Chloe shimmered into cavern in front of the Hall of Lost Souls. She
pulled a torch from the wall and hid behind a rock to check out who she
might have to battle to exit with two souls. The same two demons were
guarding the entrance as the day before. With one hand, she lifted the
hood of her cape over her head, hiding her face, and making it appear that
she was in fact a demon coming to pay homage to someone or something.
Chloe reverently approached to guards, bowed her head and asked, "I seek to
gain entrance into the Hall of Lost Souls," keeping her head bowed waiting
for a response.
"State your reason," one of the guards responded.
*That's a new response,* Chloe thought then quickly added, "To pay homage to a fallen brother, Balthazar," she concluded hoping his name would gain her quick entrance. It worked. The two guards bowed and allowed her to pass. Chloe once again entered the glowing, limitless hall. She closed her eyes and concentrated, hoping the globes of her father's and grandfather's souls would once again find their way to her. She opened her eyes and saw them floating in front of her, smiling, she motioned for her father's soul to float effortlessly into the blessed black velvet bag that hung beneath her cloak. As she began to move her grandfather's soul to her as well—it flew backwards. Chloe heard clapping.
"I see you are finally focusing on the task at hand," Batterak teased, rolling the globe housing Benjamin Turner's soul between his gnarled fingers. "I'm glad, I was starting to think our little adventure in time travel was a waste," he tossed the soul high up into the air and it disappeared. Before Chloe could blink Batterak was behind her with an athame to her throat, "You did not come here to save your grandfather's soul. You have been granted entrance and will be allowed to leave with just one." Chloe formed a fireball in her hand. "Now, now. That isn't smart," Batterak squashed the fireball with ease, "You know what happened this morning when you tried that. You got hurt. And I'm sorry to say, if the same thing happens again tonight, neither your cousin nor your Elder uncle will be able to save you. That wouldn't serve anyone's purpose now would it?" Chloe squirmed to get away, cradling the bag holding her father's soul beneath her cloak, "Struggling's not going to help you, pet. I could cut your throat right now. Nothing would make me happier," he ran the athame across the skin on her neck bringing trickles of blood to the surface. Chloe winced. "But alas, if I kill you before you start this little ritual—I won't get my powers and our fun future world goes down the drain. And we wouldn't want that," he licked the side of Chloe's face, "Be seeing you," and shimmered out.
Paige couldn't believe what Chris had just told her. Cole was Chloe's father. The same Cole she had finally successfully gotten rid of—she was being asked to help bring him back to life in two hours. She paced the kitchen. Chris watched through a wary gaze, "Paige, please, just tell me where it is. I am tired. You are tired. And I really want to get this over with."
"YOU want to get this over with?" Paige asked forcefully. "Let me tell you something, mister, I had gotten this over with. For all of us. Cole is gone! And you want me to help bring him back?"
"Yes."
"Much too simple answer for my question," Paige continued to pace.
"Paige, I know that you know who Chloe is," Chris initiated.
"Try saying that ten times fast," Paige mocked.
Chris walked over to Paige, grabbed her arms, sat her in a chair and then put his hands on the table in front of her, "Focus with me, Paige. You know that Chloe is family. Think about that. Think about what that means for a second."
Paige began to think. Since Chris had revealed the demon they were resurrecting Paige hadn't stopped to think of the significance. She did know that Chloe was family, and if Cole was her father, "I don't sleep with Cole, do I?" Chris rolled his eyes. "Phoebe," Paige realized. "Wow. I have a niece. And Phoebe has a little girl. Oh! We finally get to buy pink baby presents. This is going to be so fun!" Chris pounded his fists on the table. "Oh, right. We have to bring back Phoebe's baby's demonic daddy first," Paige got up from the table and walked over to the freezer, pulling out a plastic bag with red flesh in it, "This what you need?" she asked as Chris motioned it to him.
"Thanks," he mumbled.
"Chris, this isn't going to be easy. If you think I reacted badly, and your mom reacted badly, then how do you think Phoebe is going to react?" she posed more rhetorically than expecting an answer.
Chris turned back to his aunt, "I think, I hope, that she is going to realize that she has a daughter that she loves more than her life and will do anything to insure she will have that daughter three years from now. She has been going on all these dates, forcing premonitions so she could meet the father of her daughter. Now she'll know who it is," and he left the room.
