Disclaimer: I don't own anyone, don't sue me.
A/N: Feels like I haven't watched Charmed in years. I miss the old episodes - Season 3 and 4. Are they ever going to release them on DVD?
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Phoebe read out the last spell and closed the Book of Shadows. She hadn't been able to find any spells to help them find the people trying to harm them, but she had found quite a few to assist in protecting the manor - and she didn't hesitate in performing them. Her mind, however, still remained on the conversation she had had with Cole earlier that day. Not so much the conversation, but that question. The one question that she was unsure about. That she found herself doubting more and more. Did she love Jason? She knew that she used to. How could she not? Their relationship was advancing on two years now, and she had never doubted what she had loved him - until now. As soon as Cole returned, her mind was filled with uncertainty. Now she wasn't sure if she loved Jason - or how much she really had in the first place. Damn him for doing this to her - for making her feel so utterly vulnerable. She sighed, realising he was the only one who could make her feel like this. And it made her stomach jump at the thought. She shook her head as she headed back down the attic stairs, before descending the stairs to the kitchen.
". . .like an electric shock." Cole was explaining to Piper. He paused as Phoebe walked in and they shared a look, before he continued. "With everything I've been through, you wouldn't think something man-made could hurt me so much. But it did. . .like hell." Phoebe knew exactly what he was talking about. She had seen it herself in her premonition. And she could remember almost feeling the pain - and was reminded of it as she stood watching Cole relive it. She realised she wasn't the only one feeling vulnerable at the moment.
"Was there anyone else that you remember?" Piper asked. "Other than the guy that attacked us?"
"No. . .yes. . ." Cole stopped and closed his eyes, before running a hand over his face. "I can't remember." Piper nodded.
"Sorry you had to relive all of that." She said gratefully. She turned to face Phoebe. "Find anything?" Phoebe tore her eyes away from Cole.
"I only performed a few spells to help protect the Manor." She said. "I couldn't find anything else."
"We're just going to have to wait for them to come to us." Piper said with a sigh. "We don't have any other options."
"What we should do," Cole began, "Is get Wyatt out of the house until all of this is over."
"He's safest here." Piper said shaking her head. "We already know how easy it is for them to find out where he is."
"There's one place they can't get to him." Cole said. Piper raised her eyebrows, a look of confusion on her face. Cole glanced at the ceiling.
"Leo." Phoebe realised.
"He is Wyatt's father." Cole rationalised. "You know he'll protect him."
"I don't know. . ." Piper said slowly. She turned to Phoebe. "What do you think?" Phoebe glanced at Cole, before looking at Piper again.
"I think Cole's right. It's not safe for him here." She said. Piper took a moment to contemplate it.
"You're right." She said softly. She turned towards the staircase. "Paige!" She called. "Get down here. . .and bring Wyatt with you!" Only seconds later, Paige orbed into the kitchen.
"What? What's going on?" She questioned. When Piper didn't answer, she raised her eyebrows at Phoebe.
"We decided it's not safe for Wyatt here. . ." Phoebe said softly, as she watched Piper take Wyatt from Paige.
"Where is it safe for him?" Paige questioned. Phoebe glanced at Piper again.
"Leo." Cole replied. Paige looked at Piper.
"Oh." She replied.
"Leo!" Piper called. She took a deep breath. "Leo!" She called his name again. As she was about to shout again, a cluster of blue orbs formed in front of them. Moments later they took the form of Leo, who stood before them uncomfortably. "Can you take him?" Piper asked, trying to control her emotions at seeing him again. She assumed he already knew what she was talking about.
"Sure." Leo replied gently, holding out his arms. To everyone's surprise but Leo's, Wyatt stretched out his arms towards his father. Piper glanced at him, before handing him to Leo. "Hey, buddy. . ." Leo said softly. "Just call when you need him." He looked at the rest of them gathered in the room, his eyes resting on Cole for a moment. "It was good to see you all again. . ." He added, as he once again looked at Piper. They shared a moment of eye contact, before he orbed out of the room. The four of them stood in silence for a moment.
"Was it just me, or did Leo and Wyatt look like they've spent more time together than we know of?" Paige queried.
"They did look comfortable with each other." Phoebe agreed, recalling what Cole had told her the previous day. She rested a hand on Piper's shoulder. "You okay?"
Piper nodded. "Yeah." She said softly. "It's just. . ." She stopped, taking in a deep breath.
"We know, honey." Phoebe soothed. Piper pulled away after a moment.
