Piper, Phoebe, and Paige were pacing around the attic impatiently when Leo orbed back in.
"What did Julius say?" Piper asked, not even bothering to greet her husband, who by then had been gone most of the day.
"You might want to sit down." Leo said, looking particularly at Phoebe. They obeyed, somewhat timidly. "He said it's Cole."
The girls stared at him, too shocked even to speak. Leo related to them what Julius had said about Cole being in league with a darklighter.
"How is that possible?" Phoebe asked. "I mean, I thought we vanquished Cole as the Source, he was exiled from the Underworld."
"The Underworld has been in shambles. With no new Source, there isn't anyone to enforce their laws, and all the exiled evil is coming back, trying to take over, Cole included." Leo explained.
"But what do they want with Angelie?" Paige asked protectively.
"I'm not sure, exactly." Leo admitted. "I mean, not only is she the first and only child ever born to two Whitelighters, but her mother was a Charmed One. Who knows how powerful she'll be?"
Piper frowned. "How do we protect her? We have no idea what we're dealing with, in her powers or Cole's."
Leo sighed. "I don't know. Julius is going to watch over the house as much as possible, but it's going to be hard, because the other Elders can't know she exists. She can't have a Whitelighter assigned to protect her. I'll be able to sense her, when she gets older and starts displaying powers, but if I rely on that too much, the other Elders will know I'm up to something. I guess we just have to watch out backs. And hers."
Piper bit her lip. This was much easier said than done. In the Halliwell home, they considered it odd if someone didn't come in trying to kill them at least once a week. Demonic attacks had become routine, and they'd learn to handle them in stride, but with a baby to look out for, Piper wasn't sure they could pull it off.
"Maybe we should go check on her." Piper said, realizing they hadn't heard her cry in over an hour. They ran downstairs, and found her awake in her crib, gurgling happily. Piper smiled. "Thank God she's such an angel." she murmured, not realizing the irony of her comment until after she'd said it. Maybe this won't be so bad, she thought, picking up the baby and rocking her gently. Angelie squealed with delight at being held.
Just when they were beginning to feel at ease, Cole shimmered in. "Hello, Phoebe," he said, his tone menacing.
Piper held Angelie close, wrapping her arms tightly around the baby. Angelie, sensing something was wrong, started to whimper. "Cole, go back to hell." Piper spat.
"Never left it, babe." he said, almost laughing now. Then he turned his attention back to her sister. "Yanno, Phoebe, I could have given you anything. Would have, too, if you'd let me. But that's ok. I'm over that. Now there's only one thing I want. Power." He gave another little laugh.
"You bastard." Phoebe said, her voice barely audible. "You sick bastard."
A smile slowly spread across Cole's lips. He was definately sick. He was also cunning. Piper knew she had to get Angelie out of there, now. Taking a chance, she moved swiftly across the nursery to Leo's side, trusting the baby at him. Before he could orb her to safety, a darklighter appeared and stabbed him with a poison arrow. Piper tried to cry out, tried to reach for Angelie, but found she couldn't move. Calmly, Cole took the now quiet infant into his own arms.
"The power to paralyze." he said slowly, talking more to the baby than to his ex-wife and her family, "It's quite useful, especially in situations like these. I didn't want to do this, Phoebe. But you never left me a choice. I can't have you, so I'll take your precious neice instead. Don't bother looking for us. We'll be long gone by the time my power wears off." With that, he shimmered out, leaving Leo, Piper, Paige, and Phoebe laying helpless on the floor.
****************
A/N: Cole taking Angelie... I hadn't planned on this, it just sort of happened while I was writing. I hope this chapter wasn't as bad as the others, it is a bit impromptu. I really need to get better at writing monologues, I swear I'm working on it... Anyhoo, what are you still reading this for? Go review!
"What did Julius say?" Piper asked, not even bothering to greet her husband, who by then had been gone most of the day.
"You might want to sit down." Leo said, looking particularly at Phoebe. They obeyed, somewhat timidly. "He said it's Cole."
The girls stared at him, too shocked even to speak. Leo related to them what Julius had said about Cole being in league with a darklighter.
"How is that possible?" Phoebe asked. "I mean, I thought we vanquished Cole as the Source, he was exiled from the Underworld."
"The Underworld has been in shambles. With no new Source, there isn't anyone to enforce their laws, and all the exiled evil is coming back, trying to take over, Cole included." Leo explained.
"But what do they want with Angelie?" Paige asked protectively.
"I'm not sure, exactly." Leo admitted. "I mean, not only is she the first and only child ever born to two Whitelighters, but her mother was a Charmed One. Who knows how powerful she'll be?"
Piper frowned. "How do we protect her? We have no idea what we're dealing with, in her powers or Cole's."
Leo sighed. "I don't know. Julius is going to watch over the house as much as possible, but it's going to be hard, because the other Elders can't know she exists. She can't have a Whitelighter assigned to protect her. I'll be able to sense her, when she gets older and starts displaying powers, but if I rely on that too much, the other Elders will know I'm up to something. I guess we just have to watch out backs. And hers."
Piper bit her lip. This was much easier said than done. In the Halliwell home, they considered it odd if someone didn't come in trying to kill them at least once a week. Demonic attacks had become routine, and they'd learn to handle them in stride, but with a baby to look out for, Piper wasn't sure they could pull it off.
"Maybe we should go check on her." Piper said, realizing they hadn't heard her cry in over an hour. They ran downstairs, and found her awake in her crib, gurgling happily. Piper smiled. "Thank God she's such an angel." she murmured, not realizing the irony of her comment until after she'd said it. Maybe this won't be so bad, she thought, picking up the baby and rocking her gently. Angelie squealed with delight at being held.
Just when they were beginning to feel at ease, Cole shimmered in. "Hello, Phoebe," he said, his tone menacing.
Piper held Angelie close, wrapping her arms tightly around the baby. Angelie, sensing something was wrong, started to whimper. "Cole, go back to hell." Piper spat.
"Never left it, babe." he said, almost laughing now. Then he turned his attention back to her sister. "Yanno, Phoebe, I could have given you anything. Would have, too, if you'd let me. But that's ok. I'm over that. Now there's only one thing I want. Power." He gave another little laugh.
"You bastard." Phoebe said, her voice barely audible. "You sick bastard."
A smile slowly spread across Cole's lips. He was definately sick. He was also cunning. Piper knew she had to get Angelie out of there, now. Taking a chance, she moved swiftly across the nursery to Leo's side, trusting the baby at him. Before he could orb her to safety, a darklighter appeared and stabbed him with a poison arrow. Piper tried to cry out, tried to reach for Angelie, but found she couldn't move. Calmly, Cole took the now quiet infant into his own arms.
"The power to paralyze." he said slowly, talking more to the baby than to his ex-wife and her family, "It's quite useful, especially in situations like these. I didn't want to do this, Phoebe. But you never left me a choice. I can't have you, so I'll take your precious neice instead. Don't bother looking for us. We'll be long gone by the time my power wears off." With that, he shimmered out, leaving Leo, Piper, Paige, and Phoebe laying helpless on the floor.
****************
A/N: Cole taking Angelie... I hadn't planned on this, it just sort of happened while I was writing. I hope this chapter wasn't as bad as the others, it is a bit impromptu. I really need to get better at writing monologues, I swear I'm working on it... Anyhoo, what are you still reading this for? Go review!