Chloe wiped the tears of fear from her eyes as she shimmered back into the attic. She fell on her knees and buried her face in her hands. Paige walked in the door, "I seem to keep finding you crying," she sat down next to her. She noticed the blood trickling down from the six inch scrape on Chloe's neck, "Oh God, Chloe! What happened?" she asked as she orbed a "blanket" from Wyatt's attic playpen. She handed it to Chloe who blotted her neck.
"It's nothing. It's just a scratch."
"You're telling me a six inch scratch just randomly appeared across your neck or did somebody put it there?" Paige asked helping Chloe to stand.
"Batterak put it there," Chloe sniffled and walked over to the Book of Shadows, "Chris told you who my dad is," she made eye contact with Paige looking at her from behind the bookstand. "I read you."
"Yeah," Paige shuffled her feet.
Chloe nodded her head. "I'm surprised no one figured it out, honestly. You know, that everybody had to be told. I mean, Chloe... hello, take the names Phoebe and Cole and mush them together and you get Chloe. My parents weren't real original in the name department," she looked down at the picture of Balthazar that stared back up at her. "Besides, I'm charmed," she did quotes in the air emphasizing the word, "C-h-... Chris started that trend," Chloe rested her forehead on the book.
"I think your name is pretty. What's your middle name?"
Chloe smiled, "Paige."
Paige beamed back at her, "Turner?"
"No, Halliwell," Chloe embraced Paige.
"Chloe Paige Halliwell. I have two namesakes," she returned her niece's hug.
Chloe was the first one to break the hug, "Now you're crying," she wiped a tear from Paige's cheek.
"All tears of joy I assure you," Paige promised.
"I have one more thing I have to get," Chloe removed her cloak revealing the glowing velvet bag beneath it.
Paige's eyes widened, "That's beautiful. What is it?" she pointed to the bag.
"You'll see," Chloe winked and began towards the door.
"You should really get Leo to heal that cut on your neck when he gets back. You don't want to meet your dad like that," Paige encouraged.
"I will! Let me know when they get back!" Chloe called as she descended the stairs.
Piper, Leo, Wyatt and Phoebe entered the foyer through the magical door. "Ok, I'm ready to get this bad boy raised," Phoebe rubbed her hands together, "trying to get myself psyched up about a resurrecting a demon we've already killed. Never thought that would happen. Hi, Christopher," she patted him on the shoulder as she walked into the living room.
"You told her?" he whispered to Piper as she walked by him.
"Of course not, that's Chloe's job. But you got to give her a little credit, I mean, we really are about to resurrect a demon we've already killed. We all need to get psyched up for it. Don't we?" she cooed to Wyatt as she joined Phoebe in the living room. Chris and Leo exchanged uncertain looks.
"Hey, Chris, did you know that Chloe's name..." Paige began as she came down the stairs not realizing that Piper, Leo, Phoebe and Wyatt had returned.
"Chloe's name what?" Phoebe asked as Chris shook his head no.
"That Chloe's middle name is Paige," Paige attempted to cover-up. The other four in the room looked to Phoebe to see if she bought it.
"Really? How about that?" Piper mused.
"Yeah, Christopher Perry and Chloe Paige? I guess you two were destined to be friends, huh?" Phoebe winked at Chris. She then doubled over with a premonition. Paige and Chris rushed to her side. Phoebe saw herself in labor in her bedroom in the manor. Piper and Paige were there encouraging her to push. She was crying, 'I can't! I can't!' They kept repeating that she had to. Then a male hand took her left hand, both hands had wedding bands on them. 'You can do it, Pheebs, push," he coached her. She saw his face—she saw Cole. Suddenly there was crying and Paige lifted up a baby and announced, 'It's a girl!' to the room. Paige first handed the baby to Phoebe who cradled her and rocked her then Phoebe handed the baby to her father. Cole was crying. Phoebe could feel his love for her and their baby. 'You're not going to keep us in suspense anymore, are you?' Piper asked through tears, 'What's her name?' Phoebe and Cole exchanged a warm, tearful look as Phoebe announced to her sisters, 'Chloe Paige.'
Phoebe gasped coming back to the present. Her eyes were wet with tears. Her head aching from the vision she had just seen and the storm of emotions that had swept through her. She kept crying. "That's why his picture was out on my lingerie chest. That's why she wanted to borrow my potions book," she managed through her tears.
"What? What did you see? Phoebe? What did you see?" Chris asked on the verge of panic.
"I saw me," she stuttered, "I saw me having my baby girl. Chloe," Phoebe looked up.
"What? I didn't know you were back," Chloe asked coming in the room, "What did I miss?"
"Your birth," Leo smiled.
