CHAPTER 2: True Intentions
"Piper..." Paige began, but stopped as Piper whirled on her.
"Don't you dare say anything about that snake," Piper hissed. "That bastard is the reason Leo isn't here, and I hope he never comes back."
"I was just going to ask if you wanted me to hold Wyatt," Paige finished softly.
"Oh..." Piper murmured.
"Honey, you really need to calm down," Phoebe soothed.
"I know, I know, it's just..." Piper started, but stopped as Chris orbed in. "Get out," she stated flatly.
Chris sighed, and said, "I was just coming to say good-bye."
"Huh?" Phoebe commented.
"I obviously can't do my job, not with you three hating me, so I'm going to go," Chris mentioned sadly.
"What'll happen to you?" Paige asked softly.
Chris's face took on a look of profound sadness as he added, "I don't know. They won't let me go back to my time, so I'm stuck here. I guess I'll figure something out." Chris smiled a little as he said, "Well, as my first charges, I can honestly say I failed utterly."
Chris turned to leave, while Phoebe and Paige exchanged an alarmed look. "Chris...wait."
Chris turned, and raised an eyebrow, "Did you want me to tell Leo something?"
"Maybe we were a little harsh on you..." Paige began, but stopped as Piper snorted.
Chris turned, and Piper was speared by the sadness in his eyes, "Piper, if it makes you feel any better, I'm truly sorry about Leo's promotion. I promise if there had been another way, ANY other way, I would have led you to it without hesitation. But this was the only way. It was either all of you, or Leo's promotion."
Piper's heart began to break as Chris added, "I can never replace Leo, nor would I even try. All I wanted was a chance to do some good, by you and by him, to make sure that when he comes back you three are healthy. I'm sorry it didn't work out."
Piper mentally sighed and reached a decision. "No Chris, I'm sorry. We all are. We blamed you for everything, and we took out our pain on you, and that was wrong. Please, we'd be honored if you stayed on as our Whitelighter."
A smile broke on Chris's face as he said, "I'd love to...thank you for giving me this chance."
****
"Good morning, sir," his secretary said cheerfully, "How was your vacation?"
Cole forced a smile on his face as he replied, "Very pleasant, the Bahamas were nice this time of year. What did I miss while I was gone?"
"Nothing much sir," the secretary commented, "this week has been rather slow. But the senior partners would like to see you now that you're back."
"Thanks, I'll go there now," Cole remarked. As he headed towards their office, Cole couldn't help but grin. Apparently his persuasion had worked, and the whole office thought he'd just come back from a vacation.
As he walked into their office, the senior partners looked up and smiled, "Welcome back Cole. Your skills have been missed," Mr. Carter said seriously.
"Thank you, sir. I really needed that vacation, but now I'm back and ready to work." Cole commented.
"Excellent, because we have a case that is in desperate need of your legal abilities," Mr. Jackman chimed in. As he gestured for Cole to be seated, the three partners began to explain the intricacies of the case. Cole felt himself inwardly relax as he realized for one reason or another, he'd missed this.
****
As the snow slammed down on the ground, a dark figure appeared. The figure seemed to glide through the snow, leaving no impressions as the wind howled its fury. The figure 'walked' for several minutes, and he stopped over the exact center of the North Pole. The figure held out his hand, and snow cascaded outwards and began to fly away from a specific spot. After about ten feet, the Grimoire was visible. The figure slowly reached out and tried to touch it, but again, the book vanished.
The figure snarled and said menacingly, "This is getting annoying." He then flamed out.
****
As the cry came over the monitor, Piper awoke and quickly ran into Wyatt's room. "There, there baby. Are you hungry?" Piper picked Wyatt up slowly and began to rock him back and forth as she slowly started to sing a lullaby. After a few minutes, Wyatt was dozing in her arms, and Piper smiled at his innocence. That smile faded as she remembered that now she was in this alone, that Leo wouldn't be there for her, or for his son.
As Piper silently began to cry, she could almost swear she felt a hand comfortingly on her shoulder. She whirled, but no one was there. As her heart beat faster, Piper whispered, "Leo?" but no answer came from the empty room.
Piper sighed, put Wyatt back in his crib, and walked out. A few moments later, Cole turned off his invisibility. That was too close, he shouldn't have risked it. But, watching Piper mourn her husband's absence, Cole had felt something swell in him like never before, and he was trying to comfort her before he had ever realized he'd moved.
