Author's Note: Okay, here's a very pivotal chapter folks. PLEASE review.
Give me feedback, let me know what you think. For all you Cole and Phoebe
fans.well, eat your heart out! Hehe.
Chapter 10: Meant To Be?
"Leo, what are you doing?" Piper stood in the doorway of the bedroom, an amused look on her face. Leo was lying on the bed, the baby curled up on his chest, trapping the Whitelighter more effectively than any demon ever had. Leo made a shushing motion, bringing his finger to his lips and smiling.
"He finally fell asleep about fifteen minutes ago. I'm afraid that if I move he'll wake up." Sure enough, Wyatt began to stir on top of his father. His eyes opened sleepily, and he started to whimper. Piper moved to sit down next to her husband and son. The baby looked from his father to his mother, blinking slowly. Then he lay his head back down on Leo's chest, and went back to sleep. For a few moments, the couple simply watched Wyatt sleep, amazed that they had created something so precious.
"We should probably move him to his crib. . ." Piper said softly, though she didn't move. She was constantly amazed at the amount of love that she had for such a tiny little person.
Leo orbed from the bed to the crib and put Wyatt down, placing his blankie lightly on top of him. The couple had discovered that their child was less likely to wake up when he was orbed than when they carried him from one place to another. Leo walked back over to the bed, and looked at his wife. "Well, hopefully we've got about three hours until he wakes up."
"I'm sorry again for what I said before, Leo. Wyatt's lucky to have you for a father." Piper spoke quietly, and the two of them shared a long kiss. It was broken only when Leo pulled away, his eyes raising to the ceiling in a familiar manner. Piper let out an exasperated sigh. "I think they just did that on purpose. Make sure you ask them about transferring some of your charges, all right?" Leo nodded and orbed away. Piper sighed again, then left the room. She headed down stairs and plopped onto the couch, where she was joined by Phoebe and Paige, who had just finished eating breakfast.
"Did Leo get called away again?" Paige asked sympathetically. Piper nodded, and her sisters laid their heads on her shoulder comfortingly. The three of them sat there like that for some time, each of them lost in their own thoughts; each of them glad that they had each other.
Swirls of blue light signaled that Leo had returned. He had an odd look on his face, and Phoebe felt a chill go through her for some reason. The sisters came out of their separate daydreams and turned their attention to the Whitelighter. "Phoebe, you need to get Cole over here. It's important." Leo sounded apologetic, but firm at the same time. When Piper tried to question him, he just shook his head, saying that he would tell them all when Cole got there. Phoebe called up the ex-demon, and a few minutes later Cole Turner was seated with the Charmed Ones.
"Well, first of all, the Elders informed me that they've discovered over a dozen more plots to either kidnap or kill Cole." Leo started out slowly, wondering how he was going to manage to explain this. "They think that sending him back was a mistake; that concentrating on protecting Cole would defeat the purpose of you being the Charmed Ones." Phoebe started to object, but Leo held up a hand. "This may sound crazy, but they feel the only way to solve the problem is for Cole to become a warlock- to be more exact, they want him to receive your past power, Phoebe. The catch is that the spell which would transfer powers will only work if you two are soul mates. If you aren't- then Cole will die." The Whiteligher finished quietly, waiting for a reaction. It didn't take long for him to get one.
"How can they do that? How can they put us through all of this, and then decide it was a mistake? What gives them that right?!?" Phoebe's voice shook, though with anger or shock it was hard to tell. Cole laid a comforting hand on her shoulder, and she didn't pull away. The ex-demon looked up at Leo, his jaw set and determined.
"It's not right, what they're doing to us. You all know it's not right." Cole shook his head. He knew that the Elders were very rarely swayed from their decisions; sometimes he wondered if they weren't just as destructive as demons were. Phoebe started crying softly, and no one seemed to know what to say. "Can you just give us some time alone?" The two sisters stood up reluctantly, and along with Leo they went into the kitchen. Once they were alone, Cole spoke quietly, facing Phoebe, who held her head in her hands. "Phoebe. . . stop crying, please. It's going to be okay."
