CHAPTER 5:  Freedom of the Mind

            Chris sat heavily in his chair, staring at nothing.  'How could he?  How could my father get back with Phoebe?  It doesn't make any sense, I don't understand...'

            "My lord," Baranas said softly as he appeared.

            Without looking up, Chris demanded, "What?"

            "The preparations are going better than expected.  We should be able to have the ceremony at least eight hours ahead of schedule," Baranas remarked.

            "Very impressive," Chris stated in a flat tone.  "Now, get out and get back to work."  Baranas bowed hastily and shimmered out.

            Chris slowly let his gaze drift upwards. In sixteen hours, the ceremony would be ready; he would embrace evil and darkness fully, and become the next Source.  He would have uncontested control of Evil, and finally fulfill all his desires and all his dreams.  He should be happy.  So why did he have an empty feeling inside?

            'I would sooner die a thousand deaths than have you experience a moment of true darkness.'

            Chris stood up quickly, trying to focus on something else.  But his father's words continued to bounce back and forth inside his head, teasing his mind, muddying the crystal clear clarity he had always enjoyed.  Was true darkness what he really wanted to do?  Did he want to become the Source?

****

            The group stared at Cole and Phoebe, trying desperately to absorb what they were just told.  Finally, Paige managed to say, "He's your son?"

            "Yes, he is," Phoebe stated gravely.

            "And he wants to kill us all?" Piper questioned.

            "Yes," Cole replied solemnly.

            "What are we going to do?" Paige demanded.

            "Save him," Phoebe remarked firmly.

            "Um, I was thinking we save ourselves personally," Piper confessed.

            "Chris doesn't really want to hurt us," Phoebe interjected.

            "Funny, his actions seem to indicate otherwise," Leo drawled.

            "He's confused," Cole snapped, "he's believed lies so long in his life that he can't see the truth past all the smoke and mirrors he has up.  We just need to penetrate that barrier and show him the truth.  We can bring him back, we have to."

            "How?" Paige asked.  "I mean, Chris is packing some serious power, and you're no longer Super Cole.  You're back to Belthazor, which means as the next Source Chris can kick all our asses."

            "That's not the point..." Cole began, but Piper cut him off.

            "Cole, we're not saying we don't want to save Chris.  We just want you to understand that this isn't going to be easy.  There's a very good chance we won't reach him, and we'll be forced to..."

            "To what?  Kill him?  I'm not listening to this," Cole snapped.  He then shimmered out.

            "Well, that was rude," Paige commented.

            "Not when he's right!" Phoebe yelled.  "The bottom line is Chris is family.  If he were Wyatt, we'd never even consider giving up.  Yet you three are acting like it's already over.  What, is it only fair to do everything for a child when he's yours, Piper?  This is MY SON, and I will not give up.  We will do everything in our power to bring him back.  Right?"

            Piper and Paige shared a glance, and then they nodded.  Piper said softly, "Of course. We're with you.  So, what are we going to do?"

****

            Cole stopped shimmering on top of Golden Gate Bridge.  The view was incredible, and the air gave him a chance to cool down.  Their words still stung, for they were the same hypocritical cowardly phrases they'd used on him.  When they thought they would fail before they started, is it any surprise when they do fail?

            Cole's musings were interrupted when a fireball slammed into his back.  Cole was flung off the top, and began to plummet towards the road.  Cole managed to shimmer just in time, and reappeared where he had been.

            Chris glared at him, and said, "Give it back you bastard!"

            "Give what back son?" Cole asked softly.

            Chris fired another fireball, and as Cole dodged it, jumped in and landed a solid right hook on Cole's jaw.  As he and Cole began to trade blows, Chris shouted, "Before your little speech, everything was perfect.  Black and white, good and evil, and I understood what I needed to do to get what I wanted, to make them pay for what they've done!  Now, everything's muddied, everything's blurry, and I find myself hesitating on my path.  GIVE ME BACK MY CLARITY!"