"Run that by me again," Chloe did a double take. Everyone in the room was staring at her. Phoebe got up to hug Chloe, but she stepped back, "What's going on?"
"What did you just touch?" Chris quizzed.
"The last ingredient," Chloe answered still gripping her father's wedding band in her hand.
"Which is?" Piper asked the question on everyone's mind.
Phoebe looked Chloe straight in the eye and answered, "Cole's wedding ring." Chloe nodded yes. "It's the purest gold and stands for our endless love. It has to be the last ingredient." Chloe nodded again. Phoebe walked as close to Chloe as she would let her. "Wow. You're my daughter?" she smiled wiping away her own tear.
Chloe couldn't speak. There was so much she wanted to say to her mom. But more than anything she wanted to hug her and never let go. But she couldn't.
Phoebe noticed the cut on Chloe's neck and reached out to it, "You're hurt. Someone tried to cut your throat?"
Chloe covered the cut on her neck and backed away from Phoebe again, "No, don't touch me." Phoebe looked away from her—feeling rejected and hurt. Her daughter that she had been longing for wouldn't let her touch her.
"Chloe," Chris reprimanded.
"She can't and you know it," Chloe shot back at him.
Leo walked to Chloe's side and placed his hands over her neck, "That's three times in the past seventy-two hours, are you going for a record?" he tried to elicit a smile.
"Batterak attacked her," Paige informed them.
"I'm fine," Chloe shook Leo's hands away and turned running up the stairs.
"She won't let me touch her," Phoebe walked back to the sofa, "My little girl won't let me touch her. What is it with you kids and bad parental relationships?" she poked Chris.
"That's not why she won't let you touch her," Chris appraised everyone, "She doesn't want to hurt you."
"Hurt me?" Phoebe repeated, "I don't think anything can hurt more than my child running away from me when I try to hug her." Leo lowered his head, he could empathize.
"I mean physically," Chris continued. "Phoebe, you don't have your powers right now but you've been having premonitions. Haven't you wandered why?" Phoebe nodded her head, "Chloe is why. She has telepathy, Phoebe. It's very similar to premonitions and empathy."
"Except that it's like reading the pages in a book that's already been written," Piper stepped in, "that's how she explained it to me anyway."
Chris looked back at Phoebe, "You have been sharing in her visions because your powers are truly connected. If she touches you, she could flood you with all her thoughts, all her emotions, and completely overwhelm you. She is trying to protect you."
"I never knew being protected could hurt so damn much," Phoebe's eyes looked up the stairs.
"State your reason," one of the guards responded.
*That's a new response,* Chloe thought then quickly added, "To pay homage to a fallen brother, Balthazar," she concluded hoping his name would gain her quick entrance. It worked. The two guards bowed and allowed her to pass. Chloe once again entered the glowing, limitless hall. She closed her eyes and concentrated, hoping the globes of her father's and grandfather's souls would once again find their way to her. She opened her eyes and saw them floating in front of her, smiling, she motioned for her father's soul to float effortlessly into the blessed black velvet bag that hung beneath her cloak. As she began to move her grandfather's soul to her as well—it flew backwards. Chloe heard clapping.
"I see you are finally focusing on the task at hand," Batterak teased, rolling the globe housing Benjamin Turner's soul between his gnarled fingers. "I'm glad, I was starting to think our little adventure in time travel was a waste," he tossed the soul high up into the air and it disappeared. Before Chloe could blink Batterak was behind her with an athame to her throat, "You did not come here to save your grandfather's soul. You have been granted entrance and will be allowed to leave with just one." Chloe formed a fireball in her hand. "Now, now. That isn't smart," Batterak squashed the fireball with ease, "You know what happened this morning when you tried that. You got hurt. And I'm sorry to say, if the same thing happens again tonight, neither your cousin nor your Elder uncle will be able to save you. That wouldn't serve anyone's purpose now would it?" Chloe squirmed to get away, cradling the bag holding her father's soul beneath her cloak, "Struggling's not going to help you, pet. I could cut your throat right now. Nothing would make me happier," he ran the athame across the skin on her neck bringing trickles of blood to the surface. Chloe winced. "But alas, if I kill you before you start this little ritual—I won't get my powers and our fun future world goes down the drain. And we wouldn't want that," he licked the side of Chloe's face, "Be seeing you," and shimmered out.
Paige couldn't believe what Chris had just told her. Cole was Chloe's father. The same Cole she had finally successfully gotten rid of—she was being asked to help bring him back to life in two hours. She paced the kitchen. Chris watched through a wary gaze, "Paige, please, just tell me where it is. I am tired. You are tired. And I really want to get this over with."
