Well, here's the chapter everyone's been waiting for! Cole finaly makes an
appearance at the Haliwells'!
I'm sorry it took me so long to add chapter 4, but hopefully the addition of this chapter so soon afterwards, will make up for it. I dedicate this and the previous chapter to all my reviewers and especially Deb without whom I could have never continued writing. A special thank you also goes to Rose Madder and Piper43 for their continued support. Thank you everyone and pleeeeaaaase keep the reviews coming!
Chapter 5: Daddy's Girl
Cole materialized in the middle of the living room of the Haliwell manor, in all his glory. The room seemed to fill with his presence and everyone in it felt the immense power, which he exuded. The black satin robe which he wore, a sign of his exulted position in the Underwold, seemed to absorb all the light from the room which had until mere moments ago been bathed in morning sunlight.
"Talia," was all he said at first, his eyes meeting those of the young girl still sitting on the Haliwells' couch, "I knew I'd find you here."
His words seemed to echo in the silence that followed them. Father and daughter seemed caught in a staring contest, and the rest of the people in the room could but watch helplessly.
Cole's arrival, just when Talia had been trying to get the Haliwells to accept her, had infuriated her. The man just couldn't leave her alone! This was her life, damn it! And she had a right to choose her own destiny! She refused to let the fact that she was the Source's daughter, seal her fate. She was also the daughter of one of the Charmed Ones. She may be the heiress to Evil, but she was also descended from the purest line of good magic that had ever existed. That had to count for something!
"I'm not coming back, Father," she said her eyes blazing, matching her father's unwavering gaze. "You can't make me."
"You are my daughter Talia. You and I are the same. You belong with me."
"They are my family too," she said, "and you can't keep them away from me any longer."
"You think the Haliwells will simply take you in and allow you to be just another member of their happy family?" he said sarcastically. "I thought I raised you not be as naïve as that!" Cole screamed, uncaring of and as yet barely noting, the other habitants of the room that he had entered in such a rage.
"From what I understand, she's already a part of this family Cole, whether you like it or not."
Cole turned to the direction the voice had come from. He found himself standing face to face with the woman who, years ago, in a life long lost, but never forgotten, had been his wife. Something indescribable seemed to waver in his eyes, but before anyone could guess what it had been, it was gone.
"A few hours ago, you never even knew she existed, Phoebe," he said. "You don't know a single thing about her. She may be your daughter too, by blood, but she has been solely mine her whole life."
"And you are to blame Cole," Phoebe answered, letting her own temper take over. "How could you deny me my own flesh and blood?" She yelled at him, the words echoing in the silence that followed them. "How could I ever think that there was the slightest trace of humanity in you?" she continued softly, the pain he caused her evident in the tone of her voice.
"You've got your precious sisters," he said letting all the bitterness and sadness he felt colour his voice. "She's all the family I've got. All the family I've ever had."
There was regret in both of their faces as they found themselves staring at each other, locked in an impasse of their own devise. A soft voice broke the spell that had momentarily bound both of them.
"Father," said Talia drawing everyone's attention on her. "I'm sorry, but I've chosen. I'll stay with the Haliwells if they'll have me, or I'll make my own way in the mortal world, but I cannot, I will not, go back with you to the Underworld."
Cole looked at his daughter. Her long dark hair framing her sweet face, her eyes imploring him to understand. She had been his salvation in the years of darkness that had followed his rise in the Underworld and his reign as the Source of all Evil. She had been his one and only source of light. She and she alone had kept what little humanity he kept secretly hidden in his heart, alive. How could he give her up?
Yet as he looked at his daughter he saw that although his was the fate to spend eternity in his dark kingdom, he could not possibly doom her to a similar fate. He raised his hand and lightly cupped her young face. For a few moments they simply stared at each other.
When Cole dropped his hand there was a shadow of defeat on his face. He seemed tired. The fire behind his eyes was extinguished.
Suddenly he grew stiff and cold. This was no longer Cole standing in their midst. This was the Source of all Evil. Powerful, ruthless, used to giving commands and having them obeyed.
"The Haliwells are the Charmed Ones," he finally said, "and I am the Source. I cannot show mercy when it comes to dealing with them. I haven't the past sixteen years and I'm not going to start now. Demons will continue to come after them, and if you stay with them you will be in continuous danger. You may be my daughter, but I cannot protect you, Talia. Do you understand that?"
Talia quietly nodded.