'Have I changed so much?' Cole mused. 'Was it the Whitelighter in me that made me move, or the human? When all is said and done, will I even recognize who I am?' Cole held that thought for several moments before he came back to himself, and when he did, he barely bit back a scream of shock. His traitorous body had again moved against his control, and now he was in PHOEBE'S ROOM! Cole quickly brought up his invisibility before he could be seen, and turned to leave. But he stopped as he saw her sleeping. She looked so peaceful, so beautiful. Cole felt his throat tighten and his heartbeat increase, as it always did when she was around. Despite everything that had happened between them, Cole was still totally in love with her, and it warmed his heart to have Leo tell him she loved him still.
Cole watched her for several minutes before mentally shaking himself. Chris obviously wasn't going to be here tonight, so it was time for HIM to get some sleep. Cole stole one last glance at Phoebe before he shimmered out.
****
"More children!" the Goblin King roared as his faithful followers scurried out to obey. "Your last offerings barely served as an appetizer. BRING ME A MAGICAL CHILD!"
"My liege, there are so few children of any power right now, but we are searching as hard as..." one of his minions began, but was cut off as the Goblin King swept his hand and snapped the minion's neck.
"EXCUSES!" the Goblin King roared. "No more excuses...bring me a magical child!"
"Perhaps I can be of assistance," a new voice remarked. The Goblin King turned to see a dark figure flame into the room. The Goblin King fought back a shiver, he knew that entrance.
"What do you want?" The Goblin King snapped, trying to sound unafraid.
The figure seemed to smile beneath the cowl. "Merely to give you the location of the most powerful magical child this world has ever seen."
The King's interest was peaked, while his suspicions deepened. "Why would you help me?" the King demanded.
The room seemed to grow colder as the figure replied, "That is my concern, and I trust you'll stay out of my business?"
The King fought not to lose control of his bladder as he said, "Of course, Mighty Source. I merely wondered why a supreme being like you would speak to a lowly being such as me."
The room went back to a normal temperature as the figure remarked, "I have my reasons. Now, here is what you need to know."
As the figure began to speak, the Goblin King leaned forward with interest. Afraid of him or not, he couldn't pass up a chance like this. His mouth watered at the thought of devouring such a powerful child.
****
As Phoebe came downstairs into the kitchen, Piper and Paige looked up. "Hey honey, how'd you sleep?" Piper asked.
Phoebe shrugged, and remarked, "Pretty well, I suppose. I had a weird feeling...like I was being watched. I'm sure it was nothing."
"So, what shall we do today?" Paige wondered aloud. Piper was about to respond when they heard a loud commotion coming over the monitor.
"WYATT!" Piper screamed, and took off towards the nursery with Phoebe and Paige right behind. When they got into the room, they skidded to a stop. Wyatt's shield was up, and Chris was leaning heavily against it. He was bleeding from numerous wounds, and appeared exhausted. Surrounding him were seven greenish creatures with faces out of a nightmare.
"Give us the child," one of the monsters barked.
"Never," Chris shouted valiantly. Two of the monsters tackled Chris and dragged him down.
"That's enough of that," Piper stated. She gestured, but instead of exploding, one of the monsters stumbled back a few feet. "SHIT, they weren't affected," Piper shouted.
"We know that," Paige muttered as the remaining five creatures turned and began to advance on the sisters.
"Looks like we do this the old fashioned way," Phoebe commented as she levitated up and delivered a crushing blow to one of the monsters. The monster fell heavily to the floor as another one dove at Phoebe. Phoebe executed a diving roll that brought her up behind that monster, and threw a punch into the monster's back, sending him flying.
As the remaining sisters got into the fray, no one noticed the first monster get back up. He stumbled towards Phoebe's back with a sadistic grin when suddenly an energy ball flew out of nowhere and destroyed him.
The battle was over in a few minutes, and eventually the monsters retreated. "What the HELL were they?" Paige demanded.
"Goblins," Chris replied hoarsely. He tried to stand, but he couldn't manage it. As he fell, Piper caught him.
"Didn't anyone tell you we're supposed to do the fighting?" Piper asked with a grin.
"Knew I missed something that day I was absent from Whitelighter training," Chris groaned.
As Paige bent down and began to use her healing powers on Chris, Phoebe looked in puzzlement at a scorch mark on the floor. "Guys..." she said ominously.
"What's up?" Piper asked as she picked up Wyatt.
