Epilogue
Five Years Later
The brown-haired, pajama-clad, four-year-old boy entered his parents' bedroom and climbed on the bed with his stuffed bear. He rubbed his eyes and called for his parents.
"I'm in the bathroom, Patrick," his father's voice replied from the other room, "and Mommy's in the kitchen making pancakes. Why don't you scoot down there and keep her company?"
"'Kay," Patrick readily agreed and slid off the bed. He giggled as he landed with the satin sheets in a heap on the floor. As he crawled to his feet, he caught a glimpse of his mommy's mirror so he took Teddy and went over to it. But the glass was funny, like in the fun house Aunt Paige took him to last week. And then suddenly it looked the way it was supposed to and he waved Teddy's paw at his reflection. "Hullo," he greeted with a smile.
"Hi," he replied with a smile and another wave from Teddy.
Patrick's eyes widened. He hadn't said that and he squeezed Teddy a little tighter. "My name's Patrick," he boldly said. "I was named after my Grams. She's a ghost."
"Me too," he excitedly replied with a grin. "And this is Teddy," he proudly introduced.
"I've got Teddy, too," he happily responded and he showed off his friend.
"I'm four," he announced. "Daddy says I'm a big boy now."
"Yeah," he agreed, "And Mommy says I'm gonna be a great big brother."
"I already am," he shrugged. "She says so all the time."
"You can't be," Patrick shook his head, "the baby's not here yet. Daddy says it won't be here forthree weeks."
"Daddy said three months," he corrected. "And what about Ben and Matty? They're here too. Don't you know anything?"
He glared at his reflection, "You're not s'posed to be talking back, you're just a mirror."
"Yeah," he glared back, "well, you're just a mirror."
"Are you a demon?" he accused. "I think you are."
"Only a little," he replied in anger, "but so are you."
He stamped his foot, "I am not!"
"This isn't fun anymore," he shouted before he pointed to his reflection and demanded, "Go away!"
"I think you need to be vankished," Patrick decided.
"I think you do," he insisted, "and I'll get you first." He formed a small energy ball in his hand and flung it at the mirror.
He saw the energy ball coming and ducked out of the way in time. He turned and saw the small black spot where it hit the wall and, scared, he turned back to the mirror. "How'd you do that?"
"Dunno," he shrugged. "Me and Ben've been doin' it since always. Even Matty can do it and he won't be two til next week."
"You're bad," he whispered as he hugged Teddy and stepped back from the mirror. "You're very bad."
"I am not," he cried. "I'm not, I'm not, I'm not! Daaaaddy!!!"
"Daaaaddy!!!" Patrick screamed.
"What is it? What's wrong, Patrick?" Jason asked in fear when he ran into his bedroom, knelt before his son, and checked Patrick for injury. But Patrick hugged him tightly and he scooped the boy up into his arms. "It's okay," he assured his son, "Daddy's here."
"Make im go way," Patrick tearfully requested as he pointed behind him to the mirror.
Jason rubbed his son's back and glanced at the mirror. "Oh hell," he muttered when he saw what was reflected back at him. He turned to the doorway and shouted, "Phoebe! You'd better get up hereNow!"
"He said I was bad," Patrick tearfully insisted. "Said he was gonna vankish me so I was gonna get im first but I missed, Daddy, an' I hit the wall. But I'm not bad, am I, Daddy? I'm not bad"
Cole held his son securely in his arms and assured the youngster, "Of course you're not bad, Patrick. You and your brothers are good. Don't ever forget that."
"I told im," he insisted as he buried his face in his daddy's neck, "but he didn't listen."
"Who?" Cole wondered while he scanned the room and tried to figure out what his son was talking about. When he spotted the reflection in the mirror, he cursed. His son pulled back and looked at him in surprise and Cole kissed the boy's nose, "Don't tell Mommy." Patrick nodded and hugged him tightly and Cole turned to the doorway, "Phoebe! Get the hell up here!"
*********** ********** ************
"Oh hell," Phoebe whispered when she caught sight of the reflections in the mirror. She gazed sheepishly at her double and frowned. She tried to smooth down her bulky robe and muttered, "I knew I was big with the twins but am I really that huge?"