"I'm going to get started on dinner." She said suddenly. Paige, Phoebe and Cole shared an uncomfortable glance as Piper headed behind the counter.
"I'll help." Paige said, following her.
Phoebe's eyes met Cole's, and she headed outside and waited patiently for him to follow. When they were out of earshot, she hissed, "What was that?"
"What?" Cole asked, confused.
"Leo? Why couldn't you come up with someone else?" Phoebe asked incredulously.
"I thought you agreed with me!" Cole said loudly.
"I agreed that it wasn't safe for him to be here." Phoebe said, lowering her voice. "Not that we should call Leo. You never saw what Piper went through, Cole. She's only just getting over it."
"Didn't you see it in there, Phoebe?" Cole asked. "The way they looked at each other?"
"It's more complicated than that, Cole. It's more than just a look."
"They still love each other!" Cole exclaimed.
"That doesn't matter--"
"Of course it does." Cole interrupted. "It's all that matters."
"We still loved each other - and that didn't help us." Phoebe said.
"We gave up on it, Phoebe." Cole said, shaking his head. "We gave up on it. All I'm trying to do is make sure Piper doesn't make the same mistake."
"We didn't give up on anything." Phoebe said softly. "There was just nothing left to save."
"Don't say that." Cole said quickly. "There was plenty to save. You just didn't see it - or refused to see it." He gave her one last look, before turning his back on her and heading up the stairs.
Phoebe watched him leave, and tried to wish away the lump that had formed in her throat. She contemplated his words, realisation hitting her immediately. Maybe she had never seen it all those years ago. But she sure as hell did now. And the truth was - though she wasn't truly ready to admit it to herself - that the love for Jason was never, and could never, come close to the love that she had shared with Cole. Not ever.
Cole reached the landing and stopped. He glanced left and right as he looked for somewhere to go. Somewhere to think. His eyes fell on the attic staircase, and he slowly ascended the wooden steps. As soon as he entered, his eyes were drawn to the pedestal holding the Book of Shadows. He walked towards it, stepping around the stand at he gazed down at it. He held out his hands to grasp it - but froze. He shook his head. Then, reconsidering it, he closed his eyes. In a swift motion, he reached out and clasped his hands over the edges of the hard cover book. Nothing happened, and he let out a breath of relief, a smile forming on his face. He lifted the book off the stand, and bounced it. He had never needed proof that he was good. But having it - guaranteed - was like a breath of fresh air. He laughed softly.
Suddenly, he froze. He slowly looked up, and his eyes fell on another man, draped in a dark coat. Cole's first impulse was to fight, but the inability to remember who this man was - when he was sure he had seen him before -stopped him. Then it hit him, as he recalled the moment when he had been kidnapped. One man, the one he remembered in the warehouse, had overpowered him. But that man was taking orders from another - the man standing in front of him right now.
"Remember me now, Turner?" The man asked with a smug smile. Cole clenched his fists.
"Where's your friend?" Cole queried stepping forward.
The man shrugged. "He disobeyed my orders - I don't tolerate that." He said after a moment. "I told him not to kill you. . .and he almost shot a hole in your head."
Cole frowned, confused. "You told him not to kill me?" He questioned cautiously.
"You're my advantage now, Turner. Haven't you worked it out yet?" The man said cryptically.
"What are you talking about?" Cole asked, his teeth clenched.
"The reason why you can't remember anything that happened to you in that warehouse. The reason you've had a constant headache for the past two days." He said, and Cole was taken aback. He hadn't told anyone about the slight ache in his head - he could barely notice it. But it was there - it had been since he had woken up in the hospital.
"You've lost me." Cole managed to let out.
The man laughed. "You're not the only half demon in the world, Turner." He said, forming a fireball in his right hand. He clenched his fist and it disappeared. "And I know a few spells of my own. You were my lab rat, and I believe you'll do me proud."
"What are you--" Cole began, but was interrupted immediately as the man closed his eyes and muttered an incantation in an ancient Latin. Cole tried to silence him with an energy ball, but he found his arms frozen by his sides. Then, suddenly, an intense pain filled his head, and he fell to his knees him agony, his hands pressed to his temples. A moment passed, and the pain disappeared. Cole stood up straight.
"Go downstairs, pretend none of this happened." The man instructed, and Cole nodded slowly. "I'll be back tomorrow afternoon. . .I expect them to be ready for my arrival." Then, he added, "Alive." Then he shimmered out of the attic, leaving Cole behind. Cole stood still for a moment, then, obediently, he headed down the attic steps towards the kitchen.