"How did we get a scorch mark on the floor?" Phoebe wondered.
"That would mean energy balls...which would mean a demon," Paige murmured.
"We know that Paige," Piper snapped.
"Some Goblins have the power to fire energy balls, but they're poor shots," Chris offered helpfully.
"So they shot each other?" Phoebe mentioned doubtfully.
"Looks like it," Piper concluded. "Come on, let's get something to clean this up." As the group left, Chris stopped and spared a glance at a blank spot of wall. He looked at it for a few seconds, and then grinned slightly before walking out.
Once they were gone, Cole appeared from that exact spot. It had been risky to fire an energy ball, but he had to do something. Now it looked like his invisibility wasn't as invisible as he thought. "This isn't good," Cole muttered before he shimmered out.
****
"How dare you fail me!" the Goblin King roared in rage. His minions cowered, trying desperately to escape his wrath. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't eat YOU!"
"Because they didn't fail," the figure commented as he appeared.
"What! They brought me no child!" the Goblin King shouted.
"They weren't supposed to," the figure replied.
"Huh..." the Goblin King stammered.
"You have all served my purpose. Congratulations, here is your reward," the figure said with a smile. The figure pointed, and fireballs began to shoot rapidly outward. Each fireball hit a goblin unerringly, and within seconds, all Goblins were dead.
The figure walked forward and calmly crushed the crown of the Goblin King. "So much for that. Now, onto other matters..."
****
"You summoned me?" Cole mentioned with amusement. His amusement fled when he saw the somber look on Leo's face. "What is it?"
"Two of the Grimoire decoys have been found," Leo stated bluntly.
"What do you mean decoy Grimoires?" Cole demanded.
"One of the protections for the Grimoire is a series of decoys. Each one activates after the last is found, and only when all are found can you know the true location of the Grimoire. Two have been found, which means someone is not only actively seeking it, but knows how to find the decoys," Leo explained.
"Then move the Grimoire," Cole suggested.
Leo shook his head and added, "If we go to move it, we risk them discovering it. Our best bet is to find out WHO is looking, and stop them before they get any closer."
"Well, how many decoys are left?" Cole wondered.
Leo looked uncomfortable as he said, "I can't tell you that."
"You don't trust me," Cole stated coldly.
"It's not a matter of trust. I've been forbidden to tell ANYONE, not just you," Leo replied bluntly.
Cole sighed, remembering this all too well. "Fine...what do you want me to do about it?"
"Keep an eye on Chris," Leo remarked firmly.
"I'll do that, but we may have a problem. I think he knows someone is watching him," Cole mentioned.
"What?" Leo demanded, and Cole filled him in. "You used your powers?" When Cole nodded, and Leo sighed, "Cole, your invisibility is detectable if you use any power but shimmering. Chris knew you were there because you fired an energy ball. All you can do is observe, not interact. As long as you don't make that same mistake, you should be fine."
Cole nodded and said, "I guess I'll get back to work." He then shimmered out.
****
"What do you want?" Kraxor demanded fearfully.
The figure stared at him for several moments before uttering, "Kraxor, you are the commander of all intelligence for the Underworld. Spying doesn't occur without your knowledge. Who did you set upon the Charmed Ones?"
"I don't know what you're talking about," Kraxor commented in confusion.
The figure formed a fireball and said quietly, "I could feel the demon's presence, and he or she is interfering with my plans. Tell me, or do I need to 'persuade' you to talk?"
"I'm telling the truth. No one is supposed to be spying on the Charmed Ones," Kraxor almost begged.
The figure considered for several moments before snarling, "Then it must be those pesky Whitelighters...Leo. This will most definitely complicate matters. Thank you for your assistance." The figure launched the fireball, and Kraxor exploded.
The figure looked at the ashes for a few moments before uttering, "This search is taking too long. I must hasten my efforts...a pity."
****
"Here they are, Piper," Paige uttered. Piper and Phoebe bent over the Book and started to read. "Goblins are highly resistant to magical summons and powers, and should be treated with extreme caution. They exist solely at the whim of their master, the Goblin King, who sustains his life by devouring magical children for their essences."
"That son of a bitch wanted to EAT my baby," Piper snarled. "Oh, he's going to die for that."
Just then, Chris orbed in. "I checked with Leo and the Elders. They are worried about this move, and want you to deal with it as quickly as possible."
"Well, we can't summon the King to kill him...so we have to go to him," Paige declared.