"Hey!" she exclaimed indignantly. "Three months time difference, remember?"
Cole wasn't amused and warned, "PhoebeTake care of this. Now."
"I can't believe the mirror's finally working," she commented as she turned back to him.
"The portal hasn't opened since that night five years ago," she assured Jason. "I never expected to see her again. You have to believe me."
"I do," he honestly told her, "but I also know that our son could've been killed by an energy ball that their son threw at him. Destroy it. Now."
"He was going to vanquish our son," Cole coolly informed his wife, "after they decided it was no longer a game. What if they had gone through the mirror instead?"
"They couldn't," she calmly said. "Patrick's fine. In fact," she added as she reached for her son, "why don't you get your slippers and join your brothers in the kitchen? Pancakes are ready."
"Smiley-face?" he shyly smiled.
"Smiley-face," she promised as she lightly poked the tip of his nose.
"Smiley-face?" Patrick perked up and asked his mother.
She caught a glimpse of her double before she smiled at him and ruffled his hair, "In a few minutes. Why don't you go downstairs and wait for us?"
"TV?" he smiled.
"No TV," she instructed. She reached over and kissed his cheek before Jason set him down on the floor. "Go on now. And don't forget your slippers." He waved to her before he ran out of the room with his bear and she said, "He's so young."
Cole supported Patrick so she wouldn't have to carry her son's entire weight but Phoebe still managed to hug the boy before setting him down on the floor. She smiled as she watched him run out of the room with his stuffed bear. "He's innocent and doesn't have the power to open the portal," she commented distractedly, "or step through it."
"And yet, the portal's open," Jason argued. "If there was even the slightest chance they could've gone through"
"Jason"
"Cole"
"You know how powerful innocent children can be," Cole told his wife. "Destroy the mirror. Now. Or I will."
"You can't," she shook her head.
Cole stared at her in shock. "You don't mean" She turned away and he was speechless for a moment before he raged, "How dare you? Do you think that little of me, of our children, that you would abandon us without a second thought?"
Stung, she spun around, "Of course not. But I don't --"
During this exchange, Jason watched his own wife and quietly interrupted, "Is there something about this mirror, this portal, you've never told me? Something you want to tell me now?"
"Jason, I" She looked down, "If you're thinking what I think you're thinking then you're probably thinking right."
He immediately looked at the other Phoebe who averted her gaze. The one reflected in the mirror. The one who rightfully belonged in his world. The one he'd actually gone out with first. The first one he'd started to care for. "How could you?" he whispered angrily to his wife. "How could you let me love you knowing you didn't belong, knowing you would leave me?"
"Jason, please," she insisted as she caressed his cheek, "I love you and our son and our daughter-to-be. You have to believe, I never expected the mirror to work again."
"Then why'd you have it fixed in the first place?" Cole accused both women while he continued a glare at his wife.
"We had every intention of doing the right thing right at the start," she insisted. "But what were we supposed to do while we were waiting for the off-chance that the portal might re-open? Should we have hidden ourselves away and stopped living?"
"We still have time now to do the right thing," she agreed. She kissed her husband tenderly on the lips, "Make pancakes for our son." But Jason didn't move. "Trust in mePlease." This time, Jason headed for the door and she called out to him, "I do love you." But he didn't acknowledge her and she sadly turned back to the mirror.
"I love you," she told her husband while she tugged at his shirt, "and I love our family. And I'm asking you to trust in me the same way, six years ago, you asked me to trust in you again." Cole was silent and she repeated, "Trust me, please." But he vanished without saying a word and she sadly turned back to the mirror.
After an awkward moment of staring at each other, she timidly asked, "Twins?"
She glanced down at her expanded belly and rubbed it affectionately. With a happy sigh, she announced, "Second set."
"What?" she gasped. Her alternate-self chuckled and she realized with amazement, "Cole's presence really did make a difference."
"Pretty potent guy, that husband of mine," she grinned before she immediately frowned and pressed the spot where she felt the sharp kick. "But, just once, I'd like to see him deal with this non-stop activity," she muttered.
"This one's been pretty active, too," Phoebe smiled as she patted her belly. "Much more than Patrick ever was."
