Cole's face showed raw emotion. He couldn't begin to think. He didn't
know his future wife, but surely he wouldn't kill her?
"Don't do this to yourself" Max said but he barely heard her. How could he? If he had married Marie, he must have loved her more then anything. And he killed her? It couldn't be. He would never put anyone he loved in danger.
Or will he change? And not care, not have a heart? Oh God.
She paused before saying "You had to". Max panicked because she had kept him mentally stable so far and knew that he could easily slip into the black hole of depression.
Should I tell him the truth?
He had sat on the couch, his thoughts overcoming him. His insides were screaming. He needed to breathe, but he just couldn't. Max always hated talking about her mother's death.. he caused it? He'd hurt her so much?
She must hate me.
Cole bit his lip as he slipped further and further away.
And then at first he didn't realize she was talking.
".. and the Avatars possessed a couple of demons and kidnapped me and mom"
Cole realized she was crying. He wanted to reach out and hold her though he couldn't move. She swallowed hard and continued, wiping her tears away thinking of the day.
-- Flashback --
"Max, don't make me get your father," her mother told her. "But they're yucky!" Max refused "They're good for you" Marie told her. "I slave in the kitchen to cook dinner and you wont even eat it" "Mom, that's unfair!" she whined, "You're doing the guilt thing again".
Max frowned and looked at the vegetables on her plate. She really didn't want to eat them. They tasted horrible.
Two warlocks blinked in behind Marie and one slipped his hand over her mouth. She tried to scream but couldn't. Max looked up and screamed as the second was advancing.
Max woke up and saw she was in the underworld. It was like and underground cave, only there was an unbearable stench. She was in her mother's lap and Marie was stroking her hair. There was a mystical bar of blue stretched around the corner, blocking them in.
"Mom?" Max asked, afraid. "Shh, honey" she whispered.
She nearly jumped as an energy ball collided with the force field. She saw her father throwing them, trying to get rid of the force field.
Max remembered about her powers and tried to shimmer home.
Nothing happened.
Both Marie and Max listened intently to the conversation. "Please" Cole was pleading, "I'll be one of you, I accept. Just don't kill them."
They shook their heads. "No"
"What do you want?" he snapped at them. "You" one simply said. "You'll have me. Not my family. Please.. No, not my family" Cole begged.
Max felt Marie grip her tighter. "I love you, Max," she whispered to her.
Max wondered how serious this was. This isn't usually like this. Dad always comes through for us. What's different?
"I love you too, Mom" Max whispered back but still looked intently at the scene before her.
"There is nothing you can do" the demon told Cole. "Then why aren't they dead already?" he snapped "You're keeping them alive for some reason".
One demon gave Cole a sly smile. "Genius on my part" he laughed. "Now what better way to drive you insane then to get you to kill your own family?"
Cole glared. "You're dumber then you look," he said dryly. "Which, by the way, isn't that good."
The demon laughed. "Of course, there is an incentive. We have two scenarios for you"
"First scenario - We kill both members of your family. Second - you kill your wife and you can bring your daughter home."
"I'm bringing both my wife and daughter home," Cole told him. He didn't believe it anymore, the Avatars had immeasurable power. What they wanted happened.
"Cole" Marie called out "Do it. For our daughter." "Mom!" Max cried "No!"
The force field extended from the corner to the whole room. Cole ran to Marie and kissed her. This was the part when Max usually shrieked 'Eww' but she was too busy trying to keep the tears back.
"I'm going to die anyway," her mother was saying. "I can't do it," he told her sternly. "I love you".
Cole and Marie just looked into each other's eyes. They knew no words were needed to communicate anymore. Cole held her close as his insides were being ripped apart.
"You can't make this kind of sacrifice" he whispered. They both knew that this was their last moment together. If Cole didn't kill her, the Avatars would.
"You can save Max" Marie whispered "I don't care if its them or you. If it's you, you'll get to be with her"
"I want to be with you" Cole stated simply.
They were both crying and Max pulled on her father's trouser. "Daddy, can we go home now? Pretty please with a cherry on top?"
Cole picked her up. "As soon as we can," he said, kissing her on her forehead.
"Even if we get away," Marie urged, "They'll kill us anyway"
Cole looked at her, knowing she was right. "I can't," he repeated. "You can, you won't" she replied sadly. "Save our daughter, Cole. Please."