"That's very risky. If you go down into the Underworld, I won't be able to sense you," Chris objected firmly.
"Look Chris, we don't have a choice. We can't just wait for the Goblins to come back again. We need to strike them hard and fast. Could you please watch Wyatt?" Piper asked.
Chris muttered under his breath, and then demanded, "Did you put Leo in this position?"
Phoebe grinned as she replied, "All the time."
Chris sighed, and said, "Alright, I'll tend the home fires. But you better come back!"
"Don't worry, we will," Piper reassured him. She then turned to her sisters and said, "Let's go."
As the sisters orbed out, a grin came over Chris. "Well, it's about time. I thought they'd never go." Chris strode purposefully up to the Book of Shadows. He ran a reverent hand over the cover. "That spell of masking was definitely worth the work." Chris idly flipped the pages until he came to rest on a page titled 'Magic Dispel'.
****
"Alright Goblin King, feel the wrath of the...what the hell?" Piper stated as the sisters appeared. The group surveyed the numerous scorch marks and looked at each other.
"What the hell happened here?" Paige murmured.
"The future Lord of the Universe dealt with them," a new voice intoned. The sisters whirled to see nine demons arrayed behind them. The leader grinned as he said, "You're right on time."
"Um, I don't like this..." Paige mentioned as the sisters backed up.
"It's about to get much worse," the leader assured them. He turned to his minions and stated, "KILL THEM!"
****
Magic forces black and white
Pierce the veil of good and light
Show me the item that I want
Keep my search from being for naught
The Book glowed for several moments, and then Chris closed his eyes. "Ah, yes, there it is...very clever Leo, that's the last place I'd have thought to look." Chris orbed out, and reappeared in front of a large stone building. As he walked in, a person approached and asked, "Welcome to the San Francisco Public Library, may I help you find something?"
"No thank you," Chris replied. He strode purposely through the library, following his instincts, which led him into the very back parts of the library, away from everyone. When he stopped, he stared in confusion. Then he started to laugh. "Very clever Leo," Chris murmured. He reached over and pulled out a book entitled 'Magic for Dummies.' Chris gestured, and the book changed for a moment before changing back. A frown creased Chris's brow. "This may take more than I thought." He gestured again, drawing deeply upon his powers. The illusion shattered, and he held the Grimoire in his hands.
Chris began to smile, and then fell forward as an energy ball slammed into his back. Chris whirled, and sensed a demon in the area. "I know you're here, and I can find you without effort. Drop the illusion, and face me like a true demon," Chris stated.
A few moments later, Cole appeared with an energy ball in both hands. "Fair enough," he stated coolly.
Chris's eyebrows rose as he read the powers. "Half-demon, half-Whitelighter, that's a combination I haven't seen before."
"Takes a special person to handle it," Cole replied tersely.
"So, before we tear into each other, tell me this. What foolish ideals made a demon work for the other side?" Chris wondered.
"Well, actually..." Cole began. Suddenly, he fired both energy balls into the shelves to Chris's right and left. As the wood exploded, Chris instinctively brought his hands up to protect his face. When he put them down, Cole's fist slammed into Chris's face, knocking him back several feet.
As the cut on his face instantly healed, Chris responded by firing a fireball directly at Cole. Cole dodged it, and stared at Chris in shock. "A demon...I should have known. You have that stench on you."
"Takes one to know one..." Chris hurled back. As Chris formed another fireball, Cole rolled and dove, knocking Chris down. As Cole and Chris wrestled on the ground, Cole felt a flash of recognition from deep inside him. Something about how Chris moved, how he acted, it struck a cord deep inside his soul. Judging by the widening of Chris's eyes, Chris felt the same thing.
As they broke apart, Chris demanded, "WHO ARE YOU?"
Cole straightened and said, "I am Coleridge Tuner, ex-demon Belthazor, ex-Source of All Evil, and the person who's going to kick your ass."
Chris backed away and said, "No, that's...you're dead!"
Cole grinned evilly and remarked, "Been there, done that."
Chris was violently shaking his head as he said, "No, that's not right...none of this is right. This isn't how it's supposed to go...this isn't why I came back here!"
"So, why did you come back?" Cole demanded.
Chris stared at Cole for several moments. Suddenly, the Grimoire flew into his hands from where it had fallen. Chris said darkly, "Vengeance," and then flamed out.
TO BE CONTINUED...