"A little girl?" she questioned while she retrieved a framed Turner family photo from her vanity.
"Still three weeks away," she nodded with a smile, "but she's already the apple of her daddy's eye."
"A little girl," she echoed almost wistfully. "Cole would probably be over the moon." She displayed the photo and introduced, "That's Benjamin, Patrick's twin, and that little guy that Cole's holding is Matthew. He was about eighteen months when this was taken. He'll be two next week."
"The fair in the park?" she questioned when she recognized the setting. "We took Patrick there, tooStrange to think that your Patrick has a twin."
"They may be fraternal but my big boys are almost exactly alike," she commented. "Twice the joy but twice the mischief." She set the photo back in its spot and indicated to her unborn twins and said, "These boys will be fraternal, too, which's a relief because I'm not sure I could handle the added complications of a pair of identical ones."
"Five kids, all boys, all under the age of four," she whistled in disbelief, "how do you manage?"
"All with powers," she added with a groan when she noticed the burnt spot on her double's wall. "Sorry about that."
"They all inherited Cole's powers?" she asked.
"Pretty potent guy that husband of mine," she repeated with a tired smile. She sighed and added, "They've been throwing energy balls from the moment they learned the word no' and, even though they have the ability to transport like he does, they can only do it from room-to-room in our house."
"So far," she teased. "Guess I've got it easy, Patrick only levitates."
"He and Ben both levitate too," she acknowledged. "Luckily, it doesn't seem to bother Matt at all." She indicated to the black spot and apologized again, "We're teaching them when it's okay to use their powers but they're still so little and Patrick got scared"
"It's okay," she smiled in assurance. "Don't you remember when Paige would orb out at the most inopportune times when she got scared?"
"We were so unprepared when we received our powers," Phoebe murmured. "We've come so far, haven't we?"
"We have," she agreed. She glanced at her own framed picture of Patrick and Jason at the fair and recalled, "I remember when we were just caring for Wyatt and dealing with all his active powers. Patrick alone, with just his one power, can wear me out, there are times I almost panic thinking about what it'll be like once she arrives. Any tips? How do you do it?" she wondered with awe.
"Cole and Wiccan day care," she grinned in reply. She saw her double's confusion and clarified, "Five days a week, four witches and two assistants cover about twenty babies and toddlers including Misty's two and Melinda. It's the twins' last year before they enter normal kindergarten in Wyatt's school. Those witches're probably counting their blessings they didn't have Wyatt in their group tooPiper did have Melinda, didn't she?" she suddenly asked.
She sadly shook her head, "Since her divorce from Leo, five years ago, Piper hasn't settled down with anyone new. There was one guy, though. It was really serious between them but, in the end, he couldn't handle the magic. And she didn't want to settle for anyone who couldn't give his whole heart."
"I'm so sorry, she whispered sympathetically. "Poor Piper."
"She's happy," she assured her reflection. "Really. Piper's made a great life for herself. She doesn't sit at home and pine away for Leo. She does go out and she has fun. The club's doing well and she's finally found that balance between the magic and normal worlds that she always wanted. In spite of the Source."
"I'm glad," she said in relief. "Garazan certainly hasn't made it easy on any of us. Both myyour sisters are doing great, too. Piper and Leo have hit a few rough spots along the way but counseling's always helped them through. And Paige, she's become an incredible witch and a professional and, a couple of months ago, she met this guy --"
"Evan?" she interrupted. When her double nodded, she smiled, "Is he not the cutest? He's gotta be the first magical guy we've ever met that wasn't already dead or evil. Piper and I actually have a bet on when he'll propose."
"Paige's happy and that's what counts," she smiled back. After a moment, she quietly added, "I'm happy."
Her own smile faded and she responded, "I love my life. I love my kid and my kid-and-a-half and I love my husbandWhat do we do?"
"Remember what Grams always said about mirrors?" she inquired thoughtfully.
She nodded and answered, "They reflect for us the choices we've made."
"And the ones we haven't," Phoebe emphasized. She indicated to her other self and explained, "We're each living the choices the other never made."