Phoebe looked at the ex-demon through tearful eyes. "What the hell do you mean it's going to be okay? You could die, Cole!"
Cole gently reached over and wiped away Phoebe's tears; she let him, realizing that their time together might be cut short. "Phoebe, I have always believed that we were meant to be together. If you can believe that as well, then we have nothing to worry about."
Phoebe was silent for a long time, thinking. She had given her trust to Cole, a long time ago. She had trusted him with her heart, and she had believed that their relationship could survive anything. Then he betrayed her; he hurt her, and he broke her heart. Phoebe didn't want to be burned again, but Piper's words came back to her: "A guy doesn't die and come back three times for no reason. Maybe destiny is trying to tell you something." Phoebe made her decision then; she was tired of hiding, tired of being afraid. It was time to take the risk again. "I believe in us, Cole. I trust us. . . I trust you."
Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Piper was pacing up and down the tiled floor, getting angrier with each step. Finally, she turned to Leo, her arms crossed against her chest (presumably so that she wouldn't blow anything up without meaning to). "They're hurting Phoebe, Leo. They're hurting my baby sister! Isn't it enough that they tried to keep us from coming together? Why do they have to try to destroy Phoebe's relationship too?!"
Leo took as step forward and put his hand on Piper's shoulder. "Piper, calm down. They aren't trying to break them up; they're giving them a chance to come together."
Piper glared at her husband. "And if the spell doesn't work? Cole will die, Leo! I may not be his biggest fan, but even I know this isn't fair."
"You and I both know that what the Elders decide isn't always fair; Phoebe and Cole are the only ones who can decide what will happen, Piper. Look on the bright side; I asked the Elders if I could spend more time with you and the baby, and they agreed to give me two weeks paternity leave, as well as transferring away a third of my charges."
Piper looked somewhat better after hearing this, but she was still worried about her sister. Phoebe's voice rang out from the living room. "We're going to give it a try; can you guys come to the attic with us?"
Five minutes later, the group stood in the attic, where two candles stood. The Book of Shadows was opened to the appropriate page, and a ceremonial athame rested on top of a small bowl. Piper pulled Phoebe aside. "Are you sure about this, Pheebs?" She nodded, and Piper let her go stand by Cole. According to the ritual, they both needed to light the candles, then cut themselves and let their blood mingle while saying the spell together.
Each of them held a match to their candle, and Phoebe hesitantly made a nick in Cole's skin; he did the same to her. They clasped their hands together, the blood mixing and dripping down into the bowl, as they began to speak aloud. "Our blood is shared, our souls are one. The time to test our bond has come. To transfer power, from witch to mortal, we are trusting love to open the portal. If we should fail, the mortal will die; our love will have been exposed as a lie. But if we should succeed, then our love will prove true. Taking this risk is what we are willing to do. Now reveal the truth of our mutual desire; transfer the power of control over fire!"
The flames on the candles grew suddenly to form a ring of fire around Cole and Phoebe, hiding them from the view of the others. The sound of both of them screaming could barely be heard above the roaring fire. Finally, it died down, revealing the two of them still standing next to one another, their bodies covered in sweat. Their bloody hands were still clasped together, and Cole was the first to speak. His voice was hoarse. "Phoebe?"
The Charmed One threw her arms around the new warlock, and he returned the embrace. They remained like that for a long time, each of them enjoying the feeling of the other's closeness. When they finally stepped back from each other, Phoebe spoke. "Cole, how do my powers feel?"
Cole gestured towards the candles, which were burning normally. The flame jumped into his hand, forming a small fireball. He closed his fist, and the fireball was extinguished. "It feels.it feels different. It's not a tainted power, like my demonic powers were. I don't have to worry about fighting off Balthazar when I use it. I can tell that it's a part of you, Phoebe; I always wondered where you got that fiery attitude in bed." Cole grinned, and Phoebe smiled back, blushing.
"Oh, be quiet you. You get powers, and suddenly you're all smug again. . ." She didn't seem to mind that much, as she leaned forward and kissed him passionately. It looked as though the love between Phoebe Halliwell and Cole Turner was indeed meant to be.