Max didn't understand what they were saying but felt herself pulled away from them. Cole looked up confused. He saw Max in another force field.
"What the hell is going on?" he asked.
"Time to say goodbye" one of them told him, quickly adding "with no brat to distract you."
"Do it quickly" she asked him. She turned to Max. "I love you Max."
Marie leant against her husband and whispered something softly. Max didn't hear what she said, but saw that both her mom and dad were crying.
-- End of Flashback --
Max stopped mid sentence. She saw the next part, not just everyday in her dreams, but every night in her nightmares. She didn't want to see it again.
She was crying softly and Cole was next to her, stroking her hair. "It's okay," he told her "I'm sorry".
She bit her lip. "I don't blame you" she said "I blame them"
By "them" Cole assumed she meant the Avatars. He'd never seen her so upset and his heart went out to her. His inside turmoil was raging like an angry tornado. His insides were churning. He waited until the storm inside of him calmed down, but it wouldn't.
"Hold me," she whispered softly "Make it all go away".
He didn't think he could make it go away but he held her anyway. He didn't care if he had to wait an eternity; he had to help her all he could.
Max's breathing calmed and she was curled like a ball, and leaned into him.
"I love you," he told her.
Max gave a sad smile. It was the first time he'd said it, since they met two months before.
Max saw Paige orb in. She rolled her eyes.
Perfect timing! she thought sarcastically to herself.
"Am I interrupting something?" Paige asked. Cole glanced up at her.
"Yes. Go away" Cole said, "Now is not the time"
"I'm okay, really" Max told him "Now what do you want?"
Paige frowned. They seemed especially close, and both looked upset. The look on Cole's face showed it all, and Max was wiping away dry tears.
"Ah, just the Elders. Something about the Avatars are targeting you" she paused, then thought out loud "Though I don't even know who the Avatars are"
"Well I do" Max told her "And you're a little late for that anyway"
Max gasped as she realized something. The Avatars always blocked magic, no one could find them. Not even the Charmed Ones could. Or the Elders.
Only an Elemist, though they could be in any shape or form. They hid among society and there was no way to identify them.
Who would communicate with Paige, to tell her about it? One of them must be a Whitelighter or Elder!
"Don't do this to yourself" Max said but he barely heard her. How could he? If he had married Marie, he must have loved her more then anything. And he killed her? It couldn't be. He would never put anyone he loved in danger.
Or will he change? And not care, not have a heart? Oh God.
She paused before saying "You had to". Max panicked because she had kept him mentally stable so far and knew that he could easily slip into the black hole of depression.
Should I tell him the truth?
He had sat on the couch, his thoughts overcoming him. His insides were screaming. He needed to breathe, but he just couldn't. Max always hated talking about her mother's death.. he caused it? He'd hurt her so much?
She must hate me.
Cole bit his lip as he slipped further and further away.
And then at first he didn't realize she was talking.
".. and the Avatars possessed a couple of demons and kidnapped me and mom"
Cole realized she was crying. He wanted to reach out and hold her though he couldn't move. She swallowed hard and continued, wiping her tears away thinking of the day.
-- Flashback --
"Max, don't make me get your father," her mother told her. "But they're yucky!" Max refused "They're good for you" Marie told her. "I slave in the kitchen to cook dinner and you wont even eat it" "Mom, that's unfair!" she whined, "You're doing the guilt thing again".
Max frowned and looked at the vegetables on her plate. She really didn't want to eat them. They tasted horrible.
Two warlocks blinked in behind Marie and one slipped his hand over her mouth. She tried to scream but couldn't. Max looked up and screamed as the second was advancing.
Max woke up and saw she was in the underworld. It was like and underground cave, only there was an unbearable stench. She was in her mother's lap and Marie was stroking her hair. There was a mystical bar of blue stretched around the corner, blocking them in.
"Mom?" Max asked, afraid. "Shh, honey" she whispered.
She nearly jumped as an energy ball collided with the force field. She saw her father throwing them, trying to get rid of the force field.
Max remembered about her powers and tried to shimmer home.
Nothing happened.
Both Marie and Max listened intently to the conversation. "Please" Cole was pleading, "I'll be one of you, I accept. Just don't kill them."
They shook their heads. "No"
"What do you want?" he snapped at them. "You" one simply said. "You'll have me. Not my family. Please.. No, not my family" Cole begged.
