Part Twenty-Seven
Three Hours Later...
May 10, 2004
Piper came back from her trip to the bathroom to find Paige pacing outside Phoebe's door. "What's wrong?" she asked as she rushed towards her sister. "Why aren't you with Phoebe?"
Paige held out her hands to slow Piper, "It's okay, the doctor's just checking her progress."
"What progress?" She gazed at Paige with tears in her eyes, "She's no closer to delivery now than she was an hour ago. I know it's not supposed to be like this, Paige, and I'm scared."
Paige quickly hugged her older sister, "I know, sweetie...It's almost like Phoebe's not even trying anymore."
"Like she's given up," Piper sniffled. "God, Paige, Cole's gone, she's three weeks early, and she's been terrified of giving birth today because of the date in her premonition."
"But it's after midnight," Paige rubbed her sister's back, "and it was only a nightmare." She continued even as Piper pulled back, "I know Phoebe's scared, especially after everything, and when she's stuck with the doctor who happened to be on-call tonight while her own doctor's in the middle of a delivery, but you have to believe she'll be okay."
"She's barely talking to us," Piper sadly reminded her. "She feels betrayed by us for not believing in Cole and I don't know how to make it better."
"We just have to be there for her," Paige declared. "No matter what she says or doesn't, we have to show her how much we love her and that we'll be right by her side." She swept some strands of hair behind her sister's ears, "And I know you're still angry with me for my part in all this, for not telling you what we were up to, and I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Piper."
Piper nodded, "It'll take some time but you're my sister and I love you."
"And it'll be the same with Phoebe," Paige assured her. "Can't break the bonds of sisters, we love each other too much."
"But how much more can she take?" Piper noticed the orb sparkles from the corner of her eye. "Leo!" She glanced around wildly in the hopes that nobody saw his sudden appearance.
"How's Phoebe?" he tiredly asked. At the moment, he didn't care who might be watching. He caressed Piper's cheek and ached for more but it wasn't the time nor the place. He would tell her later and he would comfort her later.
"Not good," Paige somberly answered while she watched Piper finger sleeping Wyatt's hair.
"Maybe my news will cheer her up," he suggested as he carefully transferred his son into Piper's eager arms.
"Mama?" Wyatt sleepily murmured.
"What news?" Piper asked distractedly while she gently rocked Wyatt back to sleep. "And where's Chris? He can take Wyatt back to the house while we're here."
"Everything go okay with Gideon?" Paige cautiously asked. She knew Gideon had been a friend to Leo. His betrayal couldn't be easy for her former brother-in-law to accept.
"Gideon will no longer be a concern," a weary Cole replied.
"That was quick," Leo commented as he turned and looked over Cole's new attire. With the barest twinge of jealousy, he had to admire how the demon could make the simplest black T-shirt and jeans appear elegant. At least Cole had diverted the sisters' attention from the topic of Chris. "I just got here myself."
Impatient, Cole inquired, "How is she?"
Paige had spun to face the former demon and, after a moment's shock, jumped into his arms and hugged him tight. "I don't even care what excuse you've got..."
Surprised, Cole staggered back a step but gratefully returned her embrace. He gazed at Piper while he still hugged Paige, "I know you're both pretty pissed right now..."
"Some more than others," Piper pointedly told him.
"I'm sorry, Piper, I never meant to hurt Phoebe or the baby but I didn't see any other wa--"
"But," she interrupted with a shy smile, "seeing as you'd have every right to be pissed at us for our own lack of faith in you, maybe we can call it even and move on."
With a mixture of amusement and relief, Cole smiled. But it faded almost as quickly as it had appeared. "Leo said her water broke."
Paige took Wyatt from Piper and confirmed the news, "A few hours ago. Dr. Carlton's in with her now and --"
"Carlton?" he interrupted as he strode towards Phoebe's door. Just as he was about to push it, the door opened.
"Sorry," the middle-aged doctor informed him while exiting the room, "but Mrs. Turner isn't receiving visitors right now."
"I'm Mister Turner," Cole snapped before he took a deep breath. "How's my wife?"
"I was under the impression you were out of town and unable to be here." But instead of waiting for a comment, he continued, "Your wife's contractions are little more than four minutes apart and she's not quite eight centimeters dilated. Her pressure's been erratic and I'd feel more comfortable if her labor would've progressed further by this point in time."
Cole couldn't keep the fear from his voice when he asked, "The baby?"
"Heartbeat's strong and I'm not seeing any signs of distress," Dr. Carlton replied. When Cole's hand pushed on the door, he added, "I understand her fear of delivering without her own doctor present but I assure you, Mr. Turner, I have safely delivered hundreds of babies and I will do my best by your wife and child." Cole nodded and he concluded, "Try to keep her as calm and comfortable as possible, back rubs, ice chips...If you need anything, press the call button. I'll have a nurse check on her in a little while when we may have to discuss other options."
But Cole wasn't listening anymore as he let the door close behind him with a distracted, "Thanks."
888888888888888888888888888888888888888
888888888888888888888888888888888888888
While she leisurely paced with Wyatt in her arms, Paige kept an eye on her older sister who leaned against Leo as they sat on the couch in the small waiting area off Phoebe's room. "Your dad should be here soon."