Chapter 10: Meant To Be?
"Leo, what are you doing?" Piper stood in the doorway of the bedroom, an amused look on her face. Leo was lying on the bed, the baby curled up on his chest, trapping the Whitelighter more effectively than any demon ever had. Leo made a shushing motion, bringing his finger to his lips and smiling.
"He finally fell asleep about fifteen minutes ago. I'm afraid that if I move he'll wake up." Sure enough, Wyatt began to stir on top of his father. His eyes opened sleepily, and he started to whimper. Piper moved to sit down next to her husband and son. The baby looked from his father to his mother, blinking slowly. Then he lay his head back down on Leo's chest, and went back to sleep. For a few moments, the couple simply watched Wyatt sleep, amazed that they had created something so precious.
"We should probably move him to his crib. . ." Piper said softly, though she didn't move. She was constantly amazed at the amount of love that she had for such a tiny little person.
Leo orbed from the bed to the crib and put Wyatt down, placing his blankie lightly on top of him. The couple had discovered that their child was less likely to wake up when he was orbed than when they carried him from one place to another. Leo walked back over to the bed, and looked at his wife. "Well, hopefully we've got about three hours until he wakes up."
"I'm sorry again for what I said before, Leo. Wyatt's lucky to have you for a father." Piper spoke quietly, and the two of them shared a long kiss. It was broken only when Leo pulled away, his eyes raising to the ceiling in a familiar manner. Piper let out an exasperated sigh. "I think they just did that on purpose. Make sure you ask them about transferring some of your charges, all right?" Leo nodded and orbed away. Piper sighed again, then left the room. She headed down stairs and plopped onto the couch, where she was joined by Phoebe and Paige, who had just finished eating breakfast.
"Did Leo get called away again?" Paige asked sympathetically. Piper nodded, and her sisters laid their heads on her shoulder comfortingly. The three of them sat there like that for some time, each of them lost in their own thoughts; each of them glad that they had each other.
Swirls of blue light signaled that Leo had returned. He had an odd look on his face, and Phoebe felt a chill go through her for some reason. The sisters came out of their separate daydreams and turned their attention to the Whitelighter. "Phoebe, you need to get Cole over here. It's important." Leo sounded apologetic, but firm at the same time. When Piper tried to question him, he just shook his head, saying that he would tell them all when Cole got there. Phoebe called up the ex-demon, and a few minutes later Cole Turner was seated with the Charmed Ones.
"Well, first of all, the Elders informed me that they've discovered over a dozen more plots to either kidnap or kill Cole." Leo started out slowly, wondering how he was going to manage to explain this. "They think that sending him back was a mistake; that concentrating on protecting Cole would defeat the purpose of you being the Charmed Ones." Phoebe started to object, but Leo held up a hand. "This may sound crazy, but they feel the only way to solve the problem is for Cole to become a warlock- to be more exact, they want him to receive your past power, Phoebe. The catch is that the spell which would transfer powers will only work if you two are soul mates. If you aren't- then Cole will die." The Whiteligher finished quietly, waiting for a reaction. It didn't take long for him to get one.
"How can they do that? How can they put us through all of this, and then decide it was a mistake? What gives them that right?!?" Phoebe's voice shook, though with anger or shock it was hard to tell. Cole laid a comforting hand on her shoulder, and she didn't pull away. The ex-demon looked up at Leo, his jaw set and determined.
"It's not right, what they're doing to us. You all know it's not right." Cole shook his head. He knew that the Elders were very rarely swayed from their decisions; sometimes he wondered if they weren't just as destructive as demons were. Phoebe started crying softly, and no one seemed to know what to say. "Can you just give us some time alone?" The two sisters stood up reluctantly, and along with Leo they went into the kitchen. Once they were alone, Cole spoke quietly, facing Phoebe, who held her head in her hands. "Phoebe. . . stop crying, please. It's going to be okay."
Phoebe looked at the ex-demon through tearful eyes. "What the hell do you mean it's going to be okay? You could die, Cole!"