            Seeing an opportunity, Cole grabbed Chris by the shirt and orbed them both to the Manor.  When they could see again, Cole and Chris were surrounded by the family.  Chris shoved back and rolled up, forming a fireball as he went.  He threw it at Phoebe, who dove out of the way.

            Paige shouted, "CRYSTALS!" and four crystals orbed in from the attic.  She directed them around Chris, and soon a forcefield surrounded him.  Chris shoved against it in vain, before finally settling down and glaring at the family.

            Paige looked at the others and said, "I caught him, now let's save him."

****

            "My Lord Baranas?" a demon said as he entered.

            "Yes?" Lord Baranas responded.

            "Our future leader has been captured by the Charmed Ones.  What shall we do?"

            An evil grin spread over Baranas's face.  "Do?  Nothing of course.  Why waste a perfectly good coronation.  After all, we have the Grimoire, and we have the perfect candidate to be the next Source...me.  Tell no one of this news.  If we play this right, I'll be the Source before the other faction leaders suspect anything is amiss."

            "You can count on my loyalty my Master," the demon assured Baranas.

            "I know I can," Baranas stated.  Baranas fired a fireball and vanquished the demon.  "Just hold him a little longer, and everything will be perfect."

****

            As Phoebe looked at Chris, Chris glared back with hate filled eyes.  He smiled a cold smile and said, "Enjoying the view?  It won't last long, rest assured, and when I'm out, I will repay you for your hospitality ten-fold."

            Phoebe fought not to shudder.  He sounded just like Cole did at his most dangerous.  "No, I wanted to talk to you."

            Chris's smile widened as he asked sarcastically, "And what shall we talk about?  All those loving moments we had together...oh wait, we never had any.  Maybe the love in your eyes as you saw me being born...no, you were too busy letting the Seer steal me.  I suppose all that's left is that loving expression you showed me when you tried to kill me.  It was so full of hate, of rage.  You're one of the best moms ever."

            "It wasn't like that..."  Phoebe tried to counter.

            Chris laughed, "Here it comes.  All those lines you used on my weakling father.  'I do love you.' 'We can be together.' 'Be good, and I'll love you.'  Save your breath, I won't fall for it."

            "What about the truth?  Don't you want to know it?" Phoebe questioned.

            Chris snorted, and said, "I know the 'truths' you'll tell me.  I've heard those truths spun around trusting fools more times than I can count, blinding them to the real truth.  You're an evil bitch who only loves herself and watching people jump through hoops at your commands, and you can't change that fact.  But tell me your 'truth'.  I could use a good laugh."

            An idea came to Phoebe, and she smiled and said, "I'm not going to tell you anything."

            "What?" Chris asked.

            "I'm going to show you..." Phoebe finished.

Mind to Mind I forge a link
Into my memories he now will sink
Submerge him completely in my mind
To show the truth he needs to find

****

(The following two scenes were taken from episode 4x21, "Womb Raider.")

            "I'm sorry, Piper, I can't let you take the fall for me," Phoebe said sadly.

            "Well, why not?" Piper asked, fearful of her sister's actions.

            "You can't use the baby's powers like that," Leo warned her.

            As the tall man got up, he snarled at Phoebe, "Come here, witch."

            Phoebe didn't hesitate a moment.  She flung her arm out, and a blue stream of energy slammed into the tall man.

            "Phoebe, don't!" Piper yelled, but it was too late.  Within seconds, the tall man exploded in a fiery vanquish. "Phoebe, nobody has ever been able to vanquish that demon. Do you realize what you just did?"

            Phoebe looked up and was about to respond, when all of a sudden, she felt the evil rising in her more powerfully than before, and this time she couldn't stop it.  As the Source asserted his control, Phoebe's eyes flamed and turned black.

            "Stay away," Leo warned Piper.  "That's not Phoebe anymore."

            As Piper and Leo watched in horror, Phoebe flamed out.

****

            "Come to me, child," the Seer intoned to Phoebe.