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Review and let me know you're there. . .
A/N: Feels like I haven't watched Charmed in years. I miss the old episodes - Season 3 and 4. Are they ever going to release them on DVD?
* * * * *
Phoebe read out the last spell and closed the Book of Shadows. She hadn't been able to find any spells to help them find the people trying to harm them, but she had found quite a few to assist in protecting the manor - and she didn't hesitate in performing them. Her mind, however, still remained on the conversation she had had with Cole earlier that day. Not so much the conversation, but that question. The one question that she was unsure about. That she found herself doubting more and more. Did she love Jason? She knew that she used to. How could she not? Their relationship was advancing on two years now, and she had never doubted what she had loved him - until now. As soon as Cole returned, her mind was filled with uncertainty. Now she wasn't sure if she loved Jason - or how much she really had in the first place. Damn him for doing this to her - for making her feel so utterly vulnerable. She sighed, realising he was the only one who could make her feel like this. And it made her stomach jump at the thought. She shook her head as she headed back down the attic stairs, before descending the stairs to the kitchen.
". . .like an electric shock." Cole was explaining to Piper. He paused as Phoebe walked in and they shared a look, before he continued. "With everything I've been through, you wouldn't think something man-made could hurt me so much. But it did. . .like hell." Phoebe knew exactly what he was talking about. She had seen it herself in her premonition. And she could remember almost feeling the pain - and was reminded of it as she stood watching Cole relive it. She realised she wasn't the only one feeling vulnerable at the moment.
"Was there anyone else that you remember?" Piper asked. "Other than the guy that attacked us?"
"No. . .yes. . ." Cole stopped and closed his eyes, before running a hand over his face. "I can't remember." Piper nodded.
"Sorry you had to relive all of that." She said gratefully. She turned to face Phoebe. "Find anything?" Phoebe tore her eyes away from Cole.
"I only performed a few spells to help protect the Manor." She said. "I couldn't find anything else."
"We're just going to have to wait for them to come to us." Piper said with a sigh. "We don't have any other options."
"What we should do," Cole began, "Is get Wyatt out of the house until all of this is over."
"He's safest here." Piper said shaking her head. "We already know how easy it is for them to find out where he is."
"There's one place they can't get to him." Cole said. Piper raised her eyebrows, a look of confusion on her face. Cole glanced at the ceiling.
"Leo." Phoebe realised.
"He is Wyatt's father." Cole rationalised. "You know he'll protect him."
"I don't know. . ." Piper said slowly. She turned to Phoebe. "What do you think?" Phoebe glanced at Cole, before looking at Piper again.
"I think Cole's right. It's not safe for him here." She said. Piper took a moment to contemplate it.
"You're right." She said softly. She turned towards the staircase. "Paige!" She called. "Get down here. . .and bring Wyatt with you!" Only seconds later, Paige orbed into the kitchen.
"What? What's going on?" She questioned. When Piper didn't answer, she raised her eyebrows at Phoebe.
"We decided it's not safe for Wyatt here. . ." Phoebe said softly, as she watched Piper take Wyatt from Paige.
"Where is it safe for him?" Paige questioned. Phoebe glanced at Piper again.
"Leo." Cole replied. Paige looked at Piper.
"Oh." She replied.
"Leo!" Piper called. She took a deep breath. "Leo!" She called his name again. As she was about to shout again, a cluster of blue orbs formed in front of them. Moments later they took the form of Leo, who stood before them uncomfortably. "Can you take him?" Piper asked, trying to control her emotions at seeing him again. She assumed he already knew what she was talking about.
"Sure." Leo replied gently, holding out his arms. To everyone's surprise but Leo's, Wyatt stretched out his arms towards his father. Piper glanced at him, before handing him to Leo. "Hey, buddy. . ." Leo said softly. "Just call when you need him." He looked at the rest of them gathered in the room, his eyes resting on Cole for a moment. "It was good to see you all again. . ." He added, as he once again looked at Piper. They shared a moment of eye contact, before he orbed out of the room. The four of them stood in silence for a moment.
"Was it just me, or did Leo and Wyatt look like they've spent more time together than we know of?" Paige queried.
"They did look comfortable with each other." Phoebe agreed, recalling what Cole had told her the previous day. She rested a hand on Piper's shoulder. "You okay?"
Piper nodded. "Yeah." She said softly. "It's just. . ." She stopped, taking in a deep breath.
"We know, honey." Phoebe soothed. Piper pulled away after a moment.
