby." Piper graciously hugged her daughter.
"Who was that guy," Leo wondered.
"He said he knew things about me and that he was going to let me know what it was before my next birthday." Dylan responded.
"Yeah, he said that it was the way things were suppose to be and that Dylan was be deprived of who he was," Melinda jumped in.
"Deprived of whom he is." Leo corrected.
"Deprived of whom he is," Melinda repeated.
"He probably was just trying to cause trouble like all the rest. Why don't you guys just go head to the kitchen where I have spread out stuff for you both to eat." Piper waited to speak until both children were in the kitchen. "What exactly is that little riddle suppose to mean?" Piper turned to see Phoebe still staring at her hand.
She walked over to her and wanted to know if she was physically hurt, but all Phoebe could do was stand silent as she continued to look down at her hand. Piper continued to call out to a non-acknowledging Phoebe until finally deciding to shake her out of whatever it was she was thinking about. Phoebe looked up at Piper then back down at her hands to say, "I only asked for electro kinesis not electricity balls. How did that happen?"
Leo stepped in to remind Phoebe that she asked for electro kinesis and the level of her emotions is what caused the electricity ball to form in the first place. "So it was basically your willingness to save Dylan and Piper that caused you to throw an electricity ball." Leo happily shared with the rest. "If you work with that more, then you will be surprised at the things you could do with this new power," Leo continued.
"Right now, I think we need to concentrate on figuring out what exactly that demon meant and how to stop whatever it is that is going to happen," Phoebe headed up the stairs to the attic once again.
"Wait you won't find what you are looking for in the book," Cole shouted up the stairs hoping Phoebe would hear. After hearing her footsteps make their way back down the stairs Cole repeated himself only this time telling her about what happens to those who don't know who they are by their eighth birthday.
"So let me see if I get this straight," Piper wailed in. "There is nothing we can do to help Dylan because what he hasn't learned before his eighth birthday he automatically has to find out by default? How does that work?"
"What I mean is that if by any chance someone informs him before his eighth birthday that he is part demon then he will automatically have his forty- eight hour window in which he can decide how he wants to use his powers. That is more than likely what that demon was here to tell Dylan.."
"So that he could start the forty-eight hours without our knowledge," Phoebe finished.
"Why haven't you guys informed him before now?" Piper looked towards her sister and brother-in-law.
"Well, when he asked us before we just told him that Cole learned to teach Dylan how to fight like a demon by pretending to befriend demons so they could teach them everything they knew. Dylan just thinks that his dad is a witch as well and we have never said otherwise. How do you think it would be telling him the truth? 'By the way Dylan your daddy is a half demon but that shouldn't stop you from training to fight demons." Phoebe mocked.
"It would be a lot easier than what we have to deal with now. Now we have to worry about when or if somebody tries to steal my nephew so they can turn him into something that he doesn't even know how to be." Leo reminded her. "Piper and I have always been honest with Melinda.."
"Sometimes it is best just to hide the truth, it causes less problems." Cole protested.
"We hopefully have ten months and in that time I expect that we try to do everything in our power to protect him from the truth." Piper jumped in trying to stop the arguing. "Prue was right on the money when she said something was wrong. And look at my couch, now I have to get it fixed!"
Piper walked over to the couch and picked up the part of it that used to be the armrest of the chair. Then she looked over at the wall where there use to be a Grandfather clock only to find it into millions of pieces. She pointed at the clock in such a way to let everybody know that she now had to get the clock fixed yet again. Instead of continuing to hear Piper fuss about all the things that were broken in the house, Cole waved his hand and the room was back to the way it should have been, even the Grandfather clock.
"Consider it a little thank you for helping to save my son," Cole smirked.
"I would have done that regardless, Cole, for two reasons. One, I am not going to let an innocent child die without trying to protect him or her because that is my job to protect the innocent. Reason number two, I am not going to sit back and watch my nephew get killed when I could have done something to protect him, it's that simple." Piper then took a look at the Grandfather clock before announcing, "Thanks for fixing the clock though. Didn't know how I was going to explain that one to the shop guy after just getting it out."
"I think we had better go, it really is getting late and I am sure Piper wants to at least have a normal evening at home with her family." Phoebe added.
"No, the only thing I had planned was inviting Buffy over for dinner tonight. Spike is out of town for the past week and Buffy has been so lonely. I figured afterwards we would go to P3 together since I have some things I need to take care of there," Piper let her sister know. "So if you call here and I am not home that's where I will be."