            "Phoebe, snap out of it, please," Paige begged from the cage.

            "Let the little children come to me, for the kingdom belongs to such as these," the Seer continued as she took Phoebe over to a circle of candles.  "The rose circle represents nature, desire, fertility.  Kneel."

            As Phoebe knelt down, Paige yelled, "Phoebe, it's your body, take control, and fight it."

            The Seer said in a sing-song voice, "Give me strength, and give me might, to steal a child in still of night..."

            "Phoebe!" Paige screamed franticly, but to no avail.

            "Darkest forces let it be, here my plea, bring life to me," the Seer finished.

            A light emanated from Phoebe's belly and passed into the Seer.  As Phoebe's eyes returned to their normal color, she gasped in shock, "My baby."

            The Seer grinned evilly as she said, "He was never yours, or Cole's.  From the moment of conception this baby was mine."  She unbuttoned part of her dress to reveal the baby moving around in her stomach.  As dawning horror spread over Phoebe, she felt immense sadness, as the only tie she had left to her soulmate had just been ripped from her.

****

            As the memories faded, Chris fell to his knees gasping.  Phoebe looked at him, and asked sadly, "Is that truth enough for you?"

            "No, it has to be a trick...it must be," Chris almost begged.

            "It's no trick.  That is what really happened," Phoebe stated sadly.

            A single tear rolled down Chris's cheeks as he spoke softly, "If that's the truth, then I almost...oh, god, what have I done, what have I become..."

            Chris began to weep, and Phoebe called the others in.  They charged in, expecting a battle, but stopped as they saw Chris weeping.  Paige and Piper looked at Phoebe, who said softly, "He now understands the truth."

            Chris looked at them, and said softly, "I'm sorry...please, I'm so sorry.  I didn't know, I didn't understand...forgive me."  The last words were said almost as a whisper.

            The sisters looked at each other, and then Paige said, "Crystal."  One of the crystals orbed out, and the shield fell.  Phoebe walked forward, and slowly looked Chris in the eye as she said, "Hey, you're not family until you try and kill the rest of us at least once."

            A smile came onto Chris's face, a genuine happy smile.  That smile was replaced by a look of horror as Chris said, "NO!  I won't...AAAAAAAAHHHHHH!"  Chris fell backwards, and power arched out of him.  Cole pulled Phoebe back as Chris was slowly lifted off the ground.

            "GET OUT OF MY HEAD!" Chris shouted, and he clutched his hands to his head.  When he looked at the group, Phoebe gasped.  One of Chris's eyes was his normal blue, but the other had gone completely black.  Chris began to scream, and more power shot from him.  This continued for several minutes before Chris finally floated gently to his knees and fell forward.

            The group closed slowly, and Phoebe asked, "Chris...son?"

            Chris stood up, and when he looked at the sisters, both his eyes were completely black.  He then added in a voice with an echoing quality, "Not exactly."

            Chris gestured, and Phoebe was sent flying into the group.  Chris laughed an evil laugh, and said, "Oh, it's good to be back again.  For a while, I thought I'd finally found a power as great and twisted as my own for me to use and abuse.  But then you had to mess his mind up, pierce all the lovely lies I wove around him.  What can I say?  I had to take steps."

            "The Source..." Cole snarled.

            "You always were quick, Belthazor.  You'll have to excuse me now.  I have a coronation to go to, but don't worry.  Once it's done, I'll come back and finish what we've started," the Source stated with a smile.  He then flamed out.

****

            "The preparations should be complete within the hour, my lord," said a demon.

            "Excellent," said Baranas.  "Now let's just hope that pathetic excuse for a pretender doesn't show up and ruin everything."

            "I'm afraid it's a little late for that," said the Source as he flamed in.

            Baranas whirled around, and his face turned pale as he saw that Chris's eyes were completely black.  "The Source...but how..."

            "Haven't you learned that my essence cannot be destroyed?" the Source snarled.  "However, yours, on the other hand..."  Before Baranas could protest, the Source incinerated him with a fireball.