Max felt Marie grip her tighter. "I love you, Max," she whispered to her.
Max wondered how serious this was. This isn't usually like this. Dad always comes through for us. What's different?
"I love you too, Mom" Max whispered back but still looked intently at the scene before her.
"There is nothing you can do" the demon told Cole. "Then why aren't they dead already?" he snapped "You're keeping them alive for some reason".
One demon gave Cole a sly smile. "Genius on my part" he laughed. "Now what better way to drive you insane then to get you to kill your own family?"
Cole glared. "You're dumber then you look," he said dryly. "Which, by the way, isn't that good."
The demon laughed. "Of course, there is an incentive. We have two scenarios for you"
"First scenario - We kill both members of your family. Second - you kill your wife and you can bring your daughter home."
"I'm bringing both my wife and daughter home," Cole told him. He didn't believe it anymore, the Avatars had immeasurable power. What they wanted happened.
"Cole" Marie called out "Do it. For our daughter." "Mom!" Max cried "No!"
The force field extended from the corner to the whole room. Cole ran to Marie and kissed her. This was the part when Max usually shrieked 'Eww' but she was too busy trying to keep the tears back.
"I'm going to die anyway," her mother was saying. "I can't do it," he told her sternly. "I love you".
Cole and Marie just looked into each other's eyes. They knew no words were needed to communicate anymore. Cole held her close as his insides were being ripped apart.
"You can't make this kind of sacrifice" he whispered. They both knew that this was their last moment together. If Cole didn't kill her, the Avatars would.
"You can save Max" Marie whispered "I don't care if its them or you. If it's you, you'll get to be with her"
"I want to be with you" Cole stated simply.
They were both crying and Max pulled on her father's trouser. "Daddy, can we go home now? Pretty please with a cherry on top?"
Cole picked her up. "As soon as we can," he said, kissing her on her forehead.
"Even if we get away," Marie urged, "They'll kill us anyway"
Cole looked at her, knowing she was right. "I can't," he repeated. "You can, you won't" she replied sadly. "Save our daughter, Cole. Please."
Max didn't understand what they were saying but felt herself pulled away from them. Cole looked up confused. He saw Max in another force field.
"What the hell is going on?" he asked.
"Time to say goodbye" one of them told him, quickly adding "with no brat to distract you."
"Do it quickly" she asked him. She turned to Max. "I love you Max."
Marie leant against her husband and whispered something softly. Max didn't hear what she said, but saw that both her mom and dad were crying.
-- End of Flashback --
Max stopped mid sentence. She saw the next part, not just everyday in her dreams, but every night in her nightmares. She didn't want to see it again.
She was crying softly and Cole was next to her, stroking her hair. "It's okay," he told her "I'm sorry".
She bit her lip. "I don't blame you" she said "I blame them"
By "them" Cole assumed she meant the Avatars. He'd never seen her so upset and his heart went out to her. His inside turmoil was raging like an angry tornado. His insides were churning. He waited until the storm inside of him calmed down, but it wouldn't.
"Hold me," she whispered softly "Make it all go away".
He didn't think he could make it go away but he held her anyway. He didn't care if he had to wait an eternity; he had to help her all he could.
Max's breathing calmed and she was curled like a ball, and leaned into him.
"I love you," he told her.
Max gave a sad smile. It was the first time he'd said it, since they met two months before.
Max saw Paige orb in. She rolled her eyes.
Perfect timing! she thought sarcastically to herself.
"Am I interrupting something?" Paige asked. Cole glanced up at her.
"Yes. Go away" Cole said, "Now is not the time"
"I'm okay, really" Max told him "Now what do you want?"
Paige frowned. They seemed especially close, and both looked upset. The look on Cole's face showed it all, and Max was wiping away dry tears.
"Ah, just the Elders. Something about the Avatars are targeting you" she paused, then thought out loud "Though I don't even know who the Avatars are"
"Well I do" Max told her "And you're a little late for that anyway"
Max gasped as she realized something. The Avatars always blocked magic, no one could find them. Not even the Charmed Ones could. Or the Elders.
Only an Elemist, though they could be in any shape or form. They hid among society and there was no way to identify them.
Who would communicate with Paige, to tell her about it? One of them must be a Whitelighter or Elder!