Piper sighed, "He was lucky he could get onto that flight from L.A." She squeezed Leo's hand, "Haven't heard him that scared since Phoebe and I called him about Prue."
Leo kissed the top of her head, "She's gonna be fine. Cole's here and she's in the best hands."
"Maybe you could..." Piper didn't finish her thought. She knew Leo well enough to know that if there'd been anything he could do for her sister, he'd have already done it. Instead, she sighed, snuggled closer to him, and lightly traced imaginary designs along her belly.
Paige met Leo's concerned gaze and suggested to a pale Piper, "Honey, maybe you should go home for a while and rest. Leo can orb you back when it's time."
Piper shook her head and, suddenly aware of what she'd been doing, rubbed her abdomen as if to erase those designs, "I'm not leaving 'til I know Phoebe and the baby are okay." She quietly requested, "Just tell me they'll be okay."
Leo kissed the top of her head again, "Phoebe is strong and so is the baby. They'll be fine."
"So, Leo," Paige said as she approached, "where is Chris, anyway? Would've thought he'd want to be here for his cousin's birth and celebrate Cole's return."
When Leo didn't immediately answer, Piper stared at him, "Leo?"
Leo took hold of both of Piper's hands and lightly shook them before he gave each a squeeze. "Chris is gone, Piper."
Confused, Piper pulled back and wondered, "To the club? He didn't have to close, I already called th--"
"That's not what I meant," Leo shook his head.
Suddenly afraid of the answer, Piper stuttered, "What, what did you mean?"
Paige tightened her arms around Wyatt, "Did Gideon do something to him in that realm?"
Piper squeezed Leo's hands and did her best not to cry, "Is that why he's not here? Did Gideon hurt him?"
Leo kissed the back of Piper's right hand, "Gideon didn't hurt him, Piper. Gideon won't hurt anyone ever again. I promise."
Paige exchanged a nervous glance with her sister, "He's dead, isn't he? Gideon's dead."
"Leo, you didn't..." Piper left her question open-ended. She couldn't believe Leo would ever do anything to deliberately harm another being, except maybe in self-defense. And that couldn't be the case here. "Gideon was supposed to be powerless."
"He was," Leo confirmed, "even if he did smuggle in that athame." Piper gasped and he guaranteed her, "Cole was cut but I healed him...But it wasn't me, Piper. It was Cole...And it was part of our plan."
This time, Paige gasped, "Your plan? You mean you were in on it?"
Piper yanked free her hands and stood on shaky legs, "You were helping Cole? You knew he wasn't dead? You set us all up? You, you, you used your own son?"
"There wasn't any other way," Leo calmly told them. "I'll admit, I didn't believe Cole at first. I couldn't. But the more he talked, the more it all made sense. And I realized that Gideon wouldn't have stopped until Wyatt was dead. You were all constantly placed in danger and I...I couldn't let him continue. So, Cole and I, we came up with a plan."
"And you used me and Chris," Paige accused.
"Not exactly," he admitted. "What we planned was more of a last resort. We tried to anticipate all possible choices for whatever the three of you set up. It just happened to be that this last resort was needed."
"Not exactly flawless, though, was it?" Paige griped. "We thought Cole'd been killed. Wyatt was traumatized and Phoebe...Phoebe..."
"Is going to be even more pissed than you," he nodded. "We never meant to hurt her or the baby but we didn't anticipate some of the glitches that occurred."
Piper turned, faced Leo, and crossed her arms over her belly, "What happened to Chris?"
Leo stood and placed his hands on Piper's shoulders, "We knew that the only punishment possible for Gideon would be the Realm of Exile. He was too good to be killed but we also knew that, no matter what the Tribunal ruled, Wyatt would never be truly safe while still Gideon existed. So, Cole and I decided to take matters into our own hands." He gravely watched both sisters, "And I do mean 'our.' Even though Cole physically did the deed, Gideon's blood stains my hands just as much as Cole's. Not something either of us are proud of but something neither of us regret."
"What about Chris?" Piper practically cried out in frustration. "What happened to my son?"
Leo took a deep breath and gathered strength from glancing at his toddler's innocent sleeping face. "As we stood over Gideon's body, Chris began to fade."
Piper covered her mouth in horror, "Fade?"
"Cole was alive, Wyatt was safe, and Gideon was dead," he sadly nodded. "Chris's past was changed. Piper, Chris accomplished what he came back in time to do."
"And he went home," Paige murmured while she kissed Wyatt's soft hair.
Tears welled in her eyes and Piper hesitated to ask, "Did he...I mean, was it..."
"It wasn't painful at all," he assured her. "He forgave me, Piper, he told me he was proud to be my son. And his last words," he wiped away tears from her cheeks with his thumbs, "his last words were for you. He said, 'Tell Mom I love her.'"
A sob hitched in her throat and Piper reached for Leo. With his arms protectively wrapped around her, she softly cried.
Paige wiped away a tear of her own but was startled by a moan from her sister's room. She began to move but Leo's call stopped her.
With his arms still around Piper, he shook his head, "Cole's with her now. Give them space. She'll be okay."
888888888888888888888888888888888888888
888888888888888888888888888888888888888