            The other demon trembled as he bent down on one knee, and said, "My lord?"

            The Source smiled evilly as he said, "Keep the preparations going."  As the demon shimmered out, the Source thought, 'Soon, you will pay for your betrayal, Belthazor, and the Charmed Ones with you.'

****

            "No, no, NO!" Cole shouted.

            "We don't have any choice, Cole!" Piper countered.  "Chris is gone.  The Source has complete control over him."

            "You may be right about the control, but MY SON is still in there somewhere, and I WILL NOT vanquish him!" Cole reiterated.

            "We may not have any choice, Cole," said Paige.

            "That's not true, Paige," Phoebe said quietly.  "There's always another way."  Paige gave her sister a quizzical look.  Phoebe continued, "I think back to how I felt after we vanquished Cole, and I remember the emptiness of losing the person I shared my soul with.  If my mind had been clear that night, we could have done something different, possibly a power-stripping potion, something.  But the point is we had other options, and we didn't even think twice about what we were doing.  I will not allow myself to feel like that again."

            Piper looked at her sister with a renewed sense of respect and love.  "Alright, then," she said.  "Let's talk this through.  How can we save Chris and vanquish the Source at the same time?"

            "Why not a power-stripping potion, like Phoebe said?" Paige suggested.

            "That could work," said Cole, "but remember that the powers have to go somewhere.  If we made the potion specific and strong enough, we could separate the Source from Chris physically, leaving Chris with whatever powers he had besides his Source powers."

            "But the powers belong to Chris, so won't they go right back into him after we vanquish the Source, along with the Source's essence?" said Leo.

            "Not if we strip the Source of HIS powers as well at the same time we say the vanquishing spell," Phoebe mused.  "All we have to do then is add another spell to transform the Dark Magic into White Magic, and that should guarantee that Chris won't reabsorb the Source back into him or immediately turn evil.  Put all of that together, and we should be able to finally kill the old Source without the nasty repercussions."

            "Phoebe, that's brilliant," said Piper.  "Let's get the pots ready.  We have some potions to brew," she added, grabbing Paige.

            "I'll get started on that second spell," Phoebe said, grabbing her notepad and a pencil.  However, she noticed that Cole seemed very tense.  She went over to him and wrapped her arms around his waist from behind, laying her head on his back.  "This will work, Cole.  I'm sure of it."

            "I hope so," said Cole.  "Neither one of us needs to suffer any more heartache than we already had."

****

            "It's time, my lord," said Nevaros.

            The Source rose from his throne clad in his ceremonial garb.  "Finally, I shall regain what I have lost, and then take my revenge on the Charmed Ones and Belthazor."  He flamed to the Coronation Chamber, Nevaros shimmering just behind him.

            The Source walked up to the platform where the Dark Priest and the Grimoire were waiting.  The Dark Priest turned to him and said, "May the world's evil flow through your soul tonight and grant you eternal darkness.  Are you prepared to take the power and position of the Source before these leaders of the Underworld?"

            "I am," said the Source.

            "Then place your hand upon this page of the Grimoire, and..."

            "Not so fast," said a new voice.

            The Source whirled to see the Charmed Ones, Cole, and Leo materialize in the Chamber.  "Well, well, more sacrifices for my coronation.  I had planned on killing you afterward, but right now is fine too."

            "What makes you think we won't fight back?" Cole snarled.

            "Please," said the Source, "like you'd really kill your own son along with me?  I know you too well, Belthazor.  Your human half has made your weak again.  You don't have the guts."

            "You're right, I don't," said Cole.  The Source smirked, but then Cole added, "That's why I'm going to do THIS!"  With that, Cole threw the first potion at Chris.

            "What is...AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!" screamed the Source.  The shocked faction leaders watched as a dark shape separated itself from Chris, and coalesced into the solid form of the old Source.  As Chris slumped to the floor, the Source said, "Did you expect that to stop me?  I am Evil incarnate, I CANNOT DIE!"