"So be it," he decreed and flamed out of the Haliwell manor.
I'm sorry it took me so long to add chapter 4, but hopefully the addition of this chapter so soon afterwards, will make up for it. I dedicate this and the previous chapter to all my reviewers and especially Deb without whom I could have never continued writing. A special thank you also goes to Rose Madder and Piper43 for their continued support. Thank you everyone and pleeeeaaaase keep the reviews coming!
Chapter 5: Daddy's Girl
Cole materialized in the middle of the living room of the Haliwell manor, in all his glory. The room seemed to fill with his presence and everyone in it felt the immense power, which he exuded. The black satin robe which he wore, a sign of his exulted position in the Underwold, seemed to absorb all the light from the room which had until mere moments ago been bathed in morning sunlight.
"Talia," was all he said at first, his eyes meeting those of the young girl still sitting on the Haliwells' couch, "I knew I'd find you here."
His words seemed to echo in the silence that followed them. Father and daughter seemed caught in a staring contest, and the rest of the people in the room could but watch helplessly.
Cole's arrival, just when Talia had been trying to get the Haliwells to accept her, had infuriated her. The man just couldn't leave her alone! This was her life, damn it! And she had a right to choose her own destiny! She refused to let the fact that she was the Source's daughter, seal her fate. She was also the daughter of one of the Charmed Ones. She may be the heiress to Evil, but she was also descended from the purest line of good magic that had ever existed. That had to count for something!
"I'm not coming back, Father," she said her eyes blazing, matching her father's unwavering gaze. "You can't make me."
"You are my daughter Talia. You and I are the same. You belong with me."
"They are my family too," she said, "and you can't keep them away from me any longer."
"You think the Haliwells will simply take you in and allow you to be just another member of their happy family?" he said sarcastically. "I thought I raised you not be as naïve as that!" Cole screamed, uncaring of and as yet barely noting, the other habitants of the room that he had entered in such a rage.
"From what I understand, she's already a part of this family Cole, whether you like it or not."
Cole turned to the direction the voice had come from. He found himself standing face to face with the woman who, years ago, in a life long lost, but never forgotten, had been his wife. Something indescribable seemed to waver in his eyes, but before anyone could guess what it had been, it was gone.
"A few hours ago, you never even knew she existed, Phoebe," he said. "You don't know a single thing about her. She may be your daughter too, by blood, but she has been solely mine her whole life."
"And you are to blame Cole," Phoebe answered, letting her own temper take over. "How could you deny me my own flesh and blood?" She yelled at him, the words echoing in the silence that followed them. "How could I ever think that there was the slightest trace of humanity in you?" she continued softly, the pain he caused her evident in the tone of her voice.
"You've got your precious sisters," he said letting all the bitterness and sadness he felt colour his voice. "She's all the family I've got. All the family I've ever had."
There was regret in both of their faces as they found themselves staring at each other, locked in an impasse of their own devise. A soft voice broke the spell that had momentarily bound both of them.
"Father," said Talia drawing everyone's attention on her. "I'm sorry, but I've chosen. I'll stay with the Haliwells if they'll have me, or I'll make my own way in the mortal world, but I cannot, I will not, go back with you to the Underworld."
Cole looked at his daughter. Her long dark hair framing her sweet face, her eyes imploring him to understand. She had been his salvation in the years of darkness that had followed his rise in the Underworld and his reign as the Source of all Evil. She had been his one and only source of light. She and she alone had kept what little humanity he kept secretly hidden in his heart, alive. How could he give her up?
Yet as he looked at his daughter he saw that although his was the fate to spend eternity in his dark kingdom, he could not possibly doom her to a similar fate. He raised his hand and lightly cupped her young face. For a few moments they simply stared at each other.
When Cole dropped his hand there was a shadow of defeat on his face. He seemed tired. The fire behind his eyes was extinguished.
Suddenly he grew stiff and cold. This was no longer Cole standing in their midst. This was the Source of all Evil. Powerful, ruthless, used to giving commands and having them obeyed.
"The Haliwells are the Charmed Ones," he finally said, "and I am the Source. I cannot show mercy when it comes to dealing with them. I haven't the past sixteen years and I'm not going to start now. Demons will continue to come after them, and if you stay with them you will be in continuous danger. You may be my daughter, but I cannot protect you, Talia. Do you understand that?"
Talia quietly nodded.
"So be it," he decreed and flamed out of the Haliwell manor.