~ Penthouse ~
"So we have decided that maybe it might be a good idea to place you within that school we checked out today," Phoebe let Dylan know over dessert.
Dylan dropped his spoon full of ice cream. "Why do I have to switch schools?"
"Given the latest situation and the fact that we can't always watch over you everyday while we are at work or you are at school it may be a good idea if we changed your school." Cole responded.
"The school I am at now is good, although the principal is so uptight about everything," Dylan's frustration was beginning to show as be began thinking that his pleads were going to go unheard.
"Sticking you in the same private school that Melinda is at will be good for you. You guys could hang out and maybe you wouldn't get into so much trouble. Besides it's a lot more secure than any public school that we could place you in. Then there are the uniforms, which are an added bonus," Phoebe rambled on.
"Mom, uniforms! Are you kidding me? Why do I have to wear a uniform? Why do I have to go to the same school as Melinda? Why do I even have to switch schools at all?"
"Because it is the best thing for you," Cole began picking up the ice cream bowls "please don't argue anymore about this, okay? We are only looking out for your well-being," he said before looking down at his watch to check the time. "Speaking of well-being I think somebody should be getting ready for bed."
When all was said and done Dylan new that he would not be able to escape his fate and as soon as everything was worked out he would be attending a catholic private school instead of the school he was currently attending. After Phoebe had tucked Dylan into bed he began to once again plead with his mother not to make him go to the same school Melinda was already attending. He feared that people would prejudge him based on the character of his cousin.
"I am sure people will look into your sparkling blue eyes and fall instantly in love with you," his mother said jokingly as she ran her hands through his dark hair.
"You are suppose to say that."
"Why is that?"
"Because you are my mom and you want me to give into your ways."
"You are going to do that regardless, baby. Remember it is two against one," Phoebe grinned.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Well I just hope people don't assume that I am like Melinda because she is related to me," the young boy admitted.
"What you need to do is just be yourself and I am sure that within a day you will be coming home telling me about all the wonderful new friends you have made," Phoebe kissed her son's forehead and proceeded to walk out of the room.
"Mom, wait," Dylan cried out.
"What is it? Did you not want me to turn off the light?"
"I was just wondering something."
"What would that be?" Phoebe walked back over and sat down on Dylan's bed.
"Are you and dad ever going to have anymore kids?"
Phoebe had been caught off guard by her son's questioned and wished that he would have asked her any other question but the one that he kept bring up lately. She told him that they would have to see what happens and that he really should be sleeping right about now because he had a busy day of chores to do. Cole came in to wish Dylan good night before closing the door behind Phoebe and walking out into the bedroom.
"He never seems to want to drop that question lately. It's like it is implanted into his brain. What exactly am I suppose to tell him, Cole?" Phoebe plopped down on the bed.
"I couldn't begin to tell you. Although we could tell him the truth although I am not sure if he would be willing to accept that, besides I didn't think that it bothered you anymore."
"No, not really I was just thinking maybe it would be great if we could at least try so that we could add on to this place and give Dylan somebody to play with," Phoebe glared up at her husband hoping he caught on to what she was saying.
"I like that idea, "Cole grinned as he walked over to where Phoebe now was.
With that, Cole leaned forward and captured Phoebe's lips with his own. Longingly, insistently, Cole's tongue parted Phoebe's lips and she opened eagerly for. He used his height as an advantage to attack her neck from above making Phoebe feel the reaction from head to toe as he began peeling her clothes off of her body. Cole caught Phoebe around the waist and lowered her below him, and immediately went to driving her crazy by teasing and kissing her stomach, nuzzling her belly button as Phoebe ran her fingers through his hair.
Moaning, Phoebe yanked on the buttons of the Cole shirt. "You're wearing way too many clothes for my liking, Mr. Turner."
Exhausted hours later, Phoebe laid her head down on Cole's chest, craving this time with him after being deprived of it do to work and dealing with Dylan's behavior. As Phoebe ran her fingers through Cole's hair, he suddenly got up and carried her from the bed. He shut the shower door in the master bathroom and adjusted the temperature of the water after setting Phoebe down on the bathroom counter. She jumped off the counter and walked into the shower to begin distracting her lover with tender kisses that she planted around his neck and shoulders.
Phoebe shrieked as Cole lifted her up and pushed her back up against the wall of the shower under the stream of hot water. Slowly they began to slide down to the basin of the shower where they commenced in their activities. Each kiss seemed to be more fiery hot than the one before in the steam created by the shower water that was now cascading down onto their bodies.