            "Wrong," said Phoebe coldly.  Her sisters joined hands with her.

            "NO!" the Source yelled.  However, it was too late by then as the Charmed Ones began reciting the vanquishing spell.

Prudence, Patricia, Penelope, Melinda,
Astrid, Helena, Laura, and Grace,
Halliwell witches stand strong beside us,
Vanquish this evil from time and space.

            The Source screamed in agony as the flames engulfed him.  Piper threw the second potion into the flames.  Just as the Source exploded, a dark cloud of energy rose through the air and headed toward Chris.

            "PHOEBE, NOW!" Cole yelled.

Powers once dark
Now become light
Remove the evil
And make it right

            It was clear that the spell had its intended effect, for the dark energy began to change into bright white light just before it entered Chris's body.  As it did, Chris opened his eyes, and by the time he got to his feet, all of the light had entered him.

            Piper looked at the demons still in the Chamber and said, "Anybody who doesn't want to die should leave NOW."  The demons didn't dare face the Charmed Ones after such a display of power; they shimmered out within seconds.

            Phoebe and Cole walked slowly towards Chris.  As they approached, they could see the pure joy in his eyes over being free.  No longer would the Source whisper lies in his mind to make him destroy his family.  The evil was gone, and Chris was himself again.

            Chris walked to Phoebe and wrapped his mother in a tight embrace.  "Thank you," he whispered.  "I love you so much, Mom."

            Phoebe could feel tears trickling down her cheeks.  Her son loved her, and that fact truly made her feel whole again.  Not only did she have her soulmate back, but she had her family back, too.  "I love you too, son."

            Cole wrapped his arms around both of them, happy and content holding his family in his arms.  He had come full circle, and he knew that this was exactly where he wanted to be.  "Let's go home."

****

            Cole blinked open sleepy eyes as sunlight fell across his eyes.  For a moment, Cole didn't remember where he was, but then he noticed the warm body resting on top of his, and he smiled.  This was why he had put himself through the trials to get out of the Wasteland, so that he could wake up in the morning and Phoebe would be there with him.  Slowly, almost reverently, Cole ran his hand through her dark hair.

            Phoebe stirred and stretched.  As she opened her eyes and saw Cole, she smiled and pulled herself up toward him.  "Morning, baby," she said as she leaned down to kiss his lips.  "Did you sleep well?"

            Cole grinned and said, "I haven't slept that well in a long time."  Phoebe giggled and wrapped her arms around him.  Cole rubbed her back for a minute before he thought of something.  He gently eased himself from under Phoebe and got out of bed.

            "What's wrong?" she asked anxiously.

            Rather than answer, Cole walked to the vanity and looked in the mirror.  He saw peace and joy in his eyes, and a look that can only be found in those who are good at heart.  He breathed deeply, and turned back to Phoebe with a smile on his face.  "Nothing's wrong, baby," he said.  "This is the first day I've looked myself in the mirror and come away content with what I've seen.  I finally have everything I've been dreaming of.  I have you, I have our son...I have a family.  Do you know how good that makes me feel?"

            "Yes, Cole, I do, because I feel the same way," she said.  "It scares me when I realize that I could have lost you forever, but I promise you, I will never turn my back on you again.  Now come here.  It's the weekend, so we can cuddle for a little while longer."

            "Cuddling sounds just fine to me," Cole said as he got back into bed.

****

            Lightning flashed in the sky of the Hosech realm.  Not that it ever really stopped there.  In such a place of nightmares, why would it?

            Demons who had been exiled or banished roamed freely, killing each other when they had to for survival.  No one was expected to survive for long in this place.  Food was scarce, so unless a demon happened to be particularly powerful, it wasn't likely he'd live to see another day.

            Under cover of a cave, a small two-year old watched the big demons battling each other fearfully.  The boy really didn't understand this well, but the small voice in his head said that one day the big demons would be doing what he told them instead of fighting.