"YOU want to get this over with?" Paige asked forcefully. "Let me tell you something, mister, I had gotten this over with. For all of us. Cole is gone! And you want me to help bring him back?"
"Yes."
"Much too simple answer for my question," Paige continued to pace.
"Paige, I know that you know who Chloe is," Chris initiated.
"Try saying that ten times fast," Paige mocked.
Chris walked over to Paige, grabbed her arms, sat her in a chair and then put his hands on the table in front of her, "Focus with me, Paige. You know that Chloe is family. Think about that. Think about what that means for a second."
Paige began to think. Since Chris had revealed the demon they were resurrecting Paige hadn't stopped to think of the significance. She did know that Chloe was family, and if Cole was her father, "I don't sleep with Cole, do I?" Chris rolled his eyes. "Phoebe," Paige realized. "Wow. I have a niece. And Phoebe has a little girl. Oh! We finally get to buy pink baby presents. This is going to be so fun!" Chris pounded his fists on the table. "Oh, right. We have to bring back Phoebe's baby's demonic daddy first," Paige got up from the table and walked over to the freezer, pulling out a plastic bag with red flesh in it, "This what you need?" she asked as Chris motioned it to him.
"Thanks," he mumbled.
"Chris, this isn't going to be easy. If you think I reacted badly, and your mom reacted badly, then how do you think Phoebe is going to react?" she posed more rhetorically than expecting an answer.
Chris turned back to his aunt, "I think, I hope, that she is going to realize that she has a daughter that she loves more than her life and will do anything to insure she will have that daughter three years from now. She has been going on all these dates, forcing premonitions so she could meet the father of her daughter. Now she'll know who it is," and he left the room.
Chloe wiped the tears of fear from her eyes as she shimmered back into the attic. She fell on her knees and buried her face in her hands. Paige walked in the door, "I seem to keep finding you crying," she sat down next to her. She noticed the blood trickling down from the six inch scrape on Chloe's neck, "Oh God, Chloe! What happened?" she asked as she orbed a "blanket" from Wyatt's attic playpen. She handed it to Chloe who blotted her neck.
"It's nothing. It's just a scratch."
"You're telling me a six inch scratch just randomly appeared across your neck or did somebody put it there?" Paige asked helping Chloe to stand.
"Batterak put it there," Chloe sniffled and walked over to the Book of Shadows, "Chris told you who my dad is," she made eye contact with Paige looking at her from behind the bookstand. "I read you."
"Yeah," Paige shuffled her feet.
Chloe nodded her head. "I'm surprised no one figured it out, honestly. You know, that everybody had to be told. I mean, Chloe... hello, take the names Phoebe and Cole and mush them together and you get Chloe. My parents weren't real original in the name department," she looked down at the picture of Balthazar that stared back up at her. "Besides, I'm charmed," she did quotes in the air emphasizing the word, "C-h-... Chris started that trend," Chloe rested her forehead on the book.
"I think your name is pretty. What's your middle name?"
Chloe smiled, "Paige."
Paige beamed back at her, "Turner?"
"No, Halliwell," Chloe embraced Paige.
"Chloe Paige Halliwell. I have two namesakes," she returned her niece's hug.
Chloe was the first one to break the hug, "Now you're crying," she wiped a tear from Paige's cheek.
"All tears of joy I assure you," Paige promised.
"I have one more thing I have to get," Chloe removed her cloak revealing the glowing velvet bag beneath it.
Paige's eyes widened, "That's beautiful. What is it?" she pointed to the bag.
"You'll see," Chloe winked and began towards the door.
"You should really get Leo to heal that cut on your neck when he gets back. You don't want to meet your dad like that," Paige encouraged.
"I will! Let me know when they get back!" Chloe called as she descended the stairs.
Piper, Leo, Wyatt and Phoebe entered the foyer through the magical door. "Ok, I'm ready to get this bad boy raised," Phoebe rubbed her hands together, "trying to get myself psyched up about a resurrecting a demon we've already killed. Never thought that would happen. Hi, Christopher," she patted him on the shoulder as she walked into the living room.
"You told her?" he whispered to Piper as she walked by him.
"Of course not, that's Chloe's job. But you got to give her a little credit, I mean, we really are about to resurrect a demon we've already killed. We all need to get psyched up for it. Don't we?" she cooed to Wyatt as she joined Phoebe in the living room. Chris and Leo exchanged uncertain looks.