~ Two weeks later ~
~ Prue's house ~
"I have a question that I would like to ask you," Prue initiated to a half sleep Andy.
"What would that be?" Andy walked over to pour a cup of coffee.
"You know how I would do anything for my sisters right?" Prue sat down next to Andy at the kitchen table.
"Yes, so what about it?"
"I was talking to Phoebe the other day and it seems she and Cole really want to have another child, but she can't. Do you remember when she was taken and tortured while we were trying to help save Cole? Then after she escaped and made her way back to the manor she was found but we were able to protect her but in the process she had rolled down the stairs after being thrown into a wall and knocked unconscious?" Prue reminded him.
"How could I forget, the department still keeps asking me questions about that one. How am I suppose to explain that our criminal was vanquished and so was evidence to the kidnapping?" Andy sighed.
Prue leaned in to kiss her husband before continuing. "I am so sorry, honey. I didn't mean to put salt in those wounds but I was just trying to get you to remember to I could see how you would feel if I were to agree to help my sister out by carrying a child for her."
Andy was now choking on the coffee he had just sipped. The realization of what she was saying was quite surprising to actually think about. Prue was sitting next to him telling him that she wanted to have his permission for her to give birth to a child for her sister. After a few minutes of sitting silently he looked over at Prue to see that she feared he might say no.
"Do you know what you are getting yourself into? I mean we are talking a serious commitment here for the next nine months and then what if you get attached? Do you really think this is a good idea?" The question just spewed forth one right after another.
"I have thought about all that and if you say yes then Friday I will go hopefully be able to make my sister's dreams a reality." Prue smiled.
"Are you sure about this? I mean if you are then there really is nothing I could do to stand in the way, but I just hope that one day when you have a child it could be, you know, ours." He chuckled.
"There will be plenty of time for that, believe me. I just want to do this for my sister. If she is not happy then I am not fulfilling the promises that I made to mom and grams when I told them that I would make sure both Piper and Phoebe were as happy as they could possibly be." Prue informed Andy.
"Then you have my blessing," Andy told her as he leaned in to kiss her forehead before heading off to work.
Prue immediately phoned Phoebe to let her know she now had Andy's approval. That Friday Prue had the long procedure done hoping to make all of Phoebe's dreams come true. After a few weeks Prue phoned her sister to tell her in on some very exciting news only to get the answering machine.
"Well, I guess I will just have to go and see if she is across the street at Piper's," Prue hung up the phone and headed out the door.
~ School ~
"Class I would like to tell you what a pleasure it has been today for all of us to spend the day getting to know one another. I am sure we are going to share many great times together."
"Mr. Baner, will you be our teacher for the rest of the year?" Called out a voice from the class.
"As a matter of fact I will be." Mr. Baner walked slowly in front of Dylan's desk. "I expect us all to become great friends," he half smiled Dylan's way.
~ Manor ~
"Melinda, I am sure Dylan is not causing trouble at school and blaming it on you. He really is trying to fit in which is not a really easy thing to do." Leo reminded her. "I remember when you started at that school you were always crying and running to the office so that your mother or I would come and pick you, do you remember that?"
"Yes, but daddy Dylan is purposely ruining my good name because he doesn't want to be at this school! He told one of my teachers that I goof off in the hallways when all I was doing was going to get a drink of water after I went to the bathroom. He is trying to ruin me!" Melinda threw up greatly exaggerating as she continued. "My life is over daddy!"
"Dylan is having a really hard time fitting in with the rest of the kids and adjusting to a new school. Why don't you at least tell him what he is doing wrong and help him fix it first, then if things still don't turn around then your mom and I will have a talk with your aunt and uncle." With that Leo kissed Melinda's head and went to go answer the door.
"Is Phoebe here," Prue asked.
"No, she and Piper went to P3 so that they could get the place ready in time for Garbage to perform." Leo replied.
"Well, I guess I could wait here." Prue walked in and sat down on the sofa in the living room just in time to see her niece run in from the kitchen screaming her name.
She helped Melinda finish her homework while Leo cleaned up the mess that Melinda had made since she had gotten home. The last thing he wanted Piper to do was freak out when she saw all of Melinda's papers, pencils and crayons scattered all over the kitchen floor. Once Melinda was done with her homework she went to go ride her bike with a friend through the neighborhood giving her dad and her aunt a chance to talk. Leo was the first person to find out the news she had been dying to tell her sister all day long. The first expression to grace Leo's face was one of utter shock and then one of concern.
"What is it now? What is the problem?"