            A sudden noise made the boy turn around.  He saw blue-white orbs entering the cave, and they came together to form a young man.  The small voice told the boy to run away, but something in the man's eyes told the boy not to be afraid, that the man was here to save him.

            "It's ok, little one," said Chris.  "I'm here to help."  As he walked closer to the boy, his hands began to emit a soft white glow.  The boy ignored the voice in his head and allowed the man to place his hands beside his head.  As he did, the voice was suddenly snapped away.  "Give me your hand," Chris said, holding his out to the boy.  "I'm taking you home."  Tentatively, the boy put his hand in Chris's, and they orbed out a moment later.

****

            "Cole, would you please pass the bagels?" Piper asked.

            "Sure," he said, picking up the basket and handing to her.

            "You know, if somebody had told me two days ago that we'd be having breakfast with Cole, I'd have thought they were crazy," Paige said.

            "And now?" Phoebe asked.

            "I don't think I could imagine it without him," she finished truthfully.

            "That's very sweet, Paige," said Cole, smiling.  "Thank you."

            "Here you go, Wyatt," said Piper as she spoon-fed him some baby food.  Looking around the table, she suddenly asked, "Hey, where's Chris?"

            "I don't know," said Phoebe.  "I haven't seen him since before we went to bed last night."  Just then, they heard the familiar chiming sound.  "That must be him," Phoebe continued.  As Chris walked into the room, she said, "Hey, Chris, you're laaaaaaaaaaaaaaaate..."  Phoebe trailed off as she saw what Chris was holding in his arms.

            Chris grinned and looked down.  The little boy was not afraid of these people.  He could feel their goodness, and he knew they would take care of him.

            "Chris...is that...is he..." Cole tried to say, but couldn't get the words out.

            Chris nodded.  "I couldn't very well let myself suffer the same fate twice, now could I?" he said.  He walked around the table to where Phoebe and Cole were sitting.  "Do you want to hold him?"

            Phoebe nodded with tears of joy in her eyes.  Chris gently placed the boy in her arms, and the boy let out a little squeal of happiness.  "Hi, sweetie," she said.  "I'm your mommy, and this big guy over here," she said, indicating Cole, "is your daddy."

            "Hello, little one," Cole said as he gently stroked the top of his son's head with his hand.

            Little Chris looked at Phoebe with a questioning look, and he said, "Ma...ma...mama?"

            "Oh, my God," Phoebe said, bringing a hand to her face.  Hearing her son say those few words brought her more joy than she could possibly express in words.  "Yes sweetie, mommy's here," she said softly.

            The little boy smiled and gently rested his head against Phoebe's chest.  Within moments, he was asleep, without nightmares of big scary demons chasing after him.

            Phoebe sniffled as she looked up at the older version of her son.  "Thank you, Chris," she said.  Cole put an arm around her shoulders.

            "No, Mom," said Chris.  "Thank you."  As they watched, Chris slowly began to fade.

            "What's happening?" Cole asked.

            "All is as it should be now, Father," said Chris, his voice taking on a slightly echoing quality.  "The future has changed once again.  But don't worry," he said with a smile.  "You'll see me again in about twenty years."  As Chris finally vanished, they could hear him say, "I love you all.  Blessed be."

            Cole looked at Phoebe with all the love in his heart.  "Now I know what it means to be blessed," he said.  "Never again will I take for granted the fact that I have you and our son in my life."

            "I love you, Cole, and I will go on loving you until the day I die," Phoebe promised.

            Neither Cole nor Phoebe ever forgot how close they came to losing each other.  Their son was a constant reminder to them of the power of their love, and they again learned to cherish every moment they spent together.

THE END

(I would like to thank all of you who left the reviews.  I have never been so touched before, and I thank you.  My thanks also go to demonman21, who was responsible for much of the construction of this story along with myself.  I'm not sure if there will be a sequel to this, but if my muse feels up to it, I'll write one.  Again, thank you for your criticism.)