Cole gently reached over and wiped away Phoebe's tears; she let him, realizing that their time together might be cut short. "Phoebe, I have always believed that we were meant to be together. If you can believe that as well, then we have nothing to worry about."
Phoebe was silent for a long time, thinking. She had given her trust to Cole, a long time ago. She had trusted him with her heart, and she had believed that their relationship could survive anything. Then he betrayed her; he hurt her, and he broke her heart. Phoebe didn't want to be burned again, but Piper's words came back to her: "A guy doesn't die and come back three times for no reason. Maybe destiny is trying to tell you something." Phoebe made her decision then; she was tired of hiding, tired of being afraid. It was time to take the risk again. "I believe in us, Cole. I trust us. . . I trust you."
Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Piper was pacing up and down the tiled floor, getting angrier with each step. Finally, she turned to Leo, her arms crossed against her chest (presumably so that she wouldn't blow anything up without meaning to). "They're hurting Phoebe, Leo. They're hurting my baby sister! Isn't it enough that they tried to keep us from coming together? Why do they have to try to destroy Phoebe's relationship too?!"
Leo took as step forward and put his hand on Piper's shoulder. "Piper, calm down. They aren't trying to break them up; they're giving them a chance to come together."
Piper glared at her husband. "And if the spell doesn't work? Cole will die, Leo! I may not be his biggest fan, but even I know this isn't fair."
"You and I both know that what the Elders decide isn't always fair; Phoebe and Cole are the only ones who can decide what will happen, Piper. Look on the bright side; I asked the Elders if I could spend more time with you and the baby, and they agreed to give me two weeks paternity leave, as well as transferring away a third of my charges."
Piper looked somewhat better after hearing this, but she was still worried about her sister. Phoebe's voice rang out from the living room. "We're going to give it a try; can you guys come to the attic with us?"
Five minutes later, the group stood in the attic, where two candles stood. The Book of Shadows was opened to the appropriate page, and a ceremonial athame rested on top of a small bowl. Piper pulled Phoebe aside. "Are you sure about this, Pheebs?" She nodded, and Piper let her go stand by Cole. According to the ritual, they both needed to light the candles, then cut themselves and let their blood mingle while saying the spell together.
Each of them held a match to their candle, and Phoebe hesitantly made a nick in Cole's skin; he did the same to her. They clasped their hands together, the blood mixing and dripping down into the bowl, as they began to speak aloud. "Our blood is shared, our souls are one. The time to test our bond has come. To transfer power, from witch to mortal, we are trusting love to open the portal. If we should fail, the mortal will die; our love will have been exposed as a lie. But if we should succeed, then our love will prove true. Taking this risk is what we are willing to do. Now reveal the truth of our mutual desire; transfer the power of control over fire!"
The flames on the candles grew suddenly to form a ring of fire around Cole and Phoebe, hiding them from the view of the others. The sound of both of them screaming could barely be heard above the roaring fire. Finally, it died down, revealing the two of them still standing next to one another, their bodies covered in sweat. Their bloody hands were still clasped together, and Cole was the first to speak. His voice was hoarse. "Phoebe?"
The Charmed One threw her arms around the new warlock, and he returned the embrace. They remained like that for a long time, each of them enjoying the feeling of the other's closeness. When they finally stepped back from each other, Phoebe spoke. "Cole, how do my powers feel?"
Cole gestured towards the candles, which were burning normally. The flame jumped into his hand, forming a small fireball. He closed his fist, and the fireball was extinguished. "It feels.it feels different. It's not a tainted power, like my demonic powers were. I don't have to worry about fighting off Balthazar when I use it. I can tell that it's a part of you, Phoebe; I always wondered where you got that fiery attitude in bed." Cole grinned, and Phoebe smiled back, blushing.
"Oh, be quiet you. You get powers, and suddenly you're all smug again. . ." She didn't seem to mind that much, as she leaned forward and kissed him passionately. It looked as though the love between Phoebe Halliwell and Cole Turner was indeed meant to be.