"I'm going to get started on dinner." She said suddenly. Paige, Phoebe and Cole shared an uncomfortable glance as Piper headed behind the counter.
"I'll help." Paige said, following her.
Phoebe's eyes met Cole's, and she headed outside and waited patiently for him to follow. When they were out of earshot, she hissed, "What was that?"
"What?" Cole asked, confused.
"Leo? Why couldn't you come up with someone else?" Phoebe asked incredulously.
"I thought you agreed with me!" Cole said loudly.
"I agreed that it wasn't safe for him to be here." Phoebe said, lowering her voice. "Not that we should call Leo. You never saw what Piper went through, Cole. She's only just getting over it."
"Didn't you see it in there, Phoebe?" Cole asked. "The way they looked at each other?"
"It's more complicated than that, Cole. It's more than just a look."
"They still love each other!" Cole exclaimed.
"That doesn't matter--"
"Of course it does." Cole interrupted. "It's all that matters."
"We still loved each other - and that didn't help us." Phoebe said.
"We gave up on it, Phoebe." Cole said, shaking his head. "We gave up on it. All I'm trying to do is make sure Piper doesn't make the same mistake."
"We didn't give up on anything." Phoebe said softly. "There was just nothing left to save."
"Don't say that." Cole said quickly. "There was plenty to save. You just didn't see it - or refused to see it." He gave her one last look, before turning his back on her and heading up the stairs.
Phoebe watched him leave, and tried to wish away the lump that had formed in her throat. She contemplated his words, realisation hitting her immediately. Maybe she had never seen it all those years ago. But she sure as hell did now. And the truth was - though she wasn't truly ready to admit it to herself - that the love for Jason was never, and could never, come close to the love that she had shared with Cole. Not ever.
Cole reached the landing and stopped. He glanced left and right as he looked for somewhere to go. Somewhere to think. His eyes fell on the attic staircase, and he slowly ascended the wooden steps. As soon as he entered, his eyes were drawn to the pedestal holding the Book of Shadows. He walked towards it, stepping around the stand at he gazed down at it. He held out his hands to grasp it - but froze. He shook his head. Then, reconsidering it, he closed his eyes. In a swift motion, he reached out and clasped his hands over the edges of the hard cover book. Nothing happened, and he let out a breath of relief, a smile forming on his face. He lifted the book off the stand, and bounced it. He had never needed proof that he was good. But having it - guaranteed - was like a breath of fresh air. He laughed softly.
Suddenly, he froze. He slowly looked up, and his eyes fell on another man, draped in a dark coat. Cole's first impulse was to fight, but the inability to remember who this man was - when he was sure he had seen him before -stopped him. Then it hit him, as he recalled the moment when he had been kidnapped. One man, the one he remembered in the warehouse, had overpowered him. But that man was taking orders from another - the man standing in front of him right now.
"Remember me now, Turner?" The man asked with a smug smile. Cole clenched his fists.
"Where's your friend?" Cole queried stepping forward.
The man shrugged. "He disobeyed my orders - I don't tolerate that." He said after a moment. "I told him not to kill you. . .and he almost shot a hole in your head."
Cole frowned, confused. "You told him not to kill me?" He questioned cautiously.
"You're my advantage now, Turner. Haven't you worked it out yet?" The man said cryptically.
"What are you talking about?" Cole asked, his teeth clenched.
"The reason why you can't remember anything that happened to you in that warehouse. The reason you've had a constant headache for the past two days." He said, and Cole was taken aback. He hadn't told anyone about the slight ache in his head - he could barely notice it. But it was there - it had been since he had woken up in the hospital.
"You've lost me." Cole managed to let out.
The man laughed. "You're not the only half demon in the world, Turner." He said, forming a fireball in his right hand. He clenched his fist and it disappeared. "And I know a few spells of my own. You were my lab rat, and I believe you'll do me proud."
"What are you--" Cole began, but was interrupted immediately as the man closed his eyes and muttered an incantation in an ancient Latin. Cole tried to silence him with an energy ball, but he found his arms frozen by his sides. Then, suddenly, an intense pain filled his head, and he fell to his knees him agony, his hands pressed to his temples. A moment passed, and the pain disappeared. Cole stood up straight.
"Go downstairs, pretend none of this happened." The man instructed, and Cole nodded slowly. "I'll be back tomorrow afternoon. . .I expect them to be ready for my arrival." Then, he added, "Alive." Then he shimmered out of the attic, leaving Cole behind. Cole stood still for a moment, then, obediently, he headed down the attic steps towards the kitchen.
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Review and let me know you're there. . .