"What are you talking about, Prue?" He tried hiding his expression from her.
"You are worried about something, what is it?" Prue crossed her arms and then started tapping her foot on the floor.
"You know I thought we got rid of that empathic ability of yours," Leo grinned trying to throw Prue off to his true emotions.
"Very funny, what is it? What do you have a problem with?" She glared at him as her foot tapping seemingly grew louder.
"Prue I hate to remind you of the obvious but you are now overloaded with powers." Leo whispered. "Did you ever consider that when you decided to carry a child for Phoebe? I mean that was really sweet, but still. What if you can't handle what this child has to dish out?"
Prue thought for a moment before speaking, "I hadn't thought about that, but I am sure Phoebe can fill me in. She did after all give birth to Dylan."
"Have you even thought about if you get attached? What happens when the time comes for you to give this child up, Prue?" Leo scolded.
"Give it a rest, Leo! I know I am going to have some kind of attachment it is my nephew or niece after all."
"I hope you know what you have gotten yourself into," Leo ended his speech noticing that it had no effect on Prue at all.
Prue decided to hang around the manor knowing that sooner or later Piper and Phoebe would show up. At suppertime she heard the front door to the manor open only to find that it wasn't her sisters but her nephew and brother-in-law. Dylan was telling his dad about how is teacher had gotten mysteriously ill and now he had a new male teacher who seemed really nice to him. The minute Dylan saw his aunt he ran over to her and began squeezing the life out of her before taking her advice and going to get something to eat with Melinda in the kitchen.
Prue pulled Cole aside and told her she had great news that she wanted to tell both him and Phoebe at the same time but she couldn't exactly do that if Phoebe was still at P3 with Piper. Cole told her that he could drive her over there if is was important because he knew how much she hated to shimmer with him. To his surprise Prue insisted on him shimmering them there instead of him driving there.
~ P3 ~
"Well I don't think they will need that much space, Piper." Buffy proclaimed.
"Well another thing is if you bring the stage out that far then some of the people who are sitting in the booths won't be able to see the band that well," Phoebe commented.
"Fine, I guess I will leave things the way they are. It has just been such a long time since we have had such a well known band playing here," Piper began only to feel someone tap her on the shoulder. "Prue, when did you get here? Are you here to help us out?"
"Actually I came to talk to Pheebs."
Phoebe looked at Prue and then notice Cole was standing behind her. She became hysterical thinking of why Prue need to talk to her. "Is something wrong with Dylan?" Her eyes locked on Cole's.
"He is fine and in good hands, I left him with Leo and Melinda. They are eating dinner right now." Cole pitched in. "Prue just has some news she said she wanted to share with you and me and it couldn't wait long enough for me to drive here, so I shimmered us here."
"I wish Spike could do that. Paris is nice this time of year," Buffy responded noticing nobody was paying attention.
"Well what is it Prue? What was so important that it couldn't wait?" Piper wondered.
"I waited all day!" Prue protested. "Isn't that good enough?"
"Prue, please get to the point. I am freaking out here. What is wrong?"
"Who said anything was wrong? Everything is just right." Prue stop herself realizing she was starting to ramble again. "In nine months I expect to have loads of pictures of my niece or nephew," Prue grinned.
The room suddenly got quiet when Prue made her announcement. Phoebe hastily ran to her older sister and began crying in her arms. The celebration was short lived though when Piper got a call from Melinda saying that there was trouble at the manor and Leo wasn't able to help out. Cole shimmered them all accept Buffy back to the manor.
The minute they got there they found Leo trying his hardest to beat up the demon before them. Prue started to chuckle for a few seconds before pointing towards Leo trying to go-rounds with a demon he couldn't possibly defeat. Piper walked over after watching him throw Leo against a wall to blow up the demon, until she felt herself being pushed onto the staircase. Once she fell onto the stairs Piper noticed Dylan standing right in front of her trying to protect her from the fireball that was soaring towards the demon.
"That was cool, can you do that again aunt Prue?" Dylan smiled towards Prue.
"My entertainment center! I blew up my entertainment center." Piper freaked.
"Not again, Piper!" Cole sighed waving his hands once more.
"Uh oh!" Was all Prue could say, "Did I do that?" Prue pointed to where Leo had been fighting valiantly near the kitchen door.
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This chapter is just one that is setting the groundwork for the next so if things don't make sense in this one that is why. As always I really would like to know what you guys think so feel free to review. Sorry this took so long but school kind of gets in the way of a lot. I will try not to have it take this long to update again. Thanks!