"If I had tried working it out with Cole," she realized, "I might have your life right now. I might be the one with five powerful boys."
"And if I had returned home that first night," she acknowledged, "or had never even switched places, Jason might be my husband now."
"Are you sorry?" she nervously asked. "Do you want to switch back?"
"Hell, no!" she snorted.
"Thank God," she exhaled in relief. "I don't think I ever really wanted to switch back," she confessed.
"Not even that first night," she quietly agreed.
She shrugged, "But I felt a responsibility to the magic. I didn't want to mess up our worlds."
"I love my husband and I love my kids," she stated, "and I couldn't imagine ever being without them. And I can't give them up, no matter how badly it'll upset the balance between our worlds."
"Maybe it won't," she softly said.
"Maybe this is the way it's supposed to be," she suggested hopefully.
"We're the ones who opened the mirror's portal," she affirmed. "The mirror was waiting for a new owner, just like Misty figured."
"We've been the key all along," she quietly agreed. "Y'know, before I went down to the kitchen to make breakfast"
"I was alone and stood in front of the mirror for a few minutes"
"And I thought about everything that's happened to me since I stepped through it"
"And I wondered if you had Patrick and a husband who adores you"
"And I wondered what your life was like. If you were as happy as me"
"I can't go back," she suddenly declared. "My life is here. In this world."
"It's time to close the portal," she quickly agreed. "Permanently."
"Let's do it then," she encouraged.
"First we'll use a spell to close the portal," she added enthusiastically.
"And then we'll destroy the mirror," she confirmed.
*********** ********** ************
"Phoebe?" Jason shouted as he ran into their bedroom and skidded to a stop. She was sitting on the corner of their bed, hunched over, and he froze for a moment when he couldn't immediately tell if she was actually his wife or not.
She looked up and wearily stretched out her arms to him. "Jason"
Utterly relieved by the sight of the woman he loved, Jason quickly knelt in front of her and lightly rubbed her belly. "What happened?" he asked, completely worried. "Is something wrong with the baby? Are you in labor?"
She shook her head, let out a deep breath, and admitted, "But she sure didn't appreciate the strain." She brushed her hand against his and leaned into him for a hug, "I didn't think it would be that hard, physically or emotionally."
"When I heard the crash," he quietly confessed while he held her, "I was so afraid that I wouldn't find you here." He pulled back and looked at the shards of the mirror that were scattered all across the floor. "It's not going to be fixed. Not ever again."
"No," she agreed softly when she leaned into him again, "it's served its purpose."
"Which was what exactly?" he warily asked while he rubbed her back.
"To show me what my life was like," she replied with a soft sigh, "and what it could be like. That day at Misty's, I was staring into the mirror thinking about how my life had changed so much in such a short period of time. Mostly because of Cole. I was still so angry, so hurt. And then she offered me a chance to live in a world where I wouldn't be overwhelmed by the pain and I grabbed at that chance even if it was only supposed to be for a few hours." She pulled back and gazed into his eyes, "That day, I learned a lot about myself and Cole and I made peace with most of what happened. I was able to move on with a clear conscience." She caressed his cheek, "I love you and I love our family and I am exactly where I belong."
"Not exactly," he corrected when he suddenly stood. She looked at him in surprise and he smiled, "You, honey, belong in bed."
She grinned and tugged on his hand, "C'mere, Tiger"
"Not what I had in mind," he informed her. "No way we're gonna risk premature labor," he warned. "Absolutely no monkey business til after she's born."
She poked her belly and ordered, "Hurry up, you"
Jason bent over and countermanded the order, "You take your time, sweetheart. Mommy still has a thing or two to learn about patience."
"Great," Phoebe pouted, "with you already wrapped around her little finger, I don't stand a chance."
"At least one of my girls knows how to listen," he quipped before he pointed to the head of the bed. "You. There. The rest of the day." He helped her stand and kept her steady when she immediately swayed. Then he took off her robe and tucked her in bed. He brushed away some bangs from her eyes and kissed her forehead. "Now close your eyes and take a nap," he ordered.
"Mooommmy!" Patrick hollered as he entered their room.
When Phoebe noticed his bare feet, she leaned forward and half-shrieked, "Patrick Dean, don't you take another step!"