"Hey, Chris, did you know that Chloe's name..." Paige began as she came down the stairs not realizing that Piper, Leo, Phoebe and Wyatt had returned.
"Chloe's name what?" Phoebe asked as Chris shook his head no.
"That Chloe's middle name is Paige," Paige attempted to cover-up. The other four in the room looked to Phoebe to see if she bought it.
"Really? How about that?" Piper mused.
"Yeah, Christopher Perry and Chloe Paige? I guess you two were destined to be friends, huh?" Phoebe winked at Chris. She then doubled over with a premonition. Paige and Chris rushed to her side. Phoebe saw herself in labor in her bedroom in the manor. Piper and Paige were there encouraging her to push. She was crying, 'I can't! I can't!' They kept repeating that she had to. Then a male hand took her left hand, both hands had wedding bands on them. 'You can do it, Pheebs, push," he coached her. She saw his face—she saw Cole. Suddenly there was crying and Paige lifted up a baby and announced, 'It's a girl!' to the room. Paige first handed the baby to Phoebe who cradled her and rocked her then Phoebe handed the baby to her father. Cole was crying. Phoebe could feel his love for her and their baby. 'You're not going to keep us in suspense anymore, are you?' Piper asked through tears, 'What's her name?' Phoebe and Cole exchanged a warm, tearful look as Phoebe announced to her sisters, 'Chloe Paige.'
Phoebe gasped coming back to the present. Her eyes were wet with tears. Her head aching from the vision she had just seen and the storm of emotions that had swept through her. She kept crying. "That's why his picture was out on my lingerie chest. That's why she wanted to borrow my potions book," she managed through her tears.
"What? What did you see? Phoebe? What did you see?" Chris asked on the verge of panic.
"I saw me," she stuttered, "I saw me having my baby girl. Chloe," Phoebe looked up.
"What? I didn't know you were back," Chloe asked coming in the room, "What did I miss?"
"Your birth," Leo smiled.
"Run that by me again," Chloe did a double take. Everyone in the room was staring at her. Phoebe got up to hug Chloe, but she stepped back, "What's going on?"
"What did you just touch?" Chris quizzed.
"The last ingredient," Chloe answered still gripping her father's wedding band in her hand.
"Which is?" Piper asked the question on everyone's mind.
Phoebe looked Chloe straight in the eye and answered, "Cole's wedding ring." Chloe nodded yes. "It's the purest gold and stands for our endless love. It has to be the last ingredient." Chloe nodded again. Phoebe walked as close to Chloe as she would let her. "Wow. You're my daughter?" she smiled wiping away her own tear.
Chloe couldn't speak. There was so much she wanted to say to her mom. But more than anything she wanted to hug her and never let go. But she couldn't.
Phoebe noticed the cut on Chloe's neck and reached out to it, "You're hurt. Someone tried to cut your throat?"
Chloe covered the cut on her neck and backed away from Phoebe again, "No, don't touch me." Phoebe looked away from her—feeling rejected and hurt. Her daughter that she had been longing for wouldn't let her touch her.
"Chloe," Chris reprimanded.
"She can't and you know it," Chloe shot back at him.
Leo walked to Chloe's side and placed his hands over her neck, "That's three times in the past seventy-two hours, are you going for a record?" he tried to elicit a smile.
"Batterak attacked her," Paige informed them.
"I'm fine," Chloe shook Leo's hands away and turned running up the stairs.
"She won't let me touch her," Phoebe walked back to the sofa, "My little girl won't let me touch her. What is it with you kids and bad parental relationships?" she poked Chris.
"That's not why she won't let you touch her," Chris appraised everyone, "She doesn't want to hurt you."
"Hurt me?" Phoebe repeated, "I don't think anything can hurt more than my child running away from me when I try to hug her." Leo lowered his head, he could empathize.
"I mean physically," Chris continued. "Phoebe, you don't have your powers right now but you've been having premonitions. Haven't you wandered why?" Phoebe nodded her head, "Chloe is why. She has telepathy, Phoebe. It's very similar to premonitions and empathy."
"Except that it's like reading the pages in a book that's already been written," Piper stepped in, "that's how she explained it to me anyway."
Chris looked back at Phoebe, "You have been sharing in her visions because your powers are truly connected. If she touches you, she could flood you with all her thoughts, all her emotions, and completely overwhelm you. She is trying to protect you."
"I never knew being protected could hurt so damn much," Phoebe's eyes looked up the stairs.