At the same time, Jason spun around, "I thought I told you to stay downstairs!"
Patrick's bottom lip quivered and he squeezed his Teddy tighter and whispered, "I'm sorry."
Phoebe's heart broke at the sight of her son and she immediately apologized, "I'm sorry, sweetie, I didn't mean to yell but the mirror broke and I don't want you to get hurt. Now you know why you're supposed to wear your slippers." With a smile, she said, "C'mere, you"
"Use my power?" he asked excitedly. "Really?" She nodded and he jumped up into the air and began to float toward her. But he was grabbed in mid-air and tickled, and he squealed, "Daadddy, stop!"
Phoebe laughed at the sight of her son struggling to float out of his father's hands and she reached for him. But Patrick lost concentration completely and she watched the look of surprise on Jason's face when Patrick slipped and the boy's weight threw him off-balance.
Jason fell into the bed and sent Patrick bouncing into Phoebe.
Phoebe inhaled sharply when her daughter protested after Patrick accidentally elbowed her side. She caught Jason's immediate look of concern but smiled at him reassuringly. Then she picked up where he left off and began mercilessly tickling her son.
When Phoebe suddenly stopped, Jason looked back at her and was surprised to find tears in her eyes. "What's wrong?" he asked quietly while he shifted position in order to hug her.
She shrugged sheepishly, gazed back at him, and, in a choked voice, told him, "This is right."
Jason tenderly kissed her and nudged her back against the pillows. He charged his son, "Make sure Mommy stays in bed until I'm done cleaning up all this glass."
She began to protest, "Jason, I can --"
"No arguments, young lady," he interrupted when he stood. "You are going to close your eyes right now and take your nap."
"Yes, sir," she sulked. But, when she felt the small body of her son snuggle close, she wrapped her arm around him and glanced at her husband. "I love you," she announced.
"No more than I love you," he responded with a wink. She smiled, almost too tiredly, and he anxiously waited for her to close her eyes. For a moment, he wished he had the power to materialize the digital camera he knew was only downstairs. He could take some great pictures of them but he wasn't ready to leave them even for a few minutes. Not when he'd just discovered how many times he'd come so close to losing them, losing her. "Welcome home," he whispered while he waited and watched over them, "exactly where you belong."
*********** ********** ************
"Phoebe?" Cole called out when he appeared in their bedroom. She was sitting on the corner of their bed, hunched over, and he froze for a moment before he realized which Phoebe was sitting before him.
"Cole" She nearly stumbled when she tried to stand in order reach him.
Cole caught her before she fell and carefully helped her sit back on the bed. She was pressing against her abdomen and he placed his hand on top of hers. Disturbed by the incessant kicking he felt, he asked with worry, "Are you in pain? Do we need to call the doctor?"
"I don't think so." She took a deep breath and added, "But I don't think your sons are too happy with me right now." She leaned into him for a hug and admitted, "I didn't think it would be that hard, physically or emotionally."
"When I heard the crash," he confessed in a whisper, "I was terrified that you wouldn't be here anymore." He pulled back and looked around at the shattered pieces of the mirror. With a wave of his right hand, the pieces all gathered in the air and swirled together. From his left hand, Cole released an energy ball at the swirling mass and he quickly shielded Phoebe from the small explosion that occurred.
"Best maid service ever," she teased with a small cough.
He waved away some of the smoke but didn't bother to apologize. "It will never be fixed again."
"It's okay," she softly agreed as she leaned into him again, "the mirror, the portal, served its purpose. That's why we destroyed it."
"And what, exactly, was its purpose?" he warily asked while he rubbed her back.
"To show me what my life was like," she replied with a soft sigh, "and what it could be like. Six years ago, I stood in Misty's back room staring into the mirror, thinking about how much my life had changed in such a short amount of time. I thought I'd moved on with my life but I still couldn't let go of you or the pain, not completely, anyway. And then I had this magical chance to change all that. To change what happened to you even if it wouldn't have any effect on my own past."
"You really meant to go back, didn't you," he quietly realized when she pulled back. "That night, when we said goodbye"
She nodded and gazed into his eyes, "The one thing I never really had was closure but, that day, I found it with youbecause of you." She caressed his cheek, "I love you and I love our sons and I am exactly where I belong."
"Not exactly," he corrected when he suddenly stood. She looked at him in surprise and he smiled, "You belong in bed. Now."
She giggled with anticipation, "C'mere, Tiger"
He rolled his eyes and warned her, "There'll be no fooling around. I'm not risking sending you into premature labor after what you've just been through." She pouted and he couldn't resist adding, "But maybe tonight if you've rested up enough" She smiled radiantly at him and nodded and he helped her up. When she suddenly swayed, he quickly lifted her up into his arms and ignored her protests as he carried her to the head of the bed. He placed her down, helped remove her robe, and pulled the covers up to her chin. "Now, close your eyes and take a nap," he ordered, "like a good little witch."
"Thought you liked me better when I'm not a good little witch," she teased.
"Phoebe" he warned.
"Mooommmy!" Patrick hollered as he entered their room with his brothers following close behind.
When Phoebe noticed their bare feet, she leaned forward, and half-shrieked, "Don't move!"
At the same time, Cole spun and chastised his sons, "I thought I told you all to stay in the kitchen!"
"Why aren't you wearing your slippers?" she demanded.
Patrick's bottom lip quivered and he squeezed his Teddy tighter and whispered, "I'm sorry."
"We thought you needed us," Ben added while he placed an arm around Matt.
"Vanish the demon," Matt piped up while he hugged his own stuffed bear.
Phoebe glanced at Cole before she focused again on her hurt sons and she apologized, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to yell but the mirror broke and I don't want any of you getting hurt."
"And that's why it's important that you always wear your slippers," Cole sternly added.
With a smile, Phoebe reached out and said, "C'mere, you guys"
"Powers?" Patrick wondered before he moved. "Really?" She nodded and he turned to Ben, "Be there before you!"
"Uh, uh," Ben disagreed as he also disappeared from his brother's side.
"Me too," Matt jumped up when he saw his brothers already snuggling Mommy, "me too." He squeezed his eyes shut but didn't feel that tingling feeling. Instead, he felt Daddy's arms around him and he giggled when he was suddenly turned upside down. "Daadddy!"
Phoebe laughed at the sight of her son struggling in his father's grip and she reached out for him. When Cole carried their son close enough, she blew kisses into Matt's belly button and caused her current youngest to shriek with delight.
Unfortunately, when Matt kicked out and caught his chin, Cole lost his grip, and Matt slipped down on top of Phoebe.
As her son rolled off her rounded belly, he accidentally kicked her in the ribs and she inhaled sharply when the twins strongly protested. She caught Cole's immediate look of concern but she smiled reassuringly at him. "We're okay."
Cole watched her enjoying their sons scramble for the best position next to her and he was surprised to see tears in her eyes. "What's wrong?" he asked quietly while he knelt on the bed in order to hug her.
She shrugged sheepishly, gazed back at him, and, in a choked voice, told him, "This is right."
Cole kissed her tenderly and nudged her back against the pillows. He then ordered his sons, "Make sure Mommy stays in bed until I'm back from cleaning up the kitchen."
She began to protest, "Cole, I can help and --"
"You can help," he interrupted when he stood, "by staying right where you are. Now close your eyes and take a nap."
"Yes, sir," she sulked while he walked to the door. But when she felt the small bodies of her sons still maneuvering around her, she pulled Ben over her to her other side and, while he and Patrick snuggled close to her sides, she reached for Matt and awkwardly pulled him on top of her chest where he laid spread-eagled. She met Cole's amused gaze when he turned in the doorway and told him, "I love you."
He smiled and replied with their special response, "Love you more." He was concerned by her weary smile and he anxiously waited for her to close her eyes and settle down. And, not wanting to miss out on this unexpected photo opportunity, he waved his hand for their digital camera. As he snapped several pictures, he was grateful he'd had the power to call for the camera because he wasn't sure he was steady enough to leave them, her, even for a moment. Not when he'd come so close again to losing her and their life together. "Welcome home," he whispered while he waited and watched over them, "exactly where you belong."
the end...